Where Should Your Coach Be On August 5th
Where Should Your Coach Be On August 5th
Now that college coaches can visit rising juniors on August 5th, what major recruit's living room should your head coach be in on Wednesday?
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Recruiting never ends in college wrestling, and the rules about visiting and contacting recruits are always changing.
With nearly all the major pieces of the 2020 class off the board, we have begun shifting our attention to the crop of rising juniors. New regulations in place just this year have allowed coaches to contact the class of 2021 since June 15th, with the ability to meet them in person coming in a few days.
So August 5th now represents the date that recruits can take official visits on campus, and also the date coaches can visit prospective athletes in their homes. With that in mind, we're using home visit as a catch-all, because some of these kids will probably be on campus instead. Also we're aware Cadet worlds is this week, so treat whatever day the world teamers get back as the one coaches will be visiting.
Our guesses below do not necessarily mean the school is the athlete's top choice or vice versa, especially considering the athletes are being pursued by multiple institutions.
Penn State: Stevo Poulin, NY
Willie put it best in his depth chart and targets article saying, "Penn State still needs a 125. In fact, it should be their #1 priority in my opinion and to me, that means one guy: Stevo." The two-time state champ from New York made his first Cadet world team in June, and hasn't lost to an American since Fargo last year. Given that his coach is Frank Popolizio, you'd also have to think NC State is after Poulin.
Watch him take out two-time Fargo champ Drake Ayala of Iowa in the Super 32 finals
Ohio State: Victor Voinovich, OH
A few years ago, over 90% of the Buckeyes' team points at NCAAs came from in-state talent. After a few years where that number dipped below 50%, it seems like the staff will once again start putting time and energy into guys like Voinovich, Padraic Gallagher (who we'll get to in a second), and Seth Shumate, who is entering his sophomore year. Voinovich won a state title as a freshman, but slipped to third this past year, and has yet to place at Ironman, so this winter represents a major opportunity for him and what kind of offers he'll get.
Iowa: Padraic Gallagher, OH
There appears to be interest on both ends for this one, though Ohio State will also be after the Fargo champ. St. Ed's current head coach John Heffernan was a two-time All-American for the Hawkeyes and Gallagher has spent time in Iowa City. The problem is, there may be a money/lineup logjam when you look at Nelson Brands, Patrick Kennedy, Abe Assad, and Zach Glazier.
Oklahoma State: Travis Mastrogiovanni, NJ
This one allows the staff kill two birds with one stone: they're able to re-affirm their commitment to the older brother Trevor, as well as make inroads with a middleweight they may desperately end up needing. In the very near future, the Cowboys will need a 157 or 165, which is right where Mastro looks like he'll end up. His array of leg attacks should fit right in with the style in Stillwater. Tyler Caldwell's brother Kyle Haas seems like a lock to be a Cowboy, so they may also wind up in his living room.
Watch him take match one against Facundo in Akron
Michigan: Alex Facundo, MI
Facundo, the unquestionable #1 recruit in this class, is extremely difficult to assign a school for. First of all, all the majors are after him and will offer a large scholarship no matter who they already have. Second, for the sake of this article, I wanted to limit each school to one athlete since everyone's aware they're all recruiting multiple athletes.
I've said this multiple times, but I believe the Davison factor could be huge. That puts programs like Nebraska (Paul Donahoe), Iowa State (Brent Metcalf), and Wisconsin (Jon Reader) at the front, not to mention that Mark Hall was originally from Davison. But the Wolverines need to put on a full court press. They were in Robbie Howard's final three but weren't the choice, and Coach Bormet needs an impact guy to keep them in position to try to catch up with the teams mentioned above. Facundo trains at the Michigan RTC, and they'll have to try to leverage him being able to wrestle close to friends and family.
Missouri: Teague Travis, MO
Brian Smith has built his program on guys from the Show Me state, and already has three starters on the team from Father Tolton where Travis goes. His summer results dipped a bit as he tried to figure out his weight, going 5-2 in Fargo and 4-2 in Akron, losing in the bloodround both times. Once he finds that weight and adjusts to being a favorite instead of a dark horse, he'll be a prized recruit.
Cornell: Alejandro Herrera-Rondon, PA
There's a ton of recruiting momentum right now in Ithaca, with the #1 class in 2017, #3 this past year, and an almost assured Top-5 from the rising seniors. Assistant Gabe Dean was on Pennsylvania's coaching roster for Fargo, though Herrera is far more of a folkstyle prospect than freestyle. He's not in the weight class rankings right now after going up a few weights.
Minnesota: Carson Manville, MN
Similar to Michigan, the Gophers need to make a big splash. There's a big difference between being a consistent Top-10 team and a perennial trophy contender. If Manville gets back to form once he's healthy, this could be where coach Brandon Eggum decides to put his efforts. Brother Mason is already at Penn State, and the family is originally from Virginia, so Tech or UVA could be in the mix as well.
Rutgers: Shayne Van Ness, NJ
Shayne's father Rodney is a Rutgers legend, and up until Anthony Ashnault was probably the greatest wrestler in the history of the Scarlet Knights. Now Blair never sends kids to Rutgers, but they've also never had the son of a former hall of famer at the school. It would certainly lessen the blow of losing Ashnault and Suriano to graduation if they were also able to bring in guys like JoJo Aragona and Van Ness, not to mention the still uncommitted AJ Ferrari.
Van Ness had a huge P4P win over Jordan Decatur at Ironman
Nebraska : Lenny Pinto, PA
The second coming of Mikey Labriola. Pinto is from District XI, so right in Bryan Snyder's backyard, and is going to be a weight the Huskers will need in a few years. After finishing third in Pennsylvania AAA, he went on to win a 16U Fargo title earlier this month.
Arizona State: Cael Valencia, CA
The Sunkist Kids Monster Garage pipeline flows to Tempe. Cael will be coming in right as older brothers Zahid and Anthony are leaving, and could join his club mates like Richard Figueroa and Sonny Santiago as Sun Devils.
Lehigh: Jagger Condomitti, PA
Condomitti seems like a great fit for the Brown & White, and is a Lehigh Valley native. The question is how does he fit in with the 2019 group? It will depend on how big Condo gets, but the Mountain Hawks appear to be the clubhouse leaders right now.
Princeton: Peyton Craft, NJ
While Princeton is a private school, they are extremely proud of their role in New Jersey wrestling. Blair sends a ton of kids to the Ivy League, and Craft could be the replacement for Pat Brucki. He is originally from Ohio, so Craft may want to end up closer to home.
NC State: Trey Kibe, PA
Kibe was a state champ for Mifflin County, the same school that produced the Hidlay brothers. Kibe also grew up in the Bison Legend room that produced the Hidlays. While that doesn't guarantee anything, it wouldn't surprise me if Kibe wanted to join his former teammates in Raleigh.
Kibe took out Cadet world teamer Clay Ulrey to win his first state title
Iowa State: Drake Ayala, IA
It would have been very easy to put Facundo here, as I think the Cyclones are the frontrunners for him at this point. Also, Ayala is very close with Hawkeye commit Cullan Schriever, and his club coach TJ Sebolt has an excellent relationship with Ryan Morningstar. But at some point, there's no reason for the Black & Gold to keep stockpiling lightweights. Kevin Dresser already has ISU looking like a potential Big 12 title team, and winning in-state battles with Iowa has been a point of emphasis during Dresser's tenure.
Oklahoma: Tate Picklo, OK
Another Cadet world teamer who has options. His brother is going to Cornell, and he's often seen wearing Oklahoma State gear. But he trains at the Oklahoma RTC, and we already saw the Sooners lose the fight for Dustin Plott. Missing out on Picklo, whether he becomes a Cowboy or not, will be hard to come back from.
Illinois: Vinny Zerban, IL
While Zerban wrestles for Christian Brothers College in St. Louis, he is originally from Illinois. The Illini have done a better job lately keeping the top talent home, and the CBC guys spend a good bit of time training at the Illini RTC. The staff could also be looking at Joel Vandervere, who is coached by Jon Henslee. Before Mike Poeta took the job at his alma mater, Henslee was on staff at the Team Poeta club.
Fresno State: Maximo Renteria, CA
There's not many juniors I see with the same kind of ceiling as Renteria. But he didn't do any freestyle this summer, and it wasn't because he was injured. So if the Bulldogs can harness that immense talent, they'll have a program changer on their hands. They should maximize the first day in the Valley, visiting guys like Ryan Franco and Carlos Negrete, too.
Wisconsin: Luka Wick, CA
With Evan and Zander already Badgers, Chris Bono and his staff should have the inside track to Luka. There's a decent chance he ends up the best of the Wicks, especially once he settles into his size, just like his brothers.
Pittsburgh: Brock McMillen, PA
While I think McMillen's top choice is Iowa, I still think Keith Gavin and his staff should try to get McMillen. His freestyle results may have him a shade lower in the Big Board/Prospect rankings than his folkstyle game suggests, and as a Young Guns kid, they should leverage the Nico Megaludis as part of their RTC aspect.
Little Rock: Ethen Miller, MO
Miller's stock is high as ever after making the Fargo finals. Neil Erisman has an excellent relationship with Miller's club coaches at Greater Heights, and Arkansas is right below Missouri. If the Tigers aren't after him, or let him slip through, the Trojans should try to bet heavy on Miller's upside.
Northern Colorado: Vance Vombaur, CO
It's no secret Troy Nickerson and the Bears are trying to keep their best kids home. So whether it's Vombaur or Cornella (or both), they need to make every effort to continue to chase after their in-state kids, especially since their 2020 class will be light. Vombaur is probably slightly more important than Cornella because of the Bear Cave connections, but they should absolutely spend time pursuing both.
Cal Poly: Andre Gonzales, CA
Chris Chionuma made a huge impact on Cal Poly's recruiting right away, allowing Jon Sioredas to focus on fundraising, the guys already on the roster, and all the administrative efforts needed to keep a program running. Chewy's next target should be Gonzales, who went 24-0 this summer between Junior Duals and doubling up in Fargo. The Cali third placer looks like a lifer at 125 and should be a high priority to keep in state, especially if the Mustangs can get Antonio Lorenzo up to 133.
UTC: Cooper Flynn, TN
Originally from Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Flynn currently attends the McDonogh school in Maryland. But he's represented team Tennessee in Fargo, and seems to have some loyalty to his home state. Chattanooga also has a number of Georgia studs in their RTC radius, and coach Kyle Ruschell will have to build from within. Flynn or Caden McCrary could be that first domino.
Maryland: Kyonte Hamilton, MD
In case you guys couldn't tell, I highly value the ability of coaches to keep talent in-state, especially when building a program. It will be difficult enough convincing Hamilton not to pursue football in college, let alone do it at a total rebuild like the one the Terps are experiencing. But new coach Alex Clemsen can help ensure the FloNats finalist and NHSCA champ always gets to wrestle in front of his family and establish a new culture in College Park. The hard part may be if Hamilton fills out his 6'4 frame since they already have money at heavyweight committed to Jorden Pryor and Parker Robinson.