Is PJ Duke redshirting next year? Why?

[Caveira]

2 hours ago, NYupstate said:

Is it also morally bankrupt to hold a boy back in elementary school to allow for cognitive and emotional development? The data are very clear being "old" for the grade results in better academic success. 

I don't see how holding back for athletics is any different than holding back for academics, and many, many parents choose to slow their boy's passage through elementary school for academic reasons. Heck, there is a movement afoot to make it standard practice to start boys a year later than girls.

Why Boys Should Start School a Year Later Than Girls - The Atlantic

If you’ve chosen not to attend 8th grade and plan to stay home playing video games instead, this is considered truancy—not homeschooling—and is illegal under Illinois law (and most U.S. states). Here's why:

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1. Compulsory Education Laws

• In Illinois, children aged 7–16 must attend school, whether public, private, or properly registered homeschool 

[Caveira]

23 minutes ago, Caveira said:

 

If you’ve chosen not to attend 8th grade and plan to stay home playing video games instead, this is considered truancy—not homeschooling—and is illegal under Illinois law (and most U.S. states). Here's why:

---

1. Compulsory Education Laws

• In Illinois, children aged 7–16 must attend school, whether public, private, or properly registered homeschool 

Same in Arizona fyi

[Caveira]

10 hours ago, scourge165 said:

How did Bassett become such an old Jr?

 

And that's SO pathetic. An 8th grade kid...so you're ~13 when you make the decision(so it's NOT your decision) and you're "morally bankrupt?"

You hurt a kid, you're morally bankrupt, you scam people, you steal money, you're morally bankrupt. You are a small 8th grader and you re-do 8th grade PURELY for athletic reason and it sure as hell does NOT mean you're "morally bankrupt." 

1) for the 97th time he didn’t re do 8th grade.  He skipped it to train and play video games.  
2) the child isn’t morally bankrupt.   He is a child.  A minor.  A 12/13 year old can’t make decisions like that.  His parents or guardian are wrong here.   
3) statistically speaking.  Downgrading academic development for a sport at that age is beyond moronic.  Statistically you will not make it in sports and don’t have enough information at 11/12/13 years old to know so.     Especially a non revenue sport at the time…. And even the same if it was a non revenue sport.  
 

de prioritizing academics at that age is what gets you degree in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management.

 

[billyhoyle]

On 6/15/2025 at 6:21 PM, Hilton Head Joe said:

I think redshirting in general should be taken away. Also no more double holdbacks. Especially in the top prep schools. Most are a minimum of one year hold backs. Some are close to three years after they take a post graduate year. So as a red shirt freshman some if these kids/men are 22 years old! It simple is not right. Guys like Duke and Forrest would be 3 timers instead of 4 timers. I wish they would reign this practice in. Then half of the low level D1 guys who are sometimes only 17 are wrestling full grown men. So unfair man. 

But with all that said PSU is another problem. Like a dang monopoly. Senior world team members should not be redshirting. Go to another freaking team man!  

In the world of paying college athletes, we are more likely to see all eligibility rules taken away where athletes can compete as long as they want while taking as few classes as they want, than we are to see redshirts taken away.  

Although of course I agree with you. Redshirts stopped making sense 30 years ago. 

[BruceyB]

10 hours ago, Caveira said:

1) for the 97th time he didn’t re do 8th grade.  He skipped it to train and play video games.  
2) the child isn’t morally bankrupt.   He is a child.  A minor.  A 12/13 year old can’t make decisions like that.  His parents or guardian are wrong here.   
3) statistically speaking.  Downgrading academic development for a sport at that age is beyond moronic.  Statistically you will not make it in sports and don’t have enough information at 11/12/13 years old to know so.     Especially a non revenue sport at the time…. And even the same if it was a non revenue sport.  
 

de prioritizing academics at that age is what gets you degree in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management.

 

You are missing a large part of the point. It isn't about monetization, and it isn't about having a "competitive advantage." Most of the kids that do a hold back year are too small to compete at 106lbs as a freshman. Many of these kids get into the sport at 5-8 years old and set a goal of being a 4x state champion, and to go on to be a competitive college wrestler. Puberty/growth spurts range greatly in males, and if a kid hasn't hit a growth spurt to be competitive at 106lbs as a freshman, and he and his parents decide to skip a year so that he can have a chance to reach his goals, what is the big deal? Bo Bassett specifically is not someone that has achieved "physical matureness" over his opponents. I don't think he even has to shave other than maybe a few whisps on the chin. 

This is especially common in the lighter weights. I never once shaved in high school, and I didn't have hair in my armpits my senior year. And as I said in a previous post, I was "old" for my grade with a September birthday. I had teammates shaving before matches in junior high. Age isn't the advantage, it's about physical development which happens at various ages for each individual. 

And lastly, these kids.. even if that graduate at 20.. they will have college and then 45+ years of being in the working world. Just let them enjoy athletics and let's stop nitpicking about birthdays. Sheesh.

[Caveira]

2 minutes ago, BruceyB said:

You are missing a large part of the point. It isn't about monetization, and it isn't about having a "competitive advantage." Most of the kids that do a hold back year are too small to compete at 106lbs as a freshman. Many of these kids get into the sport at 5-8 years old and set a goal of being a 4x state champion, and to go on to be a competitive college wrestler. Puberty/growth spurts range greatly in males, and if a kid hasn't hit a growth spurt to be competitive at 106lbs as a freshman, and he and his parents decide to skip a year so that he can have a chance to reach his goals, what is the big deal? Bo Bassett specifically is not someone that has achieved "physical matureness" over his opponents. I don't think he even has to shave other than maybe a few whisps on the chin. 

This is especially common in the lighter weights. I never once shaved in high school, and I didn't have hair in my armpits my senior year. And as I said in a previous post, I was "old" for my grade with a September birthday. I had teammates shaving before matches in junior high. Age isn't the advantage, it's about physical development which happens at various ages for each individual. 

And lastly, these kids.. even if that graduate at 20.. they will have college and then 45+ years of being in the working world. Just let them enjoy athletics and let's stop nitpicking about birthdays. Sheesh.

I was a state placer at 87 lbs in 8th grade.  I could have “cut” to  84 and done better imo but our 84 lber won start that year and the year before.  Point is I was small.   I was an undersized 103 pound wrestler freshmen year in high school.  I cut zero and had to try to gain weight.   Wrestled varsity… got to state and didn’t place freshmen year.  
 

I’m not missing a large part of the point.  I get it and I don’t agree with you.  

[BruceyB]

4 minutes ago, Caveira said:

I was a state placer at 87 lbs in 8th grade.  I could have “cut” to  84 and done better imo but our 84 lber won start that year and the year before.  Point is I was small.   I was an undersized 103 pound wrestler freshmen year in high school.  I cut zero and had to try to gain weight.   Wrestled varsity… got to state and didn’t place freshmen year.  
 

I’m not missing a large part of the point.  I get it and I don’t agree with you.  

That's valid, and I'll respect your opinion. From my point of view, high school wrestling was the most fun I ever had as an athlete, and most of my closest friends to this day are old high school teammates. I would absolutely encourage my son to make the most out of his high school competitive years, because as you said, there likely isn't a lucrative end in this sport. Be as competitive as you can in high school and hopefully college. A hold back isn't going to make you a greater wrestler or human, but it might allow you to have more enjoyment out of the last competitive years as a high school athlete. 

[Wrasslin]

Tangentially (sort of), I can't help but think the ultimate hold back is Keith Richards (no, not that Keith Richards). Keith Richards won a state title as a junior in Oklahoma in 1991. He moved to CA for his senior year where he would lose in the finals at sections (tournament before state) to Casey Strand (anybody remember him? 2x AA for Arizona St). Anyway, Keith got his revenge two weeks later at state by beating Strand in the finals and winning a state championship in CA too as a senior, at the tender age of 17. 

He was then held back before entering college for 15 years, before finally enrolling in 2006 at Central Oklahoma (and wrestling) at the held-back age of 32. By that time, he had definitely matured. 

Keith Richards - Wrestling - University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

Edited 11 hours ago by Wrasslin