Class of 2026

[Truzzcat]

Was listening to FRL and they were speculating where some of the top guys may go thought it would be a good chat over here

Bassett: PSU,Iowa,Okie state with Iowa actually being the front runner by everyones opinion which shocked me I still think he's a PSU guy

Jax: front runner seems to be OSU but they feel his options are open

Rayney bros: Union county is very close to the university of Illinois so I guess they have trained there with Webster and those two + Munaretto who they mentioned may also be interested in Illinois as well as tOSU because of his friendship with Davino Illinois could have one hell of a team in a few years

Ross: consensus seems to be he will probably go the football path although the fact hes doing freestyle well into the football season is an optimistic sign. If he wrestles he seems like Iowa through and through.

Mocco: A few people have mentioned the ATT facility in happy valley and his dad being the head wrestling coach at ATT I'm also not super sold on Cole Mirasola being a heavyweight or a super effective one at least by PSU standards I think thats a good fit but he seems pretty wide open other than the possible American top team connection.

Aaron Stewart: Another Illinois boy if they can shoot 50% on their guys/ the Rayneys they will have their best class in a long time. I remember Stewart being a world beater in Junior high and then I did not really hear about him his Freshman year. this last season though he looked awesome at ironman beat a really really tough Asher Cunningham seems like a potentially more offensive minded Jacori teemer (similar build and athleticism) I think hes going to be really good.

Keanu Dillard: Like Munaretto I think he could be a lifer at 125 which I think makes you very high valued even if you are not quite the most elite which is not the case for Dillard hes a 2x pa state champ in aaa and just made a cadet team. All reports from Marsteller and the stellar team is that hes incredible and hes about as positionally sound as it gets. I tend to always just through the Bethlehem guys to Lehigh but I could see him at a big 10 school probably PSU leading the way just with the PA ties. They are going to be loaded at 125 but Lilledahl looks like hes put on some size so I don't know that hes going to be a 4 year guy there and Desmond looks like he could be a 133 as well if he ends up staying at psu.

Jayden James: I think this kids going to be really really good. I like guys who start small and grow I think there is just a level of technique and feel you need to have to be high level at the lighter weights that you may not necessarily pickup if you started heavier. Hes been growing a ton and Willie has him projected at 174. The delbarton to Cornell pipeline seems pretty strong.

[MPhillips]

2 hours ago, Truzzcat said:

Union county is very close to the university of Illinois so I guess they have trained there

Union County Kentucky...

[Truzzcat]

seem like very good and normal kids

[ionel]

7 hours ago, Truzzcat said:

 

Bassett: Penny State, U of Iowie, OSU with ...

ftfy

7 hours ago, Truzzcat said:

 

Rayney bros: Union county is very close to the university of Illinois so ...

say what?!

[HokieDave87]

12 hours ago, MPhillips said:

Union County Kentucky...

Probably the closest college with a high level wrestling program but they aren't popping into the RTC on a random Tuesday lol

[nhs67]

15 minutes ago, HokieDave87 said:

Probably the closest college with a high level wrestling program but they aren't popping into the RTC on a random Tuesday lol

Isn't it just as close to Mizzou?

[nhs67]

Also, Indiana (Bloomington) is an hour closer than Illinois (Champaign) isn't it?

[cowcards]

8 hours ago, ionel said:

ftfy

say what?!

 

1 hour ago, nhs67 said:

Isn't it just as close to Mizzou?

 

6 minutes ago, nhs67 said:

Also, Indiana (Bloomington) is an hour closer than Illinois (Champaign) isn't it?

I don't think he's talking geographically. He's talking relationship-wise. Brooks Black is a coach there and they have had numerous Union County wrestlers, like the Ervins. 

The Raneys also compete with their RTC. 

Edited June 17 by cowcards

[nhs67]

1 minute ago, cowcards said:

 

 

I don't think he's talking geographically. He's talking relationship-wise. Brooks Black is a coach there and they have had numerous Union County wrestlers, like the Ervins. 

Ah, fair enough.  I was more or less piling on to the assumption that it made sense from a geographical standpoint.

Some wrestlers do make those two hour, one way trips multiple times a week, but 4 hours one way seems a bit much.

[Hank]

hopefully basset and jax goto anywhere but psu

[HokieDave87]

2 hours ago, nhs67 said:

Isn't it just as close to Mizzou?

Didn't think of Indiana but Mizzou would be further. Regardless, I guess it's a relationship thing not a geo thing.

[Idaho]

Probably should be better with words... "Union county is very close to the university of Illinois" is more about geography than relationships.

[nhs67]

Just now, HokieDave87 said:

Didn't think of Indiana but Mizzou would be further. Regardless, I guess it's a relationship thing not a geo thing.

If you're driving 210 minutes one way, you might as well drive 240 minutes and get in a better room, right?

Before anyone gets upset, I love what Illinois is doing right now.  They seem to improving on every aspect - MFS, MGR, and Folkstyle.  Mizzou is still clearly the better NCAA D1 Folkstyle wrestling program.

[HokieDave87]

3 minutes ago, nhs67 said:

If you're driving 210 minutes one way, you might as well drive 240 minutes and get in a better room, right?

Before anyone gets upset, I love what Illinois is doing right now.  They seem to improving on every aspect - MFS, MGR, and Folkstyle.  Mizzou is still clearly the better NCAA D1 Folkstyle wrestling program.

Agreed. Or just take the whole 8+ hour drive to Blacksburg that would work too.

[Nick1385]

Ohio state has to be very high on Bassetts list. Why no one mentioned them puzzles me. Tom Ryan has been on him since junior high. He has attended Ohio state football games, trained at Ohio state several times, has Rudis in Columbus. Ohio state even hosted his high school for a dual meet. Tom Ryan is going all in on him.  I would almost think buckeyes might be the favorite. 

[Idaho]

1 hour ago, Nick1385 said:

Ohio state has to be very high on Bassetts list. Why no one mentioned them puzzles me. Tom Ryan has been on him since junior high. He has attended Ohio state football games, trained at Ohio state several times, has Rudis in Columbus. Ohio state even hosted his high school for a dual meet. Tom Ryan is going all in on him.  I would almost think buckeyes might be the favorite. 

Agreed.... PSU - OSUe and OK State have to be the favorites considering their Olympic goals and their personalities and values. Iowa is going to be mentioned in every conversation, but I don't see them being a good fit for them. Sorry Iowa fans, but I just don't see them being Brands kind of guys. 

[Gus]

14 minutes ago, Idaho said:

Agreed.... PSU - OSUe and OK State have to be the favorites considering their Olympic goals and their personalities and values. Iowa is going to be mentioned in every conversation, but I don't see them being a good fit for them. Sorry Iowa fans, but I just don't see them being Brands kind of guys. 

Man, idk. To me Bo Basset's wrestling style is like Tom Brands 2.0. He is very much in the Metcalf/Desanto mold. High pace and forward pressure. 

[nhs67]

Remember when Jax Forrest was 120lbs and Bassett was fresh up to 113lbs and got beat by Knox?

Now Bassett is 150lbs and Jax Forrest is... 120bs...

Been an absolutely wild three months.

[MPhillips]

1 minute ago, Gus said:

Man, idk. To me Bo Basset's wrestling style is like Tom Brands 2.0. He is very much in the Metcalf/Desanto mold. High pace and forward pressure. 

[Gus]

10 minutes ago, nhs67 said:

Remember when Jax Forrest was 120lbs and Bassett was fresh up to 113lbs and got beat by Knox?

Now Bassett is 150lbs and Jax Forrest is... 120bs...

Been an absolutely wild three months.

Forrest is 126, right? Or has he wrestled down at 120 recently?

[Idaho]

35 minutes ago, Gus said:

Man, idk. To me Bo Basset's wrestling style is like Tom Brands 2.0. He is very much in the Metcalf/Desanto mold. High pace and forward pressure. 

If they only want one thing, a wrestling style, then Iowa and a couple others are in the conversation. But my previous post, and from all the interviews I have seen, their school selection is about more than just style.  

[nhs67]

1 hour ago, Gus said:

Forrest is 126, right? Or has he wrestled down at 120 recently?

The whole post was a joke, honestly.

Forrest has grown like 6" yet stayed the same weight class.  Bo has grown like 1/2" and gained 40+lbs.

[Truzzcat]

32 minutes ago, nhs67 said:

The whole post was a joke, honestly.

Forrest has grown like 6" yet stayed the same weight class.  Bo has grown like 1/2" and gained 40+lbs.

Jax feels like he could be anywhere from 133-165 he has the frame to be a lot bigger, but I don't think he cuts much weight to even hold 57kg right now (purely an assumption he could be cutting a lot). 

[nhs67]

40 minutes ago, Truzzcat said:

Jax feels like he could be anywhere from 133-165 he has the frame to be a lot bigger, but I don't think he cuts much weight to even hold 57kg right now (purely an assumption he could be cutting a lot). 

He is like a leaner, longer version of DT.  I could see him getting as big as 86 KG with that frame.

[Truzzcat]

1 hour ago, nhs67 said:

He is like a leaner, longer version of DT.  I could see him getting as big as 86 KG with that frame.

I really feel like if he develops 1 or 2 more go to leg attacks that are not the firemans hes going to be one of the best guys we've seen in a long long time. His body awareness and feel seem satiev level.