Seth Mendoza is a young man with many talents - he’s a top 15 recruit, he has his own woodworking business, and he is just a few weeks away from getting his pilot’s license. We recently spoke with Seth to get an inside look at how he’s handling his recruiting process and how his other pursuits contribute to this unique time in his life.

Mendoza’s Recruiting Experience

Mendoza described June 15, the first-day college coaches were able to call recruits, in one word, “exciting.” Mendoza was in Tulsa at the time competing at Junior Duals so he decided not to stay up until midnight waiting for calls or texts. Instead, Seth woke up at 6:00 am and was on the phone with coaches the entire day. Seth enjoyed every part of that first day and it made competing at Junior Duals even more exciting.

There were a few things that surprised Seth about his early conversations with a number of coaches. First, he was surprised at how long many of the coaches have been following his career. Seth figured most only started scouting him the last year or two but many said he’s been on their radar since he’s been in 6th or 7th grade. The other aspect that has stood out to Mendoza is how frequently many of the coaches communicate with him. He said most coaches are calling or texting him daily in order to stay in touch. Seth appreciates that type of communication from the coaches and feels it helps him get to know them and their programs even better.

Mendoza’s Gift To Every Coach

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mendoza decided to use his extra time to learn woodworking with his dad. He really enjoyed the process of creating different pieces and decided to start a business (he notably donates a portion of the profits to different charities). You can check out many of his woodworking projects here and learn more about the charities he supports.

So how does that woodworking play into Seth's recruiting process? Every coach brought up his woodworking in their calls to him, and that sparked a special project. He thought it would be a “cool idea” to give every coach who visited him a plaque with their school's logo commemorating their home visit with Mendoza. Check out some of the plaques Seth’s made for coaches so far:

Missouri

Great visit from these amazing coaches-Coach Smith & Coach Maple thanks for coming over to share more about Tiger Style wrestling. Looking forward to checking out campus. @MizzouWrestling pic.twitter.com/6a3DsRsuHz

— @sethmendoza064 (@sethmendoza064) August 9, 2023

Purdue

Thanks to Coach Ersland & Coach Vega for coming out to do a home visit today. Great programs at Purdue University for sure! @PurdueWrestling pic.twitter.com/kp8Mzqpnz7

— @sethmendoza064 (@sethmendoza064) August 8, 2023

Minnesota

Thanks to head Coach Eggum from Minnesota for coming out for a home visit today. Lots of great conversations and information. @GopherWrestling pic.twitter.com/uaTdGn4OJr

— @sethmendoza064 (@sethmendoza064) August 3, 2023

Wisconsin

Big thanks to coach Bono for coming out today for a home visit! Looking forward to visiting campus. @ChrisBono @GodsWrestler133 @Jon_Reader @BadgerWrestling pic.twitter.com/7w9IsCLEgo

— @sethmendoza064 (@sethmendoza064) August 1, 2023

Aviation, What Mendoza Is Looking For In A School, And NIL

Along with his woodworking, Mendoza is passionate about aviation. Seth’s dad was in the military and had pilot friends who would tell him stories and show him videos of their flight expeditions. That piqued an interest in Seth that caused him to take his first discovery flight when he was just 12 years old. After that, Seth started attending aviation camps and began flight training 2 years ago. Now Seth will likely have his pilot’s license in the next 2 months. With the license, Seth will be able to fly wherever he wants with up to 4 people and even be eligible for various piloting jobs. 

While Mendoza wants to continue to pursue aviation, that doesn’t mean he’s only interested in schools with Aviation programs. At this point, he’s also interested in business, education, or physical therapy. Mendoza stressed that school is very important to him and that he’s not just attending college so he can wrestle. In fact, in the NIL-crazed era of college athletics, Mendoza isn’t really thinking about that right now but is instead focused on finding the right school for him. Seth said, “I’m looking at the big picture and not about how much money I can make in the next year.”

Mendoza’s Visits And Commitment Timeline

Mendoza has a busy fall ahead of him - he plans to compete at Elite 8 Duals, The Grappler Fall Classic, and Super 32. In the midst of that, he’ll also take at least 5 official school visits. He doesn’t have a timeline of when he wants to commit and wants to make sure he is diligent in weighing all of his options. He also doesn’t want to drag the process out too long but feels confident that he’ll make his college choice at the right time saying, “When I know, I’ll know.”

Mendoza’s Advice For The Class Of 2026

Seth said he’s learned a lot throughout his recruiting process and offered advice for next year’s recruits. He said to focus on one thing at a time. According to Seth, with so many coaches calling and setting up visits, it could get distracting or overwhelming to make those future plans. Seth said to stay patient in the process and be prepared to set aside time for calls/visits so you can get to know the coaches and programs to help you make the best decision for your future. 

Seth Mendoza's recent win over Nate Desmond at Fargo:

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