Jimmy Cinnabon

Nagao to Cornell probably makes the most sense

Yes that’s a quote from Mitchell.

There's an awful lot of bellyaching about how Penn State's recent "dominance" has ruined NCAA wrestling forever and how a NIL-salary cap needs to be imposed to ensure meaningful competition. But let's step back and realize that Cael's "dynasty" is a puny blip in comparison to the great Iowa and Oklahoma State dynasties. And was anyone complaining about those dynasties ruining the sport back then? No draconian rules were put in place in response to Iowa and Ok State's true dynasties and somehow the sport survived and evolved. There is nothing that needs to be done about Penn State's current run. Like all things, in time, it will run its course and another team will ascend the mountain. The Facts: Dan Gable's Hawkeyes won 15 national titles in 21 seasons, including 9 in a row from 1978-86. They also won Big Tens 21 years in a row! Oklahoma State wrestling has won a total of 34 national championships, including back-to-back titles from 1948-1949, 1958-1959, 1961- 1962, and 1989-1990 as well as consecutive titles from 1928-1931, 1933-1935, 1937-1946, 1954-1956 and 2003-2006. Add in the single-year titles in 1964, 1966, 1968, 1971 and 1994, and you have the greatest wrestling program legacy of all time. Oklahoma State head coach John Smith has coached more NCAA champions than any active coach in college wrestling. Under his tenure, 32 athletes have finished on top of the podium. He's also coached more All-Americans than any active coach in the NCAA with a total of 134 place-winners. Ed Gallagher, the Cowboys coach from 1916-1940, led his team to 19 undefeated season in 23 years, recording only two losses in the last nine seasons of his tenure. Oklahoma State is tied with Iowa for the longest unbeaten win streak. Both teams have won or tied 84 duals in a row. Source: https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2020-07-29/oklahoma-state-wrestling-championships-history-statistics

We all know how vocal the Penn State roster can be about giving all the glory to God - see recent examples Bo Nickal, Jason Nolf, Greg Kerkvliet and most of all Aaron "No False Prophets" Brooks. But check out this recent quote from Penn State transferee Mitchell Mesenbrink about the "type of people he [wants] to be around every day": "They love wrestling but their only value isn’t in wrestling - they have God at the center of their life…they don’t place winning over everything.” Clearly Penn State's religious culture is a big draw for similar-thinking recruits. By contrast I don't hear the same religious fervor at teams like Iowa. Could this be hurting them with elite recruits, who are often very devout in their religious practices?

Well known fact that Cael doesn’t give full scholarships to anyone

Iowa + Nagao + 3 Ferraris can beat Penn State

And he chose Penn State...surprising to say the least.

delete

add in easy access to firearms...

With Truax on board already...if Penn State lands Messenbrink and Nagao is the team title effectively decided (barring multiple season ending injuries)? I say yes, except if there are multiple redshirts taken like Starocci and Brooks.

I believe they didn't offer anything close to $250k. Truax only has 1 year left and his best finish is 4th. He isn't some primo transfer who has 2-3 years left and is expected to be a title contender immediately like Real Woods. I would offer Nagao more than I would offer Truax for the same reason...3 years eligible over 1 year is worth a lot of money.

I know a lot of Iowa fans are stunned that a (purported) $250,000 NIL offer to Bernie Truax wasn't enough to land him in Black and Gold. It seemed to be a perfect fit with Jacob Warner finally graduating and Iowa having a need at 197. However, the Nittany Lion in the room is that for recent high school grads and up and coming prospects currently in middle school and high school, it's not really about NIL money. The reason the best kids want to wrestle for Cael is obvious: the recent dominance of Penn State over the past 12 years. Penn State won the team title in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023. This is 10 championships out of the 12 contested (no championship in 2020 due to COVID-19), which is crazy. In the same span they have crowned 34 individual champions! It also helps many of their champs are highly visible and well known athletes, even after college - David Taylor with his Olympic Gold and Bo Nickal with his blossoming UFC career. You also have high visibility in guys like Carter Starocci who are very outspoken to the point of brashness and arrogance. Now think about any wrestler who is currently aged 13-18 -- in his entire life, he's basically only seen one team win NCAAs - Penn State. And it's winning over and over and over again in dominant, flashy fashion. And kids actually know who Cael is, not necessarily because he's way younger than other top head coaches like the Brands, Tom Ryan and John Smith, but because of what he's been able to accomplish at Penn State. So while I think NIL is a good idea, the cream of the crop talent will more often than not choose to wrestle at Penn State simply because they feel it's their best chance to win individual and team championships. I think teams like Iowa, Ohio State and Cornell will continue to do very well but they may need to offer 2x the NIL money of Penn State to convince the top guys to join them.

I would usually favor the incumbent champ, Ferrari, but with all of his legal troubles (felony criminal trial) even if Iowa throws a huge bag of money at him he will be distracted, wrestling only a partial season, and may have some rust on the Ferrari. So given all that I favor Brooks, despite his comparatively puny deadlift max.

That has to be enough to get it done. If that happens I predict Teske transfers BACK to Penn State (again).

Messenbrink is much smaller. 157 or 165.

I think he stays too based on how much he talked about loving his coaches at NCAAs.

I think Penn State only gets Cannon.

With Truax joining Penn State it seems Iowa's only hope at a team title next year is to land ALL the Ferraris, including AJ. If Nagao joins Penn State it may not even matter... The Brands Bros better be kissing some tanned Italian butts these days...

Iowa must be shocked that $250,000 didn't get it done

Did I miss it or did nothing happen?

Truax couldn't say no to the big bag of $250,000 offered by the Brands Bros.

Better historical success with lightweights, best lightweight coaches in the Brands bros, Iowa is culturally more similar to Minnesota than Pennsylvania, no competing 133 transfer (e.g. Chris Cannon) interested...

https://twitter.com/MatScouts1/status/1646967856154791957?s=20