InterMat Staff

St. Joseph's Regional

The top prospect in the high school Class of 2026, Bo Bassett, has vowed to keep fans abreast of his recruiting with daily Wednesday updates. Well, today is Wednesday and true to his word, Bassett has posted an updated graphic which has eliminated three more schools from consideration. Earlier this year, Bassett posted a graphic that contained the logos of approximately 80 schools, most of the DI variety, but some DII’s as well, to signify that he’s totally open in the recruiting process. After more than a month of removing schools from the list, he’s down to 16. One school was removed from this week's graphic: Lehigh The following schools remain on Bassett’s graphic and therefore in contention for his services: Air Force, Arizona State, Cornell, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Pitt-Johnstown, Princeton, Rutgers, Virginia Tech. One school was removed from the 9/25 graphic: Pittsburgh One school was removed from the 9/18 graphic: Stanford One school was removed from the 9/11 graphic: NC State These three schools were removed from the 9/4 graphic: American, North Carolina, Wisconsin These three schools were removed from the 8/28 graphic: Clarion, Little Rock, Minnesota The following schools were removed from the 8/21 graphic: Penn, Oklahoma, Oregon State The following schools were removed from the 8/14 graphic: Bucknell, Virginia, Wyoming The following schools were removed from the 8/7 graphic: Brown, Northern Colorado, Purdue The following schools were removed from the 7/31 graphic: California Baptist, Michigan State, Navy The following schools were removed from the 7/24 graphic: Army West Point, Campbell, Edinboro, Harvard, Illinois, North Dakota State, South Dakota State The following schools were removed from the 7/17 graphic: Cal Poly, Columbia, Indiana, Maryland, Millersville, The Citadel, and West Virginia The following schools were removed from the 7/10 graphic: CSU Bakersfield, George Mason, Hofstra, Northwestern, Rider, UW Parkside, West Liberty The following schools were removed from the 7/3 graphic: Appalachian State, Central Michigan, Cleveland State, Drexel, Kent State, Ohio, and St. Cloud State The following schools were removed from the 6/26 graphic: Binghamton, Bloomsburg, Duke, Gardner-Webb, Northern Illinois, Sacred Heart, SIU Edwardsville Bassett's first on-campus visit took place on September 20th-22nd at the University of Michigan and he was joined by his high school teammate #2 Jax Forrest. On Sunday, Bassett was in action at Who's Number One which took place in his backyard at Pitt-Johnstown. Bassett avenged his 2023 WNO loss to Daniel Zepeda with a 12-6 victory. In Bassett's weekly recruiting update, he noted dates for upcoming official campus visits: Oct 25-27 - Iowa Nov 1-3 - Penn State Nov 8-10 - Ohio State Nov 15-17 - Virginia Tech Nov 22-24 - Oklahoma State Jan 24-26 - Rutgers

The data has been processed, the charts have been reviewed, and the evaluations are complete. The 2024 breakdown of the Top Fantasy Wrestlers of the 2024 season is here to help you start your 2025 season research. Just like in the past few years, some names are going to be expected, while a lot more may not be. That's the beauty of Fantasy Wrestling, where any wrestler can be the star of the weekend and win the dual for you. To compile these lists, we used standard WrestleStat Fantasy College Wrestling Data & Scoring. Just a reminder of how points were tallied in WrestleStat leagues: 1) The scoring used was standard team scoring across all competitions (+3 for a win by decision, -4 for a loss by major, etc) 2) Scoring only counted against D1 competition 3) Wins via forfeits (FFT) would count as +6 towards a wrestler's point total 4) Wins or losses by medical forfeit (MFF) did not count as + or - towards a wrestler's point total 5) Points were only accumulated during the regular season OVERALL Top-33 Notes: The #1 overall wrestler in 2024 was Taye Ghadiali, who put in the best fantasy wrestling season since 2020 with a total of 136 Fpts. The previous record, 132 Fpts, was held by now Hall-of-Famer 157 lber Jonathan Ross (LHU). Difference is, it took Jonathan Ross 48 regular season matches to get to that number which Ghadiali wrestled “only” 33. The 2024 season also saw the most wrestlers reach the 100 Fpt mark since the 2020 season as well. In 2020, ten wrestlers had at least 100 Fpts compared to 2024 where only five accomplished that feat (and takedowns were only worth TWO points back then…). In 2023 only three wrestlers had at least 100 Fpts and in 2022 only two. 2021, the COVID season, is hard to analyze due to the shortened season and basically conference only schedules. But nevertheless, for comparison's sake, five wrestlers had 50 or more Fpts in that year.

New Haven

Pine-Richland

Adam Waters photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com Now that we’re squarely in the collegiate preseason and the fall weather is ready to set in (at least in parts of the country) another rite of passage is upon us. Football season? Yes, and it’s semi-relevant here, as many fall recruiting weekends are built around football Saturdays, especially, at your Power Five (now four) schools. Sure, there are plenty of recruiting visits in the spring and summer, but we saw almost all of the top recruits from the Class of 2025 commit to schools by the end of the calendar year in 2023, so the Class of 2026 recruits have begun to visit campus and probably will start to commit soon. One of the things that makes following recruiting fun is the cloak-and-dagger secrecy surrounding parts of the process. 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! In order to try and help our fanbase feel more knowledgeable about the process, we’ll have 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. If we've missed a recruit or you'd like to provide info on future visits play let me know: earl@matscouts.com For past versions of this feature: For past versions of this feature: September 23rd September 16th September 9th Buffalo Anthony DePaul: St. Augustine, NJ - Class of 2026 Bobby Duffy: Christian Brothers, NJ - Class of 2026 Luke Fugazatto: Northwestern Lehigh, PA - #83 Class of 2026 Dom Sumpolec: Notre Dame-Green Pond, PA - #121 Class of 2026 Earlier in the fall, Buffalo had a big recruiting weekend with a handful of in-state prospects. This one was different as their four recruits hail from out-of-state with two from New Jersey and two from Pennsylvania. Both of the Pennsylvania natives are currently ranked in the Class of 2026. Luke Fugazatto was a state finalist in 2024, while Dom Sumpolec was a seventh-place finisher. The New Jersey contingent includes fifth-place finisher Anthony DePaul and two-time state qualifier Bobby Duffy. DePaul is currently ranked #24 in the nation at 144 lbs. The level of talent that has been in Buffalo, of late, would lead you to believe that their recruiting output will greatly increase in first-year head coach Donnie Vinson. This is the first visit for both DePaul and Duffy. Fugazatto visited Clarion earlier in September. Sumpolec has also visited Clarion, but also MAC rival George Mason. California Baptist Victor-Alexander Gutierrez: Central Catholic, CA - Class of 2026 Brodie Johnson: Pitman, CA - Class of 2025 Gabe Swann: Carroll Central, GA - Class of 2026 Carter Vannest: Pitman, CA - Class of 2026 Max Wirnsberger: Warrior Run, PA - Class of 2026 California Baptist appeared in the Class of 2024 rankings and was listed as an honorable mention during the previous season. They have a solid crop for 2025 already committed and had a handful of 2026 recruits in town for the weekend. The in-state portion of the visitors includes Victor-Alexander Gutierrez who was a state fourth-place finisher, along with Carter Vannest, who has yet to make the California state podium, but was an NHSCA Sophomore national champion this spring. Current high school senior, Brodie Johnson was an eighth-place finisher last year and fifth at NHSCA Junior’s. Fargo champion and lightweight prospect Gabe Swann made the cross-country trip. Swann has placed four times in Fargo and was fifth at NHSCA Sophomores. The two-time Georgia state champion is currently ranked eighth at 106 lbs. At the beginning of September, Swann took a visit to Brown. A familiar name you see here is Pennsylvania state placewinner Max Wirnsberger. He’s the son of Bucknell's head coach, Dan. The younger Wirnsberger likely has a pre-existing relationship with California Baptist assistant coach Eric Morrill. Earlier this month, Wirnsberger had taken an official visit to Bucknell. I understand there were more recruits on campus for California Baptist and we’re working to find out who! Central Michigan Donavon Allen: Marist, IL - Class of 2025 The Chippewas get in on the action with a visit from Donavon Allen who is currently ranked #21 at 138 lbs. Allen is a third-place finisher in Illinois’ largest classification. This is the first known visit for Allen. Clarion Hayden Andrus: Bermudian Springs, PA - Class of 2026 Camden Baum: Bishop McDevitt, PA - #33 Class of 2026 Thunder Beard: Central Dauphin, PA - Class of 2026 Hudson Hohman: Grove City, PA - Class of 2026 Liam Lawler: Bishop McDevitt, PA - Class of 2026 Clarion had a huge recruiting weekend last week and this one features another handful of quality prospects. Leading the way is Pennsylvania AA state runner-up Camden Baum - a 2023 NHSCA Freshman National runner-up. Other Pennsylvania state placers are Hayden Andrus and Hudson Hohman - who have placed twice. Thunder Beard and Liam Lawler are both looking to get onto the state podium for the first time. This is the first visit for Andrus, Beard, Hohman, and Lawler. Lawler does have an older brother (Lucas) who is a high school senior and has committed to Bucknell. Baum has already taken visits to NC State and Purdue. George Mason Gavin Nolan: Clearwater Central Catholic, FL - Class of 2025 Three-time Florida 1A state champion Gavin Nolan took a visit to George Mason over the weekend. Nolan could help bolster the Patriot middleweights as his last state title came at 150 lbs. Nolan has already made a visit to Campbell earlier this year. Hofstra Jackson Slotnick: Williamstown, NJ - Class of 2025 Hofstra had a familiar name and face on campus over the weekend as they hosted Jackson Slotnick. Jackson’s older brother, Jake, was a starter for the Pride last year as a true freshman and fought to an 11-12 record. The younger Slotnick is fresh off an eighth-place finish at 132 lbs in the New Jersey state tournament. This is the first visit we’ve recorded for Slotnick. Indiana Liam Crook: Kaukauna, WI - #48 Class of 2026 Anthony Gutierrez: St. Charles East, IL - Class of 2025 Caiden Judice: Bald Eagle Area, PA - Class of 2026 Nadav Nafshi: Germantown Academy, PA - Class of 2026 Xavier Smith: Fishers, IN - Class of 2026 Indiana’s Class of 2025 already consists of four Big Boarders and is likely destined for back-to-back accolades in InterMat’s recruiting rankings. The Hoosier staff is looking to add onto that group as they hosted Illinois state third-place finisher, Anthony Gutierrez. Gutierrez was a Fargo All-American in 2022, with a fifth-place finish in 16U Greco-Roman. Moving on to the Class of 2026, Indiana had a top-50 recruit on campus as they hosted Wisconsin state champion Liam Crook. Crook quickly rose up the Big Board after taking sixth at UWW U17 freestyle and fourth in Fargo 16U freestyle this year. From within their own borders, the Hoosier staff brought in state qualifier Xavier Smith. Even though Smith has yet to place at Indiana’s state tournament, he was top-five in both styles in Fargo this summer at the 16U classification. Hailing from Pennsylvania are state placers Caiden Judice and Nadav Nafshi. Judice has already taken visits to Clarion and Lock Haven. This is the first known visit for Crook, Gutierrez, Nafshi, and Smith. We do know that Smith is slated to visit Clarion next month. Kent State Blake Boyer: Kennett, PA - Class of 2026 Last week, Kent State received a pair of verbals from wrestlers in the Class of 2025 - now they are looking to the future with Pennsylvania native Blake Boyer who is a current junior. Boyer is a two-time Pennsylvania state qualifier. He most recently made the state tournament at 139 lbs and is seeking to earn a spot on the podium for the first time. Lehigh Keanu Dillard: Bethlehem Catholic, PA - #16 Class of 2026 Sam Herring: Bishop McCort, PA - #23 Class of 2026 Cael Wiedemoyer: Faith Christian Academy, PA - #25 Class of 2025 Keanu Dillard didn’t have to travel very far for his visit to the hometown Lehigh Mountain Hawks. Dillard has to be familiar with the Lehigh coaching staff and vice versa. Dillard was a U17 World Team member this year and has earned All-American honors in Fargo and at the Super 32 during his highly decorated career. Of course, he also has a pair of Pennsylvania AAA state titles to his credit. Before visiting Lehigh, Dillard has also traveled to Nebraska, Penn, Princeton, and Virginia this fall. Judging by that academic list, Lehigh fits in, as well. Lehigh also hosted a pair of additional top-25 recruits, Sam Herring and Cael Wiedemoyer. Herring has already visited Cornell and NC State. Wiedemoyer has been busy traveling to Brown, Cornell, Missouri, Penn, and Pittsburgh NC State Lander Bosh: Layton, UT - Class of 2026 Tyler Dekraker: Faith Christian Academy, PA - #31 Class of 2026 Moses Mendoza: Gilroy, CA - #45 Class of 2026 Michael Mocco: Cardinal Gibbons, FL - #6 Class of 2026 NC State was the first school to have three verbals from the Class of 2026 and their staff is not resting on the laurels. They had another impressive group on campus in Raleigh over the weekend. Three of the four recruits are currently ranked in the top-50 with Fargo and U17 world champion Michael Mocco leading the way. Mocco has already taken visits to Ohio State and Penn State. His “in” with NC State is associate head coach Zack Esposito who was a high school and college teammate of his father, Steve. Tyler Dekraker was on the road for a third consecutive weekend. The three-time Fargo All-American and Ironman finalist was at Penn State last weekend and Minnesota the week before. He also has taken a visit to Oklahoma. This is the first known visit for Lander Bosh and Moses Mendoza. Bosh is a two-time Utah state runner-up. Mendoza is a California third-place finisher. This summer, in Fargo, Mendoza placed sixth in both styles at the Junior level. Those placements marked the fifth and sixth time he’s been on the Fargo podium. North Carolina Nate Askew: Baylor School, TN - #73 Class of 2025 Lukas Littleton Mascaro: Malvern Prep, PA - #43 Class of 2026 Aaron Stewart: Warren Township, IL - #8 Class of 2026 Adam Waters: Faith Christian Academy, PA - #17 Class of 2026 Ryder Wilder: Kingsland, GA: #30 Class of 2026 During the first three weeks of our recruiting visit feature, North Carolina has been conspicuously absent. That’s by design more than anything else. The Tar Heels had a massive Class of 2024 that was ranked eighth in the nation. The 2025 class is large, as well, with eight Big Boarder’s committed. With that many top-flight recruits in the pipeline, there aren’t many holes to fill for Rob Koll’s team. All of that being said, the Tar Heels still had an impressive group in Chapel Hill for the weekend. Top-ten recruit, Aaron Stewart was on hand, and in his social media posting, Stewart mentioned the possibility of being a two-sport star. He’s one of the top running backs in the state of Illinois, so it’s not far-fetched. Stewart has already taken trips to Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. The other top-50 recruits from 2026 in attendance were Adam Waters, Ryder Wilder, and Luke Littleton Mascaro. In addition to a pair of Pennsylvania state titles, Waters has placed in Fargo six times and was a 2023 U17 World Team member in Greco. Waters has already taken visits to Arizona State, Michigan, and Missouri. Wilder was third in both styles at the UWW U17 Trials along with NHSCA Sophomore Nationals. His previous visit was to the rival NC State Wolfpack. Littleton Mascaro is an Ironman placewinner and a 2023 National Prep champion. The previous visits we have on file for Littleton Mascaro are at Brown and Lehigh. North Carolina also had a visit from Nate Askew a prospect from the Class of 2025 who has already given the team a verbal. Northern Colorado Logan Glynn: Millard South, NE - Class of 2025 Hudson Loges: Blair NE: #197 Class of 2025 Northern Colorado checks in with a pair of Nebraska seniors who came for a weekend visit. Troy Nickerson’s team has had some success recruiting Nebraska, so this makes some sense. Logan Glynn is a two-time state champion who was sixth this summer in Fargo in Junior Greco-Roman. Hudson Loges was a member of the U17 Greco World team in 2024 and wrestled in the best-of-three finals at the Trials in 2023. He’s also a 2023 state champion. Glynn has visited North Dakota State, while Loges has checked out Stanford. Oregon State Noah Bull: Layton, UT - #99 Class of 2026 We’ve written about Oregon State’s recent success on the recruiting trail a few times - including once today with the verbal commitment from Nathan Carrillo. Could Noah Bull be next? Bull is a double Fargo All-American; he won the 16U freestyle title and was third in Greco this year. Before his Fargo success, Bull claimed his first Utah state title in 2024. Bull has already taken a visit to Nebraska. Princeton Joey Canova: Bergen Catholic, NJ - #16 Class of 2026 Joseph Jeter: Edmond North, OK - #22 Class of 2026 Isaiah Jones: Bixby, OK - #113 Class of 2026 Joe Uhorchuk: Signal Mountain, TN - #49 Class of 2026 Tommy Verrette: Edmond North, OK - #32 Class of 2026 There was another strong crew in Princeton over the weekend with four top-50 recruits and five Big Boarder’s overall. The highest ranked of the bunch is Joey Canova who was seventh in New Jersey, as a freshman at 138 lbs, for Bergen Catholic. This class had a very Oklahoma feel to it with three of its wrestlers currently residing in the state. Joseph Jeter was a U17 world team member in Greco this year. He also AA’ed in the freestyle portion of the UWW Trials and double AA’ed last year in Fargo. Jeter has already taken visits to Cornell and Oklahoma. Isaiah Jones has made Fargo finals in Greco-Roman in both age groups and was fourth at the UWW Greco trials this year. He was on campus with Jeter for the Oklahoma visit. The third member of the Oklahoma trio, Tommy Verrette, verballed to Cornell earlier today. You have to wonder if the addition of Oklahoma alum Cody Brewer to the Princeton coaching staff will increase the number of Oklahoma natives interested in Princeton. The final member of the group is Joe Uhorchuk. Uhorchuk is a two-time NHSCA grade-level champion and a Super 32 placewinner. He has siblings who have wrestled for Army and another that has verbally committed to Chattanooga. Uhorchuk has visited Army West Point and Brown. Purdue Blake Cosby: Dundee, MI - #19 Class of 2026 Mason Ontiveros: Pitman, CA - #37 Class of 2026 Purdue has had decent luck of late recruiting in California, so their staff went to that well against and brought in state finalist Mason Ontiveros. Ontiveros was fifth in the state as a freshman at 170 lbs and second last year at 175. During the offseason, Ontiveros finished second at NHSCA Sophomores and was an All-American in freestyle at UWW U17’s and in Fargo. This is the first known visit for Ontiveros. Michigan is a state that Purdue routinely hits and they’re working on the top junior from Michigan in Blake Cosby. Cosby had a sophomore season that saw him go from unranked to #19 in the Class of 2026 after winning the Carnahan, Brecksville, and his first Michigan title. Cosby has already taken a visit to the flagship school of his home state - the Michigan Wolverines. Rutgers Easton Doster: New Haven, IN - Class of 2025 Owen McMullen: Bishop McCort, PA - Class of 2026 Whatever Easton Doster saw on his visit must have worked as he committed to Rutgers earlier today. Doster is a two-time Indiana state placewinner who captured a state championship as a junior. This year, in Fargo, Doster came up a match shy of the podium. He had previously taken visits to Indiana, Little Rock, Purdue, and West Virginia. Sophomore Owen McMullen has also been busy on the visit circuit and chose to head to Rutgers which is closer than anywhere else he’s visited thus far (Air Force, Brown, and NC State). McMullen was a double All-American at the UWW U17 Trials this spring. Utah Valley Josh Requena: Camarillo, CA - Class of 2026 Utah Valley has been very active on the recruiting front under first-year head coach Adam Hall. The latest recruit to visit Orem is California native Josh Requena. Requena is a two-time California state qualifier who was fifth at 132 lbs in 2024. He has AA’ed in both styles at the UWW U17 Trials and was sixth in Fargo’s 16U freestyle last summer. This is the first visit we have on record for Requena. Wyoming CJ Huerta: Buchanan, CA - #73 Class of 2026 Cooper Rowe: Mound Westonka, MN - #60 Class of 2026 Wyoming had entered the weekend with a verbal commitment from a Big Boarder in each of the last two weeks. Could a third time be on the way? Well, Mark Branch’s team had a pair of top-100 recruits in Laramie last weekend in CJ Huerta and Cooper Rowe. Huerta is a two-time California state placewinner. He was third as a freshman at 113 lbs and seventh last season at 120. Huerta has already taken a visit across the country to Princeton. Cooper Rowe has placed three times at the Minnesota State tournament (once as an eighth grader) and claimed his first state title this year. Also in 2024, he was an All-American at UWW U17’s and Fargo 16U freestyle. Rowe has already taken visits to Minnesota and Oklahoma.

Last week was incredible for Oregon State from a recruiting standpoint. Chris Pendleton’s team got three verbal commitments, two from the Class of 2026 and one from the current senior class. Each was from a member of the Big Board and two were of the top-100 variety. On Tuesday morning, Oregon State continued their hot recruiting streak with a verbal from Nathan Carrillo (St. John Bosco, CA) the #46 overall recruit in the Class of 2026. With Carrillo’s commitment, Oregon State joins NC State as the only school’s with three commitments from the Class of 2026. All three of Oregon State’s are from Big Boarder’s and two are from the top-100. Carrillo is a two-time California state qualifier and he medaled for the first time in 2024 after making the 120 lb state finals. In addition to his state finish, Carrillo has plenty of national-level credentials. He finished third in freestyle at the UWW U17 Trials in 2022 and third in 16U freestyle in Fargo, later that same year. At California’s signature event, the Doc Buchanan Invitational, Carrillo was fifth in 2023 and fourth this January. Carrillo is currently ranked seventh in the nation at 120 lbs and has registered to compete at that weight class at the Super 32. It looks like Carrillo will be a 125/133 lb prospect at the next level. While Oregon State has plenty of young talent in that range currently on the roster or as a part of the Class of 2025, you can’t have enough potential 125’s. In addition to Oregon State, Carrillo also visited Arizona State. For Oregon State’s current Class of 2026, check out InterMat’s College Commitment Page.

St. John Bosco

Edmond North

The Cornell recruiting Class of 2025 is massive and will go down as one of the best in the current recruiting cycle. With a verbal commitment from #9 overall Joseph Toscano (Buchanan, CA), Cornell’s Class of 2026 has gotten off to an excellent start. Toscano is two-time state runner-up in single-class California. His first finals appearance came as a freshman at 126 lbs and his second was in 2024 at 144. During the high school regular season, Toscano advanced to the finals in the Doc Buchanan Invitational in each of his first two years of high school. He was able to win the traditional cowboy hat with a title during his freshman season. Toscano will be in action next at the Super 32 in a stacked 144 lb bracket. He is currently ranked sixth in the nation and the top eight wrestlers at the weight are expected to compete. At the next level, Toscano appears to project as a 157 lber. That works out well for the Big Red as current starter, All-American Meyer Shapiro, would finish up as Toscano would enroll in the fall of 2026. Toscano is the highest ranked recruit from the Class of 2026 to commit thus far and is the first ranked in the top-ten. For all of Cornell’s current recruits, check out InterMat’s College Commitment page. Editor's Note: A few hours after Toscano verballed, Cornell also received a verbal commitment from Tommy Verrette who is the #32 overall recruit in the Class of 2026. Verrette is a two-time Fargo 16U Greco-Roman national champion. He's also placed third in freestyle twice. In the spring, he was an NHSCA Sophomore National Champion. Verrette has finished third at the UWW U17 Trials in Greco on two occasions. Verrette is a Colorado native that has moved to Edmond North High School in Oklahoma. He projects as a 149 lber for Cornell.

Buchanan

The 12th edition of Who’s Number One proved to be one of the best as a star-studded group of the top high school wrestlers in the nation descended upon Johnstown, Pennsylvania. As you would expect from prior editions of this event, there were some upsets, star-making performances, and plenty of great action. Before we get to the five takeaways from this event, give credit to Anthony Knox as he became the first wrestler to win at four different Who’s Number One events! That’s truly a remarkable achievement as you need to get over a couple of high hurdles just to be in contention for that number. One, you need to be well-known as one of the best in the country - before ever wrestling a high school match. You also need to beat some great competitors. In Knox’s four wins, he has two over age-group world champions (Luke Lilledahl and Christian Castillo). Knox completed his quest for four with a clutch takedown over Aaron Seidel with :12 left in their bout. Ok, now to the five takeaways: Ladarion Lockett Moves up and Cruises Let’s get past Willie Saylor’s issues with the original intent of the event (finding out the true #1 wrestler at as many weights as possible) and just focus on a pair of wrestlers ranked #1 overall at their respective weights clashing in a super-match. That was the case with Ladarion Lockett (#1 at 165) moving up to face Ryan Burton (#1 at 175). Although, I suppose you can call Lockett a 175 lber after his impressive win over Burton. Lockett is no stranger to moving up in weight and finding success. Just last year, he won the Super 32 at 157 lbs and then took third at the Walsh Ironman at 165 lbs a few months later. On Sunday, Lockett was tasked with facing a Fargo Junior freestyle national champion who recently moved up to 190 lbs for a match at the Elite 8 Duals and downed a ranked opponent. Burton is battle-tested and capable of dealing with the strength and physicality of opponents significantly larger than Lockett. Lockett earned his first takedown after an excellent flurry that featured near-takedowns from both wrestlers. Later in the contest, Lockett showed he wasn’t concerned about choosing bottom on the larger opponent and even picked up a reversal when he was close to an escape. Lockett demonstrated he had plenty left in the tank when he was deftly able to stay in bounds, avoid a Burton attack, and circle for a final takedown right before the buzzer sounded in the third period. While we’re still months away from Lockett working officially with his future collegiate head coach (David Taylor/Oklahoma State), one can only imagine the magic these two can make working together. Taylor knows a thing or two about moving up in weight while still maintaining a dynamic offensive arsenal. The Battle of the Michigan Big Men I admit I was kind of curious how Jude Correa and Nick Sahakian would fit into the Michigan lineup after Sahakian flipped his commitment from Arizona State to the Wolverines in late-May. I suppose the question still remains after Who’s Number One, but for a different reason. Correa is the top-ranked 215 lber in the nation and committed to Michigan in November of 2023. He’s the smaller of the two, but still projects as a heavyweight in college. Seeing Sahakian flip to Michigan makes you wonder if the California native is a more promising prospect than Correa. Does the Michigan staff prefer Sahakian? Do they see Correa as a 197 lber? Well, Correa made his case in Johnstown! Correa got on the scoreboard first with a go-behind after an errant Sahakian shot at the edge. He then started a punishing ride which was cut short by an injury to Sahakian’s knee. Upon the restart, Correa chose down and escaped. In the final period, Correa scored after a prolonged scramble - one that you rarely see between heavyweights. He was also able to handle a desperate Sahakian, who was furiously looking for a way to score late in the content. Correa got his hand raised and won on Sunday evening, but we’ll have to monitor this situation as it continues to evolve. Jayden James’ Arsenal Too Much for Two PA Champs Every year Who’s Number One seems to have a three-or-four-man bracket. That proved to be the case at 150 lbs as 2024 Pennsylvania state champion, Maddox Shaw, awaited the winner of the first bout of the day between two-time Fargo 16U champion Jayden James and another PA champion Collin Gaj. While Shaw had the advantage of waiting until a challenger emerged from the James/Gaj bout, it ultimately didn’t matter as James proved his mettle with not just one signature win, but two. James set the tone immediately in the final matchup versus Shaw with a takedown via single leg shortly after the opening whistle. It displayed his versatility in attacks as a duck under was the primary weapon in his win over Gaj. In the second period, James threw by an underhook for another takedown. Throughout the Shaw match, James displayed solid defense and nearly scored from crackdown positions. Ultimately, James’ array of attacks was too much for either of the Pennsylvania state champions and he earned the #1 ranking at 150 lbs in the hard way. James was one of the first elite recruits from the Class of 2026 to announce his commitment (to Virginia Tech). Tony Robie’s team has a potential superstar to couple with another impressive recruiting Class of 2025. Bassett Wins Round Two The shocker from the 2023 edition of Who’s Number One was a Daniel Zepeda win via fall over Bo Bassett. Bassett was a more widely known prospect and was coming up a few weight classes to meet the NC State recruit. Since then, Zepeda dominated his way to a Fargo stop sign and Bassett earned a bronze medal at the U20 World Championships. After Zepeda won in Fargo, FloWrestling announced a rematch between the two as one of the main events at Who’s Number One 2024. In front of a partisan home crowd on the campus of Pitt-Johnstown, Bassett got on the scoreboard first with a low leg attack for a three-point takedown (remember high school has switched to this rule for the 2024-25 season). Bassett would add a second takedown after a go-behind attempt that morphed into a high-crotch with a high-amplitude finish. One difference between Sunday’s matchup and the 2023 meeting was Bassett’s willingness to work from the top. He amassed almost a minute and a half of riding time after the first period. After a scoreless second period, the pair exchanged takedowns in the third period; however, Bassett’s early offensive output and a riding time point were too much for Zepeda in a 12-6 win. The win demonstrates how far Bassett has come in a year’s time. He has filled out for the weight class and continued to maintain his high pace and scoring prowess. We might get to see a rubber match between the two as both wrestlers are slated to compete at the upcoming Super 32. The Level of High School Competition Getting the best boys and girls in the nation under one roof is a stark reminder of just how good the kids are these days. In the world today, the older generation can yearn for the “good ol’ days” when they remembered everything being better. Well, that shouldn’t be the case in the wrestling world. The average high school wrestlers are so much more advanced than they were 15 or 20 years ago. Much less 25 to 30 years ago. And then you get to the level that the wrestlers who were selected to compete at Who’s Number One reside. The kids today have better and more advanced coaching from a younger age. Better availability for specific strength training and dietary guidelines. The ability to get on any device and watch thousands of matches from the greats of our sport. It’s great! More power to them. Every year at the NCAA Tournament, I’m reminded that from the 1990s until the mid-2000’s it was a rarity for a freshman (redshirt or true) to make the NCAA finals - much less win it all. Now it’s surprising if we have a tournament that doesn’t feature a few freshman finalists. Looking at the recent history of this event - the 2023 dual was very underclassmen-heavy, so there’s not much to gain from it (yet). But just two years ago, the 2022 dual featured four wrestlers who have already finished in the top three at the NCAA Tournament (Nasir Bailey, Tyler Kasak, Meyer Shapiro, and Rocco Welsh). Sergio Lemley was a part of that dual as well, he had a very solid true freshman year and to a lesser degree, Brayden Thompson. The 2021 Who’s Number One dual showcased three wrestlers who already have NCAA titles on their resume (Jesse Mendez, Caleb Henson, and Levi Haines). Interestingly enough, none of those three took redshirts and each one made the NCAA podium as a true freshman. If recent history is any indication, we’ll see a handful of the wrestlers in Johnstown on Sunday star at the 2026 NCAA Tournament. All of this is without mentioning the quality of competition on the girl's high school side. The field at Who’s Number One included a wrestler who has already won the Midlands! (Taina Fernandez) as a high school freshman! Not only has the level of talent risen on the girls' side of things, but the depth is improving. 2023 U17 world medalist Heather Crull lost a close bout at 110 lbs to Michigan’s Taylor Whiting. U17 world fifth-place finisher Isabella Marie Gonzales was pushed and hung on for a one-point win over Savannah Witt in one of the more exciting matches of the dual. For those who like following the next generation of talent, it’s a good time to be a wrestling fan. The stars of tomorrow were on full display in Johnstown and “tomorrow” isn’t as far away as it used to be.

Mill Creek

Emmaus

Montgomery

Freehold Township

We’re just over a month away from the start of the 2024-25 collegiate season. If you’ve been following college wrestling for any length of time, you’d know that it’s safe to expect the unexpected, as there will be plenty of surprises throughout the season. Just in the first month of last season, we saw a high schooler defeat a returning national finalist, a freshman upset a world champion, non-starters defeat All-Americans, and plenty of unforeseen dual upsets. Instead of focusing on the unknown and the possibility of chaos, today we’re looking for the opposite. Individuals and teams that have the opportunity to hit significant milestones, provided they compete at a level that is commensurate with their past achievements. So, here’s what you need to watch for this season: Carter Starocci is aiming to become the first-ever (and likely the last) five-time NCAA champion. Keegan O’Toole is the only wrestler who has an opportunity to win his third national title in 2025. Kyle Parco, O’Toole, Starocci, Parker Keckeisen, Rocky Elam, Greg Kerkvliet, and Cohlton Schultz all have a chance to earn their fifth NCAA All-American honor. Aside from Starocci/O’Toole, past NCAA champions expected to compete for title number two in 2024-25 are: Richie Figueroa, Andrew Alirez, Jesse Mendez, Caleb Henson, Keckeisen, AJ Ferrari, and Kerkvliet. The following wrestlers have the opportunity to earn All-American honors for a fourth time: Jacori Teemer (2,6,4) Sammy Sasso (2,5,2) Cam Amine (4,4,7) Dustin Plott (2,6,6) Stephen Buchanan (3,3,8) The following wrestlers have the opportunity to earn All-American honors for a third time: Anthony Noto (3,4) Kai Orine (8,8) Lucas Byrd (5,5) Chris Cannon (7,7) Jesse Mendez (1,6) Beau Bartlett (2,3) Brock Hardy (3,6) Sam Latona (7,6) Lachlan McNeil (6,4) Caleb Henson (1,5) Ridge Lovett (6,2) Levi Haines (1,2) Mikey Caliendo (4,7) Peyton Hall (7,8) Dean Hamiti (6,6) Trey Munoz (3,6) Jacob Cardenas (4,8) Michael Beard (8,7) Wyatt Hendrickson (3,3) The following wrestlers have the opportunity to capture their fifth conference title: Jacori Teemer (Pac-12/Big Ten?) Parker Keckeisen (Big 12) Cohlton Schultz (Pac-12/Big 12?) The following wrestlers have the opportunity to capture their fourth conference title: Jakob Camacho (ACC) Anthony Noto (MAC) Keegan O’Toole (MAC/Big 12) Kyle Parco (Pac-12/Big Ten?) Trey Munoz (Pac-12) Taye Ghadiali (SoCon) The following wrestlers have the opportunity to capture their third conference title: Kai Orine (ACC) Gable Strickland (MAC) Andrew Alirez (Big 12) Ed Scott (ACC) Tommy Askey (SoCon/Big Ten?) Sammy Sasso (Big Ten) Levi Haines (Big Ten) Alex Cramer (MAC) Dustin Plott (Big 12) Levi Hopkins (SoCon) Wyatt Hendrickson (Big 12) Owen Trephan (ACC) Wrestlers with significant unbeaten streaks heading into 2024-25 are: Parker Keckeisen: (31) Andrew Alirez: (28) Levi Haines: (23) Greg Kerkvliet: (20) Jesse Mendez (11) Richie Figueroa: (10) Tyler Kasak: (7) Caleb Henson: (5) Carter Starocci: (5) Penn State is the favorite to capture their 12th NCAA title since 2011 - all under the direction of Cael Sanderson. An NCAA team trophy for Penn State would be their ninth straight. The Nittany Lions are in a position to win their third straight Big Ten title. Cornell is the only other team with an NCAA team trophy streak of more than one year. They can win their third consecutive trophy after finishing second in 2024 and third in 2023. As of now, Cornell would be considered the favorite to win the first Ivy League tournament title. Despite competing in a highly competitive ACC, NC State will be looking to grab their seventh straight ACC title. Appalachian State has the chance to win a third straight SoCon crown. Once again, they will be pushed by rival Campbell. Roger Chandler is starting his tenth year in charge of the Michigan State program. This is the 15th year at the helm for Mike Rogers (F&M), Daniel Elliott (Gardner-Webb), and Doug Schwab (Northern Iowa). Bucknell’s Dan Wirnsberger is starting his 20th year leading the Bison program. This is the 25th year as Nebraska’s head coach for Mark Manning. The longest-tenured current DI head coach is Harvard’s Jay Weiss who is in his 30th seed in Cambridge.

Recently, we’ve been focusing on weekend recruiting visits - something fans have enjoyed for the first three weeks of the feature. Another facet of the recruiting process is getting the verbal commitment. We’ll touch on that portion of the game this morning as there were some schools that got better over the weekend sealing the deal (or at least until signing day). While the regular season is approaching rapidly, you should still keep an eye out for recruiting news as top wrestlers from the Class of 2026 have been committing regularly. Most of the Big Boarder’s from the Class of 2025 are spoken for, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t quality wrestlers out there in the senior class, as well. #51 (Class of 2026) John Murphy (St. Michael-Albertville, Minnesota) to Wyoming Last weekend, Wyoming got good news on the recruiting front as they received a verbal commitment from one of the top available upperweights in the Class of 2025, #87 Lane Foard (Benedictine College Prep, VA). This weekend, the Cowboy staff received another verbal commitment from a promising upperweight. The latest comes from John Murphy, the #51 overall recruit in the Class of 2026. In each of his first two years of high school, Murphy has earned a spot on the podium at the Minnesota State Tournament. As a freshman, Murphy was sixth at 170 lbs. In 2024, Murphy won a AAA state title at 189 lbs. Murphy’s best national credential is a fourth-place finish in the summer of 2023 in Fargo’s 16U freestyle division. Expect to see Murphy in action at the upcoming Super 32. He has registered for the event at 190 lbs - the same weight as his future teammate, Foard. Murphy is the first wrestler from the junior class to give a verbal to the Cowboys. Before committing to the Cowboys, Murphy also took visits this fall to Minnesota and Oklahoma. Lorenzo Alston (Uwharrie Charter, NC) to NC State NC State already received their third verbal commitment from the Class of 2026 when Lorenzo Alston announced he was staying in-state to wrestle for Pat Popolizio’s team on Sunday. Alston is a two-time North Carolina 1A state champion - winning titles at 145 and 150 lbs. Alston put his name on the map nationally with a pair of podium finishes at the NHSCA grade-level championships. He was a finalist as a freshman and fourth as a sophomore. He was recently in action at the Elite 8 Duals; however, he did not compete due to injury after falling in his opening match. Alston joins a Wolfpack Class of 2026 that already includes a pair of top-100 recruits in #27 Griffin LaPlante (St. Francis, NY) and #58 Dom Deputy (Chestnut Ridge, PA). He will also be in action at the Super 32 competing at 150 lbs. Jared Haers (Palmyra-Macedon, NY) to Bloomsburg Ryan Celaschi (Frazier, PA) to Bloomsburg Since taking the Bloomsburg job for a second go ‘round, John Stutzman has been firing up the recruiting trails. Earlier last week, the Huskies received a verbal commitment from a Class of 2026 prospect (Caleb Hummel - Philipsburg-Osceola, PA) and a current HS senior (Ryan Langenmayr - Lakeland Regional, NJ). They’ve continued the hot streak with another pair of recruits from the Class of 2025, Jared Haers and Ryan Celaschi. Haers is a two-time New York DII state qualifier. He went 2-2 at the 2024 tournament while competing at 215 lbs. He also was 2-2 in 2023 as a sophomore. Ryan Celaschi is a two-time Pennsylvania AA state qualifier. In 2024, Celaschi was fourth in PIAA’ Southwest Regional at 160 lbs. The prior year he was a regional runner-up at 152 lbs. While these aren’t nationally ranked recruits committing to Bloomsburg, it’s a sign that recruits like the vision and direction of the new regime in town. Recently, Bloomsburg hasn’t been able to lock down this number of recruits so early in the game.

Who’s Number One (Boys Results) 150 lbs: Jayden James (NJ) over Collin Gaj (PA) 10-6 113 lbs: Ignacio Villasenor (AZ) over Dom Munaretto (IL) 7-5 157 lbs: Landon Robideau (MN) over Melvin Miller (PA) 6-1 285 lbs: Jude Correa (NH) over Nick Sakahian (CA) 8-1 138 lbs: Sergio Vega (AZ) over Drew Gorman (GA) 12-5 200 lbs: Cade Ziola (NE) over Angelo Posada (CA) 7-2 126 lbs: Anthony Knox (NJ) over Aaron Seidel (PA) 3-2 132 lbs: Jax Forrest (PA) over Seth Mendoza (IL) 7-3 150 lbs: Jayden James (NJ) over Maddox Shaw (PA) 7-2 175 lbs: Ladarion Lockett (OK) over Ryan Burton (NJ) 9-3 144 lbs: Bo Bassett (PA) over Daniel Zepeda (CA) 12-6 Who’s Number One (Girl’s Results) 155 lbs: Janiya Johnson (TN) over Sarah Pulk (MN) 10-0 130 lbs: Aubre Krazer (PA) over Taina McGowan (NJ) 10-0 145 lbs: Sarah Henckel (CT) over Charlotte Gilfoil (PA) 4-2 100 lbs: Jaclyn Bouzakis (PA) over Hailey Delgado (TX) 11-0 110 lbs: Taylor Whiting (MI) over Heather Crull (IN) 4-2 140 lbs: Bella Williams (OK) over Isis France (AZ) 3-1 120 lbs: Isabella Marie Gonzales (CA) over Savannah Witt (PA) 9-8 125 lbs: Everest Leydecker (AZ) over Me’kala James (CA) 11-0 135 lbs: Taina Fernandez (MD) over Jordyn Fouse (PA) 14-6 115 lbs: Espenesa Elison (CA) over Charlie Wylie (NJ) 12-5 106 lbs: Morgan Turner (IL) over Julia Horger (PA) 14-2

Frazier

Uwharrie Charter

Palmyra-Macedon

Hauppauge

This was the first offseason where the EIWA and Ivy League were split into two separate conferences. It turned into a wild offseason for many programs. We had it all – new head coaches, new assistants, transfers, and more. Below is a breakdown to help familiarize the fans. Conference Alignment The elephant in the room (as stated many times) is the split-off from the Ivy League schools to form their own conference championship. The Ivy League Conference will compete with 6 teams while the EIWA will contain 11 teams… This was until the recent news of Morgan State being added to the conference. This is historic news, as they are the lone HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in Division 1 wrestling and recently reinstated the program two years ago. Read more about the news here. Also, Kenny Monday’s interview on the move is worth a watch. Recruiting Rankings Intermat released the top 25 recruiting rankings It was a slow year for recruiting this season as only two schools made the top 25. #25 – Bucknell. This was the 2nd year in a row they’ve cracked the top 25. Assistant Coach, Tyler Smith, is one of the most underrated recruiters in the nation. The 2023 class already showed promise as two true freshmen qualified for NCAAs last season in Noah Mulvaney (165) and Myles Takats (174) #18 – Cornell. It’s crazy this is a “down year” for recruiting for The Big Red. In 2023 they were #4 while being #3 in 2021. For what it’s worth, they are off to a hot start for the class of 2025 – where they will most likely be a top 3 class next season. If interested, review the entire top 25 list here: InterMat's 2024 Recruiting Class Rankings Head Coaching Changes Hofstra’s long-time head coach, Dennis Papadatos, stepped down from his role to transition to a role in the athletic department (Dennis Papadatos Opens Up About His New Role). Jamie Franco was named the new head coach after spending years as an assistant under Papadatos and a season at Columbia. I talked to Jamie about his hire. Check it out here: Pride for the Pride: New Hofstra HC Jamie Franco Columbia’s former head coach left to take a job at Virginia Tech. Check out Zach Tanelli’s decision in an interview with Robbie Wendell here. To replace Tanelli, Columbia went out and hired Donny Pritzlaff – who spent a decade at Rutgers. His name was often thrown around when a new opening became available. He spent much of the summer helping train Sebastian Rivera to a bronze medal at the Olympic games. Last week, news broke about LIU head coach Joe Patrovich stepping down. Long Island is in the process of finding a replacement for Patrovich, so the EIWA will have another new head coach for the 2024-25 season. Assistant Coaches Below is a list of coaching moves made during the offseason. There was much movement, and many new faces to the conferences. These are listed by school they were hired at and where they were previously in parenthesis. Army – Taylor LaMont (USA wrestling) Binghamton – Louie DePrez (Binghamton Wrestler) and Sam Schuyler (Iowa State) Brown* – Micky Phillippi (Director of Ops - Brown) Bucknell – Dan Neff (Navy) Columbia – Sebastian Rivera (Skarlet Knight RTC athlete) and Jeff Buxton (SKRTC coach) Cornell – Scottie Boykin (Air Force) and David McFadden (Drexel) Drexel – Jimmy Overhiser (Tarleton State) and Chad Walsh (Columbia) Hofstra – Jesse Dellavecchia (LIU) Navy – Barry Davis (former Wisconsin Head Coach), Ty Eustice (Davidson) and Director of Ops - Ben Barton (Rudis) Penn – Darian Cruz (LVWC athlete) and Matt Valenti (Penn admin) Princeton – Anthony Ashnault (NYC RTC), Cody Brewer (VT), and Nate Jackson (NJRTC athlete) *In recent news, Michael Kemerer has taken a position at Minnesota. Brown will look to fill his role. Transfer Portal Acquisitions Below is a list of transfers during the offseason. The first list of transfers who landed at a new school inside the EIWA or Ivy League. The second list is a list of wrestlers who left for another conference. The Ivy League’s big departures include Cardenas and Wolak, who were both All-Americans last season. Incoming Brown – Jacob Joyce (125) - Stanford Drexel – Malachi Bordovsky (141) - Iowa Western Drexel – Giuseppe Hoose (184) - Oklahoma Franklin & Marshall – Michael Duggan (157) - Bloomsburg Hofstra – Kyle Mosher (174) – Columbia Lehigh – Rylan Rogers (174/184) – Michigan Morgan State – Xavier Doolin (285) - Northern Colorado Morgan State – Darrien Roberts (184) – Oklahoma Sacred Heart – Braxton Appello (125) - Ohio State Sacred Heart – Felix Lettini (157) - Wisconsin Outgoing Connor Strong 184 (Penn) - Chattanooga Angelo Rini 133 (Columbia) – Indiana Jacob Cardenas 197 (Cornell) – Michigan Nolan Neves 285 (Columbia) – North Carolina Michael Baker 197 (Columbia) – North Dakota State Nick Babin 125 (Columbia) – Pittsburgh Evan Tallmadge 125 (Navy) – Pittsburgh Connor McGonagle 133 (Lehigh) – Virginia Tech Lennox Wolak 174 (Columbia) – Virginia Tech

St. Michael-Albertville