Greg Kerkvliet wrestling Jordan Wood in the finals of the U23 Nationals (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)Greg Kerkvliet, InterMat's No. 1 Class of 2019 recruit in the nation who had committed to wrestle as heavyweight at Ohio State, apparently has entered the transfer portal with plans to switch to another school, according to multiple media reports.
The Ohio State unofficial fan site Eleven Warriors reported Friday that sources inside the Buckeye wrestling program confirmed that Kerkvliet had entered the transfer portal. An Ohio State spokesperson stated that the Minnesota native "is no longer on the roster."
Tom Ryan, Ohio State head wrestling coach, told Eleven Warriors, "We wish him the best."
A true freshman, Kerkvliet had yet to wrestle a single match for the Buckeyes. Earlier this year, Kerkvliet had indicated he would take a redshirt this season. However, in a radio interview this summer, Kerkvliet said he planned to participate in Ohio State's wrestle-offs this past week to challenge Chase Singletary, the team's starter at 285 pounds. However, both Buckeye big men were in Budapest, Hungary to participate in the U23 Freestyle World Championships, where Kerkvliet eventually placed fifth at 125 kilograms/275 pounds.
Two independent media outlets which cover Ohio State sports noted Kerkvliet's apparent departure from the Buckeye mat program came on the heels of what many would consider to be a disappointing result at the U23 Championships ... and just weeks after Kyle Snyder, three-time NCAA heavyweight champ and Olympic gold medalist, had announced his decision to leave the Ohio Regional Training Center for the Penn State-affiliated Nittany Lion Wrestling Club to continue his freestyle training.
In reporting on Kerkvliet apparent decision to leave Ohio State, Eleven Warriors wrote, "It's been a tough fall for Ohio State when it comes to keeping its heavyweights happy," following up with this statement: "With Snyder no longer in the fold, Kerkvliet appears to be reevaluating his options and considering where he might best prepare for a freestyle future."
Buckeyes Wire, another independent Ohio State sports website which is affiliated with USA Today, weighed in with a similar sentiment, saying, "The Ohio State wrestling team may have lost a big piece of its future."
Kerkvliet's journey to choose a college program included a number of twists and turns. The four-time Minnesota state champ for Simley High School had originally indicated a desire to wrestle at nearby University of Minnesota ... then had said that Oklahoma State would be his collegiate home, before committing to Ohio State.
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