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InterMat Early Period Recruiting Class Rankings
12/1/2009
InterMat Staff
There are a lot of quality wrestlers in the high school Class of 2010. An interesting trend this year saw the vast majority of InterMat Top 100 recruits sign and/or commit to sign during the early period. Leading the way is the University of Iowa, which signed seven InterMat Top 100 recruits during the early period. Two other Big Ten programs are among the top five overall recruiting classes, and eight total are in the Top 25.
1. Iowa
Top 100 Recruits: No. 9 Anthony Baldosaro (Eastern Regional, NJ) -- 149; Mike Evans (Blair Academy, NJ) -- 184; No. 14 Nick Moore (Iowa City West, IA) -- 157; No. 26 Josh Dziewa (Council Rock South, PA) -- 141; No. 33 Bobby Telford (St. Mark's, DE) -- 285; No. 39 Jacob Ballweg (Waverly Shell-Rock, IA) -- 141; and No. 78 Michael Kelly (Cedar Falls, IA) -- 149/157.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Baldosaro, No. 3 at 145; Evans, No. 3 at 171; Moore, No. 2 at 160; Dziewa, No. 1 at 135; Telford, No. 2 at 285; Ballweg, No. 4 at 140; and Kelly, No. 13 at 152.
Commentary: The two-time defending national champions absolutely dominated the recruiting landscape this year. Given the number of prolific wrestlers graduating from Iowa after this coming season, it was expected they would get a big-time haul this year. However, the Hawkeyes have probably exceeded even their wildest expectation.
2. Northwestern
Top 100 Recruits: No. 8 Lee Munster (Fox Lake Grant, IL) -- 184; No. 45 Colin Shober (Schuylkill Valley, PA) -- 149; No. 61 Pierce Harger (Cincinnati Moeller, OH) -- 165; No. 77 Kaleb Friedley (Park Hill, MO) -- 141; No. 81 Mike McMullan (Wyoming Seminary, PA) -- 285; and No. 90 Alex Polizzi (Beloit Memorial, WI) -- 197.
Other Recruit: Pat Greco (Marmion Academy, IL) -- 141.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Munster, No. 3 at 189; Shober, No. 6 at 145; Harger, No. 11 at 152; Friedley, No. 8 at 140; McMullan, No. 6 at 285; and Polizzi, No. 6 at 215.
Commentary: This class basically restocks their roster at all but the opening two weight classes. More important, the Wildcats have procured high quality wrestlers to fill their needs. The best recruiting class in school history will seek to elevate the Northwestern program to new heights -- ones basically thought to be impossible before Ryan Lang, Dustin Fox, and Jake Herbert stepped on campus just over five years ago.
3. Iowa State
Top 100 Recruits: No. 22 Michael Moreno (Urbandale, IA) -- 165; No. 23 Ryak Finch (Safford, AZ) -- 125; No. 29 Joey Cozart (Brandon, FL) -- 149; and No. 70 Kyven Gadson (Waterloo East, IA) -- 184.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Moreno, No. 4 at 171; Finch, No. 1 at 119; Cozart, No. 6 at 152; and Gadson, No. 10 at 189; Luke Goettl (Mingus Union, AZ) -- 141 - No. 12 at 135; and Mikey England (Centerville, IA) -- 165/174 - No. 16 at 171.
Other Recruits: Trevor Voelker (Dallas Center-Grimes, IA) -- 197; and Brandon Jones (West Des Moines Valley, IA) -- 125.
Commentary: After more or less losing a recruiting class last season when Cael Sanderson left for Penn State; the Cyclones only brought in Boaz Beard and Trent Weatherman into the fold for the 2009-10 collegiate season; first year head coach Kevin Jackson made up for lost time. This class fills areas of need in all but the closing two weight classes, and does so with high quality wrestlers.
4. Penn State
Top 100 Recruits: No. 2 Andrew Alton (Central Mountain, PA) -- 149/157; No. 5 Dylan Alton (Central Mountain, PA) -- 149/157; No. 16 Sam Sherlock (West Mifflin, PA) -- 133; and No. 47 Dirk Cowburn (Coudersport, PA) -- 165/174.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: A. Alton, No. 1 at 145; D. Alton, No. 1 at 152; Sherlock, No. 2 at 130; Cowburn, No. 4 at 160.
Commentary: What head coach Sanderson's first early period recruiting group lacks in quantity, it more than exceeds in quality. The Nittany Lion class includes two wrestlers that are number one in their high school weight classes nationally, and all four early recruits are top 50 in the nation. The first full bore foray into Keystone State recruiting shows the profound impact that the merger of the brands of Penn State and Cael Sanderson can have on Penn State wrestling.
5. Cornell
Top 100 Recruits: No. 3 Chris Villalonga (Blair Academy, NJ) -- 149/157; No. 4 Marshall Peppelman (Central Dauphin, PA) -- 165; and No. 50 Evan Knight (Urbandale, IA) -- 184.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Villalonga, No. 2 at 145; Peppelman, No. 1 at 160; Knight, No. 6 at 189; Jesse Shanaman (Blair Academy, NJ) -- 157/165 - No. 14 at 152; Ryan Dunphy (Passaic Valley, NJ) -- 141/149 - No. 14 at 145; and Matthew Cunningham (Shady Side Academy, PA) -- 174 - No. 18 at 171.
Commentary: This class addresses needs in the middleweights for the Big Red of Cornell. Anchored by Villalonga and Peppelman, Rob Koll has found a six-pack of wrestlers that will be very relevant contributors over the course of their careers.
6. Cal Poly
Top 100 Recruits: No. 42 Jesse Delgado (Gilroy, CA) -- 125; No. 83 Tucker Armstrong (Kenton Ridge, OH) -- 141; No. 93 Drew Meulman (St. Francis, CA) -- 285; and No. 95 Travis Gallegos (Foothill PC, CA) -- 165/174
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Delgado, No. 5 at 119; Armstrong, No. 10 at 140; Meulman, No. 7 at 285; Gallegos, No. 10 at 160; and Dominic Kastl (Gilroy, CA) -- 157/165 - No. 16 at 160.
Commentary: The Cal Poly program is not one usually seen towards the top of the collegiate wrestling landscape or the recruiting rankings. However, this class of five wrestlers -- four ranked inside the Top 100 recruits for the Class of 2010 -- is clearly among the best classes of the early period. Mark Perry, who is in his first season as an assistant coach at Cal Poly, is spearheading the recruiting and has made a tremendous impact in a relatively short period of time.
7. Minnesota
Top 100 Recruits: No. 15 Dylan Ness (Bloomington Kennedy, MN) -- 149/157; No. 19 Nick Dardanes (Oak Park River Forest, IL) -- 141; and No. 62 Tyler Lehmann (West Fargo, ND) -- 184.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Ness, No. 4 at 145; N. Dardanes, No. 2 at 140; Lehmann, No. 8 at 189; Chris Dardanes (Oak Park River Forest, IL) -- 133 -- No. 13 at 135; and Seth Lange (Sturgis, SD) -- 141 -- No. 15 at 130.
Other Recruit: Joel Bauman (Kurkhoven-Murdock Sunburg, MN) -- 197.
Commentary: Perennially among the elite programs nationally, this group of early signees for J Robinson represents a continuation of this legacy. Coach Robinson has found a six-pack of wrestlers from the Great Midwest that one expects to make a positive impact on the Gophers' program.
8. Missouri
Top 100 Recruits: No. 40 Alan Waters (Park Hill, MO) -- 125; No. 48 Drake Houdashelt (Fort Zumwalt West, MO) -- 157; and No. 79 Simon Kitzis (Wyoming Seminary, PA) -- 141.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Waters, No. 6 at 125; Houdashelt, No. 8 at 152; Kitzis, No. 7 at 135; and John Eblen (Park Hill, MO) -- 197 - No. 20 at 189.
Other Recruit: Phillip Perry (Hannibal, MO) -- 174/184.
Commentary: This group of early recruits is a continuation of the tremendous building job that Brian Smith has done with the Tigers wrestling program in Columbia, MO. Most notable here are proven wrestlers with strong Fargo backgrounds slated to fill probably the two toughest weight classes to find quality in collegiate wrestling -- 125 and 197.
9. Ohio State
Top 100 Recruits: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Monroeville, OH) -- 125; No. 10 Derek Garcia (Sedro-Woolley, WA); and No. 44 Josh Demas (Westerville North, OH).
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Stieber, No. 1 at 125; Garcia, No. 2 at 171; and Demas No. 6 at 171.
Other Recruits: Drew Stone (Oak Harbor, OH) -- 125; and Max Gladstone (Findlay, OH) -- 285.
Commentary: With runner-up finishes in back-to-back years, head coach Tom Ryan continues to bring in elite wrestlers to the Buckeye program with three top 50 recruits in this class. While the strength of this class is not the quantity of elite talent, the two lesser name signees are wrestlers in the opening and closing weight class -- ones in which depth is hard to generate.
10. Arizona State
Top 100 Recruits: No. 27 Louis Trujillo (Rio Rancho, NM) -- 133; No. 66 Nathan Hoffer (Anchorage East, AK) -- 141; and No. 82 Joel Smith (Collins Hill, GA) -- 141/149.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Trujillo, No. 4 at 135; Hoffer, No. 5 at 140; Smith, No. 9 at 140; and Shane McGough (Desert Mountain, AZ) -- 125/133 -- No. 9 at 130.
Commentary: Surviving rumors of their demise after the 2008 season, new head coach Shawn Charles had multiple All-Americans in the 2009 NCAA tournament. This group of wrestlers brought in by Charles and staff is impressive and will enable the Sun Devils to rise back toward greater relevance within college wrestling.
11. Virginia Tech
Top 100 Recruits: No. 13 Devin Carter (Christiansburg, VA) -- 125/133; No. 37 Ty Mitch (Aurora, OH) -- 125; and No. 76 Angelo Malvestuto (Niagara-Wheatfield, NY) -- 184.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Carter, No. 2 at 125; Mitch, No. 3 at 119; Malvestuto, No. 11 at 189; Tanner Eitel (Bishop Lynch, TX) -- 174 - No. 12 at 171; TJ Mitchell (Collins Hill, GA) -- 125/133 -- No. 17 at 125; and Harrison Hightower (University School, OH) -- 165 -- No. 17 at 152.
Other Recruits: Sam Law (Cape Henry Collegiate, VA) -- 174; Chris Moon (Wyoming Seminary, PA) -- 157/165; and Dalton Davidson (Cox, VA) -- 157.
Commentary: When Kevin Dresser inherited the Virginia Tech wrestling program after Tom Brands left for Iowa, there was concern about what would become of the Hokies. However, with solid recruiting the program has been rebuilt. This class, focused primarily on lower weights and upper-middleweights, will continue to increase the quantity of quality within the roster.
12. Nebraska
Top 100 Recruits: No. 43 Robert Kokesh (Wagner, SD) -- 165; No. 60 Brandon Wilbourn (Francis Howell Central, MO) -- 157; and No. 84 Greg Amos (Wentzville Holt, MO) -- 149.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Kokesh, No. 5 at 171; Wilbourn, No. 10 at 152; Amos, No. 11 at 145; No. 7 Keith Surber (O'Fallon, IL) -- 133 -- No. 7 at 130; and Dakota Magrew (Timberland, MO) -- 174 -- No. 14 at 160.
Other Recruits: Chad Stroh (Holyoke, CO) -- 133/141; Ryne Harris (Althoff Catholic, IL) -- 125; Blake Meeks (Des Moines Roosevelt, IA) -- 141; and Matt Dwyer (Hononegah, IL) -- 197.
Commentary: Though this early period group is a step behind what was a sensational 2009 recruiting group, it is a quality class that crosses all weight classes except for 285. There are five wrestlers ranked within their weight classes, with a few others that have the potential to contribute positively for the Cornhuskers over the course of their careers.
13. Edinboro
Top 100 Recruits: No. 55 David Habat (St. Ignatius, OH) -- 157; and No. 64 Mitchell Port (Bellefonte, PA) -- 133.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Habat, No. 9 at 152; Port, No. 8 at 125; AJ Schopp (Tyrone, PA) -- 133/141 - No. 8 at 130; and Nate Gaffney (Connellsville, PA) -- 197 -- No. 8 at 215.
Commentary: This is a very local group of recruits for Tim Flynn, as all four wrestlers represented a "one tank trip" for Fighting Scot coaches during recruiting. All four of these wrestlers are in the top ten of their respective weight classes this school year and have high potential at the next level.
14. Lehigh
Top 100 Recruits: No. 17 Frank Cagnina (Queen of Peace, NJ) -- 133; No. 68 Stephen Dutton (Rocky Point, NY) -- 141; and No. 75 Eric Hess (Benton, PA) -- 165.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Cagnina, No. 3 at 130; Dutton, No. 6 at 140; Hess, No. 12 at 152; and Anthony Salupo (St. Edward, OH) -- 149 -- No. 15 at 145.
Other Recruits: Tim Granata (Hopkins, CT) -- 285; and Max Wessell (Boulder, CO) -- 197.
Commentary: Four weight class ranked wrestlers have committed to wrestle for Lehigh in the early period, as Pat Santoro continues to build and maintain the prominence of Mountain Hawk wrestling.
15. Oklahoma
Top 100 Recruits: No. 49 Justin DeAngelis (Jenks, OK) -- 149; No. 71 Kyle Colling (Pioneer, NY) -- 285; and No. 100 Ronnie Balfour (Tulsa Union, OK) -- 157.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: DeAngelis, No. 7 at 145; Colling, No. 4 at 215; Balfour, No. 12 at 160; and Parker Madl (Blue Valley, KS) -- 165/174 - No. 11 at 171.
Other Recruits: Derek Geiges (Bishop England, SC) -- 133; Chase Gordon (Oviedo, FL) -- 149/157; Dustin Reed (Choctaw, OK) -- 133; Quincy Mondaine (Muskogee, OK) -- 197/285; Sean Datte (Tesoro, CA) -- 184.
Commentary: For all the recent scrutiny that Jack Spates has faced, it hasn't deterred his ability to bring in quantity and quality to the Sooners program. Three Top 100 recruits, and a fourth that appears in the weight class rankings, is a reflection of that.
16. Indiana
Top 100 Recruits: No. 31 Ryan Nieman (Bullock Creek, MI) -- 141/149; No. 32 Brandon Wright (Warren Central, IN) -- 125/133; and No. 88 Joe Duca (Pausboro, NJ) -- 125/133.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Nieman, No. 3 at 140; Wright, No. 4 at 125; Duca, No. 12 at 125; Preston Keiffer (Eastern Regional, NJ) -- 165 -- No. 13 at 160.
Other Recruit: Zach Zimmer (Clovis West, CA) -- 125
Commentary: Three lower weight wrestlers are among Duane Goldman's recruits, and they will look to continue Indiana's legacy of tremendous success in this area. Nieman and Keiffer will boost overall roster quality in the middleweights.
17. Rutgers
Top 100 Recruits: No. 18 Jimmy Lawson (Manchester, NJ) -- 285; No. 58 Nick Visicaro (Long Branch, NJ) -- 165.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Lawson, No. 1 at 285; Visicaro, No. 5 at 160; and Jordan Beverly (Point Pleasant Boro, NJ) -- 141/149 -- No. 10 at 135.
Other Recruit: Anthony Volpe (Rocky Point, NY) -- 157.
Commentary: Scott Goodale has continued his efforts to improve the overall talent base within his fledgling program with this early period group. Key to the effort is his ability to procure the commitment of three in-state wrestlers, as well as one from right across the Hudson River. Should Goodale continue to be able to keep top wrestlers home from the Garden State, as well as some from surrounding states -- Rutgers will be among the nation's preeminent programs.
18. Illinois
Top 100 Recruits: No. 7 Jamie Clark (St. Edward, OH) -- 133; Jackson Morse (Lowell, MI) -- 157/165.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Clark, No. 1 at 130; Morse, No. 2 at 152; and Jed Lightfoot (Yorkville, IL) -- 141/149 - No. 17 at 130.
Commentary: Rookie head coach Jim Heffernan has signed the services of two of the nation's elite wrestlers in his first early period with Clark and Morse joining the Fighting Illini program. Lightfoot is the third in the trio of early signees, and a weight class ranked wrestler in his own right.
19. Michigan State
Top 100 Recruits: No. 69 Nick Proctor (Neuqua Valley, IL) -- 165; No. 73 Sean McMurray (Portage, IN) -- 174.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Proctor, No. 8 at 171; McMurray, No. 8 at 160; and Nick McDiarmid (Hartland, MI) -- No. 17 at 197.
Impact Transfer: Kamron Jackson (North Idaho College) -- 184.
Other Recruits: Nick Humes (Stevensville-Lakeshore, MI) -- 149; John Rizgallah (Allegan, MI) -- 184.
Commentary: Signing six wrestlers that have proven themselves at competitively relevant national competitions is what it will take to help Tom Minkel move the Spartans out from the Big Ten cellar towards the middle of the conference pack. Four Michigan natives are among the early signing period haul.
20. Boise State
Top 100 Recruits: No. 21 Steven Hernandez (Bishop Gorman, NV) -- 149; No. 92 Carson Kuhn (Alta, UT) -- 125.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Hernandez, No. 5 at 145; Kuhn, No. 12 at 119.
Impact Transfer: Deron Winn (Meramec Community College) -- 174/184.
Commentary: Though this is a small group in numbers, all three wrestlers are proven on the national stage. All three wrestlers have had success in Fargo, while Hernandez has two NHSCA titles and Winn already with a junior college championship.
21. Virginia
Top 100 Recruits: No. 38 Nick Sulzer (St. Edward, OH) -- 174; No. 99 Gus Sako (St. Edward, OH) -- 125.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Sulzer, No. 3 at 160; Sako, No. 15 at 125; and Derek Papagianopolous (Buckingham Browne & Nichols, MA) -- 285 -- No. 10 at 285.
Other Recruits: Billy Coggins (Rocky Point, NY) -- 174/184; Tanner Moon (Oak Mountain, AL) -- 125; Joe Spisak (Boiling Springs, PA) -- 133; and Tanner Hirstine (Cherry Creek, CO) -- 149/157.
Commentary: There is a trio of weight class ranked wrestlers in this recruiting group and some others that could contribute over their careers in Charlottesville. It reflects the ability of head coach Steve Garland to bring in a high quality student-athlete into the Cavalier program, though this is not as strong a group as the banner recruiting classes in the immediately preceding years.
22. Maryland
Top 100 Recruits: No. 53 Spencer Myers (Sellinsgrove, PA) -- 285; No. 65 Frank Goodwin (Arundel, MD) -- 133.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Myers, No. 3 at 215; Goodwin, No. 5 at 130; and Mark Hartenstine (Easton, PA) -- 141 -- No. 12 at 140.
Other Recruits: Jenkins Monzey (Georgetown Prep, MD) -- 125; Kenneth Collado (Hauppauge, NY) -- 125.
Commentary: Kerry McCoy has addressed areas of significant need in the Terrapin program with this recruiting class. Goodwin and Hartenstine represent elite wrestlers in the lower-weight classes; Myers is a bona fide potential star at 285 pounds; while the other two recruits provide depth in an always tough area to find depth, the opening weight class.
23. North Carolina
Top 100 Recruits: No. 59 Antonio Giorgio (Warwick, PA) -- 184/197.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Giorgio, No. 7 at 189; Patrick Callender (Council Rock North, PA) -- No. 7 at 215.
Other Recruits: Ben Brooks (Oak Park River Forest, IL) -- 184; Jake Corrill (Cincinnati Moeller, OH) -- 125/133; Andre Petroski (Springfield Delco, PA) -- 184; Bryce Caiazzo (Wyoming Seminary, PA) -- 157; and Pat Owens (Germantown Academy, PA) -- 133.
Commentary: Three wrestlers in this group have finals appearances in major state-level tournaments. Giorgio and Callender have been the last two runners-up in the Keystone State's big-school tournament at 189 pounds, while Owens was a National Prep champion at 125 last year. Owens will not be wrestling in high school competitions this year, as he is taking a fifth year prior to college. Corrill and Owens provide depth to the lower weights; while C.D. Mock boosts the quality of his upper-weights with Giorgio, Callender, Brooks, and Petroski.
24. Princeton
Top 100 Recruits: No. 24 Brandon Rolnick (Lawrenceville, NJ) -- 157/165.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Rolnick, No. 3 at 152; Ryan Callahan (Walkill Valley, NJ) -- No. 9 at 171; and Robert Shepherd (Mason, OH) -- No. 17 at 140.
Other Recruits: Dan Santoro (Barrington, IL) -- 197; Adam Krop (Urbana, MD) -- 133/141.
Commentary: Chris Ayres is working at improving the quality of the roster for the wrestling Tigers, and getting the commitment of a proven elite wrestler like Rolnick is a key piece of that puzzle. Callahan and Shepherd are wrestlers from elite states that have proven their mettle already, and are likewise key cogs to Ayres rebuilding effort.
25. Northern Iowa
Top 100 Recruits: No. 34 Levi Wolfensperger (Denver-Tripoli, IA) -- 125.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Wolfensperger, No. 5 at 125; Joe Latham (Bismarck, ND) -- 165 -- No. 15 at 160; and Brock Weatherman (Ballard Huxley, IA) -- 174/184 -- No. 13 at 171.
Other Recruits: Seth Noble (Columbus, IA) -- 149.
Commentary: Though the Panthers have dominated the Western Wrestling Conference, the overall direction of the program has faced scrutiny in recent years. However, this type of recruiting group, if it can be molded and developed in Cedar Falls, can help reduce the scrutiny.
1. Iowa
Top 100 Recruits: No. 9 Anthony Baldosaro (Eastern Regional, NJ) -- 149; Mike Evans (Blair Academy, NJ) -- 184; No. 14 Nick Moore (Iowa City West, IA) -- 157; No. 26 Josh Dziewa (Council Rock South, PA) -- 141; No. 33 Bobby Telford (St. Mark's, DE) -- 285; No. 39 Jacob Ballweg (Waverly Shell-Rock, IA) -- 141; and No. 78 Michael Kelly (Cedar Falls, IA) -- 149/157.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Baldosaro, No. 3 at 145; Evans, No. 3 at 171; Moore, No. 2 at 160; Dziewa, No. 1 at 135; Telford, No. 2 at 285; Ballweg, No. 4 at 140; and Kelly, No. 13 at 152.
Commentary: The two-time defending national champions absolutely dominated the recruiting landscape this year. Given the number of prolific wrestlers graduating from Iowa after this coming season, it was expected they would get a big-time haul this year. However, the Hawkeyes have probably exceeded even their wildest expectation.
2. Northwestern
Top 100 Recruits: No. 8 Lee Munster (Fox Lake Grant, IL) -- 184; No. 45 Colin Shober (Schuylkill Valley, PA) -- 149; No. 61 Pierce Harger (Cincinnati Moeller, OH) -- 165; No. 77 Kaleb Friedley (Park Hill, MO) -- 141; No. 81 Mike McMullan (Wyoming Seminary, PA) -- 285; and No. 90 Alex Polizzi (Beloit Memorial, WI) -- 197.
Other Recruit: Pat Greco (Marmion Academy, IL) -- 141.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Munster, No. 3 at 189; Shober, No. 6 at 145; Harger, No. 11 at 152; Friedley, No. 8 at 140; McMullan, No. 6 at 285; and Polizzi, No. 6 at 215.
Commentary: This class basically restocks their roster at all but the opening two weight classes. More important, the Wildcats have procured high quality wrestlers to fill their needs. The best recruiting class in school history will seek to elevate the Northwestern program to new heights -- ones basically thought to be impossible before Ryan Lang, Dustin Fox, and Jake Herbert stepped on campus just over five years ago.
3. Iowa State
Top 100 Recruits: No. 22 Michael Moreno (Urbandale, IA) -- 165; No. 23 Ryak Finch (Safford, AZ) -- 125; No. 29 Joey Cozart (Brandon, FL) -- 149; and No. 70 Kyven Gadson (Waterloo East, IA) -- 184.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Moreno, No. 4 at 171; Finch, No. 1 at 119; Cozart, No. 6 at 152; and Gadson, No. 10 at 189; Luke Goettl (Mingus Union, AZ) -- 141 - No. 12 at 135; and Mikey England (Centerville, IA) -- 165/174 - No. 16 at 171.
Other Recruits: Trevor Voelker (Dallas Center-Grimes, IA) -- 197; and Brandon Jones (West Des Moines Valley, IA) -- 125.
Commentary: After more or less losing a recruiting class last season when Cael Sanderson left for Penn State; the Cyclones only brought in Boaz Beard and Trent Weatherman into the fold for the 2009-10 collegiate season; first year head coach Kevin Jackson made up for lost time. This class fills areas of need in all but the closing two weight classes, and does so with high quality wrestlers.
4. Penn State
Top 100 Recruits: No. 2 Andrew Alton (Central Mountain, PA) -- 149/157; No. 5 Dylan Alton (Central Mountain, PA) -- 149/157; No. 16 Sam Sherlock (West Mifflin, PA) -- 133; and No. 47 Dirk Cowburn (Coudersport, PA) -- 165/174.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: A. Alton, No. 1 at 145; D. Alton, No. 1 at 152; Sherlock, No. 2 at 130; Cowburn, No. 4 at 160.
Commentary: What head coach Sanderson's first early period recruiting group lacks in quantity, it more than exceeds in quality. The Nittany Lion class includes two wrestlers that are number one in their high school weight classes nationally, and all four early recruits are top 50 in the nation. The first full bore foray into Keystone State recruiting shows the profound impact that the merger of the brands of Penn State and Cael Sanderson can have on Penn State wrestling.
5. Cornell
Top 100 Recruits: No. 3 Chris Villalonga (Blair Academy, NJ) -- 149/157; No. 4 Marshall Peppelman (Central Dauphin, PA) -- 165; and No. 50 Evan Knight (Urbandale, IA) -- 184.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Villalonga, No. 2 at 145; Peppelman, No. 1 at 160; Knight, No. 6 at 189; Jesse Shanaman (Blair Academy, NJ) -- 157/165 - No. 14 at 152; Ryan Dunphy (Passaic Valley, NJ) -- 141/149 - No. 14 at 145; and Matthew Cunningham (Shady Side Academy, PA) -- 174 - No. 18 at 171.
Commentary: This class addresses needs in the middleweights for the Big Red of Cornell. Anchored by Villalonga and Peppelman, Rob Koll has found a six-pack of wrestlers that will be very relevant contributors over the course of their careers.
6. Cal Poly
Top 100 Recruits: No. 42 Jesse Delgado (Gilroy, CA) -- 125; No. 83 Tucker Armstrong (Kenton Ridge, OH) -- 141; No. 93 Drew Meulman (St. Francis, CA) -- 285; and No. 95 Travis Gallegos (Foothill PC, CA) -- 165/174
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Delgado, No. 5 at 119; Armstrong, No. 10 at 140; Meulman, No. 7 at 285; Gallegos, No. 10 at 160; and Dominic Kastl (Gilroy, CA) -- 157/165 - No. 16 at 160.
Commentary: The Cal Poly program is not one usually seen towards the top of the collegiate wrestling landscape or the recruiting rankings. However, this class of five wrestlers -- four ranked inside the Top 100 recruits for the Class of 2010 -- is clearly among the best classes of the early period. Mark Perry, who is in his first season as an assistant coach at Cal Poly, is spearheading the recruiting and has made a tremendous impact in a relatively short period of time.
7. Minnesota
Top 100 Recruits: No. 15 Dylan Ness (Bloomington Kennedy, MN) -- 149/157; No. 19 Nick Dardanes (Oak Park River Forest, IL) -- 141; and No. 62 Tyler Lehmann (West Fargo, ND) -- 184.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Ness, No. 4 at 145; N. Dardanes, No. 2 at 140; Lehmann, No. 8 at 189; Chris Dardanes (Oak Park River Forest, IL) -- 133 -- No. 13 at 135; and Seth Lange (Sturgis, SD) -- 141 -- No. 15 at 130.
Other Recruit: Joel Bauman (Kurkhoven-Murdock Sunburg, MN) -- 197.
Commentary: Perennially among the elite programs nationally, this group of early signees for J Robinson represents a continuation of this legacy. Coach Robinson has found a six-pack of wrestlers from the Great Midwest that one expects to make a positive impact on the Gophers' program.
8. Missouri
Top 100 Recruits: No. 40 Alan Waters (Park Hill, MO) -- 125; No. 48 Drake Houdashelt (Fort Zumwalt West, MO) -- 157; and No. 79 Simon Kitzis (Wyoming Seminary, PA) -- 141.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Waters, No. 6 at 125; Houdashelt, No. 8 at 152; Kitzis, No. 7 at 135; and John Eblen (Park Hill, MO) -- 197 - No. 20 at 189.
Other Recruit: Phillip Perry (Hannibal, MO) -- 174/184.
Commentary: This group of early recruits is a continuation of the tremendous building job that Brian Smith has done with the Tigers wrestling program in Columbia, MO. Most notable here are proven wrestlers with strong Fargo backgrounds slated to fill probably the two toughest weight classes to find quality in collegiate wrestling -- 125 and 197.
9. Ohio State
Top 100 Recruits: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Monroeville, OH) -- 125; No. 10 Derek Garcia (Sedro-Woolley, WA); and No. 44 Josh Demas (Westerville North, OH).
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Stieber, No. 1 at 125; Garcia, No. 2 at 171; and Demas No. 6 at 171.
Other Recruits: Drew Stone (Oak Harbor, OH) -- 125; and Max Gladstone (Findlay, OH) -- 285.
Commentary: With runner-up finishes in back-to-back years, head coach Tom Ryan continues to bring in elite wrestlers to the Buckeye program with three top 50 recruits in this class. While the strength of this class is not the quantity of elite talent, the two lesser name signees are wrestlers in the opening and closing weight class -- ones in which depth is hard to generate.
10. Arizona State
Top 100 Recruits: No. 27 Louis Trujillo (Rio Rancho, NM) -- 133; No. 66 Nathan Hoffer (Anchorage East, AK) -- 141; and No. 82 Joel Smith (Collins Hill, GA) -- 141/149.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Trujillo, No. 4 at 135; Hoffer, No. 5 at 140; Smith, No. 9 at 140; and Shane McGough (Desert Mountain, AZ) -- 125/133 -- No. 9 at 130.
Commentary: Surviving rumors of their demise after the 2008 season, new head coach Shawn Charles had multiple All-Americans in the 2009 NCAA tournament. This group of wrestlers brought in by Charles and staff is impressive and will enable the Sun Devils to rise back toward greater relevance within college wrestling.
11. Virginia Tech
Top 100 Recruits: No. 13 Devin Carter (Christiansburg, VA) -- 125/133; No. 37 Ty Mitch (Aurora, OH) -- 125; and No. 76 Angelo Malvestuto (Niagara-Wheatfield, NY) -- 184.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Carter, No. 2 at 125; Mitch, No. 3 at 119; Malvestuto, No. 11 at 189; Tanner Eitel (Bishop Lynch, TX) -- 174 - No. 12 at 171; TJ Mitchell (Collins Hill, GA) -- 125/133 -- No. 17 at 125; and Harrison Hightower (University School, OH) -- 165 -- No. 17 at 152.
Other Recruits: Sam Law (Cape Henry Collegiate, VA) -- 174; Chris Moon (Wyoming Seminary, PA) -- 157/165; and Dalton Davidson (Cox, VA) -- 157.
Commentary: When Kevin Dresser inherited the Virginia Tech wrestling program after Tom Brands left for Iowa, there was concern about what would become of the Hokies. However, with solid recruiting the program has been rebuilt. This class, focused primarily on lower weights and upper-middleweights, will continue to increase the quantity of quality within the roster.
12. Nebraska
Top 100 Recruits: No. 43 Robert Kokesh (Wagner, SD) -- 165; No. 60 Brandon Wilbourn (Francis Howell Central, MO) -- 157; and No. 84 Greg Amos (Wentzville Holt, MO) -- 149.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Kokesh, No. 5 at 171; Wilbourn, No. 10 at 152; Amos, No. 11 at 145; No. 7 Keith Surber (O'Fallon, IL) -- 133 -- No. 7 at 130; and Dakota Magrew (Timberland, MO) -- 174 -- No. 14 at 160.
Other Recruits: Chad Stroh (Holyoke, CO) -- 133/141; Ryne Harris (Althoff Catholic, IL) -- 125; Blake Meeks (Des Moines Roosevelt, IA) -- 141; and Matt Dwyer (Hononegah, IL) -- 197.
Commentary: Though this early period group is a step behind what was a sensational 2009 recruiting group, it is a quality class that crosses all weight classes except for 285. There are five wrestlers ranked within their weight classes, with a few others that have the potential to contribute positively for the Cornhuskers over the course of their careers.
13. Edinboro
Top 100 Recruits: No. 55 David Habat (St. Ignatius, OH) -- 157; and No. 64 Mitchell Port (Bellefonte, PA) -- 133.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Habat, No. 9 at 152; Port, No. 8 at 125; AJ Schopp (Tyrone, PA) -- 133/141 - No. 8 at 130; and Nate Gaffney (Connellsville, PA) -- 197 -- No. 8 at 215.
Commentary: This is a very local group of recruits for Tim Flynn, as all four wrestlers represented a "one tank trip" for Fighting Scot coaches during recruiting. All four of these wrestlers are in the top ten of their respective weight classes this school year and have high potential at the next level.
14. Lehigh
Top 100 Recruits: No. 17 Frank Cagnina (Queen of Peace, NJ) -- 133; No. 68 Stephen Dutton (Rocky Point, NY) -- 141; and No. 75 Eric Hess (Benton, PA) -- 165.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Cagnina, No. 3 at 130; Dutton, No. 6 at 140; Hess, No. 12 at 152; and Anthony Salupo (St. Edward, OH) -- 149 -- No. 15 at 145.
Other Recruits: Tim Granata (Hopkins, CT) -- 285; and Max Wessell (Boulder, CO) -- 197.
Commentary: Four weight class ranked wrestlers have committed to wrestle for Lehigh in the early period, as Pat Santoro continues to build and maintain the prominence of Mountain Hawk wrestling.
15. Oklahoma
Top 100 Recruits: No. 49 Justin DeAngelis (Jenks, OK) -- 149; No. 71 Kyle Colling (Pioneer, NY) -- 285; and No. 100 Ronnie Balfour (Tulsa Union, OK) -- 157.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: DeAngelis, No. 7 at 145; Colling, No. 4 at 215; Balfour, No. 12 at 160; and Parker Madl (Blue Valley, KS) -- 165/174 - No. 11 at 171.
Other Recruits: Derek Geiges (Bishop England, SC) -- 133; Chase Gordon (Oviedo, FL) -- 149/157; Dustin Reed (Choctaw, OK) -- 133; Quincy Mondaine (Muskogee, OK) -- 197/285; Sean Datte (Tesoro, CA) -- 184.
Commentary: For all the recent scrutiny that Jack Spates has faced, it hasn't deterred his ability to bring in quantity and quality to the Sooners program. Three Top 100 recruits, and a fourth that appears in the weight class rankings, is a reflection of that.
16. Indiana
Top 100 Recruits: No. 31 Ryan Nieman (Bullock Creek, MI) -- 141/149; No. 32 Brandon Wright (Warren Central, IN) -- 125/133; and No. 88 Joe Duca (Pausboro, NJ) -- 125/133.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Nieman, No. 3 at 140; Wright, No. 4 at 125; Duca, No. 12 at 125; Preston Keiffer (Eastern Regional, NJ) -- 165 -- No. 13 at 160.
Other Recruit: Zach Zimmer (Clovis West, CA) -- 125
Commentary: Three lower weight wrestlers are among Duane Goldman's recruits, and they will look to continue Indiana's legacy of tremendous success in this area. Nieman and Keiffer will boost overall roster quality in the middleweights.
17. Rutgers
Top 100 Recruits: No. 18 Jimmy Lawson (Manchester, NJ) -- 285; No. 58 Nick Visicaro (Long Branch, NJ) -- 165.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Lawson, No. 1 at 285; Visicaro, No. 5 at 160; and Jordan Beverly (Point Pleasant Boro, NJ) -- 141/149 -- No. 10 at 135.
Other Recruit: Anthony Volpe (Rocky Point, NY) -- 157.
Commentary: Scott Goodale has continued his efforts to improve the overall talent base within his fledgling program with this early period group. Key to the effort is his ability to procure the commitment of three in-state wrestlers, as well as one from right across the Hudson River. Should Goodale continue to be able to keep top wrestlers home from the Garden State, as well as some from surrounding states -- Rutgers will be among the nation's preeminent programs.
18. Illinois
Top 100 Recruits: No. 7 Jamie Clark (St. Edward, OH) -- 133; Jackson Morse (Lowell, MI) -- 157/165.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Clark, No. 1 at 130; Morse, No. 2 at 152; and Jed Lightfoot (Yorkville, IL) -- 141/149 - No. 17 at 130.
Commentary: Rookie head coach Jim Heffernan has signed the services of two of the nation's elite wrestlers in his first early period with Clark and Morse joining the Fighting Illini program. Lightfoot is the third in the trio of early signees, and a weight class ranked wrestler in his own right.
19. Michigan State
Top 100 Recruits: No. 69 Nick Proctor (Neuqua Valley, IL) -- 165; No. 73 Sean McMurray (Portage, IN) -- 174.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Proctor, No. 8 at 171; McMurray, No. 8 at 160; and Nick McDiarmid (Hartland, MI) -- No. 17 at 197.
Impact Transfer: Kamron Jackson (North Idaho College) -- 184.
Other Recruits: Nick Humes (Stevensville-Lakeshore, MI) -- 149; John Rizgallah (Allegan, MI) -- 184.
Commentary: Signing six wrestlers that have proven themselves at competitively relevant national competitions is what it will take to help Tom Minkel move the Spartans out from the Big Ten cellar towards the middle of the conference pack. Four Michigan natives are among the early signing period haul.
20. Boise State
Top 100 Recruits: No. 21 Steven Hernandez (Bishop Gorman, NV) -- 149; No. 92 Carson Kuhn (Alta, UT) -- 125.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Hernandez, No. 5 at 145; Kuhn, No. 12 at 119.
Impact Transfer: Deron Winn (Meramec Community College) -- 174/184.
Commentary: Though this is a small group in numbers, all three wrestlers are proven on the national stage. All three wrestlers have had success in Fargo, while Hernandez has two NHSCA titles and Winn already with a junior college championship.
21. Virginia
Top 100 Recruits: No. 38 Nick Sulzer (St. Edward, OH) -- 174; No. 99 Gus Sako (St. Edward, OH) -- 125.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Sulzer, No. 3 at 160; Sako, No. 15 at 125; and Derek Papagianopolous (Buckingham Browne & Nichols, MA) -- 285 -- No. 10 at 285.
Other Recruits: Billy Coggins (Rocky Point, NY) -- 174/184; Tanner Moon (Oak Mountain, AL) -- 125; Joe Spisak (Boiling Springs, PA) -- 133; and Tanner Hirstine (Cherry Creek, CO) -- 149/157.
Commentary: There is a trio of weight class ranked wrestlers in this recruiting group and some others that could contribute over their careers in Charlottesville. It reflects the ability of head coach Steve Garland to bring in a high quality student-athlete into the Cavalier program, though this is not as strong a group as the banner recruiting classes in the immediately preceding years.
22. Maryland
Top 100 Recruits: No. 53 Spencer Myers (Sellinsgrove, PA) -- 285; No. 65 Frank Goodwin (Arundel, MD) -- 133.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Myers, No. 3 at 215; Goodwin, No. 5 at 130; and Mark Hartenstine (Easton, PA) -- 141 -- No. 12 at 140.
Other Recruits: Jenkins Monzey (Georgetown Prep, MD) -- 125; Kenneth Collado (Hauppauge, NY) -- 125.
Commentary: Kerry McCoy has addressed areas of significant need in the Terrapin program with this recruiting class. Goodwin and Hartenstine represent elite wrestlers in the lower-weight classes; Myers is a bona fide potential star at 285 pounds; while the other two recruits provide depth in an always tough area to find depth, the opening weight class.
23. North Carolina
Top 100 Recruits: No. 59 Antonio Giorgio (Warwick, PA) -- 184/197.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Giorgio, No. 7 at 189; Patrick Callender (Council Rock North, PA) -- No. 7 at 215.
Other Recruits: Ben Brooks (Oak Park River Forest, IL) -- 184; Jake Corrill (Cincinnati Moeller, OH) -- 125/133; Andre Petroski (Springfield Delco, PA) -- 184; Bryce Caiazzo (Wyoming Seminary, PA) -- 157; and Pat Owens (Germantown Academy, PA) -- 133.
Commentary: Three wrestlers in this group have finals appearances in major state-level tournaments. Giorgio and Callender have been the last two runners-up in the Keystone State's big-school tournament at 189 pounds, while Owens was a National Prep champion at 125 last year. Owens will not be wrestling in high school competitions this year, as he is taking a fifth year prior to college. Corrill and Owens provide depth to the lower weights; while C.D. Mock boosts the quality of his upper-weights with Giorgio, Callender, Brooks, and Petroski.
24. Princeton
Top 100 Recruits: No. 24 Brandon Rolnick (Lawrenceville, NJ) -- 157/165.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Rolnick, No. 3 at 152; Ryan Callahan (Walkill Valley, NJ) -- No. 9 at 171; and Robert Shepherd (Mason, OH) -- No. 17 at 140.
Other Recruits: Dan Santoro (Barrington, IL) -- 197; Adam Krop (Urbana, MD) -- 133/141.
Commentary: Chris Ayres is working at improving the quality of the roster for the wrestling Tigers, and getting the commitment of a proven elite wrestler like Rolnick is a key piece of that puzzle. Callahan and Shepherd are wrestlers from elite states that have proven their mettle already, and are likewise key cogs to Ayres rebuilding effort.
25. Northern Iowa
Top 100 Recruits: No. 34 Levi Wolfensperger (Denver-Tripoli, IA) -- 125.
Nationally Ranked in Scholastic Weight Class: Wolfensperger, No. 5 at 125; Joe Latham (Bismarck, ND) -- 165 -- No. 15 at 160; and Brock Weatherman (Ballard Huxley, IA) -- 174/184 -- No. 13 at 171.
Other Recruits: Seth Noble (Columbus, IA) -- 149.
Commentary: Though the Panthers have dominated the Western Wrestling Conference, the overall direction of the program has faced scrutiny in recent years. However, this type of recruiting group, if it can be molded and developed in Cedar Falls, can help reduce the scrutiny.