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Recruiting class rankings are always unique in their own sort of way. This year, the number one spot seemed to be locked up early; however, a furious push from the second-place team ensued. Third was pretty easy to determine, but after that, there were a lot of teams that could make a case for the remainder of the top ten. Then, as you made your way down to the 25 spot, there were a handful of teams that could’ve made a case for their inclusion. Some of it came down to how you value quantity over quality. As you peruse the rankings, you’ll see plenty of classes that had both. Recruiting rankings mark the end of the respective class and put a bow on the hard work of coaching staffs around the nation. The question you ask is, how are these rankings tabulated? First, we have used the big board rankings courtesy of our sister-site MatScouts. Willie Saylor has taken the arduous task of projecting the top-250 wrestlers in the Class of 2025, making calculating these rankings slightly easier. Some of the factors that are taken into account when putting these rankings together include: - Numbers: Where were the signees ranked? How many top-ten, top-50, top-100, top-250, etc., does a school have? - Fit: After years of following these programs and their coaching staffs, does a particular recruit fit the "type" of kid that has success at their respective team. Or maybe a style of wrestling. - Filling a need: In years past, I have weighed this very heavily. Signing two highly ranked 184 lb prospects doesn't appear to fit a need when you have a stud sophomore returning at the same weight. - Impact on a program: This is subjective, but tends to favor teams that aren't consistent NCAA trophy contenders. If Iowa or Penn State sign the #80 overall recruit and he turns out to AA twice, taking seventh and eighth for them, it has a particular impact. But if Brown or Wyoming sign the same prospect and he has the same career, it will have a much more significant impact on those two programs. Both Brown and Wyoming may have benefitted from this criteria in 2025. So, with that out of the way, enjoy the second half of InterMat's 2025 Team Recruiting Rankings. 13-25 was posted yesterday. 12. Pittsburgh Top Recruits: #41 Vince Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, PA), #65 Bode Marlow (Thomas Jefferson, PA), #87 Carson Walsh (Pope John XXIII, NJ), #93 Evan Petrovich (Connellsville, PA), #181 Nico Fanella (Indiana, PA) This is easily the best recruiting class of the Kevin Gavin-era and probably the best for Pitt since 2016. The class got a late boost as #41 Vince Bouzakis flipped from Ohio State. Bouzakis had a massive junior season, one that saw him win a Junior freestyle title in Fargo, followed by a third place finish at the Super 32 and championships at the Ironman and Powerade. He didn’t compete very often as a senior, so he could end up outwrestling his current ranking. The Pitt staff did what they needed to do in retaining Big Boarders from Western Pennsylvania in Bode Marlow, Evan Petrovich, and Nico Fanella. Marlow was a state runner-up in one of the tougher brackets in the country. You also have to like the signing of New Jersey state finalist Carson Walsh. The Pitt staff seems to be dipping into Jersey pretty often, of late. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (NR), 2023 (24), 2022 (15), 2021 (HM) 11. North Carolina Top Recruits: #56 Matt Botello (Wyoming Seminary, MA), #60 Jacob Levy (Lake Highland Prep, GA), #80 Mitchell Younger (Bishop Watterson, OH), #94 Nate Askew (Baylor School, GA), #138 Devon Miller (Edmond North, OK), #147 Luke Sipes (Altoona, PA), NR Liam Hickey (Cardinal Gibbons, NC). The second recruiting class under the watchful eye of Rob Koll was almost as good as the first. Four top 100 prospects. Six Big Boarders in total. I usually try to look for consistent recruiting trends with schools - maybe a certain area of the country. North Carolina kind of has guys coming in from everywhere. They did hit the National Prep level pretty hard and ended up signing two 2025 champions, Matt Botello and Jacob Levy. The UNC staff had their eyes open in 2024 with a couple of late flips. This year they had two flips from Big Boarders with Devon Miller and Luke Sipes. With a massive class in 2024 and this group, combined with transfers, the projected lineup for this year and going forward will include almost all recruits from the Koll-era. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (8), 2023 (NR), 2022 (16), 2021 (21) 10. Rutgers Top Recruits: #25 Tahir Parkins (Nazareth, PA), #40 Devon Magro (Bishop McCort, PA), #69 Jordan Chapman (Cranford, NJ), #98 Billy Townson (Poway, CA), NR Easton Doster (New Haven, IN) It’ll be back-to-back top ten ranked recruiting classes for Rutgers. Likely for the first time in program history. Once again, the Rutgers staff ventured into Pennsylvania and emerged with a pair of state champions and two of the best seniors in the state. Rutgers also has recently branched out to California and Indiana, those states have produced recruits in 2025, as well. Rutgers’ bread-and-butter thus far has been their in-state wrestlers. Keeping Jordan Chapman at home was a strong signing. Chapman has placed at all of the big national events and typically puts up a lot of points along the way. Strong recruiting and portal additions will allow the Rutgers staff to redshirt this entire class, if they see fit. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (4), 2023 (NR), 2022 (12), 2021 (17) 9. Michigan Top Recruits: #20 Nick Sahakian (St. John Bosco, CA), #32 Eren Sement (Council Rock North, PA), #58 Gauge Botero (Faith Christian Academy, PA), #78 De’Alcapon Veazy (Ponderosa, CO), #108 Cooper Hilton (Wyoming Seminary, PA), #187 Charles Walker (Joliet Central, IL) It’s hard to believe that Michigan missed out on our recruiting rankings at the beginning of this cycle; however, they are in the top 11 for the third straight season. This year saw Sean Bormet’s team venture into Pennsylvania more than in past year - which is never a bad idea. The Wolverines got a late flip from #32 Eren Sement, who might have been one of the biggest risers in the nation during the 2024-25 season. He went from #107 to #32 over the course of his senior year. The top recruit for the Wolverines is Nick Sahakian, who might be the best pure heavyweight prospect in this class. Sahakian also was a flip toward Michigan. He was a U17 World Team member in Greco-Roman and a three-time UWW U17 Trials placer in both styles. Late addition, Charles Walker, is an intriguing prospect who did not place in Illinois at 215 lbs as a junior, but won a loaded 285 lb bracket. Three strong recruiting classes in a row will help Michigan restock and could have them relying on the transfer portal less in the future. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (11), 2023 (2), 2022 (NR), 2021 (NR) 8. Iowa Top Recruits: #7 Leo DeLuca (Blair Academy, NJ), #10 Harvey Ludington (Brick Memorial, NJ), #52 Claudio Torres (Lake Highland Prep, FL), #146 Ty Miller (St. Edward, OH) A couple of high-profile late flips helped the Hawks get into the top five. Harvey Ludington initially committed to Arizona State and Claudio Torres had signed with Virginia Tech. Both are now headed to Iowa City. The New Jersey duo of Leo DeLuca and Ludington represent a pair of top ten recruits. Iowa now has signed multiple top-ten recruits in back-to-back years. Before 2024, the last time they had two top ten wrestlers in the same class was 2017. That’s a great sign as they are looking to unseat Penn State. Not only did Tom Brands’ squad get some high-caliber prospects, but they also come at weights of need. The wrestlers in DeLuca, Ludington, and Torres’ projected weights are heading into their senior seasons. Had they not signed these three, there were no obvious replacements on the roster. Iowa is also currently thin at the upperweight and Ohio’s Miller twins can help out there. Ty is headed straight to Iowa, while Jarrell will go to Iowa Central first. Much has been made about Iowa’s foray into the transfer portal for veterans. Getting a class like this with multiple potential superstars could prevent them from having to do that in the future. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (13), 2023 (6), 2022 (11), 2021 (4) 7. Nebraska Top Recruits: #19 Tyler Eise (Ponderosa, CO), #34 Nikade Zinkin (Clovis, CA), #36 Jake Hockaday (Brownsburg, IN), #37 Cade Ziola (Skutt Catholic, NE), #84 Abdi Unle (Omaha Bryan, NE) One of the most consistent recruiting forces in the nation is Nebraska. Their 19th place ranking in 2024 was their lowest in almost a decade. In 2025, they are in a spot they’re more accustomed to in eighth place. There’s a lot to like about this group for Nebraska. Two of their signees have competed in FloWrestling’s Who’s #1 dual event (Ziola/Eise). Three have finished in the top three at the Super 32. You also have to like the Huskers keeping a pair of top 100 recruits at home. Their home state doesn’t produce Big Boarders at the same rate as other states, so it’s important to grab them when available. The Nebraska staff also addressed some potential needs at 141 and 149 with Hockaday and Zinkin, as the starters at both weights will be seniors in 2025-26. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (19), 2023 (7), 2022 (8), 2021 (13) 6. NC State Top Recruits: #8 Daniel Zepeda (Gilroy, CA), #21 Will Denny (Marist, IL), #28 Brogan Tucker (Graham, OH), #85 Casen Howle (Greenwood, SC), #145 Jason Kwaak (Brentwood, NY), NR Xavier Wilson (Eastern Guilford, NC) NC State has become a mainstay in recruiting rankings and has another high-quality class in 2025. Even with NC State’s success on the recruiting trail. They’ve only inked one top ten prospect since their top-ranked Class of 2016. Now, Daniel Zepeda is another. He’s a three-time California state champion and has the ability to become a cornerstone of the Wolfpack program. The next recruits in line, in terms of recruiting rankings, were two of the prospects that seemed to generate less hype than others ranked in the same range - Will Denny and Brogan Tucker. Combined with Zepeda, they could form a formidable 1-2-3 punch in the middle of NC State for years to come. You also have to like getting a local-ish product in the upperweights with Casen Howle, an NHSCA Senior National champion with a long list of national level accolades, despite hailing from South Carolina. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (12), 2023 (18), 2022 (3), 2021 (5) 5. Missouri Top Recruits: #11 Seth Mendoza (Mt. Carmel, IL), #23 Kollin Rath (Bethlehem Catholic, PA), #46 Sampson Stillwell (St. Michael, MO), #48 Dom Bambinelli (Mill Creek, GA), #91 Peyton Westpfahl (Liberty, MO), #99 Danny Heiser (Evansville, WI), #111 David Gleason (Staley, MO), NR Gerald Harris (Cascia Hall, OK), NR Hank Benter (Hickman, MO) Up until this year, Missouri’s recent recruiting history had them with a huge class one year, then a smaller class the next. Now, they’ve got back-to-back with highly ranked recruiting classes - seventh last year and now sixth in 2025. As you might expect, the Mizzou staff took care of business at home with two top-100 signees from the Show Me State and three Big Boarder’s total. Seth Mendoza leads the way and he has remained one of the top wrestlers in the Class of 2025 since setting foot on a high school mat. He’s competed everywhere and typically placed very high. Over the last year, he was a finalist in Fargo (Junior freestyle), the Super 32, and the Ironman. Getting Kollin Rath was huge for the Tiger staff on the mat and on the recruiting trail. Rath finished his high school career as the second ranked 157 lber in the country. In the long term, this move has significant recruiting implications. Missouri hadn’t landed a wrestler of Rath’s caliber from Pennsylvania in quite some time (Troy Dolan - 2007?). Getting a foothold into the Pennsylvania landscape is always a good thing. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (7), 2023 (NR), 2022 (4), 2021 (NR) 4. Virginia Tech Top Recruits: #12 Ryan Burton (St. Joseph’s Regional, NJ), #15 Aaron Seidel (Northern Lebanon, PA), #27 Colin Gaj (Quakertown, PA), #51 Noah Nininger (Staunton River, VA), #55 Drew Gorman (Buford, GA), #92 Ben Weader (Chantilly, VA) Even a late flip isn’t enough to knock the Hokies from their perch at #4. The coaching staff hit some of the favorite and most fruitful recruiting locations (New Jersey/Pennsylvania/Georgia), while also keeping two of their home states best seniors within their borders. Years of great recruiting and transfer portal management have given the Virginia Tech staff the opportunity to redshirt this entire class, if need be. The top two recruits for Virginia Tech (Burton/Seidel) both captured Junior freestyle national titles last summer in Fargo. Four future Hokies (Burton/Seidel/Gaj/Gorman) were invited to participate in in FloWrestling’s Who’s #1 Dual. Nininger and Weader both finished top six at the U20 Open in Vegas. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (10), 2023 (9), 2022 (7), 2021 (22) 3. Cornell Top Recruits: #4 Anthony Knox (St. John Vianney, NJ), #9 Jude Correa (Wyoming Seminary, NH), #16 Alessio Perentin (Delbarton, NJ), #30 Rocco Dellagatta (St. Joseph’s Regional, NJ), #33 Isaiah Cortez (Gilroy, CA), #45 Eljiah Cortez (Gilroy, CA), #53 Elijah Diakomihalis (Hilton, NY), #68 Adrian DeJesus (St. Joseph’s Regional, NJ), #236 Jake Conroy (Ringgold, PA) Eight big boarders - two of which are in the top ten, is a nice haul for a Cornell team that is traditionally a recruiting power. The highest rated of the bunch come at the bookends for Mike Grey’s team. Four-time New Jersey state champion and U20 team member Anthony Knox could start right away at 125 lbs and stay there for a few years. On the other end of the lineup, three-time National Prep champion and Who’s #1 winner Jude Correa awaits. Correa will attempt to become the first Cornell heavyweight to make the NCAA podium. In addition to Correa, Cornell also has Rocco Dellagatta and Jake Conroy as big boarders that could end up wrestling heavyweight. Elijah Diakomihalis is another in the line of Diakomihalis boys to wrestle for the Big Red - he should contribute at 184/197. Cornell has had success with wrestlers from Grey’s alma mater, Delbarton, and another one in Alessio Perentin, a three-time state champion, should help in the upper middlweights. This class, along with existing talent in the room, should help boost Cornell back into NCAA team trophy contention. The Class of 2025 gives Cornell three top-four recruiting classes in the last five years. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (18), 2023 (4), 2022 (NR), 2021 (3) 2. Oklahoma State Top Recruits: #3 Ladarion Lockett (Stillwater, OK), #5 Landon Robideau (St. Michael-Albertville, MN), #6 Sergio Vega (Sunnyside, AZ), #24 Cody Routledge (Edmond North, OK), #26 Ronnie Ramirez (Walnut, CA), #50 Austin Johnson (Muncy, PA), #62 Ishmael Guerrero (Bixby, OK), #63 Cruz Goff (Blackwell, OK), #72 Beau Hickman (Tuttle, OK), #205 Ethan Teague (Tuttle, OK) In many years, this type of talent would be enough to take home the recruiting crown. If you want to call Oklahoma State #1, I’m not mad at that! For the power programs, star power is key and Oklahoma State has plenty of that potential with three top ten prospects and five of the top 30. The first full recruiting class under David Taylor featured the Cowboys keeping one of the nation’s most highly-sought after prospects, one from their backyard, home in Ladarion Lockett. They were also able to flip the next three-highest recruits - Landon Robideau (Minnesota), Sergio Vega (Iowa State), and Kody Routledge (Nebraska). Based on talent and the way the lineup could shake out, we might see Lockett in year one. Over the summer, he’ll chase his second consecutive U20 world medal. Many expect Oklahoma State to threaten Penn State in the next couple of years, having a group this star-laden will help set the foundation for the team title to come back to Stillwater. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (16), 2023 (1), 2022 (6), 2021 (6) 1. Penn State Top Recruits: #1 PJ Duke (Minisink Valley, NY), #2 Marcus Blaze (Perrysburg, OH), #18 Will Henckel (Blair Academy, CT), #22 Asher Cunningham (State College, PA), #39 Nathan Desmond (Wyoming Seminary, PA), #54 Dalton Perry (Central Mountain, PA) The rich get richer with back-to-back #1 recruiting classes. Something that hasn’t been done in the era of recruiting rankings (2005-25). Penn State’s top three recruits all earned a spot on the U20 world team and two (Duke/Blaze) already have medals from the 2024 tournament. Even though there isn’t a huge “need” compared to other programs for wrestlers at weights like Duke and Henckel, they have the ability to come in, take over and immediately contend. Blaze comes at a weight range (133/141) that is more of an immediate need. He could start in year one. Penn State’s track record and hit rate with mega recruits supersedes and thoughts of redundancy with this group. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (1), 2023 (3), 2022 (NR), 2021 (1)