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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 first half of InterMat's 2025 Team Recruiting Rankings. 13-25. 1-12 will be posted tomorrow. 25. Iowa State Top Recruits: #14 Christian Castillo (Ames, IA), #107 Carter Pearson (Southeast Polk, IA), #139 TJ Koester (Bettendorf, IA), NR Jacob Helgeson (Johnston, IA) Not every class has to have 10 incoming freshmen and eight Big Boarders. It’s difficult to pull off and maybe even more so with roster limits looming. All of that to say, Iowa State doesn’t have a huge class, but that’s not a bad thing. The Cyclones have had some very strong classes of late. That combined with some key transfers doesn’t leave them with many holes. Actually, they’ll have some interesting roster decisions. With the Class of 2025, Iowa State did sign U17 world silver medalist and two-time Super 32 champion Christian Castillo. Castillo, an Arizona native, already spent his senior year of high school in Ames and has likely been working closely with the RTC. He’s a great prospect at 125 lbs. Aside from Castillo, Kevin Dresser’s team was able to get some quality prospects from in-state with Big Boarders Carter Pearson, TJ Koester, and Jacob Helgeson. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (9), 2023 (10), 2022 (2), 2021 (16) 24. Brown Top Recruits: #82 Max Norman (Baylor School, TN), #210 Kaleb Jackson (St. Joseph’s Regional, NJ), #224 Preston Marchesseault (Ponaganset, RI), #238 Khimari Manns (St. Edward, OH), NR Riley McPherson (Brecksville, OH) You have to love the way that Jordan Leen and his staff have been hustling on the recruiting trail since his hire before the 2022-23 season. At that time, Brown had fallen behind some of their Ivy League rivals in the recruiting game; however, now they are in the mix for plenty of Big Board talent. They’ve done so well that there have been a couple of instances where they got in early on a prospect, only to have him picked up by another school later in the game, after he has a breakout. That happened a couple of times this year. Even so, Brown has a good crew coming to Providence. Whether it was planned or not, the Brown staff has brought in kids from traditional power programs, ones that they’ll be able to hit again and again over the years. The local New England scene is slowly getting more competitive nationally and Brown seemed ready to take advantage of that. Brown’s 2024-25 squad featured four senior starters so this group should be counted on to start early. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (NR), 2023 (NR), 2022 (NR), 2021 (HM) 23. Penn Top Recruits: #90 Max Stein (Faith Christian Academy, PA), #131 Liam Carlin (Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, NY), #155 Deven Casey (IC Prep, IL), #164 Elliott Humphries (Northfield Mt. Hermon, MA), #170 Wyatt Stout (Southern Regional, NJ), #228 Greyson Meak (Cold Spring Harbor, NY), #234 Donny Almeyda (St. Joseph’s Regional, NJ), NR Brian Heard (Abingdon Heights, PA) Of late, Penn has routinely brought in huge recruiting classes. This is more of the same. They’ve also been a regular in the recruiting rankings. Despite some coaching changes in the last couple of years, recruiting has maintained and continued. Years of strong recruiting means that this class won’t be pressed into duty immediately; however, since they can’t use redshirts, if one of these recruits can come in and push a starter it makes for a more competitive room. Penn continues to dip into New Jersey for talent, while getting some homegrown talent, and reaching into New York, as well. This is a blueprint that the Penn staff continues to follow. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (HM), 2023 (20), 2022 (18), 2021 (23) 22. Purdue Top Recruits: #70 Noah Weaver (Rossville, IN), #142 Adrian Pellot (Merrillville, IN), #160 Isaiah Schaefer (Mater Dei, IN), #178 Vinny Paino (Emerson-Park Ridge, NJ), #193 Brody Saccoccia (Steubenville, OH), #201 Aidan Costello (Hobart, IN) Looking at this class combined with the early Class of 2026, it looks like Purdue will continue to be a mainstay in the recruiting rankings. It makes sense as the Boilermakers are coming off a season in which they put multiple wrestlers on the NCAA podium for the first time since 2006. The Purdue staff did a great job at making sure their home state’s best wrestlers were kept within its borders. Three of the in-state recruits (Weaver, Pellot, Schaefer) were 2025 state champions. They also did well at filling potential holes in the future. Paino, Costello, and Weaver all are projected at weights where the returning starter is a senior, so they should be ready to go after a redshirt. You have to like a school that has seen its recent success translate onto the recruiting trail and can take care of business recruiting at home (along with picking up some others from Big Ten country). Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (NR), 2023 (13), 2022 (NR), 2021 (20) 21. Navy Top Recruits: #42 Caedyn Ricciardi (St. Peter’s Prep, NJ), #148 Tyler Hood (St. Christopher’s, VA), #167 Evan Boblits (St. Mary’s Ryken, MD), #202 Nikos Filipos (Wyoming Seminary, PA), NR Coltyn Reedy (Sheridan, OH), NR Gavin Cole (Council Rock South, PA) The Navy recruiting classes tend to be large and this one is no different. It is headed up by one of the more overlooked stars in the top-50 two-time New Jersey champion and three-time finalist Caedyn Ricciardi. Ricciardi is also a three-time Beast of the East finalist and one-time champ. As can often be the case, the Navy staff looked to the National Prep ranks to find a handful of recruits - Tyler Hood, Evan Boblits, and Nikos Filipos. All three were National Prep AA’s in 2025 and Hood was a finalist, while Boblits was third, both at the 150 lb weight class. Navy is back in the mix after missing out on the rankings in each of the last two seasons. I’d expect them to be in the rankings next year, as well. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (NR), 2023 (NR), 2022 (21), 2021 (18) 20. South Dakota State Top Recruits: #77 Jacob Herm (Neenah, WI), #89 Micah Hach (Watertown, SD), #177 Liam Neitzel (Hudson, WI), #190 Zach Ballante (St. Joseph’s Regional, NJ), #192 Carson Dupill (Greeneville, TN), #200 Bas Diaz (Waverly-Shell Rock, IA), #212 Jarrett Wadsen (St. Michael-Albertville, MN), #214 Keenan Sheridan (O’Gorman, SD), #242 Conlan Carlson (Willmar, MN) Oftentimes, in recruiting, the number of swings at the pinata is an important factor. There are bound to be some wrestlers who don’t live up to their pre-collegiate credentials, but if you get a large number of quality recruits some will work out. South Dakota State has the numbers with a ridiculous nine(!) Big Boarders. They were able to keep their home state’s best prospect within their borders with the signing of Micah Hach. Hach was an NHSCA Junior champion and a Fargo Junior finalist in Greco; however, they will have to share him with the football team. Two of the three highest-ranked recruits for Damion Hahn’s team come from Wisconsin, a state they’ve added to their normal recruiting rotation. The highest-ranked of the bunch is Jacob Herm, who has shined in Greco, but was fifth at the Super 32 last fall. The Jackrabbits have recruited well of late, so they don’t go into 2025-26 with any major holes in the lineup. A large group like this should let them redshirt everyone and continue to build depth and create quality DI wrestlers that might have initially been overlooked. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (NR), 2023 (HM), 2022 (HM), 2021 (12) 19. Wyoming Top Recruits: #38 Lane Foard (Benedictine, VA), #86 Gunner Henry (Brownsburg, IN), #100 Luke Willochell (Greater Latrobe, PA), #199 Isaiah Harrison (Mountain View, CO), #229 Brad Farrer (Pleasant Grove, UT) Make it four straight years with Wyoming getting at least a mention in our recruiting rankings. The Cowboys chug along with three top 100 recruits and five Big Boarders. National Prep champion Lane Foard and NHSCA Sophomore champion Gunner Henry will make the Cowboy upperweights even more formidable than they are presently. Two-time Pennsylvania state finalist Luke Willochell is the younger brother of Wyoming national qualifier, Gabe. With recruits from Virginia, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, Wyoming continues to widen its recruiting bases. They’ve also found a way to stay true to their normal recruiting turf (Colorado/Utah). The additions of Foard/Henry in particular fall into a familiar pattern for Wyoming. They had homegrown All-Americans from the recruiting classes of 2022 and 2023, who were both ranked between #55 and #65 in their recruiting classes. Slightly overlooked, but also experienced on a national level. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (HM), 2023 (16), 2022 (13), 2021 (NR) 18. Army West Point Top Recruits: #49 Joseph Antonio (St. John Bosco, CA), #136 Charles Weidman (Xavier, CT), #182 Cadell Lee (Brooke Point, VA), #191 Ben Smith (NY Military Academy, NY), NR Johnny Green (Aurora, OH), NR Hayden Hochstrasser (Southern Regional, NJ), NR Evan Roudebush (Bloomington South, IN), NR Josh Vasquez (Aurora Christian, IL), NR Primo Catalano (Chaminade, CA) New head coach Troy Nickerson has a lot to work with between the existing talent in the room and the wrestlers on their way to West Point from the Class of 2025 (and beyond). Past Army recruiting classes have been filled with Big Boarders, but not many in the top half of the top 100. That is remedied with the pickup of two-time California state finalist Joseph Antonio. Antonio was a Super 32 finalist prior to his junior year in high school. On the other hand, Army does very well at developing non-blue chip recruits, so their past history gives them a slight bump when it comes to the recruits they’ve locked down outside of the top 50. It’s a testament to the West Point staff that Army has been a regular in the recruiting rankings, moreso than some from the traditional power conferences. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (NR), 2023 (17), 2022 (23), 2021 (24) 17. Northern Iowa Top Recruits: #43 Logan Paradice (Colquitt County, GA), #61 Kyler Knaack (Don Bosco, IA), #130 Max Brady (Mariner, FL), #150 Jace Hedeman (Union, IA) Northern Iowa hasn’t been a regular in the recruiting rankings. More often than not, the Panthers find overlooked gems and develop them into strong collegiate wrestlers. Now, Doug Schwab’s staff has a pair of top-100 recruits and four Big Boarders to work with. Top recruit, Logan Paradice, was a two-time top-four finisher at the Super 32 and was a three-time Georgia state champion. Kyler Knaack was the highest-ranked senior in the state of Iowa and a huge pickup for the Panthers. Knaack was a double 16U Fargo champion and a runner-up last year at the UWW U17 Trials. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (NR), 2023 (NR), 2022 (25), 2021 (NR) 16. Virginia Top Recruits: #29 Emmitt Sherlock (Gilman, MD), #67 Jayce Paridon (Lake Highland Prep, FL), #154 Ethan Timar (St. Edward, OH), #194 Aiden King (Bishop Hartley, OH), #204 Macon Ayers (Staunton River, VA), #207 Rocco Hayes (Carl Sandburg, IL), #227 Adam Butler (St. Edward, OH) The UVA staff got in on Emmitt Sherlock early and he ended up becoming the talk of the 2024 UWW U17 Trials with titles in both styles. Sherlock went on to the U17 World Championships, competed in both styles, and advanced to the bronze medal match in freestyle. Virginia’s other top 100 recruit, Jayce Paridon, was a late flip from Army West Point. With a loaded Lake Highland Prep schedule, Paridon hit all of the big tournaments and won National Preps, the Powerade, and NHSCA Senior Nationals. This group also features a duo from St. Edward, Ohio - Ethan Timar and Adam Butler. St. Ed’s has been one of the most consistent producers of talent at the high school level and a place where UVA has a long tradition of finding talent. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (NR), 2023 (NR), 2022 (9), 2021 (NR) 15. Indiana Top Recruits: #35 Carson Thomas (LaSalle, OH), #79 Jackson Blum (Lowell, MI), #113 Hunter Sturgill (Baylor School, TN), #119 Gavin Jendreas (Crown Point, IN), #121 Matt Kowalski (Springboro, OH), NR Anthony Gutierrez (St. Charles East, IL) Indiana is becoming a regular in the recruiting rankings thanks to coach Angel Escobedo and his staff. They have back-to-back top 15 classes, which is also coming on the heels of the first All-American of Escobedo’s tenure. The highest-ranked wrestler in this class is Carson Thomas who skipped his final season of collegiate wrestling to train at the OTC. In between his junior and senior seasons, Thomas was third at the UWW U17 Trials and Fargo Junior freestyle before winning the Super 32. He’s an excellent pickup for the Hoosiers. Looking at Indiana’s class, they’ve been able to nab top prospects from a handful of their neighboring Big Ten states. That is in addition to inking Indiana state finalist and Fargo All-American Gavin Jendreas. If Indiana can continue to stack recruiting classes like these on top of each other they’ll continue to move up in a loaded conference. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (14), 2023 (HM), 2022 (NR), 2021 (NR) 14. Stanford Top Recruits: #13 Angelo Posada (Poway, CA), #95 Brokton Borelli (Los Banos, CA), #109 Edwin Sierra (Poway, CA), #114 Dylan Pile (Los Gatos, CA), #196 Adam Mattin (Delta, OH) After three incredible classes for Stanford, there aren’t too many holes in the potential Cardinal lineup for 2025-26. Hence a smaller recruiting class in 2025. The class is small on numbers, but big on talent. Angelo Posada is someone who has continued to grow and get better as he’s moved up in weight. Since last summer he won Fargo Junior freestyle, the Super 32, and the Doc B. He also was selected for Who’s #1 and won at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic. Also, staying at home are, Brokton Borelli, Edwin Sierra, and Dylan Pile. Each finished in the top-three in California last year. The future (and the present) is very exciting for Stanford wrestling. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (2), 2023 (8), 2022 (5), 2021 (NR) 13. Oregon State Top Recruits: #71 Manny Saldate (SLAM Academy, NV), #83 Anthony Mutarelli (Council Rock South, PA), #88 Khale McDonnell (Fountain Valley, CA), #117 Koy Davidson (Fort Dodge, IA), #135 Beau Priest (Bakersfield, CA), #153 Adrien Reyes (Clovis, CA), #195 Jeff Lopez (Clovis West, CA) Since Chris Pendleton took over in the spring of 2020, recruiting in California has been a priority for Oregon State. That is very evident with the Class of 2025. Khale McDonnell, Beau Priest, Adrien Reyes, and Jeff Lopez all finished in the top four, at one time or another, at the state tournament. McDonnell and Lopez have been finalists. Not only has Oregon State dominated recruiting in California, but they’ve also done well with the West Coast, in general. The top recruit, Manny Saldate, is from Nevada and seemingly goes to and places at every national tournament. Oregon State was patient and waited till late in the game (for today’s standards) to receive a commitment from Pennsylvania AAA state champion Anthony Mutarelli. Recent Recruiting Rankings: 2024 (NR), 2023 (15), 2022 (22), 2021 (NR)