2013 Recruiting Class Rankings - The Ultimate Guide
2013 Recruiting Class Rankings - The Ultimate Guide
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2013 Recruiting Class Rankings
Willie Saylor, Editor
As someone who enjoys both high school and college wrestling, there isn’t anything quite like looking at where the top talent is going to continue their careers and which programs wrangled in the best/most talent.
There are so many factors are both sides, it becomes a sort of drama. The coaches have to negotiate scholarship dollars, need, graduation schedule, and of course, evaluation of the prospects themselves on both the talent and character levels. The athletes have to consider scholarship offer, location, program style and fit, academics, ability to start, etc.
To me, each year offers new twists and turns, subplots and story lines. Then we get to sit back and see how it all shakes out.
Below is an comprehensive evaluation of what I consider to be the top, most impactful, recruiting classes for this season. But first, a few notes...
Parity
One thing I’m pleased with is the parity in recruiting. I like to see as many teams do well as possible. With limited scholarships and better coaching at more schools, we’re seeing top talent going to more destinations. You’ll see below that 5 of this year’s Top 25 haven’t had their recruiting class ranked in within the previous four years, with several more ranked only once during that period. That’s a great thing for the sport. Having the same teams hog all the talent means less schools represented on the podium in March and more talent sitting on the bench instead of wrestling.
This Year’s Talent
Talent is cyclical; there isn’t the same amount of ‘immediate impact’ wrestlers every year, and a #1 in Year X might not necessarily be as good, or as college ready as a #1 in Year Y.
The Class of 2013 contained an amazing crop of talent. In fact, two of the 2013 graduates (Adam Coon and Zain Retherford) won Cadet World gold medals. And Joey Dance made the Junior World Team while still in high school.
I said last year that the Class of 2012 was a bit thin. That turned out to be the case, with the caveat that some of their best (Jordan Rogers, Jason Tsirtsis, Mark Grey, Jimmy Gulibon, Cory Clark) redshirted this year. In comparison to the 2011 high school seniors, however, it wasn’t event close. There were six true freshmen All Americans in 2012 (Nico Megaludis, Hunter Stieber, Cam Tessari, James Green, Logan Storely, and Nick Gwiazdowski). This year there only Alex Dieringer accomplished that feat . What we will get out of the high school seniors in 11 months? That remains to be to be seen. I like their odds, but I see most of them, like last year’s class, as redshirt candidates. Guys like Bo Jordan, Zain Retherford, Anthony Ashnault, and Isaiah Martinez may all need a year to be polished.
Of course, ‘true freshmen AA’s’ are just one metric. There’s no denying the bushels of talent that are coming out these days. I’m a recruiting junkie, so I’m inclined to lean this way, but I’ll say it again: recruiting is the life blood of success in wrestling (and every college sport).
As I stated here many times, the trend for committing to college has seen high school athletes make their decisions earlier and earlier each year. The bulk of the top talent on our SR Big Board was committed before January 1st.
While ‘who went where’ is of little surprise at this point, now comes another fun part: evaluating each school’s classes.
I love seeing how staffs from around the country put together the talent that will help them in the future. And the recruiting class rankings are one of my most ambitious endeavors each year. I run through them with a fine-toothed comb.
Differentiating classes is always a chore and comes with a bit of subjectivity. When splitting hairs, often times it comes down to my gut. So here are some ground rules and general criteria that I use to guide my process.
- Quality over Quantity
Every year we see different types of recruiting classes. Some are big and have a bunch of kids ranked in the 15-20 range. Others are small. With maybe two Top 5 kids.
Gimme the small class all day long.
What you have to realize is that these graduates are going in to a pool with athletes from the last five years. Let’s take that #15 guy. Now multiply that by 5 years (with redshirt seniors). He’d now (theoretically) be ranked 75th, without considering that there are less weights in college. That just doesn’t get it done.
Sure, there are guys that make waves in college that weren’t household names in high school. Grabbing a bunch of mid-tier recruits is great at building competitiveness and stabilizing a program, but it’s not a recipe for March success.
For instance, would you take 1 Ed Ruth at NCAA’s, or 10 qualifiers that don’t place? I’ll take the small class.
- Need Based and Efficient
This one is simple. One differentiating between two or more similar classes, I’ll go with the staff that addressed needs more appropriately. If there is a glaring hole at 125 that goes unfilled, that’s minus points. If a team is loaded at 157/165 and brings in a 152/160lber, no matter how good they are, I won’t value that acquisition as much as I typically would. 1) He may never see the line-up. 2) Even if he does, he’s devaluing the scholarship dollars allocated to the guy he beats out.
Not efficient. And in the 9.9 scheme, and in an era of ultra competitive recruiting wars and increased parity, efficiency is the name of the game.
- Character Boost
All things being equal, I’m going with the kid or kids that show high character. Everyone knows the stories of the ‘can’t miss’ prospects that fizzled out because of grades, work ethic, or extra-curricular distractions. When splitting hairs between classes, I’m going with work ethic and character. It’s a finer point, but it does make a difference in some cases. Quite frankly, there are some kids every year that I say to myself ‘he’s really good, but he’ll never make it.’ It’s unfortunate, but it’s true.
Surety - There aren’t any ‘sure things’ in recruiting. Stick around long enough and you see it all. But using the information you have, you have to value things that appear as pretty darn safe bet. I’m not talking about labeling anyone the second coming of David Taylor. Look at a kid like Eric Morris, for instance. I consider him to be about as safe as they come. He might not win 4 nationals titles, but he’ll be a steady performer and be a value asset for years to come. There’s safety in that, and in the recruiting dollars allotted to his roster spot.
On To The Evals!
- Rankings = final FloRankings from this year.
- 5-Year Cycle #’s = Class Rankings I’ve given to that school each of the last 4 years, with this year completing the 5-year (with redshirt) cycle.
#1-Michigan Wolverines
5-Year Cycle: #5, UR, UR, #7
Recruits:
#1-Domenic Abounader, OH (184)
#1-Adam Coon, MI (HWT)
#2-Ben Whitford, MI (141/149)
#7-Brian Murphy, IL (157)
#13-Payne Hayden, MI (197)
HM-George Fisher, IL (133/141)
Others: Cameron Kennedy, IL (125); Jordan Amine, MI (149); Aaron Calderon, MI (157); Ernest Battaglia, IL (165)
The Situation:
For a few years I bagged on Michigan’s recruiting efforts. For a couple year span, they didn’t bring in the type of classes commensurate with their name. They are after all, Michigan. Well here ya go.
Fresh off a #5 class that brought in Massa, Bruno and Jordan Thomas, the Wolverines landed a monster haul that has Michigan fans raising the national team title in four years.
Why They’re Here:
Whitford is as good as anyone in the country at any weight. With Pritzlaff and Bormet in the room everyday, re-united from their Overtime days, Whitford could be an NCAA title contender immediately.
My expectations for heavyweights are tempered only because the weight is so loaded nationally, but Coon is a tremendous prospect (a Cadet World Champ) that will only get better as he focuses solely on wrestling, and with quality big man coaches on a daily basis.
Brian Murphy is probably the best #7 you’ll ever hear of. He’s just about as good as any 152lber in the country this year. Rankings, schmankings.
Flashback Stat: Michigan brought in more ranked wrestlers in the last two recruiting classes than they did in their previous six.
Needs For Next Year: 125, unless Bruno moves there; 174/184.
#2-Pittsburgh Panthers
5-Year Cycle: UR, HM, HM, UR
Recruits:
#1-Ryan Solomon, PA (197)
#2-Cody Wiercioch, PA (174/184)
#3-Mikey Racciato, PA (141/149)
#7-Edgar Bright, OH (141/149)
HM-Nick Zanetta, PA (133)
HM-Aaron Rothwell, WI (184)
HM-Luke Fleck, PA (HWT)
The Situation:
Now we’re talking. There really isn’t any reason Pittsburgh, which sits in the hottest hotbed of high school wrestling with western PA and northeast OH next door, to have four years of unranked recruiting classes. The Panthers used mostly mid-tier recruits to win two consecutive EWL titles (their first two ever). And nothing could usher in the Jason Peters-ACC era better than this class.
Why They’re Here:
It’s rare when you can pencil in this many future starters from one class, but that’s what Pitt has on their hands with this group. The top four guys along with Zanetta will likely be Pitt’s #1’s rather soon.
It’s a unique group too. You have guys like Solomon that’s a grinder and a student of the sport. And then you have Racciato and Bright who are freakish athletes. Their potential is unlimited at the next level and in a college room.
Why They’re Not Higher:
Solomon is a well-rounded, well-polished wrestler. Racciato and Bright will need some grooming while making adjustments to the college grind. They also have to get through a Shaffer-Garbinsky-Lydic group in the middle there.
Wiercioch will need to refine his game, particularly in mat wrestling.
Of course, I’m splitting hairs here. In the end, Pitt compares well to Michigan, but I think the Wolverine contingent is just a bit ahead in the college-readiness standpoint.
Next Year’s Needs: 125, 197, HWT
#3-Nebraska Cornhuskers
5-Year Cycle: #11, #1, #10, #3
Recruits:
PG-Destin McCauley, MN (149/157)
PG-Pat Downey, MD (184/197)
TR-Anthony Abidin, NY (Nassau CC) (133/141)
HM-Colton McCrystal, IA (133/141)
Others: Joey Dedick, WI (197)
The Situation:
Along with Ohio State, the Huskers are one the only team to have recruiting classes ranked in the Top 11 each of the last five years. While some of those classes never materialized (the 2010 class disintegrated and Tyler Caldwell opted instead for OK State last year), Nebraska has been able to pluck a couple really good starters from most of their classes. They now could be in a very strong position going forward.
Why They’re Here:
It’s probably surprising to see Nebraska so high. I didn’t think of this class that highly before starting this research, but McCauley and Downey have to be considered #1’s, making them one of only three teams (Ohio St., Michigan) to claim such this year. In fact, if it were possible, those two could be viewed as even better than your prototypical #1’s. Both have spent time at the OTC and are fully prepared (well beyond your ‘normal’ freshman) to step right in if need be.
Abidin is also a huge pick up at a weight Nebraska desperately needed. With a JUCO title under his belt and 3 years of eligibility left, he represents high value to Nebraska’s line-up balance.
In the end, the Huskers appear to have gotten three tremendous starters with a veteran type of presence that still have 11 years of eligibility amongst them.
Why They’re Not Higher:
Simply because of the numbers. Pitt and Michigan brought in more bodies that appear certain for future starting jobs.
Also, to play the skepticism card...will McCauley and Downey need to transition back to folkstyle (read: mat wrestling)? They’ve been freestyle-only for the better part of two years.
Also, will they be able to manage their talent at certain weights? James Green and Jake Sueflohn each have two years of eligibility left with redshirts to burn. They have to figure out how best to incorporate McCauley into the fray.
A similar, though less complicated, situation can be seen with Tim Dudley and Downey. Dudley just went 185 for Fila JR’s. One will have to go 184 and the other 195.
And though I really like the McCrystal pick up, he might run in to difficulty finding a starting spot.
Flashback Stat: Nebraska’s line-up will be young next year, with all but one (Robert Kokesh) coming from the recruiting classes of the last three years.
Needs For Next Year: 125, HWT
#4-Virginia Tech Hokies
5-Year Cycle: #23, #10, #15, #18
Recruits:
#1-Joey Dance, VA (125)
#5-Kevin Norstrem, FL (141)
#7-Zach Epperly, VA (174/184)
#11-Dennis Gustafson, VA (133/141)
#12-Jared Haught, WV (184/197)
Others: Kody Azarian, WI (125); Nick Anderson, NJ (141); Ryan Holzrichter, IL (149); Jerry Ronnau, VA (149); Mason Mele, VA (157)
The Situation:
VT is clearly on the rise and skipper Kevin Dresser is one of the best on the recruiting trail. The Hokies are one of the very few programs that have been in the Top 25 each of the last five years. Dresser has gotten in the door early with several underclassmen, getting Joey Dance, Solomon Chishko, and Patrick Duggan to all commit before their JR season started.
Why They’re Here:
Dance is a lock, and I mean LOCK, for production for 4 years. He has the talent and he’s all in. He’ll be pressing for AA honors immediately with the ability to win close matches, ride, and mat return. You don’t find locks like this, well, pretty much ever. And he comes in at the perfect time with Jarrod Garnett graduating.
Norstrem and Epperly are battle tested through tough national schedules and are sure to be in the mix as future Hokie starters.
I really like Gustafson’s upside. He’s one of those kids that just hit his stride as a SR.
Why They’re Not Higher:
Outside of Dance, I think the other guys will need time to develop to get to national prominence. Don’t get me wrong, they’ll be solid starters, and contribute to what will undoubtedly be a formidable dual team, but I’m not penciling in their NCAA points just yet.
One of the two between Gustafson and Norstrem will be blocked for a year with the presence of Devin Carter.
The wildcard here could be Haught, who’s talented but raw. His productiveness could influence the class’s assessment when we look back on these in a few years.
Needs For Next Year: 165, 174, 184/197
#5- Illinois Illini
5-Year Cycle: #7, UR, #18, #13
Recruits:
#3-Isaiah Martinez, CA (157/165)
#3-Brooks Black, PA (HWT)
#10-Kyle Langenderfer, IL (157)
The Situation:
It should be no surprise to see the Illini with a top rated class, especially with recruiting extraordinaire Mark Perry on staff.
Polz, Blanton, Futrell, and Thomas all graduate. And redshirts Brunson, Richards, and Reyes are chomping at the bit. With the three new guys in tow, the Illini could be dangerous in both formats.
Why They’re Here:
The value of Martinez and Black are undeniable. Martinez comes in as one of the most coveted prospects at any weight. He’s a free-wheelin’ type of wrestler. But he’s smart, dedicated, studies tape, etc. When he adjusts to the college game as he redshirts behind Jackson Morse (who has one year left), he’ll be in the medal conversation for four years.
Black gives the Illini something every B1G school needs: a quality big man. The conference (and the country) is absolutely loaded at HWT.
The wild card here is Langenderfer. On tape, he looks legit. And his addition gives the middle of the line-up flexibility.
Why They’re Not Higher:
There’s no doubt that this was a bang up job. They targeted needs and got, arguably, the best available prospects at those spots. Small, blue-chip, efficient. Just the way I like it.
Langenderfer’s lack of national schedule is a slight cause for concern. How will he hold up to the rigors of the Big Ten? Also, I would have liked to see them grab a 141lber, unless they think Fahy can move down and be the guy.
Needs For Next Year: 125, 141, 197
#6- Penn State Nittany Lions
5-Year Cycle: #18, #4, #3, #5
Recruits:
TR-Garth Lakitsky, PA (HWT)
#1-Zain Retherford, PA (133/141)
#4-Matt McCutcheon, PA (184/197)
#8-Garrett Hammond, PA (157/165)
#10-Cody Law, PA (157/165)
HM-PJ Steinmetz, PA (197)
The Situation:
Many thought when Cael went to Penn State, he’d cash in on PA blue chippers. And while it’s true that he benefits from that, in my opinion, it’s the depth that makes the program tick. The flagship university, in the nation’s most talented high school state, with a legend like Cael at the helm running a 3-peat program where every dual meet is at capacity. Kids just want to go there. In years past, you’d see McCutcheon, Law, and Hammond (and Haines next year) go to programs that offered them more money and an easier path to a starting gig. Now, they essentially walk on just to part of the culture. The result: the most talented room in the country by a mile. Their 3rd stringers would beat most teams.
Why They’re Here:
Getting Retherford was a coup. Like Iowa’s problems at 141 and 149, as good as they are, Penn State has struggled filling 133 and 141 with contenders on the same plane as the other 8 weights. That should change with Gulibon and Retherford waiting in the wings.
I’m also really high on Hammond. Though he may sit a year, think he’ll be an integral part of the line-up for the other 3. He’s gotten remarkably better on his feet in the last year. He’s a sponge, and will soak up all he gets in the PSU room. And he’s already a hammer on top that can ride for days. He’ll pan out.
The best part about this class for Penn State is that it (purportedly) hardly cost them a thing. A whole lotta talent for a small price, and it keeps their ledger manageable going forward, with DT and Ruth coming off the books next year.
Why They’re Not Higher:
On any given day, McCutcheon is in the conversation as the best 195lber in high school. And he has the work ethic and mentality to be successful in college. The problem is a potential roadblock to starting, either with McIntosh at 97 and/or Phipps at 84.
I also really like Lakitsky. But I took a reserved approach last year with Lawson, who was also transitioning back from football, and I’ll do the same here. I like his potential, but what level he’s at remains to be seen. Not to mention, there’s a huge logjam at HWT and Thomas Haines coming in next year. This group is as talented as VTech and Mizzou, but have less clear paths to starting gigs.
Standing alone, I wouldn’t blame anyone for rating this class higher. But the plain fact is, as talented as some of these guys are, their value won’t be realized as much as they would at a lesser program.
Flashback Stat: Although Penn State’s recruiting classes have been phenomenal, they’ve only seen two kids earn AA medals from the last 3 classes: 2 from Nico, 1 from Dylan Alton.
Needs For Next Year: 125, 149, Chance Marsteller
#7-Missouri Tigers
5-Year Cycle: HM, UR, #22, #20
#2-J’Den Cox, MO (197/HWT)
#8-BJ Toal, OH (184)
#11-Barlow McGhee, IL (125)
#11-Parker VonEgidy, NC (174)
#19-Joey Lavalle, NV (157)
Others: JJ Johnson, SC (125)
The Situation:
Look at Missouri’s success. 10 National Qualifiers in 2012. A MAC title this year. It doesn’t necessarily correlate to their pedestrian recruiting class rankings the past five years. What that means is they’ve been coaching them up. Now with a Top Ten class, the sky’s the limit for them. And count me in as a Sammy ‘The Bull’ believer.
Why They’re Here:
J’Den Cox is a phenom and I’m pretty sure they’re planning on wrestling him from jump street. He’s an incredible athlete and even a better kid. He’s a lock as a productive member of the team and a All American threat for 4 years.
He has wins over Joey McKenna, Darian Cruz, etc. He could be the perfect replacement for Waters.
The rest of the group are in kind of the ‘next tier’ of recruits. On paper I see them as future starters, potentially giving the Tigers half their future line-up from this class alone.
Why They’re Not Higher:
Like Penn State, Iowa, OK ST, Missouri’s room is pretty darn loaded. As good as they are, getting into the line-up might be a challenge for some of these guys. Missouri has a good HWT in Devon Mellon, which means Cox will likely begin at 197. Can he get there? Can he hold that weight? How effective can he be there?
Toal will likely have to get through a really tough Johnny Eblen, who you probably don’t know right now, but by next year at this time, you will.
At this time, I think a group like Virginia Tech’s xtrapolates to more years of starting service.
Needs For Next Year: 133, 149, 197
#8-Oklahoma State Cowboys
5-Year Cycle: #4. #5, #13, #1
Recruits:
#3-Dean Heil, OH (133/141)
#4-Anthony Collica, OH (149/152)
#18-Keilan Torres, OK (165)
Others: Zac Gentzler, KS (125); Davey Dolan, OK (141/149)
The Situation:
The Cowboy staff, in my opinion, are the best evaluators of talent in the country. More often than not, they pick the right guys. Perhaps better yet, they almost always make them work, seeing an attrition rate that I would say is well below what other programs experience.
Why They’re Here:
Smith and Guerrero did it again, nabbing two wrestling-consumed, high-talent prospects in Heil and Collica. I think we’re looking at 5-6 AA’s between those two alone.
The wildcard is Torres, a Fargo Runner-Up a couple of years ago. He’s good enough to be an impact guy and 165 is up in the air for Cowboys going forward. Figure Crutchmer at 165 for one year before usurping Perry’s spot at 74 when he graduates. Insert Torres at 165.
Why They’re Not Higher:
It’s a small class. Torres is tough, but a bit inconsistent. If he pans out he makes the entire class dramatically better.
Needs For Next Year: 133/141, 149/157, 197
#9-Ohio State Buckeyes
5-Year Cycle: #9, #2, #8, #11
Recruits:
#1-Nathan Tomasello, OH (125)
#1-Bo Jordan, OH (165)
The Situation:
Next to Nebraska, the Buckeyes have garnered the highest collective recruiting class ranking over the past five years. Other than the 2011 Class where they brought in six kids, most of the time, they bring in small, studly groups. That’s the way I like.
Why They’re Here:
Bo Jordan.
I love sure things and he’s about as college-ready as they get coming out of high school. Not flashy. Takes what you give him. Rides the tar out of you. High character.
The Bucks get just 1, maybe 2 starters from this class. But Jordan is a rare gem, and they landed him.
Why They’re Not Higher:
I love Nathan Tomasello. The kid’s a stone cold killer with his eyes always on the task of becoming a better wrestler. And I applaud Tom Ryan & Co. for going after the best available talent. However, I’m not sure it makes a whole lot of sense from a scholarship dollars standpoint.
A lot of NFL draft experts will preach that you take the best talent on the board, regardless of need. However, the NFL doesn’t work with 9.9 scholarships.
Last year the Buckeyes spent on Nicky Roberts (who beat Tomasello for the 2011 Fila Cadet title). Both are 125ers for the foreseeable future. If Roberts beats Tomasello out, OSU gets just one starter from this class. If Tomasello beats out Roberts, it creates some inefficiency. Ultimately, signing Tomasello was superfluous. I don’t blame them for it. But when handicapping classes, I’m looking to be critical.
Others: Blake Riley-Hawkins, FL (141); Jake Ryan, OH (149)
Needs For Next Year: 141, 149, 157, 184
#10-Oregon State Beavers
5-Year Cycle: #23, UR, UR, #10
Amarveer Dhesi, CAN (HWT)
#6-Cody Crawford, OR (184/197)
#14-Reed Van Anrooy, OR (157/165)
The Situation:
Zalesky and Co. have been churning out All Americans at a high rate. More impressively, they’ve been doing it with a lot of names not known by most when they came out of high school. Here are a few more.
Why They’re Here:
Surprised to see the Beavs so high? Me too. Why are they so high? Because I’m completely sold on Dhesi and Crawford. And, I’m going to step out on a ledge and say you’ll see at 5 AA’s + out of these guys. Dhesi is the next big thing. He just destroyed America’s top prep heavyweight at Fila JR’s and made it looked relatively effortless.
Crawford is an amazing athlete with scholarship offers to DI football and baseball programs. I’m glad he chose wrestling. So is Zalesky. When he focuses solely on wrestling, he’ll be a handful.
I’m also high on Van Anrooy. He’s your prototypical grinder. Pretty sure he’s missing a few teeth, too. He’s the kind of kid that will just keep working.
Why They’re Not Higher:
It would be difficult or me to put them any higher with just 3 kids in their class, two of which have limited/non-existent national exposure. Like Ohio State grabbing Tomasello, Oregon State absolutely had to get Dhesi, despite having a solid youngster in Mickey Dougharity waiting in the wings. They’ll also have to work Crawford around All American Taylor Meeks for a year.
Needs For Next Year: 125/133, 174/184
#11-Iowa State Cyclones
5-Year Cycle: #10, UR, #6, UR
Recruits:
PG-Earl Hall, FL (133)
PG-Eleazar DeLuca, OR (157)
PG-Jesse Doyle, NC (184)
#20-Danny Woiwor, MN (165)
#20-Dane Pestano, HI (197)
HM-Adrian Cordova, CO (125)
HM-Bubba Hernandez, IA (149)
Others: Austin Anderson, IA (125); Loren Williams, IA (157); Eric Hensel, MN (184)
The Situation:
ISU announced an extension to KJ’s contract, and at NCAA’s we all found out why. The Cyclones’ performance was one of the feel-good stories in Des Moines. ISU was plagued with Murphy’s Law for most of KJ’s tenure in Ames. For the first time, we saw some reason for optimism. The team as a whole performed well, and two youngsters earned AA honors.
Building on that, several Cyclones had outstanding tournaments in Vegas. The improvement is on the wall, folks.
Graduating only HWT Matt Gibson and injured Chris Spangler, the roster is really young. Now they have this class.
Why They’re Here:
Jackson used his Colorado Springs connections to filter in some of the talent visiting the OTC. The result is that he gets kids that are serious about wrestling that have been training for a full year; less green freshmen.
Hall has all the tools. Cordova and DeLuca both won Fila JR’s.
Why They’re Not Higher:
In large part, there aren’t any true blue chippers in the group. This group will have to scratch and claw to get better. I don’t think there is an undisputed All American finish out of them in their first couple years. But the framework is there, and there’s a lot of them. They certainly make the team and room, much, much deeper.
Needs For Next Year: Nothing
#12-Rutgers Scarlet Knights
5-Year Cycle: UR, #21, #24, HM
Recruits:
TR-Ethan Orr, NJ (Labette) (165)
#3-Anthony Ashnault, NJ (141)
#11-Tyson Dippery, PA (149)
#15-Corey Stasenko, NJ (125/133)
HM-Nick Gravina, NJ (157/165)
HM-Taylor Jackson, FL (184)
Others: Josh Patrick, PA (125); Garrett Conner, OH (184/197); Anthony Messner, NJ (184/197)
The Situation:
There’s been a lot of mixed reviews concerning the Goodale era. On one hand he clearly improved the product and visibility of the program with strong dual meet performances. On the other, the Knights have come up empty in March. I’m of the opinion that Goodale is the right guy. The AA’s will come and this is a good group to kind of start over with.
Why They’re Here:
Ashnault and Dippery are the right kind of kids to persevere. Ashnault’s a worker and a winner. Dippery is a mat rat whose life is wrestling. I’m betting they both work their tails off. They’re the perfect template for Molinaro to mold.
Behind them are some good depth guys. Gravina and Messner, particularly, are raw prospects that could see their best days ahead of them.
Orr brings immediate work ethic and a hard-nosed style that some say the Rutgers’ room lacks. He should be an automatic upgrade at 65 or 74.
There’s at least three starters from this class.
Why They’re Not Higher:
I love the big three of Orr, Ash, and Dippery. I’m tempering my expections for the others, however, as I think they’ll all need work. Classes like ISU’s have more guys that could make an impact to their program, in my estimation.
Needs For Next Year: 125/133, 184
#13-Harvard Crimson
5-Year Cycle: #20, UR, UR, HM
Recruits:
#2-Eric Morris (174/184)
#9-Brad Perkins (125)
#16-Tyler Grimaldi (157/165)
Others: Colby Knight, IA (133); Colton Peppelman, PA (165)
The Situation:
Jay Weiss has amped up recruiting the past two years. The crismosn graduate two (Steven Keith, Walter Peppelman) two-time All Americans this year, but on the heels of the #20 class from a year ago that featured Todd Preston, Jeff Ott, and Devon Gobbo, Harvard should have a solid core to work with.
Why They’re Here:
Eric Morris is about as sure as they come. He’ll be in Harvard’s line-up for the next four years and competing for EIWA titles. Perkins is an interesting pick up (read below), and has a boat load of talent. Grimaldi is a perfect fit for the EIWA. It’s easy to envision him as an NCAA qualifier.
Why They’re Not Higher:
I have a bit of a reservation with Perkins. He’s had shoulder trouble for quite some time. When he was younger, he hit the national scene often and was ultra successful, including winning Fargo. But he’s been conspicuously absent from major tournaments. If he does work out, you’re probably looking at 3 NCAA qualifiers just from this class.
Needs For Next Year: 149, 184
#14-North Carolina State Wolfpack
5-Year Cycle: UR, #6, UR, UR
Recruits:
#4-Pete Renda, PA (174/184)
#6-Scott Delvecchio, NJ (141)
#11-Peter Santos, CA (174)
HM-Brendan Calas, NJ (125)
HM-Chris Wilkes, MO (141/149)
HM-Chad Pyke, GA (157)
HM-Shayne Brady, NY (184)
HM-Mike Machiavello, NC (184)
Others: Brian Hamann, NJ (141); Jake DeAngelo, NC (141/149); Max Rohskopf, OH (149);Rodney Shepherd, NC (149/157); Beau Donahue, VA (149/157); Joe Mastro, NY (157); Mike Amorando, CT (157/165); Dylan Ceravalo, WV (165); Jake Castrogenero, NC (197)
The Situation:
The situation is exactly that, a ‘situation’. Whoever took over the Wolfpack program had to employ a complete overhaul. The good news is that there was no better team to do that than Popolizio and Beasley. Even better news is that they’re on the right track. As you can see from the 17 new names, they’re re-inventing the program.
Why They’re Here:
Beasley is one of the best in the business at recruiting, finding hidden gems, and evaluating talent. In their first recruiting effort in Raleigh, the staff put together a class of quality, high character kids that should form the base of a new culture going forward. They hit all areas except for HWT, where they are set for a while with Gwiazdowski. Particularly impressive is the 174/184 group. If they can get one of them to 165, the back half of their line-up will be set for years.
I also have to note that I love the under the radar pick ups. Brady, Macchiavello, Shepherd and Ceravalo are all talented but relatively unknown kids only a genius like myself (or Beasley) would have targeted.
At the end of the day, the Wolfpack should get years of utility out of this group.
Why They’re Not Higher:
It’s a good start. And in their first year, even better than I anticipated. But going forward, and as wrestling world gets more familiar with them at NC State, expect Pop to pull in more blue chippers. I like the production and stability they’ll get from this class, but their upside is probably limited; NCAA qualifiers perhaps, but long shots to medal.
Flashback Stat: Of the ten recruits in the 2011 class that was ranked #6, exactly one is still left on the roster. Four of them didn’t make it through the first semester that fall.
Needs For Next Year: Lightweights
#15- Clarion Golden Eagles
5-Year Cycle: UR, UR, UR, UR
Recruits:
TR-Quinton Murphy, NY (Indiana) (141)
#5-Austin Matthews, PA (157/165)
#17-Justin Arthur, WV (149)
HM-Evan Daley, PA (HWT)
Others: Jarray Norris, PA (125); Sal Marandino, NJ (125); Zach Campbell, OH (125); John Mele, NJ (125); Seth Carr, PA (125); Cody Carbaugh, PA (125); Michael Bonner, PA (133); Alex Smith, PA (133); Wolfgang McStravick, PA (141); Dustin Conti, PA (174); Ryan Wittle, CT (174); Ty Dibert, PA (174/184); Tim Schaefer, NY (174/184); Dom Rigous, PA (184); Nick Shawley, PA (184); Danny Sutherland, NY (184); Zac Croyle, PA (184); Mante Barnes, PA (184/197); Cam Cyphert, PA (197)
The Situation:
As you can tell by prior year’s recruiting class rankings, Clarion hasn’t been bringing in top flight talent. But they are this year. And as you can tell by the shear volume, Troy Letters is re-inventing the program with ‘his guys.’ 23 new guys amounts to an entire new team. It might take a while, but Letters can coach ‘em up. This is a good start.
Why They’re Here:
Murphy and Matthews are legit top-flight prospects. They haven’t had kids this good step on campus since Bekzod, and beyond that, who knows? Justin Arthur is the perfect recruit for Letters (or anyone for that matter). He’s a grinder that should provide many years of service. Daley was a 3x state placewinner that had many college coaches talking at FloNationals. It’s a great core of guys from which to build on. And you’re looking at a ton of years of starting service out of this group.
Why They’re Not Higher:
With that many fresh faces, you might be inclined to think that Clarion would be higher on the list. But outside of the big four, I view them as depth guys. They’ll have a great impact in the room and in the culture. But I’m not sure if they can do damage on the nationals scene.
Needs For Next Year: 133
#16-Minnesota Golden Gophers
5-Year Cycle: #14, #13, #5, #4
Recruits:
#3-Nick Wanzek, MD (165)
#6-Jake Short, MN (149)
HM-Judson Preskitt, TX (125/133)
HM-Nate Thomas, MN (133)
The Situation:
Graduating just Cody Yohn, and with a thinner in-state talent pool than is typical for Minnesota, the Gophers bring in a small class, and one that makes sense. Other than Broc Berge, who was poached by Iowa (but who made more sense for Minnesota) JRob nabbed the best two senior prospects within state borders.
Why They’re Here:
Short and Wanzek are both from Simley, who are notorious for producing college-style wrestlers. Short, in particular, stays in impeccable position. Both can ride. They’ll both make for valuable starters, the question is, when?
Why They’re Not Higher:
Both might find it difficult to get in the line-up. Short will have to get through Ness or Nick Dardanes, both of who have two years left. Wanzek’s path would have to go through Dylan Reel, who the Gophers are super high on. I love the potential of both guys, but typical of Minnesota, who always has one of the deepest rooms in the country and a glut of talent in the middle, the picture for a potential starting gig is blurry.
In another issue...
It’s become customary at this time of year for me to wonder why Minnesota hasn’t addressed a replacement for Zach Sanders. They haven’t quite figured out the 125 puzzle, and if David Thorn doesn’t go there for his senior season, it will become an issue.
Flashback Stat: The Gophers got major production out of their 2010 class that I tabbed at #5. Ness and the Dardanes will be 4 year starters, with Schiller a 3 year starter. That’s a whole lotta production out of one class, especially for a perennial power.
Needs For Next Year: 125, 133, 141, 149, Lance Benick
#17-North Dakota State Bison
5-Year Cycle: UR, UR, UR, UR
Recruits:
#6-Mitch Bengston, MN (141)
#14-Preston Lehmann, ND (184)
#17-Tommy Petersen, MN (197/HWT)
#18-Clayton Ream, MO (157)
HM-Tommy Walton, ND (125)
HM-Kyle Gliva, MN (125)
HM-Cole Sladek, MN (149)
HM-Grant Nehring, MN (165)
Others: Zach Sanchez, AZ (125); Mitch Friedman, WI (141/149)
The Situation:
Roger Kish and Manny Rivera have some momentum going after taking over the reigns a couple years ago. They’re bringing in virtually a whole new roster and one that could produce the bulk of their starting line-up in the very near future. They’ve gone into Minnesota and plucked the talent that the Gophers just don’t have room or money for.
Why They’re Here:
I have them here largely because they will upgrade the entire roster. The Bison have never seen an influx of talent like this. Give them a couple years and they should be drastically improved, particularly from in a dual format.
Why They’re Not Higher:
While the quality here is certainly an upgrade, there’s a certain limit to their upside individually. As stated above, from a dual perspective: huge plus. But I’d hold off on calculating NCAA points for a while. One thing is for sure, that room is getting incredibly competitive. Their roster is full of talent, and this class piles it on.
Needs For Next Year: 133, 149
#18-Stanford Cardinal
5-Year Cycle: #19, 24, UR, #16
Recruits:
#3-Connor Schram, PA (125/133)
#7-Garrett Krohn, CO (197)
#8-Nathan Butler, KS (HWT)
#15-Keaton Subjeck, CA (174)
HM-Tommy Pawelski, IL (125)
The Situation:
With their high academic standards, limited scholarships, and high tuition costs, Stanford’s recruiting position is a difficult one. But the staff has done a valiant job in plucking a couple kids in each class that helps keep them competitive. This year they did more than that, that roped in three Top Ten wrestlers.
Why They’re Here:
First and foremost, Connor Schram, who’d I’d venture to say, by the end of his freshman year, will be able to go with some of the best college 125’s.
Why They’re Not Higher:
On strictly the talent here alone, they would/should be much higher. But two of their three best recruits are at weights that they already have talented youngsters. I really like Krohn and Butler, but at 197 and HWT, Stanford has Sojka and Marchok, both freshmen. The money could have been better spent in the middleweights. In the end, they won’t get as much utility out of this class as the high rankings suggest.
Needs For Next Year: 149, 157
#19-Oklahoma Sooners
5-Year Cycle: #6, UR, #9, #2
Recruits:
PG-Danny Chaid, CA (197/HWT)
#1-Oliver Pierce, TX (157/165)
HM-Shayne Tucker, CA (157/165)
Others: Sean Williams, CA (125); Jon Townsend, OK (125/133)
The Situation:
As you can see in the ‘unranked’ blip on the recruiting radar, OU was affected by the regime change in 2011. Last year they were bolstered by three Top Ten guys and Howe and Rutt who were mortgaged for the upcoming season. They get those two back and only Bubby Graham graduates. With a line-up of talented veterans, the Sooners could be in for a monster campaign.
Why They’re Here:
Under Coach Cody, Ollie should be in the hunt for AA honors immediately following a redshirt. He’s been unbelievably successful while balancing multiple sports. He should only get better in a room that good and while focusing on wrestling only.
Chaid is an unknown to most. His father was an All American for the Sooners, but it wasn’t until Danny made state finals as a senior in California that he started to garner some attention. Since then he took fourth in Fargo, spent a year at the OTC, and placed 5th in Vegas JR’s.
Why They’re Not Higher:
Tucker is good, and may prove to be a starter, but at this point, he’s a depth guy. In the end, I see just two starters from this group. And I’m understanding Chaid (and almost all heavyweights) at this point. In past years, he may have been more valuable from a recruiting rankings perspective. But in this time of a heavyweight renaissance, I’m not sure he’ll contend with the long list of talented big men we currently have throughout the country, especially considering he’s a ‘tweener,’ having wrestled 211 in Vegas. Not to mention, the Sooners have two talented 197lbers (Larson and Johnson) that he may need to beat out just to have a spot.
Flashback Stat: OU brought in 8 recruits for the class of 2010 that garnered my #9 ranking. Only one of them are still on the roster, and none ever started.
Needs For Next Year: Everything
#20-Princeton Tigers
5-Year Cycle: UR, UR, UR, UR
#5-Ray O’Donnell, PA (197)
#5-Brett Harner, PA (174/184)
HM-Jordan Laster, IL (125/133)
HM-Troy Murtha, MD (184)
Others: Troy Aslanian, NY (125); Matt Gancayo, MD (174); Jake Moore, OH (HWT)
The Situation:
Chris Ayers and Sean Gray hit the recruiting trail hard this year and it paid off. It’s never an easy task finding top talent that has the work ethic not only in the wrestling room, but in the classroom, too. This class should pay off big time, especially in the back half of the Tiger line-up.
Why They’re Here:
As Top 5 wrestlers coming out, O’Donnell and Harner could each be 3-4x national qualifiers through the EIWA. If I’m a betting man, I think they get a lot of miles out of Laster and Murtha as well. All told, Ayers should get a lot of years of service out of this single class.
Why They’re Not Higher:
To the dual line-up and the program itself, this class is a game changer. They’ll be real solid up top now. But they’ll have to get Gancayo-Murtha-Harner at seperate weights. If not, it reduces the value of the class.
Needs For Next Year: Lightweights
#21-Iowa Hawkeyes
5-Year Cycle: #1, #22, #1, #6
Recruits:
#9-Brandon Sorenson, IA (149)
#10-Broc Berge, MD (197)
#13-Jake Marlin, IA (141/149)
Others: Logan Thomsen, IA (149); Chance Shelton, IA (184)
The Situation:
The Brands Brothers have been trying to solve the 149 problem since Metcalf departed, and since Marion’s graduation, 141 looks like it could be a conundrum as well. They’ve tried Mark Ballweg, Kelly, Dziewa, Grothus, all to no avail. Jake Ballweg hung ‘em up. Baldosaro barely made it to campus. Dylan Carew’s knees didn’t hold up. A plethora of factors led this enigma to continue. They bring in two homegrown products to help solve it.
This is an incredibly difficult class to handicap. It could be pivotal, and then again, it could be just another frustration. If Marlin and Sorenson beat out the incumbent talent in the room, then they’re cooking with grease. However, I’m not convinced that will be the case.
Why They’re Here:
Sorenson and Marlin serve areas of needs. All three have had success, in varying degrees, on the national level. Berge is a guy I like to flourish at Iowa. He’s shown glimpses of putting shot on top of shot. If he can do that more consistently (and no one can show him how to keep up the pace better than the Brands), he could be deadly.
Why They’re Not Higher:
Are Marlin and Sorenson and upgrade over Kelly and Grothus? If they’re not, it essentially nulls this class. If they are, how good are they nationally? That’s basically what it boils down to.
It should be noted that there is rampant speculation that JUCO National Champ Edwin Cooper will be coming to Iowa as well. It would be a two-year pick deal that only blocked Marlin/Sorenson for one campaign (after a redshirt). It would be a big boost, but probably influence the Hawks’ place on this list minimally.
From these three guys, you could envision anywhere from 9, to as little as 2, years of starting service. Tough call.
I don’t put anything past Iowa coaching them up, but from a skill set, Marlin and Sorenson aren’t as proven as other 41/49 lb prospects. They’ve been able to beat all the guys they should, but very rarely beat the guys they shouldn’t. The Iowa room could get them over the hump, but I don’t evaluate talent with the notion in mind that they’ll have better coaching than most.
The saving grace here is, for some reason, the middle weights at the DI level isn’t currently very tough. Another (minor) point of contention is that, most likely, Berge will have to sit at least one year behind Burak.
Flashback Stat: Look no further than last year. The Hawkeyes could field close to half their line-up from that class alone: Gilman, Clark, Meyer, Brooks, Burak. How many times has a team of Iowa’s stature gotten five starters from one class? I dubbed them #1 last year, and I’m glad I did.
Needs For Next Year: 157, 165
#22- Rider Broncos
5-Year Cycle: UR, UR, UR, UR
Recruits:
#5-BJ Clagon, NJ (149)
#11-Wayne Stinson (157/165)
#12-JR Wert, VA (125/133)
Others: Zach Valcarce, NJ (125)
The Situation:
It’s been a long time since Rider brought in a noteworthy recruiting class. But there’s no reason they shouldn’t. One of just three DI schools in a power state, this type of class should be a regularity. They bring in three guys that should be staples in their line-up for years to come.
Why They’re Here:
The biggest reason they’re here is because of the huge talent upgrade. They haven’t seen these types come in too often and they should make for immediate upgrades and lengthy utility. Clagon has all the tools to be at the top of the podium. If he wins a national title one day, I wouldn’t blink an eye. He’s that good. Wert is a savvy wrestler with vast national experience and competition. Stinson’s arc is on the upswing.
Why They’re Not Higher:
Intangibles. Based on rankings and their ability to step right in and start, they could certainly be regarded as higher. But that would assume everything works out for all three of them. I hope it does, but I’m a little reluctant to think that will happen at this time.
Needs For Next Year: 149, 177
#23-South Dakota State Jackrabbits
5-Year Cycle: UR, UR, UR, UR
#8-Collin Holler, IL (165/174)
#12-Nate Rotert, SD (197)
#13-Paul Mascarenas, NM (125)
HM-Matt Seabold, IA, (184/197)
Others: Brandon Brunner, TN (133); Austin Oyen, SD (133/141); Kyle White, IA (133/141); Coltan Langaniere, MN (141); Hank Goettl, AZ (141/149); Luke Zilverberg, MN (149); Kyle Leet, NV (149/157); Corbin Hansen, MN (174); Aaron Bates, MN (174/184); Alex Macki, IA (197)
The Situation:
Like many in this list, Chris Bono was charged with reinvigorating a program. This is a great start. He’s selling the program and his way and bringing in ‘his guys’. And there’s some real talent in the group. Bono led Cody Pack to Des Moines in March for what was SD State’s first NCAA qualifier in ages. With the group he brought in this year, that won’t be such a rare occurence anymore.
Why They’re Here:
Who’da thunk SD State would get 3, count ‘em 3, THREE, Fargo Finalists? It’s a huge boost in talent level for the room. When it’s all said and done, I’d peg half a line-up worth of multi-year starters from this class alone. Keep an eye on Seabold. That was a terrific grab by Bono. Most outside of Iowa were unaware of him.
Why They’re Not Higher:
While there’s plenty to be optimistic about here, these guys will need to develop before they’re winning matches at NCAA’s. The class will no doubt make the line-up incredibly more durable during the dual season, but they’ll have to hit another notch to win some medals come March.
Needs For Next Year: 125/133 Depth
#24-Central Michigan Chippewas
5-Year Cycle: UR, #3, UR, UR
Recruits:
#8-Jordan Ellingwood, IL (197)
#12-Newton Smercheck, WI (HWT)
HM-Alex Bambic, AZ (184)
HM-Colin Heffernan, OH (149/157)
The Situation:
Coach Borelli does wonders with this program in spite of some up-and-down classes. He brought in a group of bigs this year that he’ll need to rely on right away with the departures of Ben Bennett and Jarrod Trice.
Why They’re Here:
Getting three quality big men in one class is a coup. They might not be barnstormers, but they’ll be serviceable; Borelli will get his money out of them. He did a great job of recruiting for immediate and glaring needs.
Why They’re Not Higher:
I’m just not sold that any of them are AA material. Ellingwood is the best of the bunch. Bambic is an interesting prospect in that he has descended in weight each year of high school, but is he ready for primetime? And Smerchek is tough, but he’ll be thrown in to the fire in the deepest weight class currently in the DI level.
Flashback: CMU lost two big pieces from their 3rd ranked class of 2011: Nick Hodgkins and Devin Pommerenke.
Needs For Next Year: 141, Upperweight depth
#25-Binghamton Bearcats
5-Year Cycle: UR, HM, #21, UR
Recruits:
#15-Zach Zupan, NY (184)
HM-Kyle Kelly, NY (125)
HM-Nick Kelley, NY (133/141)
HM-Nick Tighe, NY (141/149)
HM-David Almaviva, NY (149/157)
Others: Thierno Diallo, MD (125/133); Bryce Mazurowski, NY (197)
The Situation:
In his first recruiting campaign at Binghamton, Matt Dernlan mopped up in the Empire State. The fact that he has such broad respect in-state bodes well for his future. The Bearcats bolstered the bottom half of their line-up with solid recruits.
Why They’re Here:
Loads of potential and I like their grit. Kids like Nick Kelley and Nick Tighe are exactly the kind of kids (work ethic) who succeed at the next level and outperform their national expectations. What it lacks in flash, it makes up for in lunch-pail attitude. Dernlan could see 4-6 potential starters here. That’s incredible out of one class, not to mention, efficient. With the graduation of the two headliners, Nate Scheidel and Donnie Vinson, Binghamton needed just about every weight. This was a good start to restocking the cupboard.
Why They’re Not Higher:
Every kid in the group was a state finalist, except for Almaviva, who was 3rd twice and a Fargo AA. That’s great considering it’s New York, one of the tougher states in America. However, collectively, they don’t have a whole heck of a lot of national credentials. So we’re dealing with potential here, more than proven results. Personally, I’m very optimistic about this group.
Flashback:
The two studs, Tyler Beckwith and Lance Moore, that gave Binghamton the 21st class in 2010, are both gone from the program.
Needs For Next Year: Upperweights
Honorable Mention:
Arizona State: TR-Coltin Fought, PA (NC State) (125); #20-Kaleb Baker, TN (149/157); HM-DeShaun Brown, NM (125/133); HM-Mech Spraggins, IL (141); HM-Seth Monty, AZ (149/157); Nick Karis, WA (165/174)
Appalachian State: PG-Forrest Przybysz, GA (MAPS) (174/184); #6-Nick Kee, NC (165/174); HM-Nick Hall, AL (157/165); Adrian Soto-Perez, NC (174/184)HM-Kacee Hutchinson, NC (197)
Columbia: #11-Garrett Ryan, AZ (HWT); #17-Markus Scheidel, OH (157); HM-Chris Aroaz, NY (133/141); HM-Matt Leshinger, NY (133/141); HM-Troy Hembury, PA (184)
Michigan State: #10-Javier Gasca, CA (133/141); #12-Christian Pagdilao, CA (149/157); HM-Mitch Rogaliner, MI (125); HM-Josh Pennell, MI (141/149)
Utah Valley: #9-Dalton Brady, AZ (133); PG-Robbie Mathers, AZ (133/141); #13-Jed Mellen, UT (141); HM-Grant LaMont, UT (149/157); Koleton Hardy, UT (149/157)
Virginia: #5-Tyler Askey, GA (174); #16-Emilio Martinez, CO (133); HM-Andrew Atkinson, VA (141); HM-TJ Miller, NJ (149); HM-Richard Robertson, OH (165); HM-Addison Knepshield, PA (184); Alex Uhre, FL (125); Greg Bacci, PA (157/165)
Willie Saylor, Editor
As someone who enjoys both high school and college wrestling, there isn’t anything quite like looking at where the top talent is going to continue their careers and which programs wrangled in the best/most talent.
There are so many factors are both sides, it becomes a sort of drama. The coaches have to negotiate scholarship dollars, need, graduation schedule, and of course, evaluation of the prospects themselves on both the talent and character levels. The athletes have to consider scholarship offer, location, program style and fit, academics, ability to start, etc.
To me, each year offers new twists and turns, subplots and story lines. Then we get to sit back and see how it all shakes out.
Below is an comprehensive evaluation of what I consider to be the top, most impactful, recruiting classes for this season. But first, a few notes...
Parity
One thing I’m pleased with is the parity in recruiting. I like to see as many teams do well as possible. With limited scholarships and better coaching at more schools, we’re seeing top talent going to more destinations. You’ll see below that 5 of this year’s Top 25 haven’t had their recruiting class ranked in within the previous four years, with several more ranked only once during that period. That’s a great thing for the sport. Having the same teams hog all the talent means less schools represented on the podium in March and more talent sitting on the bench instead of wrestling.
This Year’s Talent
Talent is cyclical; there isn’t the same amount of ‘immediate impact’ wrestlers every year, and a #1 in Year X might not necessarily be as good, or as college ready as a #1 in Year Y.
The Class of 2013 contained an amazing crop of talent. In fact, two of the 2013 graduates (Adam Coon and Zain Retherford) won Cadet World gold medals. And Joey Dance made the Junior World Team while still in high school.
I said last year that the Class of 2012 was a bit thin. That turned out to be the case, with the caveat that some of their best (Jordan Rogers, Jason Tsirtsis, Mark Grey, Jimmy Gulibon, Cory Clark) redshirted this year. In comparison to the 2011 high school seniors, however, it wasn’t event close. There were six true freshmen All Americans in 2012 (Nico Megaludis, Hunter Stieber, Cam Tessari, James Green, Logan Storely, and Nick Gwiazdowski). This year there only Alex Dieringer accomplished that feat . What we will get out of the high school seniors in 11 months? That remains to be to be seen. I like their odds, but I see most of them, like last year’s class, as redshirt candidates. Guys like Bo Jordan, Zain Retherford, Anthony Ashnault, and Isaiah Martinez may all need a year to be polished.
Of course, ‘true freshmen AA’s’ are just one metric. There’s no denying the bushels of talent that are coming out these days. I’m a recruiting junkie, so I’m inclined to lean this way, but I’ll say it again: recruiting is the life blood of success in wrestling (and every college sport).
As I stated here many times, the trend for committing to college has seen high school athletes make their decisions earlier and earlier each year. The bulk of the top talent on our SR Big Board was committed before January 1st.
While ‘who went where’ is of little surprise at this point, now comes another fun part: evaluating each school’s classes.
I love seeing how staffs from around the country put together the talent that will help them in the future. And the recruiting class rankings are one of my most ambitious endeavors each year. I run through them with a fine-toothed comb.
Differentiating classes is always a chore and comes with a bit of subjectivity. When splitting hairs, often times it comes down to my gut. So here are some ground rules and general criteria that I use to guide my process.
- Quality over Quantity
Every year we see different types of recruiting classes. Some are big and have a bunch of kids ranked in the 15-20 range. Others are small. With maybe two Top 5 kids.
Gimme the small class all day long.
What you have to realize is that these graduates are going in to a pool with athletes from the last five years. Let’s take that #15 guy. Now multiply that by 5 years (with redshirt seniors). He’d now (theoretically) be ranked 75th, without considering that there are less weights in college. That just doesn’t get it done.
Sure, there are guys that make waves in college that weren’t household names in high school. Grabbing a bunch of mid-tier recruits is great at building competitiveness and stabilizing a program, but it’s not a recipe for March success.
For instance, would you take 1 Ed Ruth at NCAA’s, or 10 qualifiers that don’t place? I’ll take the small class.
- Need Based and Efficient
This one is simple. One differentiating between two or more similar classes, I’ll go with the staff that addressed needs more appropriately. If there is a glaring hole at 125 that goes unfilled, that’s minus points. If a team is loaded at 157/165 and brings in a 152/160lber, no matter how good they are, I won’t value that acquisition as much as I typically would. 1) He may never see the line-up. 2) Even if he does, he’s devaluing the scholarship dollars allocated to the guy he beats out.
Not efficient. And in the 9.9 scheme, and in an era of ultra competitive recruiting wars and increased parity, efficiency is the name of the game.
- Character Boost
All things being equal, I’m going with the kid or kids that show high character. Everyone knows the stories of the ‘can’t miss’ prospects that fizzled out because of grades, work ethic, or extra-curricular distractions. When splitting hairs between classes, I’m going with work ethic and character. It’s a finer point, but it does make a difference in some cases. Quite frankly, there are some kids every year that I say to myself ‘he’s really good, but he’ll never make it.’ It’s unfortunate, but it’s true.
Surety - There aren’t any ‘sure things’ in recruiting. Stick around long enough and you see it all. But using the information you have, you have to value things that appear as pretty darn safe bet. I’m not talking about labeling anyone the second coming of David Taylor. Look at a kid like Eric Morris, for instance. I consider him to be about as safe as they come. He might not win 4 nationals titles, but he’ll be a steady performer and be a value asset for years to come. There’s safety in that, and in the recruiting dollars allotted to his roster spot.
On To The Evals!
- Rankings = final FloRankings from this year.
- 5-Year Cycle #’s = Class Rankings I’ve given to that school each of the last 4 years, with this year completing the 5-year (with redshirt) cycle.
#1-Michigan Wolverines5-Year Cycle: #5, UR, UR, #7
Recruits:
#1-Domenic Abounader, OH (184)
#1-Adam Coon, MI (HWT)
#2-Ben Whitford, MI (141/149)
#7-Brian Murphy, IL (157)
#13-Payne Hayden, MI (197)
HM-George Fisher, IL (133/141)
Others: Cameron Kennedy, IL (125); Jordan Amine, MI (149); Aaron Calderon, MI (157); Ernest Battaglia, IL (165)
The Situation:
For a few years I bagged on Michigan’s recruiting efforts. For a couple year span, they didn’t bring in the type of classes commensurate with their name. They are after all, Michigan. Well here ya go.
Fresh off a #5 class that brought in Massa, Bruno and Jordan Thomas, the Wolverines landed a monster haul that has Michigan fans raising the national team title in four years.
Why They’re Here:
Whitford is as good as anyone in the country at any weight. With Pritzlaff and Bormet in the room everyday, re-united from their Overtime days, Whitford could be an NCAA title contender immediately.
My expectations for heavyweights are tempered only because the weight is so loaded nationally, but Coon is a tremendous prospect (a Cadet World Champ) that will only get better as he focuses solely on wrestling, and with quality big man coaches on a daily basis.
Brian Murphy is probably the best #7 you’ll ever hear of. He’s just about as good as any 152lber in the country this year. Rankings, schmankings.
Flashback Stat: Michigan brought in more ranked wrestlers in the last two recruiting classes than they did in their previous six.
Needs For Next Year: 125, unless Bruno moves there; 174/184.
#2-Pittsburgh Panthers5-Year Cycle: UR, HM, HM, UR
Recruits:
#1-Ryan Solomon, PA (197)
#2-Cody Wiercioch, PA (174/184)
#3-Mikey Racciato, PA (141/149)
#7-Edgar Bright, OH (141/149)
HM-Nick Zanetta, PA (133)
HM-Aaron Rothwell, WI (184)
HM-Luke Fleck, PA (HWT)
The Situation:
Now we’re talking. There really isn’t any reason Pittsburgh, which sits in the hottest hotbed of high school wrestling with western PA and northeast OH next door, to have four years of unranked recruiting classes. The Panthers used mostly mid-tier recruits to win two consecutive EWL titles (their first two ever). And nothing could usher in the Jason Peters-ACC era better than this class.
Why They’re Here:
It’s rare when you can pencil in this many future starters from one class, but that’s what Pitt has on their hands with this group. The top four guys along with Zanetta will likely be Pitt’s #1’s rather soon.
It’s a unique group too. You have guys like Solomon that’s a grinder and a student of the sport. And then you have Racciato and Bright who are freakish athletes. Their potential is unlimited at the next level and in a college room.
Why They’re Not Higher:
Solomon is a well-rounded, well-polished wrestler. Racciato and Bright will need some grooming while making adjustments to the college grind. They also have to get through a Shaffer-Garbinsky-Lydic group in the middle there.
Wiercioch will need to refine his game, particularly in mat wrestling.
Of course, I’m splitting hairs here. In the end, Pitt compares well to Michigan, but I think the Wolverine contingent is just a bit ahead in the college-readiness standpoint.
Next Year’s Needs: 125, 197, HWT
#3-Nebraska Cornhuskers5-Year Cycle: #11, #1, #10, #3
Recruits:
PG-Destin McCauley, MN (149/157)
PG-Pat Downey, MD (184/197)
TR-Anthony Abidin, NY (Nassau CC) (133/141)
HM-Colton McCrystal, IA (133/141)
Others: Joey Dedick, WI (197)
The Situation:
Along with Ohio State, the Huskers are one the only team to have recruiting classes ranked in the Top 11 each of the last five years. While some of those classes never materialized (the 2010 class disintegrated and Tyler Caldwell opted instead for OK State last year), Nebraska has been able to pluck a couple really good starters from most of their classes. They now could be in a very strong position going forward.
Why They’re Here:
It’s probably surprising to see Nebraska so high. I didn’t think of this class that highly before starting this research, but McCauley and Downey have to be considered #1’s, making them one of only three teams (Ohio St., Michigan) to claim such this year. In fact, if it were possible, those two could be viewed as even better than your prototypical #1’s. Both have spent time at the OTC and are fully prepared (well beyond your ‘normal’ freshman) to step right in if need be.
Abidin is also a huge pick up at a weight Nebraska desperately needed. With a JUCO title under his belt and 3 years of eligibility left, he represents high value to Nebraska’s line-up balance.
In the end, the Huskers appear to have gotten three tremendous starters with a veteran type of presence that still have 11 years of eligibility amongst them.
Why They’re Not Higher:
Simply because of the numbers. Pitt and Michigan brought in more bodies that appear certain for future starting jobs.
Also, to play the skepticism card...will McCauley and Downey need to transition back to folkstyle (read: mat wrestling)? They’ve been freestyle-only for the better part of two years.
Also, will they be able to manage their talent at certain weights? James Green and Jake Sueflohn each have two years of eligibility left with redshirts to burn. They have to figure out how best to incorporate McCauley into the fray.
A similar, though less complicated, situation can be seen with Tim Dudley and Downey. Dudley just went 185 for Fila JR’s. One will have to go 184 and the other 195.
And though I really like the McCrystal pick up, he might run in to difficulty finding a starting spot.
Flashback Stat: Nebraska’s line-up will be young next year, with all but one (Robert Kokesh) coming from the recruiting classes of the last three years.
Needs For Next Year: 125, HWT
#4-Virginia Tech Hokies5-Year Cycle: #23, #10, #15, #18
Recruits:
#1-Joey Dance, VA (125)
#5-Kevin Norstrem, FL (141)
#7-Zach Epperly, VA (174/184)
#11-Dennis Gustafson, VA (133/141)
#12-Jared Haught, WV (184/197)
Others: Kody Azarian, WI (125); Nick Anderson, NJ (141); Ryan Holzrichter, IL (149); Jerry Ronnau, VA (149); Mason Mele, VA (157)
The Situation:
VT is clearly on the rise and skipper Kevin Dresser is one of the best on the recruiting trail. The Hokies are one of the very few programs that have been in the Top 25 each of the last five years. Dresser has gotten in the door early with several underclassmen, getting Joey Dance, Solomon Chishko, and Patrick Duggan to all commit before their JR season started.
Why They’re Here:
Dance is a lock, and I mean LOCK, for production for 4 years. He has the talent and he’s all in. He’ll be pressing for AA honors immediately with the ability to win close matches, ride, and mat return. You don’t find locks like this, well, pretty much ever. And he comes in at the perfect time with Jarrod Garnett graduating.
Norstrem and Epperly are battle tested through tough national schedules and are sure to be in the mix as future Hokie starters.
I really like Gustafson’s upside. He’s one of those kids that just hit his stride as a SR.
Why They’re Not Higher:
Outside of Dance, I think the other guys will need time to develop to get to national prominence. Don’t get me wrong, they’ll be solid starters, and contribute to what will undoubtedly be a formidable dual team, but I’m not penciling in their NCAA points just yet.
One of the two between Gustafson and Norstrem will be blocked for a year with the presence of Devin Carter.
The wildcard here could be Haught, who’s talented but raw. His productiveness could influence the class’s assessment when we look back on these in a few years.
Needs For Next Year: 165, 174, 184/197
#5- Illinois Illini5-Year Cycle: #7, UR, #18, #13
Recruits:
#3-Isaiah Martinez, CA (157/165)
#3-Brooks Black, PA (HWT)
#10-Kyle Langenderfer, IL (157)
The Situation:
It should be no surprise to see the Illini with a top rated class, especially with recruiting extraordinaire Mark Perry on staff.
Polz, Blanton, Futrell, and Thomas all graduate. And redshirts Brunson, Richards, and Reyes are chomping at the bit. With the three new guys in tow, the Illini could be dangerous in both formats.
Why They’re Here:
The value of Martinez and Black are undeniable. Martinez comes in as one of the most coveted prospects at any weight. He’s a free-wheelin’ type of wrestler. But he’s smart, dedicated, studies tape, etc. When he adjusts to the college game as he redshirts behind Jackson Morse (who has one year left), he’ll be in the medal conversation for four years.
Black gives the Illini something every B1G school needs: a quality big man. The conference (and the country) is absolutely loaded at HWT.
The wild card here is Langenderfer. On tape, he looks legit. And his addition gives the middle of the line-up flexibility.
Why They’re Not Higher:
There’s no doubt that this was a bang up job. They targeted needs and got, arguably, the best available prospects at those spots. Small, blue-chip, efficient. Just the way I like it.
Langenderfer’s lack of national schedule is a slight cause for concern. How will he hold up to the rigors of the Big Ten? Also, I would have liked to see them grab a 141lber, unless they think Fahy can move down and be the guy.
Needs For Next Year: 125, 141, 197
#6- Penn State Nittany Lions5-Year Cycle: #18, #4, #3, #5
Recruits:
TR-Garth Lakitsky, PA (HWT)
#1-Zain Retherford, PA (133/141)
#4-Matt McCutcheon, PA (184/197)
#8-Garrett Hammond, PA (157/165)
#10-Cody Law, PA (157/165)
HM-PJ Steinmetz, PA (197)
The Situation:
Many thought when Cael went to Penn State, he’d cash in on PA blue chippers. And while it’s true that he benefits from that, in my opinion, it’s the depth that makes the program tick. The flagship university, in the nation’s most talented high school state, with a legend like Cael at the helm running a 3-peat program where every dual meet is at capacity. Kids just want to go there. In years past, you’d see McCutcheon, Law, and Hammond (and Haines next year) go to programs that offered them more money and an easier path to a starting gig. Now, they essentially walk on just to part of the culture. The result: the most talented room in the country by a mile. Their 3rd stringers would beat most teams.
Why They’re Here:
Getting Retherford was a coup. Like Iowa’s problems at 141 and 149, as good as they are, Penn State has struggled filling 133 and 141 with contenders on the same plane as the other 8 weights. That should change with Gulibon and Retherford waiting in the wings.
I’m also really high on Hammond. Though he may sit a year, think he’ll be an integral part of the line-up for the other 3. He’s gotten remarkably better on his feet in the last year. He’s a sponge, and will soak up all he gets in the PSU room. And he’s already a hammer on top that can ride for days. He’ll pan out.
The best part about this class for Penn State is that it (purportedly) hardly cost them a thing. A whole lotta talent for a small price, and it keeps their ledger manageable going forward, with DT and Ruth coming off the books next year.
Why They’re Not Higher:
On any given day, McCutcheon is in the conversation as the best 195lber in high school. And he has the work ethic and mentality to be successful in college. The problem is a potential roadblock to starting, either with McIntosh at 97 and/or Phipps at 84.
I also really like Lakitsky. But I took a reserved approach last year with Lawson, who was also transitioning back from football, and I’ll do the same here. I like his potential, but what level he’s at remains to be seen. Not to mention, there’s a huge logjam at HWT and Thomas Haines coming in next year. This group is as talented as VTech and Mizzou, but have less clear paths to starting gigs.
Standing alone, I wouldn’t blame anyone for rating this class higher. But the plain fact is, as talented as some of these guys are, their value won’t be realized as much as they would at a lesser program.
Flashback Stat: Although Penn State’s recruiting classes have been phenomenal, they’ve only seen two kids earn AA medals from the last 3 classes: 2 from Nico, 1 from Dylan Alton.
Needs For Next Year: 125, 149, Chance Marsteller
#7-Missouri Tigers5-Year Cycle: HM, UR, #22, #20
#2-J’Den Cox, MO (197/HWT)
#8-BJ Toal, OH (184)
#11-Barlow McGhee, IL (125)
#11-Parker VonEgidy, NC (174)
#19-Joey Lavalle, NV (157)
Others: JJ Johnson, SC (125)
The Situation:
Look at Missouri’s success. 10 National Qualifiers in 2012. A MAC title this year. It doesn’t necessarily correlate to their pedestrian recruiting class rankings the past five years. What that means is they’ve been coaching them up. Now with a Top Ten class, the sky’s the limit for them. And count me in as a Sammy ‘The Bull’ believer.
Why They’re Here:
J’Den Cox is a phenom and I’m pretty sure they’re planning on wrestling him from jump street. He’s an incredible athlete and even a better kid. He’s a lock as a productive member of the team and a All American threat for 4 years.
He has wins over Joey McKenna, Darian Cruz, etc. He could be the perfect replacement for Waters.
The rest of the group are in kind of the ‘next tier’ of recruits. On paper I see them as future starters, potentially giving the Tigers half their future line-up from this class alone.
Why They’re Not Higher:
Like Penn State, Iowa, OK ST, Missouri’s room is pretty darn loaded. As good as they are, getting into the line-up might be a challenge for some of these guys. Missouri has a good HWT in Devon Mellon, which means Cox will likely begin at 197. Can he get there? Can he hold that weight? How effective can he be there?
Toal will likely have to get through a really tough Johnny Eblen, who you probably don’t know right now, but by next year at this time, you will.
At this time, I think a group like Virginia Tech’s xtrapolates to more years of starting service.
Needs For Next Year: 133, 149, 197
#8-Oklahoma State Cowboys5-Year Cycle: #4. #5, #13, #1
Recruits:
#3-Dean Heil, OH (133/141)
#4-Anthony Collica, OH (149/152)
#18-Keilan Torres, OK (165)
Others: Zac Gentzler, KS (125); Davey Dolan, OK (141/149)
The Situation:
The Cowboy staff, in my opinion, are the best evaluators of talent in the country. More often than not, they pick the right guys. Perhaps better yet, they almost always make them work, seeing an attrition rate that I would say is well below what other programs experience.
Why They’re Here:
Smith and Guerrero did it again, nabbing two wrestling-consumed, high-talent prospects in Heil and Collica. I think we’re looking at 5-6 AA’s between those two alone.
The wildcard is Torres, a Fargo Runner-Up a couple of years ago. He’s good enough to be an impact guy and 165 is up in the air for Cowboys going forward. Figure Crutchmer at 165 for one year before usurping Perry’s spot at 74 when he graduates. Insert Torres at 165.
Why They’re Not Higher:
It’s a small class. Torres is tough, but a bit inconsistent. If he pans out he makes the entire class dramatically better.
Needs For Next Year: 133/141, 149/157, 197
#9-Ohio State Buckeyes5-Year Cycle: #9, #2, #8, #11
Recruits:
#1-Nathan Tomasello, OH (125)
#1-Bo Jordan, OH (165)
The Situation:
Next to Nebraska, the Buckeyes have garnered the highest collective recruiting class ranking over the past five years. Other than the 2011 Class where they brought in six kids, most of the time, they bring in small, studly groups. That’s the way I like.
Why They’re Here:
Bo Jordan.
I love sure things and he’s about as college-ready as they get coming out of high school. Not flashy. Takes what you give him. Rides the tar out of you. High character.
The Bucks get just 1, maybe 2 starters from this class. But Jordan is a rare gem, and they landed him.
Why They’re Not Higher:
I love Nathan Tomasello. The kid’s a stone cold killer with his eyes always on the task of becoming a better wrestler. And I applaud Tom Ryan & Co. for going after the best available talent. However, I’m not sure it makes a whole lot of sense from a scholarship dollars standpoint.
A lot of NFL draft experts will preach that you take the best talent on the board, regardless of need. However, the NFL doesn’t work with 9.9 scholarships.
Last year the Buckeyes spent on Nicky Roberts (who beat Tomasello for the 2011 Fila Cadet title). Both are 125ers for the foreseeable future. If Roberts beats Tomasello out, OSU gets just one starter from this class. If Tomasello beats out Roberts, it creates some inefficiency. Ultimately, signing Tomasello was superfluous. I don’t blame them for it. But when handicapping classes, I’m looking to be critical.
Others: Blake Riley-Hawkins, FL (141); Jake Ryan, OH (149)
Needs For Next Year: 141, 149, 157, 184
#10-Oregon State Beavers5-Year Cycle: #23, UR, UR, #10
Amarveer Dhesi, CAN (HWT)
#6-Cody Crawford, OR (184/197)
#14-Reed Van Anrooy, OR (157/165)
The Situation:
Zalesky and Co. have been churning out All Americans at a high rate. More impressively, they’ve been doing it with a lot of names not known by most when they came out of high school. Here are a few more.
Why They’re Here:
Surprised to see the Beavs so high? Me too. Why are they so high? Because I’m completely sold on Dhesi and Crawford. And, I’m going to step out on a ledge and say you’ll see at 5 AA’s + out of these guys. Dhesi is the next big thing. He just destroyed America’s top prep heavyweight at Fila JR’s and made it looked relatively effortless.
Crawford is an amazing athlete with scholarship offers to DI football and baseball programs. I’m glad he chose wrestling. So is Zalesky. When he focuses solely on wrestling, he’ll be a handful.
I’m also high on Van Anrooy. He’s your prototypical grinder. Pretty sure he’s missing a few teeth, too. He’s the kind of kid that will just keep working.
Why They’re Not Higher:
It would be difficult or me to put them any higher with just 3 kids in their class, two of which have limited/non-existent national exposure. Like Ohio State grabbing Tomasello, Oregon State absolutely had to get Dhesi, despite having a solid youngster in Mickey Dougharity waiting in the wings. They’ll also have to work Crawford around All American Taylor Meeks for a year.
Needs For Next Year: 125/133, 174/184
#11-Iowa State Cyclones5-Year Cycle: #10, UR, #6, UR
Recruits:
PG-Earl Hall, FL (133)
PG-Eleazar DeLuca, OR (157)
PG-Jesse Doyle, NC (184)
#20-Danny Woiwor, MN (165)
#20-Dane Pestano, HI (197)
HM-Adrian Cordova, CO (125)
HM-Bubba Hernandez, IA (149)
Others: Austin Anderson, IA (125); Loren Williams, IA (157); Eric Hensel, MN (184)
The Situation:
ISU announced an extension to KJ’s contract, and at NCAA’s we all found out why. The Cyclones’ performance was one of the feel-good stories in Des Moines. ISU was plagued with Murphy’s Law for most of KJ’s tenure in Ames. For the first time, we saw some reason for optimism. The team as a whole performed well, and two youngsters earned AA honors.
Building on that, several Cyclones had outstanding tournaments in Vegas. The improvement is on the wall, folks.
Graduating only HWT Matt Gibson and injured Chris Spangler, the roster is really young. Now they have this class.
Why They’re Here:
Jackson used his Colorado Springs connections to filter in some of the talent visiting the OTC. The result is that he gets kids that are serious about wrestling that have been training for a full year; less green freshmen.
Hall has all the tools. Cordova and DeLuca both won Fila JR’s.
Why They’re Not Higher:
In large part, there aren’t any true blue chippers in the group. This group will have to scratch and claw to get better. I don’t think there is an undisputed All American finish out of them in their first couple years. But the framework is there, and there’s a lot of them. They certainly make the team and room, much, much deeper.
Needs For Next Year: Nothing
#12-Rutgers Scarlet Knights5-Year Cycle: UR, #21, #24, HM
Recruits:
TR-Ethan Orr, NJ (Labette) (165)
#3-Anthony Ashnault, NJ (141)
#11-Tyson Dippery, PA (149)
#15-Corey Stasenko, NJ (125/133)
HM-Nick Gravina, NJ (157/165)
HM-Taylor Jackson, FL (184)
Others: Josh Patrick, PA (125); Garrett Conner, OH (184/197); Anthony Messner, NJ (184/197)
The Situation:
There’s been a lot of mixed reviews concerning the Goodale era. On one hand he clearly improved the product and visibility of the program with strong dual meet performances. On the other, the Knights have come up empty in March. I’m of the opinion that Goodale is the right guy. The AA’s will come and this is a good group to kind of start over with.
Why They’re Here:
Ashnault and Dippery are the right kind of kids to persevere. Ashnault’s a worker and a winner. Dippery is a mat rat whose life is wrestling. I’m betting they both work their tails off. They’re the perfect template for Molinaro to mold.
Behind them are some good depth guys. Gravina and Messner, particularly, are raw prospects that could see their best days ahead of them.
Orr brings immediate work ethic and a hard-nosed style that some say the Rutgers’ room lacks. He should be an automatic upgrade at 65 or 74.
There’s at least three starters from this class.
Why They’re Not Higher:
I love the big three of Orr, Ash, and Dippery. I’m tempering my expections for the others, however, as I think they’ll all need work. Classes like ISU’s have more guys that could make an impact to their program, in my estimation.
Needs For Next Year: 125/133, 184
#13-Harvard Crimson5-Year Cycle: #20, UR, UR, HM
Recruits:
#2-Eric Morris (174/184)
#9-Brad Perkins (125)
#16-Tyler Grimaldi (157/165)
Others: Colby Knight, IA (133); Colton Peppelman, PA (165)
The Situation:
Jay Weiss has amped up recruiting the past two years. The crismosn graduate two (Steven Keith, Walter Peppelman) two-time All Americans this year, but on the heels of the #20 class from a year ago that featured Todd Preston, Jeff Ott, and Devon Gobbo, Harvard should have a solid core to work with.
Why They’re Here:
Eric Morris is about as sure as they come. He’ll be in Harvard’s line-up for the next four years and competing for EIWA titles. Perkins is an interesting pick up (read below), and has a boat load of talent. Grimaldi is a perfect fit for the EIWA. It’s easy to envision him as an NCAA qualifier.
Why They’re Not Higher:
I have a bit of a reservation with Perkins. He’s had shoulder trouble for quite some time. When he was younger, he hit the national scene often and was ultra successful, including winning Fargo. But he’s been conspicuously absent from major tournaments. If he does work out, you’re probably looking at 3 NCAA qualifiers just from this class.
Needs For Next Year: 149, 184
#14-North Carolina State Wolfpack5-Year Cycle: UR, #6, UR, UR
Recruits:
#4-Pete Renda, PA (174/184)
#6-Scott Delvecchio, NJ (141)
#11-Peter Santos, CA (174)
HM-Brendan Calas, NJ (125)
HM-Chris Wilkes, MO (141/149)
HM-Chad Pyke, GA (157)
HM-Shayne Brady, NY (184)
HM-Mike Machiavello, NC (184)
Others: Brian Hamann, NJ (141); Jake DeAngelo, NC (141/149); Max Rohskopf, OH (149);Rodney Shepherd, NC (149/157); Beau Donahue, VA (149/157); Joe Mastro, NY (157); Mike Amorando, CT (157/165); Dylan Ceravalo, WV (165); Jake Castrogenero, NC (197)
The Situation:
The situation is exactly that, a ‘situation’. Whoever took over the Wolfpack program had to employ a complete overhaul. The good news is that there was no better team to do that than Popolizio and Beasley. Even better news is that they’re on the right track. As you can see from the 17 new names, they’re re-inventing the program.
Why They’re Here:
Beasley is one of the best in the business at recruiting, finding hidden gems, and evaluating talent. In their first recruiting effort in Raleigh, the staff put together a class of quality, high character kids that should form the base of a new culture going forward. They hit all areas except for HWT, where they are set for a while with Gwiazdowski. Particularly impressive is the 174/184 group. If they can get one of them to 165, the back half of their line-up will be set for years.
I also have to note that I love the under the radar pick ups. Brady, Macchiavello, Shepherd and Ceravalo are all talented but relatively unknown kids only a genius like myself (or Beasley) would have targeted.
At the end of the day, the Wolfpack should get years of utility out of this group.
Why They’re Not Higher:
It’s a good start. And in their first year, even better than I anticipated. But going forward, and as wrestling world gets more familiar with them at NC State, expect Pop to pull in more blue chippers. I like the production and stability they’ll get from this class, but their upside is probably limited; NCAA qualifiers perhaps, but long shots to medal.
Flashback Stat: Of the ten recruits in the 2011 class that was ranked #6, exactly one is still left on the roster. Four of them didn’t make it through the first semester that fall.
Needs For Next Year: Lightweights
#15- Clarion Golden Eagles5-Year Cycle: UR, UR, UR, UR
Recruits:
TR-Quinton Murphy, NY (Indiana) (141)
#5-Austin Matthews, PA (157/165)
#17-Justin Arthur, WV (149)
HM-Evan Daley, PA (HWT)
Others: Jarray Norris, PA (125); Sal Marandino, NJ (125); Zach Campbell, OH (125); John Mele, NJ (125); Seth Carr, PA (125); Cody Carbaugh, PA (125); Michael Bonner, PA (133); Alex Smith, PA (133); Wolfgang McStravick, PA (141); Dustin Conti, PA (174); Ryan Wittle, CT (174); Ty Dibert, PA (174/184); Tim Schaefer, NY (174/184); Dom Rigous, PA (184); Nick Shawley, PA (184); Danny Sutherland, NY (184); Zac Croyle, PA (184); Mante Barnes, PA (184/197); Cam Cyphert, PA (197)
The Situation:
As you can tell by prior year’s recruiting class rankings, Clarion hasn’t been bringing in top flight talent. But they are this year. And as you can tell by the shear volume, Troy Letters is re-inventing the program with ‘his guys.’ 23 new guys amounts to an entire new team. It might take a while, but Letters can coach ‘em up. This is a good start.
Why They’re Here:
Murphy and Matthews are legit top-flight prospects. They haven’t had kids this good step on campus since Bekzod, and beyond that, who knows? Justin Arthur is the perfect recruit for Letters (or anyone for that matter). He’s a grinder that should provide many years of service. Daley was a 3x state placewinner that had many college coaches talking at FloNationals. It’s a great core of guys from which to build on. And you’re looking at a ton of years of starting service out of this group.
Why They’re Not Higher:
With that many fresh faces, you might be inclined to think that Clarion would be higher on the list. But outside of the big four, I view them as depth guys. They’ll have a great impact in the room and in the culture. But I’m not sure if they can do damage on the nationals scene.
Needs For Next Year: 133
#16-Minnesota Golden Gophers5-Year Cycle: #14, #13, #5, #4
Recruits:
#3-Nick Wanzek, MD (165)
#6-Jake Short, MN (149)
HM-Judson Preskitt, TX (125/133)
HM-Nate Thomas, MN (133)
The Situation:
Graduating just Cody Yohn, and with a thinner in-state talent pool than is typical for Minnesota, the Gophers bring in a small class, and one that makes sense. Other than Broc Berge, who was poached by Iowa (but who made more sense for Minnesota) JRob nabbed the best two senior prospects within state borders.
Why They’re Here:
Short and Wanzek are both from Simley, who are notorious for producing college-style wrestlers. Short, in particular, stays in impeccable position. Both can ride. They’ll both make for valuable starters, the question is, when?
Why They’re Not Higher:
Both might find it difficult to get in the line-up. Short will have to get through Ness or Nick Dardanes, both of who have two years left. Wanzek’s path would have to go through Dylan Reel, who the Gophers are super high on. I love the potential of both guys, but typical of Minnesota, who always has one of the deepest rooms in the country and a glut of talent in the middle, the picture for a potential starting gig is blurry.
In another issue...
It’s become customary at this time of year for me to wonder why Minnesota hasn’t addressed a replacement for Zach Sanders. They haven’t quite figured out the 125 puzzle, and if David Thorn doesn’t go there for his senior season, it will become an issue.
Flashback Stat: The Gophers got major production out of their 2010 class that I tabbed at #5. Ness and the Dardanes will be 4 year starters, with Schiller a 3 year starter. That’s a whole lotta production out of one class, especially for a perennial power.
Needs For Next Year: 125, 133, 141, 149, Lance Benick
#17-North Dakota State Bison5-Year Cycle: UR, UR, UR, UR
Recruits:
#6-Mitch Bengston, MN (141)
#14-Preston Lehmann, ND (184)
#17-Tommy Petersen, MN (197/HWT)
#18-Clayton Ream, MO (157)
HM-Tommy Walton, ND (125)
HM-Kyle Gliva, MN (125)
HM-Cole Sladek, MN (149)
HM-Grant Nehring, MN (165)
Others: Zach Sanchez, AZ (125); Mitch Friedman, WI (141/149)
The Situation:
Roger Kish and Manny Rivera have some momentum going after taking over the reigns a couple years ago. They’re bringing in virtually a whole new roster and one that could produce the bulk of their starting line-up in the very near future. They’ve gone into Minnesota and plucked the talent that the Gophers just don’t have room or money for.
Why They’re Here:
I have them here largely because they will upgrade the entire roster. The Bison have never seen an influx of talent like this. Give them a couple years and they should be drastically improved, particularly from in a dual format.
Why They’re Not Higher:
While the quality here is certainly an upgrade, there’s a certain limit to their upside individually. As stated above, from a dual perspective: huge plus. But I’d hold off on calculating NCAA points for a while. One thing is for sure, that room is getting incredibly competitive. Their roster is full of talent, and this class piles it on.
Needs For Next Year: 133, 149
#18-Stanford Cardinal5-Year Cycle: #19, 24, UR, #16
Recruits:
#3-Connor Schram, PA (125/133)
#7-Garrett Krohn, CO (197)
#8-Nathan Butler, KS (HWT)
#15-Keaton Subjeck, CA (174)
HM-Tommy Pawelski, IL (125)
The Situation:
With their high academic standards, limited scholarships, and high tuition costs, Stanford’s recruiting position is a difficult one. But the staff has done a valiant job in plucking a couple kids in each class that helps keep them competitive. This year they did more than that, that roped in three Top Ten wrestlers.
Why They’re Here:
First and foremost, Connor Schram, who’d I’d venture to say, by the end of his freshman year, will be able to go with some of the best college 125’s.
Why They’re Not Higher:
On strictly the talent here alone, they would/should be much higher. But two of their three best recruits are at weights that they already have talented youngsters. I really like Krohn and Butler, but at 197 and HWT, Stanford has Sojka and Marchok, both freshmen. The money could have been better spent in the middleweights. In the end, they won’t get as much utility out of this class as the high rankings suggest.
Needs For Next Year: 149, 157
#19-Oklahoma Sooners5-Year Cycle: #6, UR, #9, #2
Recruits:
PG-Danny Chaid, CA (197/HWT)
#1-Oliver Pierce, TX (157/165)
HM-Shayne Tucker, CA (157/165)
Others: Sean Williams, CA (125); Jon Townsend, OK (125/133)
The Situation:
As you can see in the ‘unranked’ blip on the recruiting radar, OU was affected by the regime change in 2011. Last year they were bolstered by three Top Ten guys and Howe and Rutt who were mortgaged for the upcoming season. They get those two back and only Bubby Graham graduates. With a line-up of talented veterans, the Sooners could be in for a monster campaign.
Why They’re Here:
Under Coach Cody, Ollie should be in the hunt for AA honors immediately following a redshirt. He’s been unbelievably successful while balancing multiple sports. He should only get better in a room that good and while focusing on wrestling only.
Chaid is an unknown to most. His father was an All American for the Sooners, but it wasn’t until Danny made state finals as a senior in California that he started to garner some attention. Since then he took fourth in Fargo, spent a year at the OTC, and placed 5th in Vegas JR’s.
Why They’re Not Higher:
Tucker is good, and may prove to be a starter, but at this point, he’s a depth guy. In the end, I see just two starters from this group. And I’m understanding Chaid (and almost all heavyweights) at this point. In past years, he may have been more valuable from a recruiting rankings perspective. But in this time of a heavyweight renaissance, I’m not sure he’ll contend with the long list of talented big men we currently have throughout the country, especially considering he’s a ‘tweener,’ having wrestled 211 in Vegas. Not to mention, the Sooners have two talented 197lbers (Larson and Johnson) that he may need to beat out just to have a spot.
Flashback Stat: OU brought in 8 recruits for the class of 2010 that garnered my #9 ranking. Only one of them are still on the roster, and none ever started.
Needs For Next Year: Everything
#20-Princeton Tigers5-Year Cycle: UR, UR, UR, UR
#5-Ray O’Donnell, PA (197)
#5-Brett Harner, PA (174/184)
HM-Jordan Laster, IL (125/133)
HM-Troy Murtha, MD (184)
Others: Troy Aslanian, NY (125); Matt Gancayo, MD (174); Jake Moore, OH (HWT)
The Situation:
Chris Ayers and Sean Gray hit the recruiting trail hard this year and it paid off. It’s never an easy task finding top talent that has the work ethic not only in the wrestling room, but in the classroom, too. This class should pay off big time, especially in the back half of the Tiger line-up.
Why They’re Here:
As Top 5 wrestlers coming out, O’Donnell and Harner could each be 3-4x national qualifiers through the EIWA. If I’m a betting man, I think they get a lot of miles out of Laster and Murtha as well. All told, Ayers should get a lot of years of service out of this single class.
Why They’re Not Higher:
To the dual line-up and the program itself, this class is a game changer. They’ll be real solid up top now. But they’ll have to get Gancayo-Murtha-Harner at seperate weights. If not, it reduces the value of the class.
Needs For Next Year: Lightweights
#21-Iowa Hawkeyes5-Year Cycle: #1, #22, #1, #6
Recruits:
#9-Brandon Sorenson, IA (149)
#10-Broc Berge, MD (197)
#13-Jake Marlin, IA (141/149)
Others: Logan Thomsen, IA (149); Chance Shelton, IA (184)
The Situation:
The Brands Brothers have been trying to solve the 149 problem since Metcalf departed, and since Marion’s graduation, 141 looks like it could be a conundrum as well. They’ve tried Mark Ballweg, Kelly, Dziewa, Grothus, all to no avail. Jake Ballweg hung ‘em up. Baldosaro barely made it to campus. Dylan Carew’s knees didn’t hold up. A plethora of factors led this enigma to continue. They bring in two homegrown products to help solve it.
This is an incredibly difficult class to handicap. It could be pivotal, and then again, it could be just another frustration. If Marlin and Sorenson beat out the incumbent talent in the room, then they’re cooking with grease. However, I’m not convinced that will be the case.
Why They’re Here:
Sorenson and Marlin serve areas of needs. All three have had success, in varying degrees, on the national level. Berge is a guy I like to flourish at Iowa. He’s shown glimpses of putting shot on top of shot. If he can do that more consistently (and no one can show him how to keep up the pace better than the Brands), he could be deadly.
Why They’re Not Higher:
Are Marlin and Sorenson and upgrade over Kelly and Grothus? If they’re not, it essentially nulls this class. If they are, how good are they nationally? That’s basically what it boils down to.
It should be noted that there is rampant speculation that JUCO National Champ Edwin Cooper will be coming to Iowa as well. It would be a two-year pick deal that only blocked Marlin/Sorenson for one campaign (after a redshirt). It would be a big boost, but probably influence the Hawks’ place on this list minimally.
From these three guys, you could envision anywhere from 9, to as little as 2, years of starting service. Tough call.
I don’t put anything past Iowa coaching them up, but from a skill set, Marlin and Sorenson aren’t as proven as other 41/49 lb prospects. They’ve been able to beat all the guys they should, but very rarely beat the guys they shouldn’t. The Iowa room could get them over the hump, but I don’t evaluate talent with the notion in mind that they’ll have better coaching than most.
The saving grace here is, for some reason, the middle weights at the DI level isn’t currently very tough. Another (minor) point of contention is that, most likely, Berge will have to sit at least one year behind Burak.
Flashback Stat: Look no further than last year. The Hawkeyes could field close to half their line-up from that class alone: Gilman, Clark, Meyer, Brooks, Burak. How many times has a team of Iowa’s stature gotten five starters from one class? I dubbed them #1 last year, and I’m glad I did.
Needs For Next Year: 157, 165
#22- Rider Broncos5-Year Cycle: UR, UR, UR, UR
Recruits:
#5-BJ Clagon, NJ (149)
#11-Wayne Stinson (157/165)
#12-JR Wert, VA (125/133)
Others: Zach Valcarce, NJ (125)
The Situation:
It’s been a long time since Rider brought in a noteworthy recruiting class. But there’s no reason they shouldn’t. One of just three DI schools in a power state, this type of class should be a regularity. They bring in three guys that should be staples in their line-up for years to come.
Why They’re Here:
The biggest reason they’re here is because of the huge talent upgrade. They haven’t seen these types come in too often and they should make for immediate upgrades and lengthy utility. Clagon has all the tools to be at the top of the podium. If he wins a national title one day, I wouldn’t blink an eye. He’s that good. Wert is a savvy wrestler with vast national experience and competition. Stinson’s arc is on the upswing.
Why They’re Not Higher:
Intangibles. Based on rankings and their ability to step right in and start, they could certainly be regarded as higher. But that would assume everything works out for all three of them. I hope it does, but I’m a little reluctant to think that will happen at this time.
Needs For Next Year: 149, 177
#23-South Dakota State Jackrabbits5-Year Cycle: UR, UR, UR, UR
#8-Collin Holler, IL (165/174)
#12-Nate Rotert, SD (197)
#13-Paul Mascarenas, NM (125)
HM-Matt Seabold, IA, (184/197)
Others: Brandon Brunner, TN (133); Austin Oyen, SD (133/141); Kyle White, IA (133/141); Coltan Langaniere, MN (141); Hank Goettl, AZ (141/149); Luke Zilverberg, MN (149); Kyle Leet, NV (149/157); Corbin Hansen, MN (174); Aaron Bates, MN (174/184); Alex Macki, IA (197)
The Situation:
Like many in this list, Chris Bono was charged with reinvigorating a program. This is a great start. He’s selling the program and his way and bringing in ‘his guys’. And there’s some real talent in the group. Bono led Cody Pack to Des Moines in March for what was SD State’s first NCAA qualifier in ages. With the group he brought in this year, that won’t be such a rare occurence anymore.
Why They’re Here:
Who’da thunk SD State would get 3, count ‘em 3, THREE, Fargo Finalists? It’s a huge boost in talent level for the room. When it’s all said and done, I’d peg half a line-up worth of multi-year starters from this class alone. Keep an eye on Seabold. That was a terrific grab by Bono. Most outside of Iowa were unaware of him.
Why They’re Not Higher:
While there’s plenty to be optimistic about here, these guys will need to develop before they’re winning matches at NCAA’s. The class will no doubt make the line-up incredibly more durable during the dual season, but they’ll have to hit another notch to win some medals come March.
Needs For Next Year: 125/133 Depth
#24-Central Michigan Chippewas5-Year Cycle: UR, #3, UR, UR
Recruits:
#8-Jordan Ellingwood, IL (197)
#12-Newton Smercheck, WI (HWT)
HM-Alex Bambic, AZ (184)
HM-Colin Heffernan, OH (149/157)
The Situation:
Coach Borelli does wonders with this program in spite of some up-and-down classes. He brought in a group of bigs this year that he’ll need to rely on right away with the departures of Ben Bennett and Jarrod Trice.
Why They’re Here:
Getting three quality big men in one class is a coup. They might not be barnstormers, but they’ll be serviceable; Borelli will get his money out of them. He did a great job of recruiting for immediate and glaring needs.
Why They’re Not Higher:
I’m just not sold that any of them are AA material. Ellingwood is the best of the bunch. Bambic is an interesting prospect in that he has descended in weight each year of high school, but is he ready for primetime? And Smerchek is tough, but he’ll be thrown in to the fire in the deepest weight class currently in the DI level.
Flashback: CMU lost two big pieces from their 3rd ranked class of 2011: Nick Hodgkins and Devin Pommerenke.
Needs For Next Year: 141, Upperweight depth
#25-Binghamton Bearcats5-Year Cycle: UR, HM, #21, UR
Recruits:
#15-Zach Zupan, NY (184)
HM-Kyle Kelly, NY (125)
HM-Nick Kelley, NY (133/141)
HM-Nick Tighe, NY (141/149)
HM-David Almaviva, NY (149/157)
Others: Thierno Diallo, MD (125/133); Bryce Mazurowski, NY (197)
The Situation:
In his first recruiting campaign at Binghamton, Matt Dernlan mopped up in the Empire State. The fact that he has such broad respect in-state bodes well for his future. The Bearcats bolstered the bottom half of their line-up with solid recruits.
Why They’re Here:
Loads of potential and I like their grit. Kids like Nick Kelley and Nick Tighe are exactly the kind of kids (work ethic) who succeed at the next level and outperform their national expectations. What it lacks in flash, it makes up for in lunch-pail attitude. Dernlan could see 4-6 potential starters here. That’s incredible out of one class, not to mention, efficient. With the graduation of the two headliners, Nate Scheidel and Donnie Vinson, Binghamton needed just about every weight. This was a good start to restocking the cupboard.
Why They’re Not Higher:
Every kid in the group was a state finalist, except for Almaviva, who was 3rd twice and a Fargo AA. That’s great considering it’s New York, one of the tougher states in America. However, collectively, they don’t have a whole heck of a lot of national credentials. So we’re dealing with potential here, more than proven results. Personally, I’m very optimistic about this group.
Flashback:
The two studs, Tyler Beckwith and Lance Moore, that gave Binghamton the 21st class in 2010, are both gone from the program.
Needs For Next Year: Upperweights
Honorable Mention:
Arizona State: TR-Coltin Fought, PA (NC State) (125); #20-Kaleb Baker, TN (149/157); HM-DeShaun Brown, NM (125/133); HM-Mech Spraggins, IL (141); HM-Seth Monty, AZ (149/157); Nick Karis, WA (165/174)
Appalachian State: PG-Forrest Przybysz, GA (MAPS) (174/184); #6-Nick Kee, NC (165/174); HM-Nick Hall, AL (157/165); Adrian Soto-Perez, NC (174/184)HM-Kacee Hutchinson, NC (197)
Columbia: #11-Garrett Ryan, AZ (HWT); #17-Markus Scheidel, OH (157); HM-Chris Aroaz, NY (133/141); HM-Matt Leshinger, NY (133/141); HM-Troy Hembury, PA (184)
Michigan State: #10-Javier Gasca, CA (133/141); #12-Christian Pagdilao, CA (149/157); HM-Mitch Rogaliner, MI (125); HM-Josh Pennell, MI (141/149)
Utah Valley: #9-Dalton Brady, AZ (133); PG-Robbie Mathers, AZ (133/141); #13-Jed Mellen, UT (141); HM-Grant LaMont, UT (149/157); Koleton Hardy, UT (149/157)
Virginia: #5-Tyler Askey, GA (174); #16-Emilio Martinez, CO (133); HM-Andrew Atkinson, VA (141); HM-TJ Miller, NJ (149); HM-Richard Robertson, OH (165); HM-Addison Knepshield, PA (184); Alex Uhre, FL (125); Greg Bacci, PA (157/165)