Transfer Portal Update (5/30/2024)

With the conclusion of the NCAA wrestling tournament and the calendar changing over to April, you’d think that it means it’s the offseason for college wrestling and all focus should turn to the Olympic styles, right? Maybe in the past, but in a new era of collegiate athletics, once the final whistle has blown on a particular postseason, it means it’s time to turn your attention to the transfer portal. 

Love it or hate it, it’s the reality. Student-athletes have the ability to transfer much more freely than past generations. Couple that with the extra year of eligibility doled out by the NCAA in the aftermath of the COVID years and you have a wild combination. There was lots of movement last “offseason” and I don’t foresee that changing this year. 

Since the portal has closed for the summer and the All-Americans who were previously in have announced their transfer destinations (or lack thereof - Alirez/Slavikouski) it seems like news on the transfer front has slowed. That isn’t necessarily the case. Plenty of wrestlers have continued to announce where they’ll spend the 2024-25 season, they just are not DI All-Americans…maybe yet. 

Some of the more interesting names that have been added to the transfer list since our last update include Gerrit Nijenhuis, Bretli Reyna, Aziz Fayzullaev, and AJ Heeg.

Nijenhuis was a huge recruit for Purdue and qualified for nationals twice before moving on to Oklahoma. He did so at Oklahoma in 2023 but entered the portal after this season. That leads him to CSU Bakersfield who didn’t have a qualifier in 2024. Nijenhuis could provide a big boost to Luke Smith’s program. 

Bretli Reyna was a top-50 recruit for Iowa who only saw action sparingly since his arrival in the fall of 2020. He’s coming closer to his Florida home with a transfer to Chattanooga. There’s potential for Reyna to make a big impact with the Mocs in the SoCon. 

Aziz Fayzullaev was a two-time NJCAA national champion for Northwest College in each of the last two seasons. It appears as if he has a redshirt available and that might be the best route to take in 2024-25. ASU has recently been very stout at the lower and middle weights, but has not had that same level of success at 165-197 since Anthony and Zahid Valencia have moved on. 

Northern Colorado has been active in the portal over the last few years and stays that way by bringing in AJ Heeg from Oklahoma State. Just a year ago, Heeg was a top-50 recruit. Heeg turned in a fine redshirt season - going 12-1 though most of his bouts were against non-DI competition. With the Bears returning talent and the addition of Heeg and Clay Ulrey - there’s a chance Northern Colorado could be in for a big year. 

Arizona State: Max Acciardi (197) - California Baptist

Arizona State: Aziz Fayzullaev (184) - Northwest College

Brown: Jacob Joyce (125) - Stanford

Cal Poly: Joel Jesuroga (149) - Iowa

Cal Poly: Korbin Shepherd (133/141) - Missouri

Chattanooga: Bretli Reyna (149) - Iowa

Chattanooga: Connor Strong (184) - Penn

CSU Bakersfield: Gerrit Nijenhuis (174) - Oklahoma

Drexel: Malachi Bordovsky (141) - Iowa Western

Edinboro: Colton Camacho (125/133) - Pittsburgh

Edinboro: Ryan Michaels (149) - Pittsburgh

Edinboro: Cheaney Schoeff (133) - Indiana

Franklin & Marshall: Michael Duggan (157) - Bloomsburg

Illinois: Ramazan Attasauov (125/133) - Iowa State

Illinois: Jason Kraisser (157) - Iowa State

Illinois: Danny Nini (157) - North Carolina

Indiana: Logan Frazier (133) - Virginia Tech

Indiana: Angelo Rini (133) - Columbia

Iowa: Kyle Parco (149)  - Arizona State

Iowa State: Evan Bockman (197) - Utah Valley

Lehigh: Rylan Rogers (174/184) - Michigan

Little Rock: Branson Britten (184) - Northern Colorado

Little Rock: Brock DelSignore (184) - NC State

Little Rock: Jaivon Jones (149) - Northern Illinois

Lock Haven: James Lledo (184) - Pittsburgh

Lock Haven: Nick Stampoulos (157) - Buffalo

Michigan: Jacob Cardenas (197) - Cornell

Michigan: Chase Saldate (157) - Michigan State

Michigan State: Jay Nivison (174) - Buffalo

Michigan State: Cody Phelps (133) - Western Wyoming

Minnesota: Tommy Askey (157) - Appalachian State

Minnesota: Cooper Flynn (125) - Virginia Tech

Minnesota: Clayton Whiting (174/184) - Missouri

Morgan State: Xavier Doolin (285) - Northern Colorado

Morgan State: Darrien Roberts (184) - Oklahoma

North Carolina: Ryan Boersma (285) - Missouri

North Carolina: Nolan Neves (285) - Columbia

North Carolina: Ethan Oakley (133) - Appalachian State

North Carolina: Josh Ogunsanya (174) - North Carolina

North Dakota State: Michael Baker (197) - Columbia

North Dakota State: Andrew Blackburn-Forst (285) - Northern Colorado

North Dakota State: Kyle Burwick (133) - Nebraska

North Dakota State: Peyton Moore (133) - Missouri

North Dakota State: Devin Wasley (184) - Minnesota

North Dakota State: Bradley Whitright (197) - North Idaho

Northern Colorado: AJ Heeg (174/184) - Oklahoma State

Northern Colorado: Clayton Ulrey (157/165) - Virginia Tech

Northern Illinois: Markel Baker (125/133) - George Mason

Northern Illinois: Devon Dawson (285) - North Dakota State)

Northern Illinois: Spencer Mooberry (197) - North Dakota State

Ohio: TJ England (133) - Clarion

Oklahoma: Fernando Barreto (133) - North Dakota State

Oklahoma: Cleveland Belton (141) - Oregon State

Oklahoma: Gaven Sax (174) - North Dakota State

Oklahoma: Carter Schubert (165) - California Baptist

Oklahoma State: Cam Amine (165) - Michigan

Oklahoma State: Caleb Fish (165) - Michigan State

Oklahoma State: Dean Hamiti (165/174) - Wisconsin

Oklahoma State: Wyatt Hendrickson (285) - Air Force

Oregon State: Sean Harman (174) - Missouri

Pittsburgh: Nick Babin (125) - Columbia

Pittsburgh: Mateo de la Pena (165) - California Baptist

Pittsburgh: Chase Kranitz (184) - Buffalo

Pittsburgh: Evan Tallmadge (125) - Navy

Rider: Sammy Alvarez (149) - Oklahoma State

Rutgers: Dagen Condomitti (157) - Oregon State

SIU Edwardsville: Ben Lunn (141) - Minnesota

SIU Edwardsville: Luke Odom (157) - Illinois

SIU Edwardsville: Griffin Ray (165) - Nebraska

Utah Valley: Tanner Frothinger (141) - Nebraska

Virginia Tech: Connor McGonagle (133) - Lehigh

Virginia Tech: Lennox Wolak (174) - Columbia

West Virginia: Tommy Maddox (133) - Buffalo

Wisconsin: Massoma Endene (197) - Wartburg

Wisconsin: Wyatt Skebba (125) - Central Michigan

Wyoming: Jared Hill (157) - Oklahoma

Wyoming: Sam Mitchell (197) - Buffalo