Every top-tier college wrestling program, like the current six-time reigning ACC champion NC State Wolfpack, for example, has found numerous recruiting hotbeds across the country.

From Pennsylvania to New York to Ohio to Georgia to many other states, NC State casts a wide net to find the best recruits that fit into their #PackMentality.

But the Wolfpack dipped into one state not known for producing All-Americans, one state much more known for football than wrestling — Alabama.

Christian Knop joined the Pack in the summer of 2019 from Anniston, Alabama, and has ascended into the Pack’s starting lineup at 197 pounds for his final season of eligibility.

With the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers football programs dominating headlines year-round, Knop took a different route than most to find the wrestling mats when he was growing up.

“I saw a flyer one day for an after-school program,” Knop said. “I’m not sure what it was, but it caught my eye. I wanted to try it, but I had to really convince my dad to let me try wrestling. 

“Once I did, I fell in love with it.”

Knop took the sport quickly and enjoyed a lot of success during his prep career.

He was a four-time state champion, the first wrestler in AHSAA history to win four consecutive state titles and to go undefeated in his high school career. In fact, he went 321-0 in high school!

Even while pressured to join his high school’s football team by many coaches, Knop was adamant about sticking to the mat and keeping healthy for wrestling. He was a 2019 NHSCA Senior Nationals champion and 2018 Flo Nationals All-American.

But perhaps his most impressive honor, even beating out the numerous high school athletes in that football-dominated state, Knop was named the #1 high school athlete on the AL.com High School 101 list.

During a recent interview, NC State head coach Pat Popolizio even harkened back to the honor for Knop.

“That honor speaks to his athleticism and who he is as an overall athlete,” Popolizio said.

Knop became familiar with the NC State wrestling program during the 2018 NCAA Championships in Cleveland. That season, NC State brought home its first team trophy with a third-place finish and crowned a national champion in Michael Macchiavello.

“I noticed a lot of blue-collar guys that probably were not expected to do much,” Knop said. 

“I remember watching Tariq (Wilson) and Michel Macchiavello and seeing the success they had that weekend.

“That really drew me to the program. When Mach won the title, I was sold. If he can do that being a small-town guy like I am, then I can do that too.”

Knop came to NC State with impressive recruiting rankings as well. He was a top-100 recruit and ranked high at 195 pounds during his senior campaign at Alexandria High School.

“I was still pretty small for that weight in high school,” Knop said. “The lifting program here really helped get me to where I am today.”

If anybody can remember, there were college sports pre-COVID, and Knop was on campus before all the shutdowns took place.

“That just shows how old I am, and how long I’ve been here,” Knop laughed. “I enjoyed that first year on campus, but there was an adjustment. Our room was stacked at my weight, a huge level-up in competition for myself.”

Knop missed most of his first season recovering from a knee injury and took a redshirt. Then his second season, COVID hit the U.S. and severely altered every college wrestler’s development. Over his first two seasons, Knop only wrestled in one match total.

“It was tough being injured that first year, but it did really help me to mature,” he said. “I had a mindset change, where I knew I wasn’t invincible, and I really must take care of my body.

“I knew training was really important, but I learned how recovery and what I did off the mat after was just as important.”

His action on the mat picked up over the last two college seasons, serving as the Pack’s top backup at 197 pounds.

He had to wait his turn, but now has the opportunity to man the spot this year after winning a pair of wrestle-offs against fellow Pack wrestlers.

“I do think it speaks volumes when you see a guy wait and be patient like I have,” Knop said. “I just love our room and the NC State environment so much no matter where I am in the lineup.

“I knew I was going to continue to get better, and I knew if I continued to work hard and ask the right questions, my time would come.”

Popolizio agrees and finds comfort in having such a seasoned wrestler in his lineup.

“He is very mature and has experienced a lot of good college wrestling,” Popolizio said. “He just hasn’t been in the limelight. There isn’t anything that Christian hasn’t seen when he faces outside competition because of the training he gets inside our own room. He has every bit of ability to be super successful this year.”

Knop started the season in the dual lineup but went down with an ankle injury and had to injury default against Appalachian State on November 15. 

He went on to miss over a month of action, but returned to the lineup last time out. Against Cornell, Knop avenged an earlier season loss to #25 Mikey Dellagatta of Cornell with a 5-2 OT win.

“(197) is a weight class we really need (him) to make some gains in and be an impact in our lineup,” Popolizio said. “Christian has the experience, and now it is time for him to showcase his skillset.

“He just has to go out and take advantage of his last year of eligibility. He is going to get that opportunity.”

For Knop, it is simple what he must continue working on to improve the rest of this season.

“I need to continue to work on my attacks, work on hand fighting,” Knop said. “Working on those little details that will prepare me for the rest of the year.

“I need to step up and take on more of a leadership role as well. I’m going to work harder, train harder, and just focus on some of those minor details that will make me become a better wrestler.”