Weekend Recruiting Campus Visit Round-Up (9/9/25)
The fall visit season was in full swing last weekend, which coincided with some marquee college football games on the docket. Big games usually mean big recruiting weekends! Some high-profile wrestlers were on the road to explore new programs and perhaps find that perfect fit.
One of the things that makes following the recruiting process fun is the cloak-and-dagger secrecy surrounding certain aspects of it. For every Bo Bassett who routinely keeps the public informed on recruiting decisions, there are plenty of others who don’t discuss it as much. Therefore, it can be difficult to follow which recruit is interested in which school and vice versa. I suppose it’s fun, but you’re left wanting more!
To help our fan base feel more knowledgeable about the process, we’ll feature a weekly column that recaps the recruiting weekend. Who has visited where? Maybe some background information on the recruits or the process from the school.
Here’s last weekend's article: 8/30, along with the previous week
If we've missed a recruit or you'd like to provide info on future visits, please let me know: earl@matscouts.com
Appalachian State
Blake Bartos (Medina Buckeye, OH) - 2026
It was a busy weekend for Blake Bartos, who went to Appalachian State after traveling to another school we’ll mention later. Bartos is a two-time Ohio DII state finalist. He was a champion as a sophomore and a runner-up at 132 lbs in 2025.
Brown
#29 Ronan An (North Cobb, GA)
Alex Bajores (Wyoming Seminary, PA) - 2026
#133 Ray Fitzgerald (Malvern Prep, PA)
Cole Lemovitz (Ponaganset, RI)
#89 Evan Stanley (Lowell, IN)
Gregory Torosian (Birmingham, CA)
For the second straight week, Brown had a good-sized group in Providence. The list has three Big Boarder’s on it, but it’s led by UWW U17 freestyle and Fargo Junior freestyle All-American, Ronan An. This was his first visit. The other Big Boarder’s are two-time Indiana state medalist #89 Evan Stanley and National Prep All-American #133 Ray Fitzgerald. Of note, on the other recruits, Alex Bajores is doing a post-graduate year at Wyoming Seminary and is a 2026 recruit. Gregory Torosian has already taken a visit to Army West Point.
Bucknell
Brady Brown (Derry Area, PA)
#35 Greyson Music (Bishop McDevitt, PA)
#115 Bradley Wagner (Mifflinburg, PA)
Last weekend, Brady Brown and Greyson Music visited Pitt together; this weekend, they got back together at Bucknell. Music is a two-time PA state placewinner and Brown made the finals of the UWW U17 Trials, a few months after getting on the PA medal stand for the first time.
We mentioned Bradley Wagner’s name in each of the last two weeks. He has been busy traveling to Lock Haven and Brown before Bucknell. Like Lock Haven, Bucknell is very close to home for the two-time Pennsylvania medalist.
Clarion
Abai Beishembiev (West Springfield, VA) - 2026
We’re still trying to figure out the complete list of recruits that Clarion had in over the weekend. One we know is two-time Virginia 6A state qualifier Abai Beishembiev. Clarion has already gotten a commitment from one Virginia wrestler in the Class of 2026 (Bryce Schnelzer).
Columbia
#37 Mikey Batista (Blair Academy, NJ)
Tyler Neiva (Greens Farms Academy, CT) - 2026
Cody Pritzlaff (Watchung Hills, NJ) - 2026
It’s no surprise that a very New Jersey-centric coaching staff is reaching into Jersey for talent. The ranked wrestler in this crew is Mikey Batista, a National Prep runner-up in 2025. Tyler Neiva was sixth at National Preps and earned a bronze medal in 2024 at the U17 Pan-American Championships representing Brazil. This is the first recruiting visit we’ve captured for Batista, Neiva, or Cody Pritzlaff.
Cornell
#9 Lucas Boe (Lake Highland Prep, FL)
#13 Gavin Mangano (Shoreham-Wading River, NY)
#28 Cam Sontz (Delbarton, NJ)
#117 Kai Vielma (Connellsville, PA)
#126 Jackson Weller (Delran, NJ)
Cornell had their second big recruiting weekend of the fall. It included three top 30 prospects and five big boarders total. #9 Lucas Boe already traveled to New York once this fall, as he visited Army West Point two weeks ago. Gavin Mangano, Cam Sontz, and Kai Vielma were all at North Carolina last week and Cornell this weekend. Jackson Weller definitely is looking at the Ivy League, as he spent last weekend at Penn.
Looking at recruiting patterns, though Cornell typically casts a wide net, they do well with New Jersey kids (particularly Delbarton), so it’s not a surprise to see some of these names associated with the Big Red. The same goes for in-state recruits and Florida.
Iowa State
#45 Maximus Dhabolt (Ankeny Centennial, IA)
#53 Grayson Fuchs (Detroit Central Catholic, MI)
#66 Roman Stewart (Liberty, MO)
Cale Vandermark (Ankeny Centennial, IA) - 2026
#38 Dawson Youngblut (Don Bosco, IA)
It was a huge weekend for Iowa State sports as the Cyclones defeated rival Iowa on the football field Saturday. The Cyclone wrestling team has been on a hot streak on the recruiting trail, as well. On Sunday night, #66 Roman Stewart committed to Kevin Dresser’s team shortly after his weekend visit. They also picked up two recruits from the Class of 2026.
Joining Stewart in Ames were Maximus Dhabolt, Grayson Fuchs, Cale Vandermark, and Dawson Youngblut. Dhabolt and Vandermark are high school teammates, with Vandermark being the older of the pair. Both were Iowa 3A finalists in 2025, with Dhabolt winning a title. We wrote about Dhabolt visiting Oklahoma last weekend.
The double 16U AA, Youngblut, has already taken a trip to Cornell this fall. This is the first visit on record for Fuchs, who was a 16U Fargo freestyle AA in 2024.
Little Rock
#43 Zach Aquila (Brecksville, OH)
#199 Brennan Warwick (Massillon Perry, OH) - 2026
It was an Ohio-themed recruiting weekend for Neil Erisman’s staff at Little Rock. Junior Zach Aquila is a two-time Fargo freestyle 16U All-American. This is the first recruit we have on file for Aquila. Senior Brennan Warwick was fifth in Ohio’s largest classification. He took a visit to Kent State last weekend and one to Indiana last fall.
Maryland
Blake Bartos (Medina, OH) - 2026
#76 Mason Horwat (Derry Area, PA)
#20 Brock Rothermel (Line Mountain, PA)
We already mentioned Blake Bartos once in this update, but he was also at Maryland. The Terps staff already has three Big Boarders locked in for 2026. Looking ahead to 2027, they brought in two of the top 100 prospects in the country. Brock Rothermel, a two-time top-three finisher in Junior freestyle in Fargo, would be an excellent get for the Maryland staff. Mason Horwat committed to Pitt (whom he visited last weekend) on Monday, so he’s likely out of the picture.
Mercyhurst
Nate Burchfiel (Rockwell Heath, TX) - 2026
Trevor DellaPenta (Eden, NY) - 2026
Danny Goodwin (St. Patrick, IL) - 2026
Clay Kimmy (General McLane, PA) - 2026
Logan Latimore (North East, PA) - 2026
Rocky Kowle (North East, PA) - 2026
Aiden Ohl (Ontario, OH) - 2026
Will Wortkoetter (St. Francis, NY) - 2026
New head coach Jimmy Overhiser is working hard at the newest DI wrestling program. Among the big group he brought in last weekend are three local kids, Clay Kimmy, Logan Latimore, and Rocky Kowle. Of the bunch, Kimmy is a returning state medalist, having placed eighth at the AA tournament.
Danny Goodwin has plenty of national-level credentials in Greco, including a Fargo Junior runner-up finish this summer. He was also a state runner-up in 2025.
Aiden Ohl has finished in the top three at the Ohio DII tournament in each of the last two years.
Nate Burchfiel was third in Texas’ 6A state tournament at 132 lbs last season.
Overhiser has been using his connections at home in New York and it’s shown, getting state medalists Trevor DellaPenta and Will Wortkoetter in town for visits. Before the weekend was up, Wortkoetter had de-committed from Army and committed to Mercyhurst. He’s the second member of the St. Francis team to commit to Overhiser.
Missouri
#2 Joe Bachmann (Faith Christian, PA)
Trey Craig (Christian Brothers, MO) - 2026
#52 Luke Hayden (Hickman, MO)
#25 Turner Ross (Edmond North, OK)
#91 Colin Rutlin (Christian Brothers, MO)
Missouri really turned the heat up with this crew. It was led by two-time Pennsylvania state champion and two-time U17 world medalist Joe Bachmann. Getting Bachmann would be one of Mizzou’s best signings ever! The other out-of-state visitor is Oklahoma’s Turner Ross. Ross was Junior freestyle champion this year in Fargo. He was a 16U runner-up in 2024.
The in-state recruits in Columbia were juniors Luke Hayden and Colin Rutlin, along with senior Trey Craig. Craig and Rutlin are high school teammates at Christian Brothers College in St. Louis. Rutlin also captured a stop sign this summer in Fargo. He won the 150 lb weight class in 16U freestyle. Craig was third at the state tournament in 2025.
Rutlin has also visited Oklahoma this fall.
Finally, we have Luke Hayden. Hayden was third at NHSCA Sophomores this spring, two months after winning his second state title in as many tries. Though this is his first visit, Missouri was one of 13 schools on Hayden’s initial recruiting list.
NC State
#24 Caleb Noble (Warren, IL)
#36 Kane Shawger (St. Xavier, OH)
#237 Isaiah Taylor (AIM Academy, PA)
NC State’s recruiting weekend featured a big man, a lightweight, and someone in between. The middleweight is Kane Shawger, who gave rival UNC a verbal commitment last night. The future 125 lber is Caleb Noble, a 2025 U17 World Team member in Greco-Roman. With potentially two more attempts available to him, Noble has already placed six times in Fargo. Heavyweight Isaiah Taylor was seventh at National Preps as a sophomore.
Nebraska
#2 Bo Bassett (Bishop McCort, PA) - 2026
#1 Melvin Miller (Bishop McCort, PA)
#11 Clinton Shephard (Crown Point, IN)
The Cornhuskers stole the recruiting spotlight this weekend as they hosted the top available junior and senior in the country - Bo Bassett and younger brother Melvin Miller. Each dominated on their way to Junior freestyle titles in Fargo this year - amongst other honors. This was the first official visit for Bassett since decommitting from Iowa. We’re not entirely sure whether Bassett/Miller is a package deal, but it seems that way.
Nebraska had another massive prospect in town with two-time Fargo finalist Clinton Shepherd. Shepherd made the Junior freestyle finals this summer, which is an excellent sign for a rising junior.
Oklahoma
#3 Sonny Amato (Rumson-Fair Haven, NJ)
#42 Mac Crosson (Indianola, IA)
#58 Slater Hicks (Valencia, CA)
#14 Max Konopka (Simsbury, CT)
Oklahoma had another big group this weekend and the recruits were treated to a Saturday night non-conference football game against Michigan. This crew featured four of the top 60 juniors in the nation - and it truly was a group from all over the country. Sonny Amato and Max Konopka from the northeast, Slater Hicks from the West Coast, and Iowa’s Mac Crosson.
Amato recently trimmed his recruiting list down to four schools with Oklahoma joining Iowa, Iowa State, and Virginia Tech. The New Jersey state champion has already taken a visit to Iowa State.
The Oklahoma staff will have to work to pry the two-time NHSCA grade-level champion, Konopka, away from NC State. The Connecticut native visited Raleigh last week and the Wolfpack has a track record with wrestlers from the Nutmeg State.
California’s Slater Hicks has been busy over the last month or so. During that time, the three-time Fargo All-American has taken visits to Arizona State and NC State.
This is the first visit we have reported for Iowa state champion Mac Crosson. Back in 2022, Cross won a Fargo 16U freestyle title at 88 lbs.
Pittsburgh
#4 Landon Sidun (Norwin, PA)
It’s been a great couple of days on the recruiting trail for Pitt. They are now the only program to have three verbal commitments from Class of 2027 prospects. Keeping #4 overall Landon Sidun at home would be the cherry on top. Sidun, after winning a PA state title as a freshman, Sidun claimed championships at the Beast, the Powerade, and Doc B, as a sophomore; however, he did not compete in the postseason.
Purdue
Kyler Walters (Shakopee, MN) - 2026
Purdue already has a huge group committed in the Class of 2026, but the staff isn’t slowing down. They already have verbals from five of the top 112 prospects in the country. Over the weekend, they hosted Minnesota AAA state runner-up Kyler Walters.
Utah Valley
Ian Avalos (Mountain View, ID)
Brand’n Edstrom (Madison, ID)
#18 Shamus Regan (Wyoming Seminary, PA)
Utah Valley continues to work hard on the recruiting trail. Their latest recruiting group featured a potentially massive “get” in #18 Shemus Regan. Regan is a two-time 16U freestyle champion and placed at the Ironman, Powerade and UWW U17’s last season.
It’s no surprise that the Wolverines dipped into head coach Adam Hall’s home state to take a look at two-time state runner’s-up Ian Avalos and Brand’n Edstrom.
Virginia Tech
#7 Mario Carini (Poway, CA)
#12 Paul Kenny (Christian Brothers, NJ)
#19 Gabe Logan (Delbarton, NJ)
#27 Nick Singer (Faith Christian, PA)
#31 Lukas Zalota (Malvern Prep, PA)
Lost in the hype surrounding Nebraska this weekend was the group that Virginia Tech had in town. Five of the top 31 juniors. New Jersey and Pennsylvania have been usual recruiting spots for the Hokie staff and they have been working there in a major way.
They also ventured out west to California’s Mario Carini. Carini placed at the Super 32 prior to last school year and was a finalist at the Doc Buchanan before pulling an upset to win a state title. Carini has also visited Cornell earlier this cycle.
The New Jersey contingent includes U17 world champion Paul Kenny and Gabe Logan. Kenny nearly made his second world team this spring. He then went on to take third in Junior freestyle in Fargo. Logan was a 16U Fargo freestyle finalist in 2024 and a Greco champion in 2023. This is the first visit on file for both.
From PA is state and Junior freestyle champion Nick Singer and Lukas Zalota got on the podium at the Ironman, Beast, and Powerade as a sophomore heavyweight. Last weekend, Singer visited Ohio State. Two weeks ago, Zalota was at West Point.
VMI
#94 Brenden Agcaoili (SLAM Academy, NV) - 2026
Ben Aguilar (Mountain View, VA) - 2026
Jared Goodson (Poquoson, VA) - 2026
Lincoln Kelley (Loudoun County, VA) - 2026
Rudy Wagner (Cox, VA) - 2026
VMI is still focused on the Class of 2026 and had a top 100 recruit in Lexington, along with some decorated in-state recruits. Nevada native Brenden Agcaoili is a two-time UWW U17 freestyle All-American and a double Fargo 16U All-American.
The Virginia portion of this group features multi-time state champions Jared Goodson (x3), Lincoln Kelley (x2), and Rudy Wagner (x2). Ben Aguilar has been a runner-up and a third-place finisher.
Goodson has already taken visits to George Mason and Roanoke.
After last week’s article was posted, we learned that #34 Max Fortier had taken a visit to the Naval Academy
