InterMat Staff

Cumberland

Edmond North

Two weeks ago marked the release of our recruiting class rankings and last week we followed those up with five schools that earned honorable mentions. So, we’re all finished with the Class of 2023 recruiting? Not quite. We’ve drilled down a bit and looked further into each conference for more recruiting information. With some of the traditional superpowers consistently atop national recruiting rankings, this will be a way for more schools to get recognized for their recruiting efforts. We’re saving the best for last as we look into the Big Ten, a conference that accounted for nine of the top-25 schools in InterMat’s Class of 2023 recruiting rankings. Before getting to the Big Ten, here are links to the conferences already covered: ACC Big 12 EIWA MAC Pac-12 SoCon Big Ten on the 2023 Big Board Illinois: #10 Kannon Webster (Washington, IL), #30 Braeden Scoles (Kewaskum, WI), #60 Will Baysinger (Prospect, IL), #113 Chris Moore (McHenry, IL), #179 Logan Swaw (Lockport, IL) Indiana: #59 Sam Goin (Crown Point, IN), #151 Bryce Lowery (Roncalli, IN), #165 Cheaney Schoeff (Avon, IN) Iowa: #6 Ben Kueter (City High, IA), #19 Gable Arnold (City High, IA), #26 Ryder Block (Waverly-Shell Rock, IA), #64 Kale Peterson (West Fork, IA) Maryland: #25 Dario Lemus (Clovis, CA) Michigan: #7 Beau Mantanona (Palm Desert, CA), #11 Sergio Lemley (Mt. Carmel, IL), #14 Joel Adams (Millard South, NE), #16 Dylan Gilcher (Detroit CC, MI), #38 Caden Horwath (Davison, MI), #51 Hayden Walters (Crescent Valley, OR) Michigan State: #98 Luke Vanadia (Brecksville, OH), #121 Remy Cotton (Davison, MI), #129 Max Vanadia (Brecksville, OH), #163 Dy’Vaire Van Dyke (Walsh Jesuit, OH) Minnesota: #15 Max McEnelly (Waconia, MN), #20 Gavin Nelson (Simley, MN), #145 Ethan Riddle (Germantown, WI), #180 Brandon Morvari (Simley, MN) Nebraska: #41 Ethan Stiles (Conant, IL), #44 Camden McDanel (Teays Valley, OH), #52 Weston Dalton (Pueblo East, CO), #66 Alan Koehler (Prior Lake, MN), #79 Kael Lauridsen (Bennington, NE), #94 Christopher Minto (Mariner, FL), #114 Matthew Moore (Mesa Ridge, CO) Northwestern: #58 Sam Cartella (Hudson, OH), #97 Jake Bostelman (Ponderosa, CO), #191 Dedrick Navarro (Nampa, ID) Ohio State: #3 Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg, PA), #22 Ryder Rogotzke (Stillwater, MN), #33 Vinny Kilkeary (Greater Latrobe, PA), #35 Brandon Cannon (Ponderosa, CO), #53 Brock Herman (Brecksville, OH) Penn State: #4 Josh Barr (Davison, MI), #9 Tyler Kasak (Doylestown, PA), #46 Braeden Davis (Dundee, MI), #93 Cael Nasdeo (Williamsport, PA), #175 Brendan Wentzel (Montoursville, PA) Purdue: #17 Joey Blaze (Perrysburg, OH), #29 Greyson Clark (Kaukauna, WI), #118 Orlando Cruz (Crown Point, IN), #177 Ashton Jackson (Portage, IN) Wisconsin: #31 Zan Fugitt (Nixa, MO), #82 Lucas Condon (Poway, CA), #115 Dylan Russo (Olentangy Liberty, OH), #126 Julian George (Christian Brothers, NJ) The Big Ten is a conference that stands alone from the other six DI leagues. Nowhere is that more evident than in recruiting. While most other conferences saw some sort of drop from 2022 to 2023 in recruiting Big Boarder’s the Big Ten rose…significantly. In 2022, 40 of the top 250 high schoolers chose one of the 14 schools in the Big Ten. This year 55 of the top 200 chose the B1G! With NIL becoming more widespread, I’d guess that this number only increases going forward. Not only did the Big Ten dominate on sheer numbers, their member schools signed an incredible amount of top-end talent. 13 of the top 20 recruits in the Class of 2023 chose Big Ten schools. Just under half of the top-50 (24) signed with a Big Ten school. 12 different schools signed at least one recruit in the top-60 nationally. Top Transfers Indiana: Danny Fongaro (via Columbia) Iowa: Michael Caliendo (via North Dakota State), Jared Franek (via North Dakota State), Victor Voinovich (via Oklahoma State) Maryland: Seth Nevills (via Penn State) Michigan: Chris Cannon (via Northwestern), Lucas Davison (via Northwestern), Michael DeAugustino (via Northwestern), Shane Griffith (via Stanford) Nebraska: Owen Pentz (via North Dakota State), Caleb Smith (via Appalachian State) Penn State: Mitchell Mesenbrink (via California Baptist), Aaron Nagao (via Minnesota), Bernie Truax (via Cal Poly) Purdue: Joey Milano (via NC State), Marcos Polanco (via Minnesota), James Rowley (via Wisconsin) Rutgers: Jacob Butler (via Oklahoma), Mitch Moore (via Oklahoma), Yaraslau Slavikouski (via Harvard) Wisconsin: Max Maylor (via Michigan), Luke Mechler (via Oklahoma State) Another “sign of the times” is the amount and quality of wrestlers that went through the transfer portal during the spring/summer of 2023. The Big Ten would have been excellent, one way or another; however, the transfer portal saw the conference add four wrestlers that earned All-American honors in 2023 with schools from other conferences. Additionally, four more wrestlers shifted from one Big Ten school to another. Again, with NIL and more rules favoring student-athletes, this number could increase as we go forward. At the same time, one explanation for the incredible number of transfers within the last year or two has been the extra year of eligibility for wrestlers active in 2021. This has led to wrestlers graduating and looking for other academic opportunities not available at their original schools. Under-the-Radar Signees Illinois: Peter Marinopoulos (Marist, IL) Indiana: Joey Buttler (Whiteland Community, IN) Iowa: Koye Grebel (Valley City, SD) Maryland: Clayton Gabrielson (St. Mary’s Ryken, MD) Michigan: Amann Gulacha (Hillfield Strathallen, Ontario) Michigan State: Jaden Crumpler (Niagara Falls, NY) Minnesota: Rhett Koenig (Prairie du Chien, WI) Nebraska: Tanner Frothinger (Eagle, ID) Northwestern: Dirk Morley (Regis Jesuit, CO) Ohio State: Stephen O’Neil (Seton Hall Prep, NJ) Penn State: AJ Fricchione (Bergen Catholic, NJ) Purdue: Cole Solomey (Kankakee Valley, IN) Rutgers: Max Hermes (Milan Edison, OH) Wisconsin: Simon Kruse (St. Clair/Mankato Loyola, MN) As a reminder, this category features wrestlers non on the Big Board (Top 200 in 2023). For most conferences, it’s easy to identify recruits that fit into this category. For the Big Ten, you can have some “under-the-radar” recruits that fall into the top 150-200 range. Even so, we’re going for the totally unranked angle. Big Ten Recruiting Rankings 1. Michigan (2nd nationally) 2. Penn State (3rd nationally) 3. Ohio State (5th nationally) 4. Iowa (6th nationally) 5. Nebraska (7th nationally) 6. Illinois (11th nationally) 7. Purdue (13th nationally) 8. Minnesota (14th nationally) 9. Wisconsin (25th nationally) For more information on each, check out InterMat’s Recruiting Rankings 10. Indiana/Northwestern (Honorable Mention) For more information on these two, check out InterMat’s Recruiting Honorable Mentions Past National Recruiting Rankings (2021-22) Iowa: 2022 (11th), 2021 (4th) Maryland: 2021 (8th) Minnesota: 2022 (HM), 2021 (7th) Nebraska: 2022 (8th), 2021 (13th) Northwestern: 2021 (10th) Ohio State: 2022 (1st), 2021 (9th) Penn State: 2021 (1st) Purdue: 2021 (20th) Rutgers: 2022 (12th), 2021 (17th) Wisconsin: 2022 (14th), 2021 (14th)

While only ten wrestlers can officially start for any team, having depth on the roster is increasingly important. With the redshirt rules, a combination of resting starters and giving young wrestlers opportunities provide even more occasions for teams to flex their depth at various weights. This list will take a look at what schools have some of the best depth at each weight. While most of these have the potential to be solved by redshirts or weight changes, there are surely going to be some quality wrestlers on the bench this season. 125: Virginia Tech In 2022, Virginia Tech had a blue-chip recruit in Cooper Flynn and a slightly, lesser-ranked recruit Eddie Ventresca. The two went back and forth while redshirting in 2022, and it continued for the starting spot in 2023. Ventresca ended up winning the spot and made a surprising run at NCAA’s for his first All-American finish. Cooper Flynn would likely be a ranked starter as well with wins over NCAA qualifiers Ryan Miller and Jack Wagner. With both having three years of eligibility, this could continue to be a battle going forward. Honorable Mention: Oklahoma State The Cowboys have impressive depth at 125 themselves, with a big boost from the transfer portal this year. Last year, Trevor Mastrogiovanni seemed to be a contender for All-American status, but late in the season, Reece Witcraft got an opportunity and ran with it. He made an impressive run to a third-place finish at Big 12’s while unseeded. Adding to their depth, is recent transfer Troy Spratley along with a former blue-chip recruit, Zach Blankenship. If Daton Fix comes back and decides to go 125 for the Olympic year, that would likely push them to the top spot for depth at this weight. 133: Penn Penn seems to be a team on the rise, and that’s shown at 133 where the Quakers have an established starter plus some youth coming in. Michael Colaiocco is a two-time EIWA finalist and three-time qualifier heading into his senior year. Behind him is sophomore Evan Mougalian, who went 20-6 as a true freshman with wins over multiple qualifiers. Add in #40 recruit Max Gallagher, and Penn is in a strong spot at 133 both now and in the future. Honorable Mention: Lehigh Another strong EIWA team, Lehigh similarly has a proven veteran with a young rising back-up. They likely have two-time qualifier Conor McGonagle returning for 2024 who had an impressive 10-2 record before an injury at EIWA’s. There’s also Ryan Crookham, who had wins over NCAA qualifiers Kurt Phipps and Joe Heilmann while redshirting. 141: Oklahoma State While the Cowboys have impressive depth at a few weights, 141 is certainly one of their strongest. The current group is likely to have some weight shifts, but as it stands right now, the lineup is very deep. Last year’s starter Carter Young is a two-time qualifier who is expected to redshirt after knee surgery. Sammy Alvarez was a mid-season transfer from Rutgers and will be looking to get back on track and make his first NCAA’s since 2020. Throw in veteran backup Teague Travis and recent transfer Tagen Jamison, and this is a weight to watch for who emerges. Honorable Mention: Rutgers Ironically, despite losing Sammy Alvarez to the transfer portal, Rutgers reloaded while also redshirting last year’s starter. Four-time qualifier Mitch Moore comes from the portal from Oklahoma and is expecting to head back down to 141 for his final season. That should give Joey Olivieri a chance to redshirt and potentially adjust to the weight. The junior went 22-11 and qualified as a true freshman at 133 but missed out on the tournament his first year at 141. 149: Oklahoma While many schools end up losing wrestlers with a new head coach, the Sooners managed to keep two potential high-impact wrestlers at this weight. While last year’s starter Mitch Moore hit the portal, former round of 16 wrestler Willie McDougald is returning from redshirt. After winning the spot in 2022, McDougald impressed and made the Big 12 finals. Adding to their depth is John Wiley, a blue-chip recruit coming off a redshirt year that included a win over Paniro Johnson. With seemingly established starters at 141 and 157, the battle at 149 is one to keep an eye on. Honorable Mention: Iowa This weight is more of a projection since adding All-American Jared Franek at 157. The expectation is that Cobe Siebrecht will be headed to 149, which would give the Hawkeyes two NCAA qualifiers at the weight. They also added Victor Voinovich from OK State in the offseason who made the round of 16 as a redshirt freshman. Whoever comes out on top there could be looking to make the podium in their second year as a starter. 157: Stanford Coming into the 2023 season, Stanford seemed to have an established starter in Charlie Darracott, who went 18-12 in his first year as a starter and just missed out on qualifying for NCAA’s. However, Daniel Cardenas came in and was an instant impact wrestler, starting the year off at 18-1 and placing third at the Scuffle. While he went 2-2 at NCAA’s, he was the 6 seed and finished with a 24-3 record. Darracott didn’t sit idly by; however, as he also recorded wins over Kaden Gfeller and Chase Saldate. Honorable Mention: NC State The Wolfpack is returning All-American Ed Scott, who is coming off his best season as a third-year starter. He finished in 5th place and as an ACC finalist. The team is also returning junior AJ Kovacs, who is coming off an injury that kept him out all season. While Kovacs hasn’t firmly established himself, he does have wins over teammate Ed Scott and NCAA qualifier Dazjon Casto in 2022. 165: Iowa With how active they were in the transfer portal, it’s no shock that Iowa is on the list multiple times. While they had former blue-chip recruit Patrick Kennedy, they also brought in All-American Michael Caliendo from NDSU. Kennedy made the Big 10 finals and was the sixth seed at NCAA’s, but a rough draw saw him fall in the round of 16. Meanwhile, Caliendo finished in seventh place before hitting the transfer portal after Roger Kish left NDSU. With how it’s looking right now, a high-level wrestler could end up on the bench for a year. Honorable Mention: Penn State Similar to Iowa, a transfer added depth, but that also leads to questions on where everyone would fit. Penn State had another blue-chip recruit in Alex Facundo, but did not have the results expected with an 0-2 NCAA’s. In the offseason, they added in U20 world silver medalist Mitchell Mesenbrink from Cal Baptist. There’s a chance he could also go 157, but they have returning national finalist Levi Haines as well. Redshirts can make it work for one year, but there’s plenty of eligibility for everyone here to make this a longer-lasting conversation. 174: Iowa State The Cyclones have four potential starters here, with two veterans and two freshmen coming off redshirt. Joel Devine is the only one to have qualified before, but Julien Broderson beat him in 2023 for the 174 spot. Then there are MJ Gaitan and Manuel Rojas coming off redshirt years and both had quality wins. There could be a spot at 184 for one if transfer Will Feldkamp bumps up, but whoever gets the spot should find their way into the rankings. Honorable Mention: Michigan Another team that’s been active in the transfer portal, Michigan is likely to have 2021 NCAA champ Shane Griffith bump up for his final year. His credentials are well known as a three-time All-American for Stanford, but Michigan has stacked quality behind him as well. Joseph Walker hasn’t found consistent success yet with a 5-5 record, but beat three NCAA qualifiers last season. 184: Missouri At the start of the 2023 season, Mizzou seemed to have three potential starters in Colton Hawks, Sean Harman, and Clayton Whiting. Hawks had shown potential in close matches with ranked opponents, but hadn’t found a signature win yet. Harman had found success at 174, beating multiple ranked opponents while filling in for Peyton Mocco. Whiting was a highly-ranked recruit, and even had a win over Iowa’s Abe Assad while a senior in high school. Now with Whiting off redshirt, this battle is likely to continue throughout the year. Honorable Mention: Oklahoma Another weight where the Sooners have good depth, they’ve got two NCAA qualifiers at 184 from the transfer portal. Giuseppe Hoose from Buffalo is coming in after a career year where he qualified for his first NCAA’s with a 21-9 record. Deanthony Parker transferred to OU from NDSU, following coach Roger Kish. He also qualified for his first NCAA’s with an 18-11 record after going 22-14 as a true freshman. It’s looking like Parker will redshirt, which could mean that Grayden Penner could see some time as well. He’s struggled with injuries in his career, but was a top recruit coming out of high school. 197: NC State Three-time All-American Trent Hidlay is planning on bumping up for his final year, similar to his brother. With that, Isaac Trumble is likely to be using his available redshirt after qualifying his first two years in the lineup. He hasn’t made the podium yet, but he was the sixth seed at this year’s NCAA’s. Hidlay is looking for his first title, but will have to get through both new opponents at 197 and former foe at 184 Aaron Brooks who is also coming up. While this is not your typical depth with an older wrestler redshirting, having someone like Trumble available in case of injury can be vital for a trophy-seeking team like NC State. Honorable Mention: Virginia Tech While Tech doesn’t have anyone who’s made the podium here yet, they have strong established depth. Andy Smith and Dakota Howard have both qualified at 197 previously, with Smith in the spot in 2023. Another intriguing name is TJ Stewart. The #8 overall recruit in 2022 went 17-5 while redshirting. He doesn’t have a signature win yet, but could be a breakout wrestler if he can break into the lineup this year. 285: Nebraska Nebraska appeared to be set at heavyweight with Harley Andrews coming off a 22-2 redshirt season. The #17 overall recruit in 2022, the young heavyweight had an impressive 70% bonus rate. The Huskers added a surprising piece of depth however with former NDSU wrestler Owen Pentz. The three-time qualifier is known to be long and dangerous at 197, but is planning on making the move to heavyweight. He has a redshirt year if needed, but with two years of eligibility, this roster battle is likely to continue past just this year. Honorable Mention: Pittsburgh Throughout the season Pitt had a rare true freshman heavyweight making waves with Dayton Pitzer. The #41 recruit in high school, Pitzer showed impressive skills on top with wins over wrestlers like Cohlton Schultz, Trent Hillger, and more while redshirting. As tempting as it was, Coach Keith Gavin didn’t pull his redshirt so Jacob Slinger continued to start. While his 9-9 record didn’t qualify him for NCAA’s, he has career wins over qualifiers Dorian Crosby and Quinn Miller. He’s shown that he can start and find success when needed.

Two weeks ago marked the release of our recruiting class rankings and last week we followed those up with five schools that earned honorable mentions. So, we’re all finished with the Class of 2023 recruiting? Not quite. Starting last week, we’ve drilled down a bit and looked further into each conference for more recruiting information. With some of the traditional superpowers consistently atop national recruiting rankings, this will be a way for more schools to get recognized for their recruiting efforts. Before getting to the SoCon, here are links to the conferences already covered: ACC Big 12 EIWA MAC Pac-12 SoCon on the Big Board Appalachian State: #133 Jeremiah Price (Surry Central, NC), #199 Brysen Terrell (Bradley Central, TN) Bellarmine: #173 AJ Rallo (Whitfield, MO) Campbell: #112 Chris Earnest (Wadsworth, OH), #149 Wynton Denkins (Perrysburg, OH) Chattanooga: #100 Isaiah Powe (Gardendale, AL) The Class of 2023 has six Big Board’ers headed to the SoCon. That is less than in 2022 when double that amount signed with SoCon schools. Some of that deficit could be attributed to the fact that MatScouts Big Board went to 250 in 2022 and only 200 this year. Two wrestlers from 2022 ranked within that range. You could make an argument that four or five 2023 recruits could have fit into that span. With some of the schools in the SoCon on the incline and starting to hit their stride from a recruiting standpoint, I’d imagine this number grows slightly in the future. Under-the-Radar Signees Appalachian State: Aldo Hernandez (Uwharrie Charter, NC) Bellarmine: Anthony Strieb (Antioch, IL) Campbell: Bentley Ellison (Cleveland, TN) Chattanooga: Ethan Vergara (Mater Lakes, FL) Davidson: Wyatt Ferguson (Oak Hills, OH) Gardner-Webb: Charlie Sly (Stuart Cramer, NC) Presbyterian: Connor Garren (Olentangy Orange, OH) The Citadel: Gylon Sims (Joliet Catholic, IL) VMI: Patrick Jordon (New Kent, VA) SoCon Recruiting Rankings 1. Campbell Recruits: Wynton Denkins (Perrysburg, OH), Chris Earnest (Wadsworth, OH), Bentley Ellison (Cleveland, TN), Oliver Fairchild (Easton, PA), Logan Heckert (Sycamore, TN), Mike Kinzel (Bowling Green, OH), Noah Lawrence (Great Bridge, VA), Landon Reaux (Southside, LA), Cooper Shore (Miami East, OH), Hudson Waldrop (McAdory, AL) The Camels lead the way for the SoCon with a pair of top-150 recruits at the top of their Class of 2023. Those two, Wynton Denkins and Chris Earnest both finished in the top-three in Ohio’s largest classification. Denkins was also eighth at the Super 32 and Earnest was a placer at the Walsh Ironman. Bentley Ellison and Logan Heckert each made the podium after the 2023 high school campaign at NHSCA Seniors. This class really provides an infusion of talent into the lightweights for Campbell. Scotti Sentes’ team has juniors and seniors as projected starters at the first three weights, so youth is needed at those slots. Overall, this is a group that should help Campbell get back to the top of the SoCon, after a year dominated by rival, Appalachian State. 2. Chattanooga Recruits: Kendrick Curtis (Fairview, TN), Wyatt Gibbs (Brentwood, TN), Ethan Lipsey (Bradley Central, TN), Chaz McDonald (Jefferson, GA), Collin Mullins (North Paulding, GA), Yuta Otera (Landstown, VA), Isaiah Powe (Gardendale, AL), Ty Tice (Eastside, SC), Ethan Vergara (Mater Lakes, FL) The conference’s top-ranked recruit and another strong get from the Class of 2022 make this a class that could legitimately challenge for the top spot in the conference. Three-time Alabama state champion, Isaiah Powe, was the only SoCon recruit that finished the year ranked in the top-100 nationally (at #100). Powe was a two-time NHSCA placewinner and won the tournament as a senior. The Mocs will also get the services of Ethan Vergara who grayshirted after graduating in 2022. Vergara is an excellent heavyweight prospect who AA’ed in Fargo’s Junior freestyle tournament twice (3rd/7th). Chattanooga also has four others that earned All-American honors at NHSCA Senior Nationals (Ethan Lipsey, Chaz McDonald, Collin Mullins, and Yuta Otero). Over the past couple of years, Appalachian State and Campbell have seemed to separate themselves from the rest of the SoCon. With this class and maybe another, Chattanooga could re-establish its place atop the league. 3. Appalachian State Recruits: James Bankston (Hillsdale, NC), Tomas Brooker (Hickory Ridge, NC), Jayden Dobeck (Pinecrest, NC), Logan Eller (Trion, GA), Aldo Hernandez (Uwharrie Charter, NC), Gunnar Pool (Centerville, OH), Jeremiah Price (Surry Central, NC), Bryson Terrell (Bradley Central, TN) The Appalachian State Class of 2023 features two Big Board’ers in Jeremiah Price and Bryson Terrell. Both are good recruiting wins, as Price was initially committed to NC State and Terrell comes from enemy SoCon territory. Price has proven his mettle on the national stage with a fifth-place showing at the Walsh Ironman and eighth place in Fargo’s Junior freestyle tournament. Tomas Brooker, Logan Eller, and Aldo Hernandez all finished in the top-eight at NHSCA Seniors. Mountaineers head coach JohnMark Bentley and staff do as good of a job as anyone in the nation at developing unheralded recruits into quality collegiate wrestlers. This class gives the ASU staff a lot to work with going forward. That will be important as Appalachian has been hit hard with graduation in 2023. 4. Davidson Recruits: Robert Canterino (Christian Brothers, NJ), Brock Carey (Fred T Foard, NC), Bryce Clement (American School, Japan), Wyatt Ferguson (Oak Hills, OH), Johnny Hagar (Delbarton, NJ), Brady Joling (Chartiers Valley, PA), Enis Lijkovic (Barron Collier, FL), Ian McGehee (Memphis University, TN), Tyler McKnight (Cass, GA), Savoy New (Cardinal Gibbons, NC), Dylan Smith (Fred T. Foard, NC), DJ Spring (Maiden, NC) The first full recruiting class for second-year head coach Nate Carr Jr. has to be the best in Davidson history. The Wildcat staff took care of business at home and signed three North Carolina state champions, but they also expanded their reach into some power states. State placers from New Jersey (Robert Canterino), Ohio (Wyatt Ferguson), and Pennsylvania (Brady Joling) will get some proven winners into the program. Georgia state champ Tyler McKnight had a great NHSCA tournament and was third as a Senior. Davidson last sent a wrestler to the NCAA Tournament in 2015. With the strides the team took in 2022-23 and a really solid recruiting class, that streak could come to an end soon. 5. VMI Recruits: Phoenix Alyea (Skyline, VA), Tyler Berish (Beth-Center, PA), Luke Bryant (Riverheads, VA), Sam Dickey (Sherwood, MD), Eric Doran (Great Bridge, VA), Riley Finck (St. Christopher’s, VA), Jason Flener (North Allegheny, PA), Patrick Jordon (New Kent, VA), Christian Moffett (Woodgrove, VA), Caleb Richardson (East Hamilton, TN), Wayne Rold (Camden Catholic, NJ), Hunter Salomon (Skyline, VA), Toby Schoffstall (Liberty Christian, VA), River Smith (Glenvar, VA), Jackson Stroud (Brentsville, VA), Caleb Swanson (Northside, VA), Mohammed Zangneh (Glen Allen, VA) What a massive recruiting class for VMI! The Keydet staff did an excellent job at inking some of Virginia’s best wrestlers and keeping them at home. The top recruit is Patrick Jordon who won the Beast of the East and Trojan Wars tournaments as a senior, in addition to his third Virginia 3A state title. He would later take seventh at Senior Nationals. Another highly credentialed member of the class is Toby Schoffstall who won Senior Nationals at 195 lbs and made the 16U Greco-Roman finals in Fargo in 2021. Additionally, VMI will get the services of three others that were Virginia champions in 2023, along with New Jersey placer Wayne Rold and two Pennsylvania state qualifiers. For a school that generally doesn’t redshirt very often, I’d imagine that a large chunk of this class finds its way into the VMI lineup, on a regular basis, in 2023-24. The VMI staff really hustled to get a class of this size and caliber locked in and it really should benefit the program positively going forward. 6. Gardner-Webb Recruits: Brixon Burgess (North Iredell, NC), TK Davis (Rockmart, GA), Joey Giordano (Long Branch, NJ), Eddie Flores (North Iredell, NC), Tyler Hicks (Beavercreek, OH), Hunter Jones (Hickory Ridge, NC), Jackson Lusk (SPIRE Institute, OH), Drew Pepin (Northwest Guilford, NC), Ty Porter (Salem, VA), Charlie Sly (Stuart Cramer, NC), Josh Ward (Page, TN) As NHSCA Senior Nationals concluded, Gardner-Webb’s Class of 2023 really came into focus. The future Runnin’ Bulldogs put a pair of wrestlers into the NHSCA Senior finals with TK Davis winning the 120 lb weight class and Drew Pepin making the 152 lb championship match. Both were also fifth at the Junior edition of the tournament. Eddie Flores also was an NHSCA All-American. For the most part, the Gardner-Webb class is from the south, which is often the case. One of the outliers is a good one as they’ve signed Joey Giordano, a New Jersey state fourth-place finisher and a three-time state qualifier. Gardner-Webb generally has a veteran class returning, so there isn’t a desperate need for this class to hit the mat immediately, they should have the opportunity to develop in the GWU room.

Wyoming Seminary

Triad

Nampa

It’s been over two weeks since InterMat has updated the Transfer Tracker and there has still been plenty of action in the transfer portal. Just a day after our last update, Iowa added a pair of All-Americans from North Dakota State. Though the window for entry in the portal has temporarily closed, there are still lots of talented wrestlers in the portal or who have recently made decisions on where to transfer. Here is the updated list of wrestlers who have transferred into DI institutions for the 2023-24 season. There are some notables (Cody Chittum) who loosely may be called transfers, they were not enrolled at their previous institution, merely training under a wrestling club or RTC. That is a reason why he is not listed for Iowa State. Arizona State Chance McLane (Oklahoma State) Bloomsburg Harrison Levans (West Virginia) Kordell Waiter (Lackawanna CC) Buffalo Caleb Brooks (Northern Illinois) Eric Tigue (Niagara CC) California Baptist Darren Green (Wyoming) Dayne Morton (Nebraska) Justin Phillips (Virginia) Eli Sheeran (Buffalo) Cal Poly Michael Goldfeder (North Carolina) Chance Lamer (Michigan) Clarion Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (Oklahoma) Tye Varndall (Edinboro) CSU Bakersfield Guillermo Escobedo (Wyoming) Drexel Ibrahim Ameer (Cloud CC) Shane Whitney (Camden CC) Franklin & Marshall Eric Howe (George Mason) George Mason Brandon Wittenberg (Virginia Tech) Hofstra Keaton Kluever (Minnesota) Joe Russo (Nassau CC) Illinois Charlie Heydorn (Ohio) Tony Madrigal (Oklahoma) Indiana Danny Fongaro (Columbia) Roman Rogotzke (South Dakota State) Iowa Michael Caliendo (North Dakota State) Joey Cruz (Oklahoma) Jared Franek (North Dakota State) Victor Voinovich (Oklahoma State) Iowa State Will Feldkamp (Clarion) Garrett Grice (Virginia) Lehigh Hunter Mays (Rider) Little Rock Michael Gasper (Clackamas CC) Cole Minnick (Buffalo) Lock Haven Wyatt Henson (Oklahoma) Long Island Christopher Betancourt (Mt. San Antonio CC) Bo DiJulius (Edinboro) Brayden Roberts (West Virginia) Maryland Seth Nevills (Penn State) Michigan Chris Cannon (Northwestern) Lucas Davison (Northwestern) Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern) Shane Griffith (Stanford) Morgan State Khalid Brinkley (Presbyterian) Nebraska Owen Pentz (North Dakota State) Caleb Smith (Appalachian State) North Dakota State Devon Dawson (Pratt CC) Northern Colorado Manzona Bryant (Lehigh) Adam Busiello (Nassau CC) Travis Mastrogiovanni (Oklahoma State) Noah Pettigrew (North Carolina) Northern Illinois Tommy Curran (NC State) Northern Iowa Jack Thomsen (South Dakota State) Northwestern Patrick Adams (Buffalo) Oklahoma Cael Carlson (Minnesota) Giuseppe Hoose (Buffalo) Jace Koelzer (Northern Colorado) Mannix Morgan (North Dakota State) Juan Mora (North Dakota State) DJ Parker (North Dakota State) Oklahoma State Tagen Jamison (Minnesota) Mirzo Khayitov (Ellsworth CC) Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois) Troy Spratley (Minnesota) Oregon State Victor Jacinto (Clackamas CC) Boone McDermott (Rutgers) Brett Mower (Iowa Western) Steele Starren (Clackamas CC) Penn State Kurt McHenry (Michigan) Mitchell Mesenbrink (California Baptist) Aaron Nagao (Minnesota) Bernie Truax (Cal Poly) Pittsburgh Finn Solomon (NC State) Purdue Joey Milano (NC State) Marcos Polanco (Minnesota) James Rowley (Wisconsin) Rider Kyle Davis (George Mason) Mason Lynch (Kent State) Enrique Munguia (Kent State) Rutgers Jacob Butler (Oklahoma) Mitch Moore (Oklahoma) Yaraslau Slavikouski (Harvard) Stanford Dom LaJoie (Cornell) The Citadel Jeffrey Boyd (West Virginia) Virginia Ryan Catka (Navy) Sammie Hayes (Northwestern) West Virginia Jett Strickenberger (NW Kansas Tech) Wisconsin Isaac Klarkowski (Rice - Football) Shane Liegel (Loras) Max Maylor (Michigan) Luke Mechler (Oklahoma State) Wyoming Cooper Birdwell (Oklahoma State) Ethan Ducca (Edinboro) Stockton O’Brien (Utah Valley) David Saenz (Mt. San Antonio CC) Gabe Willochell (Edinboro)

University

We’ve done a lot of talking about recruiting lately, most of it is related to the incoming freshmen from the Class of 2023. Today we’re looking back in time. Year-by-year to see which recruiting classes have produced the most national champions, going back to 2001. As you can guess, the extra year of eligibility has resulted in star wrestlers staying in college longer than in the past, resulting in the dearth of champions from the most recent graduating classes. 2001 Ben Cherrington (Boise State) Joe Dubuque (Indiana) Nate Gallick (Iowa State) Travis Lee (Cornell) Troy Letters (Lehigh) Steve Mocco (Iowa/Oklahoma State) Jake Rosholt (Oklahoma State) Shane Webster (Oregon) 2002 Ben Askren (Missouri) Zack Esposito (Oklahoma State) Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma State) Cole Konrad (Minnesota) Derek Moore (UC Davis) Trent Paulson (Iowa State) Matt Valenti (Penn) Teyon Ware (Oklahoma) 2003 Phil Davis (Penn State) Keith Gavin (Pittsburgh) Josh Glenn (American) Jake Herbert (Northwestern) Mark Perry (Iowa) 2004 Paul Donahoe (Nebraska/Edinboro) Dustin Fox (Northwestern) J Jaggers (Ohio State) Jarrod King (Oklahoma/Edinboro) Jordan Leen (Cornell) Steve Luke (Michigan) Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State) 2005 Max Askren (Missouri) Jay Borschel (Virginia Tech/Iowa) Mark Ellis (Missouri) Angel Escobedo (Indiana) Gregor Gillespie (Edinboro) Franklin Gomez (Michigan State) Brent Metcalf (Virginia Tech/Iowa) Jayson Ness (Minnesota) Troy Nickerson (Cornell) Mike Pucillo (Ohio State) Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) Jake Varner (Iowa State) David Zabriskie (Iowa State) 2006 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) Darrion Caldwell (NC State) Bubba Jenkins (Penn State/Arizona State) JP O’Connor (Harvard) Jon Reader (Iowa State) Anthony Robles (Arizona State) 2007 Dustin Kilgore (Kent State) Frank Molinaro (Penn State) Zach Rey (Lehigh) Kellen Russell (Michigan) Cam Simaz (Cornell) 2008 Steve Bosak (Cornell) Matt Brown (Iowa State/Penn State) Andrew Howe (Wisconsin/Oklahoma) Matt McDonough (Iowa) Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) Quentin Wright (Penn State) 2009 Kyle Dake (Cornell) Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) Tony Nelson (Minnesota) Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) Tony Ramos (Iowa) Ed Ruth (Penn State) Derek St. John (Iowa) David Taylor (Penn State) 2010 Jesse Delgado (Cal Poly/Illinois) Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) Logan Stieber (Ohio State) 2011 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) Nick Gwiazdowski (Binghamton/NC State) Nico Megaludis (Penn State) 2012 Cory Clark (Iowa) Gabe Dean (Cornell) Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern/Arizona State) 2013 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) J’den Cox (Missouri) Darian Cruz (Lehigh) Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) Mike Macchiavello (NC State) Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) Zain Retherford (Penn State) Nate Tomasello (Ohio State) 2014 Anthony Cassar (Penn State) Drew Foster (Northern Iowa) Seth Gross (Iowa/South Dakota State/Wisconsin) Bo Nickal (Penn State) Jason Nolf (Penn State) Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) 2015 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) Myles Martin (Ohio State) Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) 2016 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) Max Dean (Cornell/Penn State) Mark Hall (Penn State) Nick Suriano (Penn State/Rutgers/Michigan) 2017 Vito Arujau (Cornell) Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) Nick Lee (Penn State) Spencer Lee (Iowa) Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) Austin O’Connor (North Carolina) 2018 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) Aaron Brooks (Penn State) David Carr (Iowa State) Patrick Glory (Princeton) Shane Griffith (Stanford) Mason Parris (Michigan) Gable Steveson (Minnesota) 2019 Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) Carter Starocci (Penn State) 2020 AJ Ferrari (Oklahoma State) Keegan O’Toole (Missouri)

Completing a career in college wrestling is an incredible mental and physical feat that prepares these athletes for all types of challenges that they will face after graduation. While many grads will never step on the mat as a competitor again, some will continue on to challenge for World and Olympic Championships or continue their career in coaching. Others will enter the business world, relying on the work ethic and perseverance they learned through countless hours on the mat. There are a select few who have branched into a new sport after completing their wrestling career. We are going to take a look at the alternate athletic careers that a few ACC wrestling alumni have pursued since graduating. Jacob Kasper after winning the 2018 Southern Scuffle; photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com Jacob Kasper: WWE NXT Julius Creed/Creed Brothers Duke * ACC Champion * 2x All-American (6,4) * 3x NCAA Qualifier Kasper left his name in the Duke record books and has left a lasting legacy with the program; a legacy Kasper is proud of after receiving very few opportunities out of high school. He was a two-time Ohio state placer but didn’t have many options collegiately. “I didn’t have any big results, and I grew late in my high school career, so I didn’t really stand out to many schools,” said Kasper, “but I knew I wanted to wrestle in college so I took the initiative to recruit myself.” Kasper sent out emails to programs across the country, but it was two ACC coaches who expressed the most interest; Glen Lanham at Duke and Pat Popolizio at NC State. “I really clicked with both of them, and I had the opportunity to wrestle for both (Popolizo at the Wolfpack RTC). They are two men who I really respect.” Ultimately, Kasper felt that Duke was the better fit for him and he made the move to Durham, becoming the first in his family to leave Ohio for college. He started his career in Durham at 184 lbs and made an impression as soon as he got on campus. “I was beating everyone else in the room, and I was the only person scoring points on (Conner) Hartmamn. Once coach saw that, he made it clear that I wasn’t redshirting”. His freshman season was a major adjustment; he started the year 5-0 before stumbling a bit in dual competition. He ended the year at 16-16 and went 1-2 at the ACC tournament. Kasper struggled with the adjustment to life at college and away from his family; he considered transferring to be closer to home. Kasper spent some time back in Ohio after the year and made the decision to commit to his journey at Duke and to do whatever it took for him to make his mark. “I knew I was destined for bigger things, but there was some suffering I had to do to get there.” His sophomore season saw improvement; he ended the season at 25-12 and qualified for the NCAA tournament after an ACC runner-up finish. Kasper took a redshirt year and put on the size to move up to heavyweight where he excelled for his final two seasons. He went 30-6, capturing a Southern Scuffle title--a first for Duke--before his second ACC finals appearance, where he fell to Ty Walz. He had a great run at the NCAA tournament, capturing his first All-American honors with a sixth-place finish. He had an even more impressive senior year, earning an ACC title and setting a Duke record with 38 wins on the year. He entered the NCAA tournament with a lot of hype and settled for fourth after falling to Kyle Snyder in the semifinals. The most impressive aspect of that weekend was fighting through an excruciating flare-up of his Crohn's Disease during the tournament, a testament to the mental toughness of Kasper. “We always watched wrestling growing up and my brother (Drew) and I would spend hours copying what we saw and wrestling at the house.” Kasper’s connection with WWF/WWE wrestling is one that many of us (including me) had growing up. He watched regularly when he was in elementary school then his interest faded away during middle school and early in high school. “My interest got rekindled by one of my coaches who spent time in OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling)”. Stories of his time with pro wrestlers like John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Shelton Benjamin drew Kasper back in; seeing Cena wearing a Lexington Wrestling t-shirt during a WWE show helped Kasper visualize himself in the spotlight at Wrestlemania and holding court in the squared circle. It was a chance interaction with a legend that set Kasper on his path to the WWE. Kasper was watching Kyle Snyder wrestle in the Olympics when he saw a tweet from WWE Hall-of-Famer Gerald Brisco about looking for heavyweight talent for the WWE. “I jumped on and immediately replied that ‘I’m way better looking, charismatic, faster, and more athletic than them.” He reached out to me and told me he’d be keeping an eye on me.” Brisco made good on his word, watching Kasper win his first Southern Scuffle title from the stands in Chattanooga, and seeing him knock off Denzel Dejournette in a dual against Appalachian State. The attention from WWE scouts coincided well with Kasper’s rise in the rankings at heavyweight and capturing his first All-American honor. “Knowing that they were watching, I really made an effort to put on a show every match and I really played it up any time I was on camera.” After graduation, Kasper went to Orlando for a WWE tryout and was offered a developmental contract with NXT. “I had committed to coaching at Duke for that season, so they allowed me to delay my start. When I got the itch to make a run at the 2020 Olympics they were supportive.” When the 2020 games were canceled due to COVID, Kasper took it as a sign that it was time for him to commit to making a run at WWE stardom. Since making that commitment, Kasper has made a big impression on the WWE world. He is known by the name Julius Creed and competes as a tag team with his brother Drew (Brutus Creed) as part of the Diamond Mine. Both Jacob and Drew wrestled collegiately and have taken that skill set to NXT. They both do a phenomenal job blending their wrestling skill with some incredible athleticism that is fun to watch, even if you aren’t a fan of professional wrestling. They have been competing on the NXT circuit but there are some indications that they will be moving up to the main roster soon. “It’s been a thrill. We’ve had some success, but we are looking at what we haven't done yet.” In their time in NXT, they have held the NXT Tag Team Championship belt as well as winning the Dusty Cup. “I see the titles at the next level that I want. We are in the earning it phase now and when that opportunity comes for RAW and Wrestlemania, we will be ready for it.” Cory Daniel during an ACC dual with Virginia; photo courtesy of Chapelboro.com Cory Daniel: Rugby Team USA Old Glory DC UNC * 2x ACC Finalist * 3x NCAA Qualifier Cory Daniel chose UNC over Maryland, Old Dominion, and American after a strong prep career in Maryland. He was a two-time state champ and had a decorated Greco resume before heading to Chapel Hill. Daniel struggled his first two years in the adjustment to college wrestling, but in his sophomore season, he made big strides, culminating in his first trip to the NCAA tournament. Daniel had a breakthrough season in his junior year, finishing the season at 24-9. He was an ACC runner-up, losing to All-American Demetrius Thomas of Pitt, and made his second trip to the NCAA tournament. His final season in Chapel Hill was very similar; he finished the season at 22-11 and was again in the ACC finals, this time falling to All-American Jacob Kasper. He finished his time at UNC as a three-time NCAA qualifier with a 64-36 record over his final three seasons. “When I finished my wrestling career, I knew I wasn’t done competing, but I didn’t know what it was going to be in,” said Daniel about starting his transition from wrestling. Daniel was a decorated football player in high school, and entertained playing in college before deciding on wrestling. “I figured football was the path to go, so we (Coach Tony Ramos) made a plan for training for that path.” Because he didn’t play in college, he would have to wait for open combines the following season. Coach Ramos had a different idea--what about rugby? “Tony brought up the idea of trying out rugby, so I figured I could give it a shot”. Ramos had a connection through Dan Payne, an All-American at Clarion, who was the CEO of Rugby North America. Daniel attended the North American Rugby Combine for a week in the summer of 2019. “They liked what they saw in terms of raw skill and I got offered the chance to attend a four-month academy that fall." The academy was incredibly successful for Daniel; several pro teams were giving him looks; ultimately Old Glory DC offered him a contract. “I thought it was a great opportunity. Not only do I get an offer to play professionally, I get to go back home and play in front of my family and friends”. Daniel has been praised for his work ethic, which he attributes to years on the mat, and has been a quick learner in his transition to a new sport. He has held a starting spot for Old Glory DC since 2021, though he was out this season rehabbing from shoulder surgery. He has also played for Team USA XV’s in multiple tournaments, including the qualifying games for the Rugby World Cup. “There is a lot of crossover between the two sports; all my time spent wrestling has definitely helped with my development in rugby”, said Daniel. He noted that one of the biggest differences is the team aspect of rugby compared to the individual nature of wrestling (NRL is 15 v 15). He identified several ways in which his wrestling experience has paid off in rugby. “The continuity of the game is a lot like a match, there is a great mix of attack and defense. For me, tackling has been a big strength, a good rugby tackle is a double-leg takedown.” Daniel spoke highly of his time with Old Glory and his experience thus far as a professional rugby player; in the past two seasons, he has had the opportunity to play with his brother Brady, who wrestled at Arizona State. He also delivers a great recruiting pitch for other wrestlers making the transition to rugby. “You already have a great base of skill for the sport, and the work ethic you develop from wrestling will easily carry you through rugby training. There are a lot of opportunities in the sport, both domestically and internationally. I’ve had the chance to play in multiple countries already.” Though slightly ironic as he rehabs a shoulder injury, Daniel emphasized that rugby has been easier on his body than wrestling and that it can lead to a longer career opportunity with less contact and wear and tear on the body. “The transition is easier for wrestlers than people coming from other sports. The best advice I can give, is to take it for what it is, and to learn every time you are on the pitch.” Max Rohskopf at the 2016 NWCA All-Star Classic; photo courtesy of Mark Lundy; LutteLens.com Max Rohskopf: MMA NC State * ACC Champ * 2x NCAA Qualifier If it weren’t for a strong nudge from his good friend Jacob Kasper, Max Rohskopf wouldn’t have been a college wrestler. “I didn’t think that it was an option for me, so I never really looked at that path,” said Rohskopf. After placing in the Ohio State Championships as a Junior, he spent the off-season in a back brace to address a stress fracture in his back. It was a preseason tournament, the Michigan Grappler Fall Classic, and a conversation with the Kasper family that set the wheels in motion. “I didn’t expect a lot from that tournament, I hadn’t been on the mat or trained since the previous season.” Though he had low expectations, he ran through a tough weight class to win the prestigious preseason tournament. “I beat state champs and top-20 guys nationally; on the way back home we talked about Jacob’s recruiting experience and what I could do to make wrestling in college a reality”. Much like Kasper, Rohskopf emailed a bevy of head coaches; most of whom never responded. One who did respond was Pat Popolizio who was at the beginning of his successful tenure in Raleigh. Rohskopf mentioned that he saved this email and will look back at it from time to time as a reminder of what he accomplished after people doubted him. Kasper and Rohskopf both agreed that the structure and rules of the Wolfpack program would be exactly what he needed to be successful. Once in Raleigh, Coach Popolizio kept Max on a short leash and had very clear expectations, both academically and on the mat. “I never intended to go to college, so it was a challenge to even get in. I had a strict schedule for classes and tutoring to make sure I was able to keep my grades where they had to be…I never failed a class, that was an accomplishment for me.” Rohskopf had a successful run in Raleigh, but was plagued by a lingering shoulder injury that ultimately ended his career early. “I hurt my shoulder really early on in my time at NC State and it made me wrestle a completely different style than I did in high school. I never felt confident that my shoulder would stay in when taking a shot, so I relied heavily on my skills on top.” Rohskopf bounced between weights throughout his time in Raleigh. He wrestled at 149, 157 and 165 his freshman year before taking the starting spot at 165 for the postseason. He entered his sophomore season at 165 and put together a solid 25-15 season, qualifying for his first NCAA tournament where he went 1-2 with losses to Alex Dieringer and Michael Moreno. Rohskopf made his breakthrough during his junior year; he picked up wins over several wrestlers who had beaten him previously and knocked off a top-ten Austin Wilson in their dual against Nebraska. Rohskopf only had one loss at 165 in the regular season, to All-American Daniel Lewis (He also dropped a decision to Kyle Crutchmer at 174). He continued his momentum through the ACC tournament, capturing the title with wins over AA David McFadden and John-Michael Staudenmayer. He entered the NCAA tournament as the fifth seed with high expectations…then the bottom fell out. “I was in a bad mental space and it showed on the mat”. With the high expectations coming in, he went 1-2 and was bounced from the NCAA tournament earlier than anyone expected. “I made two big decisions going into my senior year--I was having shoulder surgery and I was dropping to 157”. He had off-season surgery to repair the shoulder, but rushed back to accept an invite to the NWCA All-Star Classic to wrestle Brian Murphy. “I was at least 2 months early to come back, but I’m a hard-nosed stupid hillbilly…it was in Cleveland and I knew I could beat this guy without training”. On that note, he was correct, he pinned Murphy in the All-Star match to kick off his senior season at 157. That season, however, would be short-lived. He started off 3-0 before reinjuring the shoulder. “The shoulder didn’t feel right coming back, and with cutting weight I was in a bad mental space. In retrospect, I should have used a redshirt, but I already knew I was going to MMA and I didn’t want to risk more injury”. With that decision, his career at NC State came to a close and he moved to a new chapter in the world of MMA. During his time in Raleigh, he spent time training boxing and BJJ every summer. “It was actually Pat’s idea for me to look into MMA and he was supportive of it.” He moved from Raleigh to Wilmington to train. After competing in a BJJ tournament in Vegas, he immediately packed up and moved out to Sin City to train at Xtreme Couture under Robert Follis. He had one amateur fight, a first-round TKO win, before making his pro debut, which he won by submission in the second round. His journey through MMA has been a roller coaster full of wild ups and downs. It has seen him progress through the lower-level organizations with an unblemished record before a loss in his UFC debut; another story all in itself. After being released from the UFC he rebounded with two wins in the Cage Warrior organization before being signed by Bellator. He lost in his Bellator debut to move his pro record to 7-2 with his next fight scheduled for August. Rohskopf notes that a lot of his success in MMA can be attributed to his wrestling career. “I’ve trained with the best in the world and that’s where my confidence comes from”, he states. “Top position is huge in the cage, that was always my strength on the mat and it has helped me a lot in fights.” Five of his wins are by submission, and four of those are by rear naked choke--so clearly all that riding time has paid off. He also stated that his time spent wrestling has helped ease the transition. “Training for fights is much easier than my D1 experience…and it’s much easier to get a takedown off punches than a handfight.” Wrestlers have seen immense success in the MMA world at all levels of organizations, and Rohskopf encourages more wrestlers to enter the cage.

Center Grove

“It's like, ‘Hey man, what's this dude gonna do to you?’ I'm like, take me down, lace me. That's it. Like, my mom and dad still gonna love me. My wife still loves me, my kids gonna love me […] So yeah, I think just have fun with wrestling,” That was Dom Bradley, who has been wrestling on the Senior level since 2008. Bradley sits back in an office chair with a Mizzou Wrestling Big 12 Champs shirt, having just been pulled away from teaching at Mizzou’s Tiger Style summer camp. In 2023, Bradley competed in his 12th U.S. Open since 2008. That doesn’t include four Senior Nationals in pre-Olympic years to make it 16 altogether. His Senior level wrestling started as a high school senior, placing eighth at the 2008 U.S. Open. As his international career was kicking off, Bradley was also one of the top heavyweights in the country as a three-time state champ for Blue Springs High School in Kansas City, MO. Despite his ranking and expectations, however, Bradley came off a redshirt in 2008 only to find himself in a lineup battle for the next two years. Fellow KCMO heavyweight Mark Ellis and Bradley went back and forth, with Ellis winning the starting spot and becoming the first Mizzou heavyweight to win a national title in 2009, followed by an All-American finish in 2010. Bradley didn’t sit idly by, however, as he dominated his way to a Junior (U20) World Championship in 2009, only giving up points in one period. “I could sit there and complain about Mark Ellis being a starter or I could just go wrestle the next big tournament.” Bradley said. “I just wrestled as hard as I could.” He also made the World Team Trials for the first time, making the National team with a third-place finish. In 2010, Bradley finished third at the World Team Trials to make the National team for a second time. That tournament saw one of his career favorite outcomes: sweeping the first two periods to beat the legendary Tommy Rowlands. “He was my favorite wrestler growing up,” Bradley said. “A three-time NCAA finalist, two-time NCAA champ.” Outside of Kyle Snyder, Bradley has beaten every heavyweight national champ since 2009. Through all of that, Bradley still had years of eligibility for the Tigers. After Ellis’ graduation in 2010, Bradley in the starting spot was a two-time All-American in 2011 and 2013, with an Olympic redshirt in 2012. In that same time, he had another third-place finish at the 2011 World Team Trials, was a two-time University Nationals finalist, won the Dave Schultz International tournament, and won his first U.S. Open in 2013. Dom Bradley at the 2013 US Open; Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com The 2013 U.S. Open was a monumental one, as he beat Olympic medalist Tervel Dlagnev, and world team members Zach Rey and Nick Gwiazdowski. That momentum came to a screeching halt, however, as an eighth-month suspension hit after a positive test for methylhexaneamine. A quick Google search for this drug reveals it listed as a stimulant, commonly found in over-the-counter supplements and not always listed on the label ingredient list. When asked about it, Bradley had one thing to say, “Don’t take pre-workout.” After a fourth-place finish at the 2013 NCAA’s as the top seed, he was devastated. “We were just working out on spring break cause I didn’t know if I was gonna wrestle yet,” Bradley said. The suspension not only affected his freestyle aspirations, but coaching opportunities as a new graduate. “I turned down four coaching jobs right before that. [...] I failed the drug test and everybody’s just done.” The setback didn’t keep him down for long however, as Bradley went on to spend time at Iowa State and Nebraska’s RTCs as an athlete before returning to Mizzou in 2019 as a volunteer assistant coach. He stayed active domestically throughout, with two Pan-American championships and eight finishes in the top three in the U.S. Open and World Team Trials from 2014-2019. On top of that, he placed 3rd at the 2016 Olympic Trials and won Senior Nationals in 2015 and 2019. Bradley described his goal in competing to be explosive, and finding ways to go through and around fellow heavyweights. However, his intense, competitive style has been misconstrued previously. One story, in particular, garnered a lot of attention for Bradley. At the 2019 Senior Nationals semifinals, Bradley squared off against the recent NCAA champ Anthony Cassar. With under a minute left in the match, Bradley led 5-2. During a double leg attempt from Cassar, he came down holding his left shoulder. The same shoulder had kept Cassar from competing for two years at Penn State. The match ended, and Bradley shook his opponent's hand off the mat before storming back to get his own hand raised and shouting “Grown ass man strength right there!” While many took that as a celebration, Bradley said it was directed at a media member who had said that Cassar would tech fall him in the tournament. That prediction didn’t sit well with Bradley, who in his career at that point had only been teched by Steve Mocco, Tervel Dlagnev, and Tommy Rowlands. Bradley said, “I’m a nice guy. A lot of people think I’m an asshole or they think I try to hurt people. I’ve never, never tried to hurt somebody. My parents raise me to be like that. They raised me to compete hard, have fun.” The longevity and competitiveness of his career have also had a significant impact on his coaching. He’s been pivotal in the development of Mizzou’s most recent heavyweight All-American, Zach Elam. Going into this year’s US Open he convinced the Tiger’s two-time NCAA champ Keegan O’Toole to compete with him instead of going on spring break. That led to O’Toole finishing 3rd to make his first Senior National team and represent the United States at the upcoming U23 World Championships. Bradley discussed how results have become less important to him over the years. Instead, he focuses on himself as an individual and his coaching. “In five years nobody’s gonna care about it,” Bradley said. “They’re gonna be like, ‘Was this guy a good person or a good coach or did he care about me?’ [...] That’s me. I wanna be a better coach.” Despite being one of the older competitors on the senior level, Bradley has continued to find success. Since 2020, the only tournament he hasn’t placed in is the 2020 Olympic Trials. But in that time, he’s finished top-five at two Senior Nationals, three World Team Trials, and two U.S. Opens. He even won his third Pan-American title while representing the United States in May 2023. “Wrestling’s really, really hard,” Bradley says. “I want people to realize that you’re gonna have fun wrestling too.” After an hour of talking about a career that spans almost four Olympic cycles and is filled with highs and lows, Bradley leaves his office and heads straight back to the mat, this time to return to the youth wrestlers at camp ready to learn. Dom Bradley at the 2023 Southern Scuffle with Cam Steed; Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com

Good morning, Jagamaniacs. I hope you’re all still here after a brief hiatus. A Jagger June Swoon if you will. But fear not! We have some questions and we have some answers. Jagger is back on the bowl with you! Let’s get to it! Every year the question begins to float around that USAW should move Fargo to a different location. If you had it your way, where would you move the U16/U20 National Championship? Christian Olanowski Are they trying to give Jason Bryant a heart attack? The man moved from beautiful Virginia to cold Minnesota just to get that Fargo vibe all year. I can’t say I’m privy to the nuances of the Fargo experience, but I can’t see why it’s worth moving. I get that it’s a bit far but it’s kind of equally far for everyone. It’s also in the dead of Summer so going as far north as possible isn’t the worst idea. Also, it’s more than just a location. It’s a brand. It’s Fargo. In wrestling, everyone knows what that means. To start referring to it as Dallas or Topeka wouldn’t have the same feel in my opinion. But, if they were to move, I do think somewhere near Austin, Texas would be a good location. Basically due south from Fargo on the southern part of the Country. It doesn’t really make travel any worse for all the East and Western states while still maintaining a centralized location in the Union. It also couldn’t hurt to build interest in the sport amongst the people of Texas, which is a state that should be a monster, but isn’t. The biggest pro in all this would be the production that Flo could provide by having it in their backyard. That being said, let’s keep it in Fargo because JB told me he doesn’t want to do the Austin Almanac. What is one dream matchup, in your hometown, that might get you to venture into a large crowd? Mat Jerms Media That’s easy. Give me the best college version of Zain Retherford and Jason Nolf at the same weight. I really need to know who was better. Three years together and the only blemish in dual meets was one Nolf injury default in a highly entertaining and highly aggressive dual against Rutgers in 2018. Cael even got out of his seat a few times because it was so exciting. But I’m getting away from the point here. College Zain and College Nolf. That’s my dream matchup. I also wouldn’t turn down Kyle Snyder and Gable Steveson. John Foster just had a heart attack reading that. Speaking of Jason Nolf... Will Nolf head for a different setting after his loss to Dake? Seems like a change in scenery might help? Steven Ruhf This has been a question ever since Kyle Dake took his talents to Happy Valley. I simply don’t think it will happen. Sure, you’re the number two guy in the land and your club brought in the number one guy. But if the number one guy came to your club to get better, then I can’t see somewhere else being able to make you better than him. It’s a bit of an awkward situation, but I'm under the impression that 2024 will be the last hurrah for the Dakes and Taylors of the world anyway. If so, you only have one more year of your main competition in the room before you ascend to that spot. I don’t think Jason has hit his freestyle prime yet and that peak may just coincide with the post-Dake era and maybe a couple World Titles for the Courteous Killer from Kittanning. How does comrade Jagger feel about the entire Ferrari family of vehicle and wrestling operations moving to Iowa City? Fred Bear Bulldog You sure do have a way with words, my friend. You want my opinion on the Ferrari/Iowa angle? I have many but I’ll keep it at this, they’re not going to change for anyone. Not for you, not for me, not for John Smith, and not for the Iowa fanbase. When they win, which they do plenty of, they're gonna let you know they won. You can do that when you win. Some walk off the mat quietly and some have a six-part celebration routine. Some fans prefer the former and other fans prefer the latter. All fans prefer winning so those who will benefit probably won’t be bothered that much by it. As far as off-the-mat stuff, if there are issues, then I assume it will just take care of itself. They’re exceptional wrestlers. Some are going to love them and some are going to hate them. They know that and they don't care. I’ll just sit back and enjoy the show and you should, too. Now that you are an international criminal and likely on the Interpol watch list, will this have any effect on the Jagger Bag and will the Bronx Attorney represent you at the Hague? Jkos11 Why do you think I haven’t done a mailbag in two weeks? Had to keep a low profile after one of my German Jagoffs complained that I said they cut off Kendall Roy’s head in the first five minutes of the Succession finale. Luckily, my esteemed lawyer, Will Forrero, aka The Bronx Attorney, was able to prove that it was just a bit by displaying multiple tweets as evidence that I’ve claimed many heads were removed in various shows and movies that didn’t actually happen. Once the judge realized they did not cut Luigi’s head in the first five minutes of the Mario movie, she threw the case out and now I have returned. I’ll tell you whose head they did cut off in the first five minutes, the friggin’ New York Mets. Ruined my entire summer.

On Tuesday, USA Wrestling announced the lineup for the men’s freestyle team at the U23 World Championships which will be held in Tampere, Finland in late-October. The U23 roster isn’t as simple as the winners of the U23 World Team Trials, held early this month in Geneva, Ohio. If a member of the Senior National team qualifies age-wise and wants the spot, it belongs to them. So there was some level of uncertainty as to who would be representing the red, white, and blue. As it turns out, our 2023 team is extremely stacked! It has the potential to be perhaps the best ever since the division was rebranded in 2017. As of now, the standard is last year’s squad which brought home five medals (two silvers and two bronzes). The 2023 team has a decent amount of international experience combined with potential from some newcomers. Here are some key freestyle credentials from the members of the 2023 team, along with a reminder of what our past teams have achieved at this tournament. 57 kg - Cooper Flynn (Virginia Tech) 2023 US Open 5th Place; 2022 WTT U20 Runner-Up, 2022 US Open U20 5th Place, 2x Fargo Junior All-American (3rd, 7th), 2021 UWW Junior 4th Place 61 kg - Julian Chlebove (Arizona State) 65 kg - Brock Hardy (Nebraska) 2017 Fargo Junior 7th Place, 2x Fargo Cadet All-American (1st, 2nd) 70 kg - Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) 2023 US Open Runner-Up, 2022 US Open 5th Place, 2019 WTT Junior Runner-Up, 2019 US Open Junior Champion, 2017 Fargo Junior 5th Place, 2x Fargo Cadet All-American (2nd, 1st) 74 kg - Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) 2023 US Open 3rd Place, 2021 U20 World Champion, 2x UWW Junior Champion, 2x Fargo Junior All-American (3rd, 1st) 79 kg - Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) 2x U23 WTT Champion, 2x UWW Junior All-American (2nd, 3rd), 2x US Open Junior Placewinner (2nd, 3rd), 2x Fargo Junior Runner-Up 86 kg - Aaron Brooks (Penn State) 2023 US Open Champion, 2019 Senior National 6th Place, 2019 Junior World Team Member, 2018 Junior World Silver Medalist, 2017 Cadet World Champion 92 kg - Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) 2022 U23 World Bronze Medalist, 2x U23 WTT Champion, 2019 UWW Junior 6th Place, 2018 UWW Cadet 5th Place 97 kg - Isaac Trumble (NC State) 2x US Open Runner-Up, 2021 Senior National 5th Place, 2021 UWW Junior 6th Place, 2019 Fargo Junior 4th Place 125 kg - Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) 2023 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament 4th Place, 2023 US Open 4th Place, 2021 U20 World 5th Place, 2019 US Open Junior 6th Place, 2018 Fargo Junior 3rd Place 2022 Team 57 kg - Vito Arujau (10th) 61 kg - Aaron Nagao (5th) 65 kg - Cole Matthews (11th) 70 kg - Yahya Thomas (5th) 74 kg - David Carr (11th) 79 kg - Carter Starocci (Bronze) 86 kg - Trent Hidlay (Silver) 92 kg - Jacob Cardenas (Silver) 97 kg - Tanner Sloan (Silver) 125 kg - Tony Cassioppi (Bronze) Medal Count: 5; 3 Silver, 2 Bronze 2021 Team 57 kg - Patrick Glory (13th) 61 kg - Chris Cannon (5th) 65 kg - Dom Demas (10th) 70 kg - Brock Mauller (16th) 74 kg - Peyton Robb (11th) 79 kg - Jake Marsh (13th) 86 kg - Myles Wilson (12th) 92 kg - Nino Bonaccorsi (10th) 97 kg - Jay Aiello (Bronze) 125 kg - Tony Cassioppi (Gold) Medal Count: 2; 1 Gold; 1 Bronze 2019 Team 57 kg - Gabe Townsell (13th) 61 kg - Chas Tucker (15th) 65 kg - Jaydin Eierman (8th) 70 kg - Alec Pantaleo (9th) 74 kg - Brady Berge (19th) 79 kg - Muhamed McBryde (5th) 86 kg - Max Dean (19th) 92 kg - Bo Nickal (Gold) 97 kg - Chase Singletary (10th) 125 kg - Greg Kerkvliet (5th) Medal Count: 1; 1 Gold 2018 Team 57 kg - Jack Mueller (5th) 61 kg - Sean Fausz (Silver) 65 kg - Colton McCrystal (7th) 70 kg - Hayden Hidlay (9th) 74 kg - Alex Smythe (18th) 79 kg - David McFadden (7th) 86 kg - Myles Martin (11th) 92 kg - Christian Brunner (10th) 97 kg - Kollin Moore (Silver) 125 kg - Youssif Hemida (Silver) Medal Count: 3; 3 Silver 2017 Team 57 kg - Daton Fix (19th) 61 kg - Mitch McKee (10th) 65 kg - Joey McKenna (Bronze) 70 kg - Richie Lewis (Gold) 74 kg - Isaiah Martinez (5th) 86 kg - Sam Brooks (17th) 97 kg - Ty Walz (Bronze) 125 kg - Michael Kroells (17th) Medal Count: 3; 1 Gold, 2 Bronze

Two weeks ago marked the release of our recruiting class rankings and last week we followed those up with five schools that earned honorable mentions. So, we’re all finished with the Class of 2023 recruiting? Not quite. Starting last Wednesday, we’ve drilled down a bit and looked further into each conference for more recruiting information. With some of the traditional superpowers consistently atop national recruiting rankings, this will be a way for more schools to get recognized for their recruiting efforts. Before getting to the Big 12, here are links to the conferences already covered: ACC EIWA MAC Pac-12 Big 12 on the 2023 Big Board Air Force: #104 Jackson Dewald (Westwood, IA), #107 Josh Palacio (North Bergen, NJ), #127 Brian Burburjia (Countryside, FL), #154 Soren Herzog (Simley, MN), #188 Josh Cordio (Nashoba, MA), #198 Myles Johnson (Springboro, OH) California Baptist: #136 Erik McCown (Palm Desert, CA), #147 Max Acciardi (Paramus Catholic, NJ), #159 Mitch Neiner (South Kitsap, WA), #193 Carter Schubert (Wyoming Seminary, PA) Iowa State: #27 Tate Naaktgeboren (Linn-Mar, IA), #88 McCrae Hagarty (Waverly-Shell Rock, IA), Cody Chittum (Tennessee) Missouri: #74 Carter McCallister (Rock Bridge, MO), #168 David Cross (O’Fallon, MO) North Dakota State: #99 Luke Barker (Dodge City, KS), #132 Markell Cain-Rivera (Ironwood, AZ), #139 Boeden Greenley (Lisbon, ND), #156 Zane Licht (Lodi, WI), #178 Adam Cherne (Wayzata, MN), #187 Amantee Mills (Stone Mountain, GA) Northern Iowa: #68 CJ Walrath (Keokuk, IA), #86 Nick Fox (Osage, IA) Oklahoma: #54 KJ Evans (Heritage Hall, OK) Oklahoma State: #2 Christian Carroll (Elkhart, IN), #5 Brayden Thompson (Lockport, IL), #8 Cael Hughes (Stillwater, OK), #48 AJ Heeg (Stillwater, OK), #68 Jersey Robb (Bixby, OK) South Dakota State: #77 Tommy Dineen (Hancock, MN), #81 Colin Dupill (Greenville, TN) Utah Valley: #155 Q’Velli Quintanilla (University, WA) West Virginia: #32 Ty Watters (West Allegheny, PA) Wyoming: #55 Joey Novak (New Prague, MN), #71 Sloan Swan (Clovis, CA), #95 Riley Davis (Amarillo, TX), #135 Brayden Sonnentag (Cadott, WI), #150 Cole Brooks (Owasso, OK) The Class of 2023 has 37 Big Board’ers headed to the Big 12, which is a bit of a drop from the 2022 number. The drop is understandable as Oklahoma had an additional four, but lost them during their lengthy coaching search. Northern Colorado didn’t have any, because of the youth on their current roster; while Iowa State and Missouri, had smaller classes after signing huge groups in 2022. The conference (or Oklahoma State) did have three top-ten recruits, all of which are headed to Stillwater. Iowa State also signed Cody Chittum who was at one time the top wrestler in the class before reclassifying. Top Transfers California Baptist: Justin Phillips (via Virginia), Eli Sheeren (via Buffalo) Iowa State: Will Feldkamp (via Clarion), Garrett Grice (via Virginia) North Dakota State: Devon Dawson (via Pratt CC) Northern Colorado: Manzona Bryant (via Lehigh), Adam Busiello (via Nassau CC), Travis Mastrogiovanni (via Oklahoma State) Northern Iowa: Jack Thomsen (via South Dakota State) Oklahoma: Cael Carlson (via Minnesota), Giuseppe Hoose (via Buffalo), Jace Koelzer (via Northern Colorado), Juan Mora (via North Dakota State), DJ Parker (via North Dakota State) Oklahoma State: Tagen Jamison (via Minnesota), Izzak Olejnik (via Northern Illinois), Troy Spratley (via Minnesota) West Virginia: Jett Strickenberger (via NW Kansas Tech) Wyoming: Gabe Willochell (via Edinboro) The Big 12 was very active in the transfer portal. Two 2023 All-Americans transferred into the conference with the addition of Will Feldkamp (Iowa State) and Izzak Olejnik (Oklahoma State). Coaching changes at North Dakota State and Oklahoma led to plenty of wrestlers leaving, but they also picked up their fair share. Northern Colorado was one of the more active teams in the portal, they brought in three wrestlers that were originally on the Big Board of their respective graduating classes, so they have some potential to break out. Under-the-Radar Signees Air Force: Trason Oehme (Brandon Valley, SD) California Baptist: Kaiser Simpson (Cushing, OK) Iowa State: Thomas Freking (Jackson County Central, MN) Missouri: Jarrett Stoner (Rockwell, TX) North Dakota State: Michael Olsen (Albert Lea, MN) Northern Iowa: Garrett Rinken (Nashua-Plainfield, IA) Oklahoma: Nick LaMorte (Rocky Point, NY) Oklahoma State: Jeremy Manibog (Katy, TX) South Dakota State: Riggin Boger (South Summit, UT) Utah Valley: Kayd Craig (Gooding, ID) West Virginia: Luke Eschenheimer (Cascia Hall, OK) Wyoming: Lane Catlin (Thunder Basin, WY) Big 12 Recruiting Rankings 1. Oklahoma State (1st nationally) See InterMat’s Recruiting Rankings article for more information 2. Iowa State (10th nationally) See InterMat’s Recruiting Rankings article for more information 3. Wyoming (16th nationally) See InterMat’s Recruiting Rankings article for more information 4. North Dakota State (22nd nationally) See InterMat’s Recruiting Rankings article for more information 5. Air Force (23rd nationally) See InterMat’s Recruiting Rankings article for more information 6. South Dakota State (Honorable Mention) See InterMat’s Recruiting Honorable Mentions article for more information 7. California Baptist (Honorable Mention) See InterMat’s Recruiting Honorable Mentions article for more information 8. Northern Iowa Recruits: Nick Fox (Osage, IA), Brandon Paez (Lisbon, IA), Garrett Rinken (Nashua-Plainfield, IA), CJ Walrath (Keokuk, IA) Transfer: Jack Thomsen (South Dakota State) UNI was probably the hardest omission from the national rankings and honorable mentions. They don’t have a huge class, but a pair of Big Boarder’s led the way. Those two had plenty of national-level credentials, as Nick Fox placed at Fargo on three occasions, while CJ Walrath made the top-eight at the Super 32 twice. The other two high schoolers, Brandon Paez and Garrett Rinken, both were 1A state champions in 2023. That fits the profile that Doug Schwab’s staff has established on the recruiting trail. More often than not, the Panthers sign hard-nosed, small-school studs. 9. West Virginia Recruits: Erick Brothers (Wheeling Park, WV), Garhett Dickenson (Linganore, MD), Matt Dolan (Spring Mills, WV), Luke Eschenheimer (Cascia Hall, OK), Alex Gavronsky (Belmont Hill, MA), Mason Mills (St. Michael-Albertville, MN), Dom Parker (University, WV), Wilson Spires (General McLane, PA), Ty Watters (West Allegheny, PA) Transfer: Jett Strickenberger (NW Kansas Tech) West Virginia hasn’t necessarily been a force on the recruiting trail yet under Tim Flynn, but between the 2023 class and the early commitments from 2024, that could stand to change. The Mountaineer staff inked their highest-ranked recruit since coming to Morgantown when they added #32 Ty Watters, a two-time Pennsylvania state champion and Super 32 finalist. In this class, the WVU did a great job at keeping some of their best at home (Matt Dolan), while adding studs from surrounding states. They even ventured to a couple of areas (Colorado/Minnesota/Oklahoma) that generally haven’t been spots where WVU has landed talent in the past. This class marks a sign of positive things to come on the recruiting front at West Virginia. 10. Missouri Recruits: David Cross (O’Fallon, MO), Carter McCallister (Rock Bridge, MO), Andrew Stanfield (St. Michael, MO), Jarrett Stoner (Rockwell, TX) Missouri tends to fluctuate between having a massive recruiting class one year, while having a much smaller one the following season. It makes sense as 9.9 scholarships will only go so far. Looking at our list below, the Tigers had the #4 overall class in 2022, so they have a smaller group this year. Even so, there are two Big Board’ers from Missouri in this signing class, one of which is a top-100 recruit in Carter McCallister. McCallister was a two-time Super 32 seventh-place finisher and a 16U freestyle third-placer. One of David Cross’ best national-level placements was a fifth at NHSCA Juniors last year. The class is rounded out by Missouri state champ Andrew Stanfield, who grayshirted and trained under Sammie Henson in 2022-23, along with Texas champ Jarrett Stoner. Under Brian Smith, Mizzou has been one of the best teams in the nation at signing wrestlers on the backhalf of the Big Board (or unranked altogether) and developing them into quality DI competitors. Though this isn’t a gigantic class, I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened to a wrestler or two in this group. Past National Recruiting Rankings (2021-22) Air Force: 2021 (HM) Iowa State: 2022 (2nd), 2021 (16th) Missouri: 2022 (4th) North Dakota State: 2022 (HM), 2021 (15th) Northern Colorado: 2021 (19th) Northern Iowa: 2022 (25th) Oklahoma: 2022 (24th), 2021 (11th) Oklahoma State: 2022 (6th), 2021 (6th) South Dakota State: 2022 (HM), 2021 (12th) Wyoming: 2022 (13th)