Welsh to PSU makes no sense

[1032004]

13 minutes ago, scourge165 said:

We'll have to see how it plays out. Facundo lost a year and he's an elite Wrestler. He beat Haines and O'Toole last off-season, unless I'm mistaken. And then he beat Kasak in a Wrestle-off, then lost to him at the Blacknight Open. Both were 5-2 scores. 

But he spent a year not Wrestling his preferred weight with Mesenbrink, then came back, lost a year while trying to go down. 

 

I think this is going to be the...most absurd it gets for Penn State. I think David Taylor in Stillwater is going to make this more interesting, more balanced. I'd love to see Casey Cunningham in Columbus, but it seems as if he's a PSU lifer. 

Give Taylor a little more time and people are going to see you can win big matches there without sitting. 

The biggest upset in Wrestling history(arguably) and Hamiti beating O'Toole. He has some big time studs coming in. Forrest and Ross in 2 years. Lockett and Duke could make an all-time great rivalry if they are both maybe '74 pounders(both have to RS a year). But I certainly wouldn't cede that to Duke. Spratley made a helluva run. 

 

This SHOULD be the zenith of Penn State's recruiting and transfering and success. If it goes UP from here? If they come back after back to back record breaking tournaments, the #1 recruiting class, getting a Freshmen runner-up to transfer(probably a HWT) AND the World Champion and a kid who just beat Spencer Lee...if they come back and improve on ANY of that, NCAA Wrestling is just gonna have to change it to "Penn State vs the Field." The next highest scorer at each weight vs PSU's Wrestler. 

Looks like Facundo is leaving, which goes to what I was saying about guys being more likely to leave now.

Totally agree that it seems like Taylor has a chance to level the field a bit.  What HWT is PSU “probably” getting?

[scourge165]

48 minutes ago, 1032004 said:

Looks like Facundo is leaving, which goes to what I was saying about guys being more likely to leave now.

Totally agree that it seems like Taylor has a chance to level the field a bit.  What HWT is PSU “probably” getting?

I know he's leaving now, but he stayed and gave up a year knowing what he was facing. 

 

I don't know what HWT they're probably getting. It seems like at this point, go down the list, pick the highest place finisher who is coming back and it's him. Or...Tazhudinov at this rate. I don't know and I was being a bit facetious given their lineup and recruiting. 

People talked about Ono wrestling in College and it was mocked...openly. 
Penn State has a cluster already at '57-'97 and a Freshmen runner up goes there.

They already had Blade and Duke. They lost out on the top 4 recruits of '26...and now they flip ANOTHER '74 pounder. 

It feels like movie with Eddie Murphy where if they can spend 1 million dollars in a day, they get to keep it and the value in his account just keeps going up. 

 

I feel about 30% sure that Feldman is following Welsh at this point. Though, I don't even know if it's official with Welsh. I didn't think they're actually much better with him. I think it's likely a marginal difference. 

[CHROMEBIRD]

1 hour ago, scourge165 said:

We'll have to see how it plays out. Facundo lost a year and he's an elite Wrestler. He beat Haines and O'Toole last off-season, unless I'm mistaken. And then he beat Kasak in a Wrestle-off, then lost to him at the Blacknight Open. Both were 5-2 scores. 

But he spent a year not Wrestling his preferred weight with Mesenbrink, then came back, lost a year while trying to go down. 

 

I think this is going to be the...most absurd it gets for Penn State. I think David Taylor in Stillwater is going to make this more interesting, more balanced. I'd love to see Casey Cunningham in Columbus, but it seems as if he's a PSU lifer. 

Give Taylor a little more time and people are going to see you can win big matches there without sitting. 

The biggest upset in Wrestling history(arguably) and Hamiti beating O'Toole. He has some big time studs coming in. Forrest and Ross in 2 years. Lockett and Duke could make an all-time great rivalry if they are both maybe '74 pounders(both have to RS a year). But I certainly wouldn't cede that to Duke. Spratley made a helluva run. 

 

This SHOULD be the zenith of Penn State's recruiting and transfering and success. If it goes UP from here? If they come back after back to back record breaking tournaments, the #1 recruiting class, getting a Freshmen runner-up to transfer(probably a HWT) AND the World Champion and a kid who just beat Spencer Lee...if they come back and improve on ANY of that, NCAA Wrestling is just gonna have to change it to "Penn State vs the Field." The next highest scorer at each weight vs PSU's Wrestler. 

Didn't Facundo sit because of an injury? I figured he would've been the starter if he wasn't in crutches and could challenge Kasak for the spot next season, unless he wants to go 165.

But it is pretty wild that PSU starters live in a world where they could get sick or banged up and their sub steps in and challenges for a title without missing a beat.

[BruceyB]

7 minutes ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

Didn't Facundo sit because of an injury? I figured he would've been the starter if he wasn't in crutches and could challenge Kasak for the spot next season, unless he wants to go 165.

But it is pretty wild that PSU starters live in a world where they could get sick or banged up and their sub steps in and challenges for a title without missing a beat.

Facundo went 157 because of Mesenbrink, and then he lost to Kasak and was later seen in crutches.

[CHROMEBIRD]

2 minutes ago, BruceyB said:

Facundo went 157 because of Mesenbrink, and then he lost to Kasak and was later seen in crutches.

Thanks. Did Facundo take a greyshirt year out of hs? If he gets his medical waiver, I think he'll make the all-shirt team as a RRRS soph. Impressive.

[BruceyB]

3 hours ago, 1032004 said:

Fair point, although “not at all” is probably a stretch considering they are still tied for the most medalists.

Since 2010..

3 of Cael's 18 national champions have won world medals.

3 of Cornell's 7 champs have won world medals

3 of Iowa's 7 champs have won world medals (all at 57kg.. lightweight U).

I'm just saying that winning multiple titles at PSU has not proven to correlate into significant freestyle success.

[BruceyB]

22 minutes ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

Thanks. Did Facundo take a greyshirt year out of hs? If he gets his medical waiver, I think he'll make the all-shirt team as a RRRS soph. Impressive.

His wrestlestat shows a traditional redshirt in 2022, and then he competed in 2023, shows a RS for last year and nothing so far for this year.. but in todays world, who knows. You might be right.. the classic 5th year sophomore.

[MPhillips]

3 minutes ago, BruceyB said:

 

I'm just saying that winning multiple titles at PSU has not proven to correlate into significant freestyle success.

Even OSU has 2 in Snyder and Stieber...

[Wrestleknownothing]

29 minutes ago, BruceyB said:

His wrestlestat shows a traditional redshirt in 2022, and then he competed in 2023, shows a RS for last year and nothing so far for this year.. but in todays world, who knows. You might be right.. the classic 5th year sophomore.

2024 was an Oly RS. And with only 2 dates and 5 matches this year, it seems likely he could get a medical shirt if he was injured.

[BruceyB]

14 minutes ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

2024 was an Oly RS. And with only 2 dates and 5 matches this year, it seems likely he could get a medical shirt if he was injured.

Ah, that's right. I forgot about the Oly RS. So, it would appear likely that he will be a 5th year sophomore.

[1032004]

4 minutes ago, BruceyB said:

Ah, that's right. I forgot about the Oly RS. So, it would appear likely that he will be a 5th year sophomore.

Hopefully his redshirt strategy pays off better than Mason Manville’s.  I feel like he should still have eligibility, maybe he’ll transfer to ASU?

[CHROMEBIRD]

Yeah, Mason Manville is currently captain of the all-shirt wrestling team

[scourge165]

4 hours ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

Didn't Facundo sit because of an injury? I figured he would've been the starter if he wasn't in crutches and could challenge Kasak for the spot next season, unless he wants to go 165.

But it is pretty wild that PSU starters live in a world where they could get sick or banged up and their sub steps in and challenges for a title without missing a beat.

Cael said he 'tweaked' his knee and would be out for a week or two after the injury. They made the injury to Davis sound worse.

I wouldn't be surprised if the writing was on the wall that Kasak was going to be the '57 and he went in, had it cleaned out(assuming it was a knee) in order to apply for the medical RS. 

I think Facundo could have been an AA this year at '57(assuming he could hold it...guessing that wasn't fun). But next year I would think Michigan would be the best place for him...assuming you can figure out the weights of the Mantanona Brothers. They look like studs...and tall. So '65/'74 seems like their future, so if '57 wasn't too tough, that makes sense for him. If it was...well, probably only a few schools who couldn't use him. 

[Boring]

I find it very interesting that few people seem to be considering that PSU has a lot tougher room than OSU does and that Welsh will definitely improve more there? Sure, there may be some NIL money involved, but maybe he's just doing the time honored transfer to a school where he'll get better? 

[BruceyB]

30 minutes ago, Boring said:

time honored transfer

Time honored? What?

[Kov88]

45 minutes ago, Boring said:

I find it very interesting that few people seem to be considering that PSU has a lot tougher room than OSU does and that Welsh will definitely improve more there? Sure, there may be some NIL money involved, but maybe he's just doing the time honored transfer to a school where he'll get better? 

It’s the fact that he played around with the idea of transferring mid season, got more money, made a post that Ohio state is his home, then still transferred at the end of the season

[JimmySpeaks]

4 minutes ago, Kov88 said:

It’s the fact that he played around with the idea of transferring mid season, got more money, made a post that Ohio state is his home, then still transferred at the end of the season

So he leveraged transferring to get more money while staying then leveraged it again when he did leave.  Sounds like he used the system the best he could. 

[wrestle87]

5 hours ago, 1032004 said:

Hopefully his redshirt strategy pays off better than Mason Manville’s.  I feel like he should still have eligibility, maybe he’ll transfer to ASU?

The only difference is Welsh has a demonstrated track record of success at the college level.

[BruceyB]

4 minutes ago, wrestle87 said:

The only difference is Welsh has a demonstrated track record of success at the college level.

We were talking about Facundo.. 

Edit: And Mason Manville.

RS warriors.

Edited Sunday at 02:02 AM by BruceyB

[Kov88]

18 minutes ago, JimmySpeaks said:

So he leveraged transferring to get more money while staying then leveraged it again when he did leave.  Sounds like he used the system the best he could. 

View it however you want, imagine if every wrestler “leveraged the system” every half semester….. looked dishonest to me

[BruceyB]

3 minutes ago, Kov88 said:

View it however you want, imagine if every wrestler “leveraged the system” every half semester….. looked dishonest to me

It's just unmitigated free agency. It's disappointing, but it's hard to fault wrestlers making the best training/financial decisions for themselves. It deeply saddens me, but they aren't breaking rules because there are essentially no rules at this point. 

[JimmySpeaks]

5 minutes ago, Kov88 said:

View it however you want, imagine if every wrestler “leveraged the system” every half semester….. looked dishonest to me

Then it’s on the ncaa to implement a rule that if you take money and stay you have to give it back if you leave.  Until then it’s not dishonest.  

[wrestle87]

I agree this is dilutive for the fan experience, but as a very mediocre former college wrestler who had the pleasure of a few rather involved surgeries thanks to competing at the college level, I think it is fantastic these athletes can actually get compensated for their effort now.

Cutting 20 lbs three times a week all season f*cking sucks, and is worth more than a pat on the back.

For as long as they are allowed, they should build whatever future for themselves they can.

[ionel]

4 minutes ago, JimmySpeaks said:

Then it’s on the ncaa to implement a rule that if you take money and stay you have to give it back if you leave.  Until then it’s not dishonest.  

But that would not be NIL then.  Your image value doesn't dissappear because you move.  That would be more like pay to play and surely no one is doing that.  

[Kov88]

5 minutes ago, JimmySpeaks said:

Then it’s on the ncaa to implement a rule that if you take money and stay you have to give it back if you leave.  Until then it’s not dishonest.  

There does seem like there needs to be stricter rules, not exactly sure how they go about that….. but yeah posting, “Ohio state is home, I’m staying home, go bucks”, then leaving a few months later does seem dishonest to me