A junior at Gilroy, Daniel Zepeda is the #23 overall recruit in the class of 2025. A California state champ, Zepeda will be taking on Bo Bassett at Who’s Number One on September 2nd. We recently spoke to Zepeda to get an inside look at his recruitment process.

What do you remember about June 15th, the first day you could be contacted by college coaches?

I woke up to my phone ringing. After that, it was back-to-back calls all day. I was getting calls while I was on a call. I’d have to play a little game where I’d call someone back after they called me and I got off the phone.

How many calls did you get that day?

I got a little over 20.

What was the most surprising part about that day?

I have experienced coaches like DC (Daniel Cormier) and Deron (Winn), so I kind of knew what to expect, but the most surprising thing to me was that not all the conversations were about wrestling. Some coaches switch it up a bit and just ask about you.

What have you learned about the recruiting process since then?

You really control everything. Everything goes at your time and your pace and they can’t really rush you. You’re the one that all the colleges want. You should take your time. If you don’t want to talk at that time, you should just turn your phone off and talk to them later.

What are the most important factors in your college decision?

Education. I want to go somewhere where they’ll push me to get a better degree and finish my degree. Obviously a good RTC/freestyle program. I have Olympic dreams, so that’s huge. And good connections with the coaches and wrestlers. I want to be around people I want to be around for the rest of my life. I want to stay there for the rest of my life and train with those people forever. 

Do you have a top schools list at this time?

I haven’t made a real list, but it’s starting to narrow itself down.

What’s next in the recruiting process for you?

After Who’s Number One, I plan on getting on a few visits. Then I’m probably going to wait until after this next wrestling season and get on a few more and make my decision from there.

With the new NCAA rule of unlimited official visits, how many do you think you’ll take?

My plan is to not take more than five. I’m planning on taking visits to schools I’m only genuinely interested in. I’m not just going to take a visit to a random school just to take the visit. You don’t want to miss out on a lot of practices and school just to go on a visit.

Has NIL come up in your talks with coaches and how is it playing a factor in your decision?

My dad and I talked about it, and it’s not something we’re too worried about. As long as I’m getting the education I want and I’m around the people I want, NIL’s not too big a deal for me. 

Do you have a timeline of when you would like to make your decision?

When I know, I know. So, I’m not in a rush.

What’s next for you after Who’s Number One?

I plan on training through Who’s Number One. I’m just going to do my training, peak there, and then get back in the room right after. I was going to hit Elite 8, but I think now I’m going to sit that one out and you’ll see me at Super 32.