Shane Griffith Narrows His Transfer Destination To Three Schools
Shane Griffith Narrows His Transfer Destination To Three Schools
NCAA national champion Shane Griffith has narrowed his transfer destination to Iowa, Rutgers, or Michigan and will make a decision by the end of he week.
Shane Griffith, one of the most credentialed wrestlers in the transfer portal, will make his destination by the end of the week. The three-time NCAA All-American and 2021 national champion told NJ Advance Media that he has narrowed his decision to three schools: Iowa, Rutgers, and Michigan.
Decision time is nearing for @shanegriffith7. The former NCAA champion and @BergenCatholic alum said he expects to make a decision by the end of the week. He's considering three schools: Rutgers, Michigan and Iowa.
— Pat Lanni (@PatLanniNJ) May 2, 2023
The latest: https://t.co/JfuJh6ywQA
Griffith's title, which he won while wearing a logo-less black singlet, was critical to saving not just Stanford's wrestling program, but all 11 sports that the Pac-12 school announced they were cutting in the summer of 2020. Griffith has spent the last five years at Stanford and has one year of eligibility remaining.
A three-time New Jersey state champion at high school powerhouse Bergan Catholic, Griffith has strong ties to the state and to Rutgers. "I feel like representing New Jersey is just something awesome as well," Griffith told NJ.com.
Michigan and Rutgers have both already added multiple wrestlers to their rosters via the transfer portal. Michigan has three-time All-American Cam Amine returning at 165, so either Amine or Griffith would need to change weight classes to fit them both in the lineup.
Rutgers' 2021 All-American Jackson Turley is expected to return to 174 next season. Iowa returns round of 16 finisher Pat Kennedy at 165 and 5th-placer Nelson brands at 174.
With regards to NIL, Griffith told NJ.com that potential deals will be taken under consideration but that they won't be the 'deciding factor'.
Griffith was unsure if he would continue wrestling in college after he finished his 2023 season with the lowest placement of his career.
Hear from Griffith in the NCAA tunnels of Tulsa:
As a grad transfer, Griffith stated that he will be looking for a University that will be "the best scenario for wrestling and after wrestling."