Class of 2027 #8 Tsarni to Air Force

It didn’t take long, but the first major domino fell from recruiting in the Class of 2027. #8 overall, Salah Tsarni (Bullis School, MD) has committed to wrestle for the Air Force Academy. Tsarni came into this week ranked second in the nation at 175 lbs. 

Yesterday, we saw Tsarni advance to the finals of the 16U freestyle at 175 lbs in Fargo. In the championship match, Tsarni fell by a point to Pennsylvania’s Jayden O’Farrill by a point. Last year, Tsarni was third in 16U freestyle and fifth in Greco-Roman. 

Since the high school season ended, Tsarni has captured a title at NHSCA Sophomores and was a runner-up at the UWW U17 Trials in freestyle. 

Tsarni is a two-time National Prep All-American for Maryland’s Bullis School. As a sophomore, Tsarni was a runner-up at 165 pounds and placed seventh in 2023. 

Tsarni is a massive get for Sam Barber’s team. Should he maintain his ranking, he would be the highest ranked wrestler to enroll at the Air Force Academy since recruiting rankings have been commonplace (mid-2000’s). 

This might spark some movement on the recruiting front for the Class of 2027, as we have only been notified of one other recruit from the rising junior class. 

Air Force is a program that has been noted in the national recruiting rankings three times within the last five years. With a massive commitment like Tsarni, we could see Barber’s team back in the 2027 rankings. 

Here are Air Force’s recruits from 2026 and 2027.