NCAA Champion Tomasello Signs with RAF

The recent run of notable lightweights signing with Real American Freestyle (RAF) continues as the organization announced via social media that Nathan Tomasello has been inked. 

Tomasello was a 2015 NCAA champion and four-time All-American for Ohio State University. His 2015 championship helped the Buckeyes to their first team title in school history. Tomasello also captured four Big Ten titles, making him the second Ohio State wrestler to accomplish the feat. His .926 (100-8) winning percentage ranks sixth all-time in Buckeye wrestling history. Tomasello also won a pair of titles at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. 

Throughout his collegiate career, Tomasello never finished lower than third at the NCAA Championships. 

On the freestyle circuit, Tomasello was third at the 2020 Olympic Team Trials challenge tournament and a runner-up at the 2021 World Team Trials. His eighth-place finish at the 2025 US Open marked the fourth time he’s placed at the event on the Senior level. 

In the summer of 2024, Tomasello joined the coaching staff at California Baptist University. During his first year on staff, Tomasello helped lightweight Hunter Leake (133 lbs) advance to the national tournament. 

At this point, we’re unsure of how weight classes might work out for RAF; but however it shakes out, they’ll have some quality lightweights. Last week, RAF announced that Matt Ramos and Seth Gross signed with them. 

RAF’s inaugural event will take place on August 30th from Cleveland, Ohio. More information about tickets and an actual card will be found here as the information is released.

With Tomasello’s addition, the RAF roster now looks like this: 

Ben Askren

Kennedy Blades

Aaron Brooks

David Carr

Kyle Dake

Austin Gomez

Seth Gross

Wyatt Hendrickson

Trent Hidlay

Parker Keckeisen

Will Lewan

Matt Ramos

Zahid Valencia

Evan Wick

Real Woods