Virginia Tech next year

[HokieDave87]

46 minutes ago, VTDante said:

Highly doubt Robie is going anywhere but let’s play along. 

Robie takes the Iowa job. VT AD would offer the HC job to Frayer. Tanelli would likely get a big bump and leave for Iowa City if Iowa allows Robie to build his own staff.

Good chance the VT Athletic Dept would give more resources to Robie if there is war for his services. We couldn’t compete with a potential Iowa offer, but the hope is Robie would stay for less as long as there is an increased commitment to the program. Frayer would likely get the same kind of support in the event we lose Robie.

Good chance Frayer keeps most of the middleweights including Caleb which is the strength of the lineup. Maybe Iowa would poach lighter weights with Tanelli. Doubt Robie would take Haught, so the upper weights would stay in Blacksburg. 

Also, Robie would go the Dresser route and not gut the program like Brands did. 

This is as likely as the Hawkeye report rumors that Caleb was going to be their 149 of the future 

[GimJustafan]

 

[VAtoSC]

Robie isn't going anywhere.

I get the rumors about Miller going early like Jax but from what I have heard that isn't a real possibility right now due to academics (he is not an academic liability at all, just hasn't taken enough credits yet to graduate early). Now this could change with online courses, but I wouldn't count on it.

Next Year

125- Ventresca : should be top 4

133- Seidel : National Champ contender and easily top 3-4 depending who stays 133 or goes 141 (one more year at 133 before bumping to 141 and Campbell slides back in at 133)

141-Bassett : Contender right away (one season at 141 before bumping to 149 as a sophomore)

149-Henson : National Title Favorite 

157-Ninninger : If Ninninger I see a Blood Round/Top 16 type guy. Gaj has AA potential.(Gaj redshirts)

165-Church or Transfer : Church is a solid NQ type, but to push further they may look at transfers.

174-Burton or Desiante : I originally thought this was Burton but Desiante has really improved as of late.

184-Bullock or Transfer : I know Bullock has one more year, but I had heard he wasn't going to use it. 

197-Sasso : With continued improvement he can be a high AA. Went reverse Samson-cut his hair and turned into a monster...

285-Mullen : Hasn't take the leap I thought he would, but probably a solid Top 16 guy again.

Team could be very very very good if healthy.

From a transfer standpoint I could absolutely see Jaxon Smith transferring at 184 due to his close relationship with Henson. Have also heard rumors of Joey Blaze at 165 due to his GF attending VT.

[Hokiefan13]

On 3/12/2026 at 2:20 PM, VAtoSC said:

Robie isn't going anywhere.

I get the rumors about Miller going early like Jax but from what I have heard that isn't a real possibility right now due to academics (he is not an academic liability at all, just hasn't taken enough credits yet to graduate early). Now this could change with online courses, but I wouldn't count on it.

Next Year

125- Ventresca : should be top 4

133- Seidel : National Champ contender and easily top 3-4 depending who stays 133 or goes 141 (one more year at 133 before bumping to 141 and Campbell slides back in at 133)

141-Bassett : Contender right away (one season at 141 before bumping to 149 as a sophomore)

149-Henson : National Title Favorite 

157-Ninninger : If Ninninger I see a Blood Round/Top 16 type guy. Gaj has AA potential.(Gaj redshirts)

165-Church or Transfer : Church is a solid NQ type, but to push further they may look at transfers.

174-Burton or Desiante : I originally thought this was Burton but Desiante has really improved as of late.

184-Bullock or Transfer : I know Bullock has one more year, but I had heard he wasn't going to use it. 

197-Sasso : With continued improvement he can be a high AA. Went reverse Samson-cut his hair and turned into a monster...

285-Mullen : Hasn't take the leap I thought he would, but probably a solid Top 16 guy again.

Team could be very very very good if healthy.

From a transfer standpoint I could absolutely see Jaxon Smith transferring at 184 due to his close relationship with Henson. Have also heard rumors of Joey Blaze at 165 due to his GF attending VT.

Any idea is Massoma Endene has any connection to VT? I have no insider information, just speaking as a fan I would love to see Robie go after him to help boost the top end of our lineup.

As far as Bullock, I sat with his parents at the UNC dual and, at that time, they said he would be back at tech again next season.

I would love to see Joey Blaze or Jaxon join the lineup but aside from the connection for both I’m not to sure either of them have any plans to transfer.

[creek chub]

17 hours ago, Hokiefan13 said:

Any idea is Massoma Endene has any connection to VT? I have no insider information, just speaking as a fan I would love to see Robie go after him to help boost the top end of our lineup.

As far as Bullock, I sat with his parents at the UNC dual and, at that time, they said he would be back at tech again next season.

I would love to see Joey Blaze or Jaxon join the lineup but aside from the connection for both I’m not to sure either of them have any plans to transfer.

That’s interesting about Blaze’s girlfriend. He’d be a huge asset at 165. Still holding out hope Smith makes the move from Maryland to VT but haven’t seen him hit the portal yet. It looks like Desiante is bumping to 84. He’s definitely got the frame to add some mass and he looked bigger than Bullock to me. 

[Hokiefan13]

On 4/5/2026 at 7:09 PM, creek chub said:

That’s interesting about Blaze’s girlfriend. He’d be a huge asset at 165. Still holding out hope Smith makes the move from Maryland to VT but haven’t seen him hit the portal yet. It looks like Desiante is bumping to 84. He’s definitely got the frame to add some mass and he looked bigger than Bullock to me. 

Do you happen to know when entry to the portal close for wrestling? I know players will have basically till fall enrollment to transfer one they are in but I can’t seem to find the portal deadline for wrestling?

[creek chub]

2 minutes ago, Hokiefan13 said:

Do you happen to know when entry to the portal close for wrestling? I know players will have basically till fall enrollment to transfer one they are in but I can’t seem to find the portal deadline for wrestling?

I’m honestly not sure how the process works. Possibly open for a month but not sure 

[creek chub]

4 minutes ago, Hokiefan13 said:

Do you happen to know when entry to the portal close for wrestling? I know players will have basically till fall enrollment to transfer one they are in but I can’t seem to find the portal deadline for wrestling?

The VT board has a post that VT is in the running for Stanford’s fantastic four. I think this is in reference to a social media post of some kind. I believe they said a deal would be finalized in about a week 

[Hokiefan13]

On 3/1/2026 at 5:55 PM, Dan-by Taco said:

I agree, at this point Melvin is ideal at 57, that is one reason I don't think he comes out early.  I think he trains in Blacksburg quite a bit but will stay in school.  No inside knowledge, just an educated guess.  Yes, Nininger is a guy some don't think about but he is said to be really solid.  You'll see some form of bulk job or mixture of Gaj/Burton in the lineup.  I used to think Bo goes 41 and Caleb goes 49 again, but with the heavy concentration of talent toward the light/middle, by bumping a few up, it might get another good one in the lineup.  Being an all in year at VT, Seidel will need to be in play, I'm guessing 41 since he's long but great "problems" to have down there.  

From what Tony Robie has said himself, Aaron Seidel is already having a real hard cut to make 133 and isn’t sure if he is going to be able to stay 133 next year. Tony would like Caleb to go 157 but won’t make him do anything he doesn’t want to. Caleb has said multiple times he is coming back at 149. Tony has also said he doesn’t think Melvin next year is a possibility (simply doesn’t have the credits to graduate early and also thinks his parents are wanting him to have 1 more year in high school). Unfortunately we are just gonna have to sit and wait till fall to see what the lineup looks like

[AlderPeak]

14 minutes ago, Hokiefan13 said:

From what Tony Robie has said himself, Aaron Seidel is already having a real hard cut to make 133 and isn’t sure if he is going to be able to stay 133 next year. Tony would like Caleb to go 157 but won’t make him do anything he doesn’t want to. Caleb has said multiple times he is coming back at 149. Tony has also said he doesn’t think Melvin next year is a possibility (simply doesn’t have the credits to graduate early and also thinks his parents are wanting him to have 1 more year in high school). Unfortunately we are just gonna have to sit and wait till fall to see what the lineup looks like

I think Seidel not making 133 next season is a serious consideration, albeit one not set in stone since that's six months away.  But there's been rumors about a top 133 recruit possibly switching to VT (Nicholas Garcia) and he's one that could start next season as a true freshman if Seidel doesn't make weight.  I think those rumors lend some credence to the thought that Dillon Campbell's injury concerns (neck) may still be a lingering issue come next season. Now, the Garcia thing could be completely separate from Seidel and Campbell and just be standard recruiting, but if you're Robie, why go after a flip this late in the ballgame unless you have a pressing need for next year?  Curious to see if VT gets mentioned with 133 transfers, as well. Just the fact that they're sniffing around that weight could say something about Seidel's weight and Campbell's injury.

[Hokiefan13]

On 4/7/2026 at 11:43 AM, AlderPeak said:

I think Seidel not making 133 next season is a serious consideration, albeit one not set in stone since that's six months away.  But there's been rumors about a top 133 recruit possibly switching to VT (Nicholas Garcia) and he's one that could start next season as a true freshman if Seidel doesn't make weight.  I think those rumors lend some credence to the thought that Dillon Campbell's injury concerns (neck) may still be a lingering issue come next season. Now, the Garcia thing could be completely separate from Seidel and Campbell and just be standard recruiting, but if you're Robie, why go after a flip this late in the ballgame unless you have a pressing need for next year?  Curious to see if VT gets mentioned with 133 transfers, as well. Just the fact that they're sniffing around that weight could say something about Seidel's weight and Campbell's injury.

Going to be interesting to see how things hash out if true. Caleb sounds like he is set being 149. If Seidel can’t make 133 that mean we will have Seidel and Bassett at 141 for next year. Do we really redshirt one of them? Are either of them okay redshirting? Is it possible one of them jumps all the way to 157? Things would seem so simple if Caleb would just move to 157…

[creek chub]

1 hour ago, Hokiefan13 said:

Going to be interesting to see how things hash out if true. Caleb sounds like he is set being 149. If Seidel can’t make 133 that mean we will have Seidel and Bassett at 141 for next year. Do we really redshirt one of them? Are either of them okay redshirting? Is it possible one of them jumps all the way to 157? Things would seem so simple if Caleb would just move to 157…

Doubtful either one would bump to 57. Bo supposedly walks around mid 140’s. Not sure about Seidel’s weight but that’d be a 3 weight class jump. 

[WrestlingRash]

On 3/12/2026 at 11:20 AM, VAtoSC said:

Robie isn't going anywhere.

I get the rumors about Miller going early like Jax but from what I have heard that isn't a real possibility right now due to academics (he is not an academic liability at all, just hasn't taken enough credits yet to graduate early). Now this could change with online courses, but I wouldn't count on it.

Next Year

125- Ventresca : should be top 4

133- Seidel : National Champ contender and easily top 3-4 depending who stays 133 or goes 141 (one more year at 133 before bumping to 141 and Campbell slides back in at 133)

141-Bassett : Contender right away (one season at 141 before bumping to 149 as a sophomore)

149-Henson : National Title Favorite 

157-Ninninger : If Ninninger I see a Blood Round/Top 16 type guy. Gaj has AA potential.(Gaj redshirts)

165-Church or Transfer : Church is a solid NQ type, but to push further they may look at transfers.

174-Burton or Desiante : I originally thought this was Burton but Desiante has really improved as of late.

184-Bullock or Transfer : I know Bullock has one more year, but I had heard he wasn't going to use it. 

197-Sasso : With continued improvement he can be a high AA. Went reverse Samson-cut his hair and turned into a monster...

285-Mullen : Hasn't take the leap I thought he would, but probably a solid Top 16 guy again.

Team could be very very very good if healthy.

From a transfer standpoint I could absolutely see Jaxon Smith transferring at 184 due to his close relationship with Henson. Have also heard rumors of Joey Blaze at 165 due to his GF attending VT.

Seidel is not a NC contender. Henson is not a title favorite. Bassett hasn't wrestled a single college match so lets hold off on calling him a contender right away. Best case, 5 AAs. 

[CoachDoss11]

1 hour ago, WrestlingRash said:

Seidel is not a NC contender. Henson is not a title favorite. Bassett hasn't wrestled a single college match so lets hold off on calling him a contender right away. Best case, 5 AAs. 

Wow...drugs are powerful!

 

[WrestlingRash]

1 hour ago, CoachDoss11 said:

Wow...drugs are powerful!

 

rather than ad hominem attacks, tell me what you disagree with. Nobody is coming close to Jax. SVN and Valencia both back at 149. VTech will always be good not great. Its not in their genetic makeup to be champions at scale. 

[Tyler Perry]

On 4/7/2026 at 10:43 AM, AlderPeak said:

I think Seidel not making 133 next season is a serious consideration, albeit one not set in stone since that's six months away.  But there's been rumors about a top 133 recruit possibly switching to VT (Nicholas Garcia) and he's one that could start next season as a true freshman if Seidel doesn't make weight.  I think those rumors lend some credence to the thought that Dillon Campbell's injury concerns (neck) may still be a lingering issue come next season. Now, the Garcia thing could be completely separate from Seidel and Campbell and just be standard recruiting, but if you're Robie, why go after a flip this late in the ballgame unless you have a pressing need for next year?  Curious to see if VT gets mentioned with 133 transfers, as well. Just the fact that they're sniffing around that weight could say something about Seidel's weight and Campbell's injury.

If Garcia leaves Illinois I’ll be very upset 

[Dan-by Taco]

I would say IF Seidel makes 33, a guy who had 90% bonus-ish, majored and shut out Ayala (yea I know he wasn't the runner up as in years past) but still very good and 5th, beat Blaze worse than Davino did and gave Jax his toughest test (in the dual) and finished 3rd would qualify as a "contender." 2 things, IF he makes 33 again, and hearing Jax to 41, would potentially make Seidel the favorite or a favorite along with Davino and a healthy Crookham? I might be forgetting someone.  I think calling Henson the favorite isn't way out of bounds.  I see the point that SVN is still there and Valencia but Henson already has a first and a 2nd to Ridge only losing 1-0 on an escape point.  OK, maybe not THE favorite but certainly one of a few likely finalists.  As far as Bo, I would put him in the top group immediately.  Too much of a track record beating the Valencia's, whether free or folk albeit close.  I understand the pump the brakes, hasn't wrestled a college match but I would put him immediately in the high AA contender already as he has beaten many top guys in the sport already and has wrestled in so many great competitions, anything short of high AA would be a surprise to me.

[HokieDave87]

12 hours ago, WrestlingRash said:

Seidel is not a NC contender. Henson is not a title favorite. Bassett hasn't wrestled a single college match so lets hold off on calling him a contender right away. Best case, 5 AAs. 

Seidel is absolutely a contender if he's in a weight class w/o Jax. Slightly agree on tempering the Bo hype but he's at minimum a high AA contender with multiple wins over a current national champ, and those aren't one-off great performances he does it all the time. Henson puts Valencia in his morning smoothie along with protein powder, a banana, a scoop of peanut butter, milk, and blends him up in about 90 seconds. He's the favorite, him and Ridge are a level above SVN/Valencia.

5 AA's is very realistic, best case is more like 7-8 assuming everything breaks the right way. We can't cap the best case scenario at 5 when we are 9 days into the portal season. Even with no additions a good run from Burton, Desiante, or Sasso could put them at 6. All 3 and you're looking at 8. 

[WrestlingRash]

4 hours ago, HokieDave87 said:

Seidel is absolutely a contender if he's in a weight class w/o Jax. Slightly agree on tempering the Bo hype but he's at minimum a high AA contender with multiple wins over a current national champ, and those aren't one-off great performances he does it all the time. Henson puts Valencia in his morning smoothie along with protein powder, a banana, a scoop of peanut butter, milk, and blends him up in about 90 seconds. He's the favorite, him and Ridge are a level above SVN/Valencia.

5 AA's is very realistic, best case is more like 7-8 assuming everything breaks the right way. We can't cap the best case scenario at 5 when we are 9 days into the portal season. Even with no additions a good run from Burton, Desiante, or Sasso could put them at 6. All 3 and you're looking at 8. 

I love your optimism. Seidel will be 133 again, and 133 is not getting any easier. Top 4 best case for him but I suspect he is a 5/6 guys next year. Bo also has several losses, so again, lets hold off until we see him in a full college season to anoint him. His win over Joy looked good until Joy got exposed at NCAAs. Henson is great, but the field has improved. He is not a level above those guys. Either way, I hope they do well. It would be nice to see another team get competitive. 

[ceraIOI]

Seidel is in for 65kg at the open, and has talked about the cut being tough, so I'm not so sure he's locked for 33

[11986]

I'm thinking more and more we see 133-149 being Campbell/transfer - Bassett - Henson than it is we see Seidel - Bassett - Henson

[Dan-by Taco]

I think you'll see Seidel at 33 one more year.  That would be an optimal chance at being a finalist or national champ especially if Jax is 41. I understand the cut is said to be hard but he had plenty of tank throughout, although many matches ended early.  Then after Caleb graduates Seidel up to 41, and Bo to 49.  Next year for the all-in year,  I think he can pull it for the back to back to back Seidel, Bo, Caleb.  If Caleb wants to go 57, then it can all change.  

[Tyler Perry]

40 minutes ago, Dan-by Taco said:

I think you'll see Seidel at 33 one more year.  That would be an optimal chance at being a finalist or national champ especially if Jax is 41. I understand the cut is said to be hard but he had plenty of tank throughout, although many matches ended early.  Then after Caleb graduates Seidel up to 41, and Bo to 49.  Next year for the all-in year,  I think he can pull it for the back to back to back Seidel, Bo, Caleb.  If Caleb wants to go 57, then it can all change.  

Easy. Cut the weight,get a take down, then ride on top and turn the rest of the match. Can’t get tired if you sit on top the whole match 

[HokieDave87]

1 hour ago, WrestlingRash said:

I love your optimism. Seidel will be 133 again, and 133 is not getting any easier. Top 4 best case for him but I suspect he is a 5/6 guys next year. Bo also has several losses, so again, lets hold off until we see him in a full college season to anoint him. His win over Joy looked good until Joy got exposed at NCAAs. Henson is great, but the field has improved. He is not a level above those guys. Either way, I hope they do well. It would be nice to see another team get competitive. 

Seidel finished 3rd and dominated Blaze, if Jax goes 141 he can beat anybody - not necessarily the favorite but certainly a contender. He's as proven as Crookham and he was a true freshman, he's only getting better. Henson wasn't just sitting on his thumbs he was improving as well, he's wrestling better now than he ever has from what I'm hearing. Ridge and Caleb are better than SVN/Valencia IMO. We can agree to disagree on that. 

Joy got "exposed" by VT's own likely 157 All-American. I think Bo is an immediate AA and that's tough to argue. National title contender is a big ask year 1 though. 

[WrestlingRash]

50 minutes ago, HokieDave87 said:

Seidel finished 3rd and dominated Blaze, if Jax goes 141 he can beat anybody - not necessarily the favorite but certainly a contender. He's as proven as Crookham and he was a true freshman, he's only getting better. Henson wasn't just sitting on his thumbs he was improving as well, he's wrestling better now than he ever has from what I'm hearing. Ridge and Caleb are better than SVN/Valencia IMO. We can agree to disagree on that. 

Joy got "exposed" by VT's own likely 157 All-American. I think Bo is an immediate AA and that's tough to argue. National title contender is a big ask year 1 though. 

Bassett has all the upside of any prospect wrestling has ever seen. That said, there is a longer list of prospects who didn't pan out vs. those who did. Despite the joy I get from trolling TNWrestling on here, I concede Bassett appears to be special. Like I said, I hope VTech crashes the party and scores max points at NCAAs.