How good are PSU Backup/Redshirts?

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

4 minutes ago, 1032004 said:

Yes they are 

Not really...other elite teams have primo blue chip backups too.

[mad_rascal]

Will be interesting to see if anyone transfers. So far I think there all pretty happy. But with the next few recruiting classes, someone prob want to.

[BruceyB]

33 minutes ago, Jimmy Cinnabon said:

Not really...other elite teams have primo blue chip backups too.

Such as? 

[Pinnacle]

What the hell is Sonnen drinking in that can? Liquid something something. Lol.

[BruceyB]

27 minutes ago, mad_rascal said:

Will be interesting to see if anyone transfers. So far I think there all pretty happy. But with the next few recruiting classes, someone prob want to.

I do think we, as fans, often forget about how big of a transition transferring schools really is. You form relationships with the coaches, friends, teammates, and this is the first time for many that they've left their hometown and childhood friends. To start all over again by transferring is easier said than done.

[Spladle88]

Well there is the "opt in" with 30 wrestler roster limit supposedly coming soon.......will force a lot of wrestlers (and coaches) to make choices.......

[BruceyB]

2 minutes ago, Spladle88 said:

Well there is the "opt in" with 30 wrestler roster limit supposedly coming soon.......will force a lot of wrestlers (and coaches) to make choices.......

I'm curious how many teams have 30 wrestlers on their roster excluding walk-ons. I think the roster cap would actually be better for the sport because instead of a quality HS wrestler walking on at PSU, OKST, Iowa, tOSU, etc., they will be more likely to wrestle somewhere else where they might actually make the starting line-up and have a chance to compete.

[fishbane]

Just now, BruceyB said:

I'm curious how many teams have 30 wrestlers on their roster excluding walk-ons. I think the roster cap would actually be better for the sport because instead of a quality HS wrestler walking on at PSU, OKST, Iowa, tOSU, etc., they will be more likely to wrestle somewhere else where they might actually make the starting line-up and have a chance to compete.

Why would you exclude walk-ons?  With a scholarship limit of 9.9 it would seam like no teams would satisfy the criteria of 30 scholarship athletes.

[BruceyB]

18 minutes ago, fishbane said:

Why would you exclude walk-ons?  With a scholarship limit of 9.9 it would seam like no teams would satisfy the criteria of 30 scholarship athletes.

Scholarships are only limited by how much NIL money you have to offer. None of those blue chippers at PSU are taking out students loans, even if they aren't part of the 9.9. 

Edit: I was just pointing out that none of the major teams are going to be losing guys of relevance due to the roster cap. Maybe a couple of walk-ons might have to go elsewhere, but the starters and quality backups will still get paid and remain on the team.

Edited yesterday at 07:39 PM by BruceyB

[Wrestleknownothing]

18 minutes ago, BruceyB said:

I'm curious how many teams have 30 wrestlers on their roster excluding walk-ons. I think the roster cap would actually be better for the sport because instead of a quality HS wrestler walking on at PSU, OKST, Iowa, tOSU, etc., they will be more likely to wrestle somewhere else where they might actually make the starting line-up and have a chance to compete.

I always struggle with this argument. The underlying assumption is those quality HS wrestlers do not already have the option to wrestle somewhere else where they might actually make the starting line-up and have a chance to compete. They do already have this option.

[BruceyB]

1 minute ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

I always struggle with this argument. The underlying assumption is those quality HS wrestlers do not already have the option to wrestle somewhere else where they might actually make the starting line-up and have a chance to compete. They do already have this option.

Currently, yes. But with a hard roster cap of 30, the sport won't be nearly as "walk-on" friendly. Wrestling has always been a non-cut sport because there is no harm in having more guys in the room. But just like other sports where you can only have so many "bench" players, the top programs will have to reserve the 30 spots for just the 30 best wrestlers they can have in the room. I'm curious if some programs will have wrestle-offs in the beginning of the year between non-scholarship athletes to see who makes the team.

[fishbane]

1 minute ago, BruceyB said:

Currently, yes. But with a hard roster cap of 30, the sport won't be nearly as "walk-on" friendly. Wrestling has always been a non-cut sport because there is no harm in having more guys in the room. But just like other sports where you can only have so many "bench" players, the top programs will have to reserve the 30 spots for just the 30 best wrestlers they can have in the room. I'm curious if some programs will have wrestle-offs in the beginning of the year between non-scholarship athletes to see who makes the team.

I don't think the roster cap of 30 does anything for competitive balance in wrestling.  Since NIL the scholarship limit doesn't do squat, but I have a hard time believing the big programs are paying NIL exceeding the cost of tuition more than 3 deep at each weight.  I guess it is theoretically possible for a team to pay 50 guys just to hoard them from competitors, but that isn't really going to happen.  The suggestion earlier in the thread that teams could enter multiple wrestlers per weight in the post season would harm competitive balance more than not having a roster limit.  You'd see more top teams with 2nd teams that could win duals against the mid tier programs.

[BruceyB]

1 hour ago, fishbane said:

I don't think the roster cap of 30 does anything for competitive balance in wrestling.  Since NIL the scholarship limit doesn't do squat, but I have a hard time believing the big programs are paying NIL exceeding the cost of tuition more than 3 deep at each weight.  I guess it is theoretically possible for a team to pay 50 guys just to hoard them from competitors, but that isn't really going to happen.  The suggestion earlier in the thread that teams could enter multiple wrestlers per weight in the post season would harm competitive balance more than not having a roster limit.  You'd see more top teams with 2nd teams that could win duals against the mid tier programs.

You're misunderstanding me. My point was that the roster cap won't do much if anything for the competitive balance in wrestling, other than maybe Long Island U gets a commit that would have otherwise been a 4th string walk-on at PSU. That walk-on might be a starter at LIU, which is good for their program, but it doesn't change the competitive balance.

Also, I said the blue-chippers at PSU aren't taking out student loans. I obviously don't think everyone on their roster is getting tuition covered. Anyone who isn't in the top 30 at a given school isn't going to hurt the program by not being there, but there may be some guys outside of the top 30 at the power schools that could be a benefit to a small program.