InterMat Staff

Skutt Catholic

St. Francis DeSales

September 20 LFA 193 (UFC Fight Pass) Mitch McKee (Minnesota) vs. Ashton Caniglia Michael Blockhus (Minnesota) vs. Roland Pruden September 21 Vendetta Fight Nights 40 (YouTube) Istvan Vereb (2008 Olympics) vs. Martin Kozak September 21 247 FC Brawl in the Burgh 23 (iPPV) Taylor Cahill (Clarion) vs. Brogan Endres (Mount Union) Geno Morelli (Pittsburgh/Penn State) vs. Hunter Watt September 28 PFL Europe 3 (DAZN) Roger Huerta (Augsburg) vs. Rob Whiteford October 5 UFC 307 (ESPN PPV) Carla Esparza (Menlo) vs. Tecia Pennington October 12 UFC Fight Night (ESPN+) Pat Sabatini (Rider) vs. Jonathan Pearce October 19 UFC Fight Night (ESPN+) Darren Elkins (Wisconsin Parkside) vs. Daniel Pineda October 19 PFL Super Fights: Battle of Giants (ESPN PPV) Johnny Eblen (Missouri) vs. Fabian Edwards AJ McKee (Cerritos) vs. Paul Hughes October 25 UFC 308 (ESPN PPV) Robert Whittaker (Australian Champion) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (Swedish Champion) November 2 UFC Fight Night (ESPN+) Alexander Romanov (World University Bronze) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento November 9 UFC Fight Night (ESPN+) Mansur Abdul-Malik (Maryland) vs. Dusko Todorovic Cody Garbrandt (Newberry) vs. Miles Johns (Newman) November 16 UFC 309 (ESPN PPV) Jon Jones (Iowa Central) vs. Stipe Miocic (Cleveland State) Michael Chandler (Missouri) vs. Charles Oliveira Bo Nickal (Penn State) vs. Paul Craig Chris Weidman (Hofstra) vs. Eryk Anders December 7 UFC 310 (ESPN PPV) Tatiana Suarez (World Bronze) vs. Virna Jandiroba

On Friday, the one of the highest ranked uncommitted seniors made his college choice known. Nikade Zinkin (Clovis, CA) is ranked #46 overall in the Class of 2025 and is currently ranked fifth in the nation at 144 lbs. Zinkin announced via social media that he will continue wrestling at the collegiate level with the University of Nebraska. Zinkin is a three-time California state placewinner who won a title last season at 126 lbs for Clovis High School. He was fourth and fifth in his previous two seasons. On the national scene, Zinkin got on the podium in 2023 at Fargo’s 16U freestyle tournament - where he took seventh place at 126 lbs. Zinkin has also placed in the top-three on three occasions at California’s toughest regular season tournament - the Doc Buchanan Invitational. In each of the last two years he was a finalist. Zinkin joins a Nebraska recruiting class that already includes a pair of top-50 recruits - #24 Tyler Eise and #35 Cade Ziola. With three top-50 recruits, Mark Manning’s team has put themselves in position to have another strong recruiting class. The Huskers have ranked #19, #7, #8, and #13 in each of the last four years. At the next level, Zinkin appears to project at 149 lbs. That could certainly be a position of need in the near future as current starter and two-time All-American Ridge Lovett is currently exercising his final year of eligibility. As of now, there isn’t a clear-cut successor to Lovett in-line. For more recruiting information and Nebraska’s Class of 2025, check out InterMat’s College Commitment Page.

Clovis

Benedictine College Prep

Union Pines

Whitmer

I don’t know how it happened but this turned into a very Jersey-flavored mailbag so if you’re not down with the Garden State, I suggest you stop reading now. We already got your click and you can’t have it back so the advertisers are happy. And if you hate New Jersey, you likely quit reading this column long ago. I don’t really know how you would hate New Jersey since we produce some of the greatest people from Bruce (Springsteen or Baumgartner take your pick) to Burroughs to Brandon from New Jersey himself. Just a loaded field of stars. So, let’s get into it! Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of Joe Dubuque’s promotion to head coach. How are the vibes out of Princeton? Salty Walkon, Jersey Guy I do believe the vibes are good as Joe Dubuque enters his second year at the helm. Now with Jersey GOAT Anthony Ashnault in the fold, Coach Dubuque looks to do with Marc-Anthony McGowan what he did for Patrick Glory which is to turn him into a monster right off the bat. It seems like forever since we’ve seen MAM on the mat, but once upon a time, he was at the top or near the top of all the rankings. You have to assume that if he’s healthy, and with the coaching of lightweight experts Dubuque, Ashnault, and Cody Brewer, the sky's the limit for the former Blair product. I feel like it’s been a minute since a Blair guy really tore up the college scene until TJ Stewart had his run last year. McGowan is a good bet to continue that this year. When will Goodale make Jagger the honorary Captain on the annual Jagger Night? Aaron Bartlett, Jersey Guy You would think it has to happen soon. But I don’t need all that and 95% of the crowd would be quite confused. I’d rather get into one of those sumo suits and do whatever they do with that at intermission. Me and Mineo just bouncing into each other until someone is knocked out of the circle. Nothing would please me more. In reality, I’m quite shy in public and around crowds so not sure any of this is a good idea. Will Cornell win every weight class at the first-ever Ivy Wrestling tourney? Was it smart for the IVY Schools to break from the historic EIWA Conference and their tourney? Mike Abromitis, Jersey Guy I’d say they have the favorite at a good eight weights but there are a lot of fresh faces in the lineups and coaching staffs in the Ivy League, so I wouldn’t bet on it. I just hope everyone wears a sweater around their neck during intros. I think it’s fine that they split into their own conference, but I guess we will see what impact it has come allocation season. I just wish Yale and Dartmouth would get in on the action and field some teams. Not a question…just want to let you know that one of these will arrive in your mailbox soon. Kevin McGuigan, Philly Guy You got my address. A medium will do and I will wear it with pride. What program is your favorite to root for when it comes to NJ guys who have defected from staying in the Garden State and why is it the Hokies? Will Jagger make a celebrity (loosely applied here) appearance in Blacksburg for Jersey Tech vs Rutgahs? Ethan Aguigui, Guam Guy I can't be a Hokie guy, because I’m a Wolfpack guy. Just because they don’t have a Hidlay anymore doesn’t mean I’m bailing on my boys. Gotta be loyal to the soil even though I’ve never seen the soil in Raleigh. You had JerseyHokie to unify the two states then you ran him out of town. I admit I would like to make it to Blacksburg and get a little revenge for last year but it is still very much up in the air. You still have cigarettes for two dollars a pack down there? Can the state made for lovers handle such a hater? Find out these answers and more during the 2024-2025 college wrestling season! And stop stealing our guys!

Father Ryan

The Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association has approved the addition of Morgan State. Morgan State will become the 12th member of the conference. Located in Baltimore, MD, Morgan State announced in October of 2021 that it would revive the wrestling program after a 24-year hiatus. A $2.7 million gift towards the program is the largest single donation in the school’s history. This gift was spearheaded by Mike Novogratz and the HBCU Wrestling (HCUW) Initiative, whose sole mission is to restore wrestling at HBCUs. Wrestling programs of all shapes and sizes have disappeared due to Title IX and lack of funding over the decades. Morgan State was no different. At this moment, MSU is the lone HBCU (Historically Black College and University) in Division I wrestling. The Bears first competed in the sport in the early 1950s. They were dominant well into the 60s, winning multiple conference titles. Morgan State’s most recent success began in 1975 when James Phillips took over as the head coach. Of his 20 seasons at the helm, the Bears won 13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) titles while earning Coach of the Year 12 times. He coached four national champions and 75 All-Americans during his tenure. The wrestling program came to a halt at the end of the 1996-97 season. The reason provided was a lack of resources. Kenny Monday was hired as the program’s Head Coach in the summer of 2022. The hire made waves across the nation, as Monday was quite the wrestler himself. He was a three-time NCAA All-American at Oklahoma State, claiming two runner-up finishes and one championship. His career record was 122-12-2 and is considered one of the greats at one of the traditional powerhouse programs in wrestling history. After his NCAA wrestling career, he claimed an Olympic gold in 1988, silver in 1992, and a 6th place finish in 1996. Coincidentally, as a perfect fit for the program, his gold medal in 1988 was the first ever won by an African-American in the sport of wrestling. Monday was named a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2001. Two decades later, he is still adding to his resume as a head coach. Previous to Morgan State, he coached at Spire Academy, UNC Chapel Hill, and Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas, TX. Kenny Monday’s statement regarding this news: "Morgan State University's acceptance into the prestigious Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) conference marks a monumental milestone in the history of our wrestling program. This achievement is a testament to the tireless efforts, dedication, and resilience of our administration, coaches, and our student-athletes. As we join the ranks of the EIWA, I'm very excited and honored as we're looking forward to elevating our competition, fostering growth, and making a lasting impact in the collegiate wrestling community." Dena Freeman-Patton is the Morgan State Director of Athletics and Vice President. Her enthusiasm for this move is captured by her quote: “This is an exciting time for Morgan State. The EIWA is a great fit for our wrestling program competitively, academically, and regionally. Our student-athletes are looking forward to competing for championships.” The EIWA is thrilled about this move as well. Executive Director, Gene Nighman is welcoming The Bears with open arms: “I'm pleased to welcome Morgan State University as the newest member in the long and storied history of the EIWA. Starting back in 1904, the EIWA member institutions have been committed to advancing the sport of wrestling and providing all participants with an elite Championship experience. As we approach the start of the 121st season, the EIWA is proud to have the only HBCU program as one of our members and looks forward to all twelve EIWA schools gathering at Lehigh University on March 7 for the 2025 EIWA Championship Tournament.” – Gene Nighman Mike Moyer, the Executive Director of the NWCA, mimics this sentiment. “I know I can speak for the NWCA Board of Directors when I extend a heartfelt thanks to the EIWA coaches and administrators for inviting the only DI-affiliated HBCU wrestling program in the nation as their twelfth member. Morgan State has a proud academic and athletic tradition that is aligned with the EIWA member schools and a location that fits nicely into the geographic conference footprint. This is sure to create new regional rivalries that will strengthen the storied history of the EIWA as the oldest wrestling conference in the nation.” The Bears will showcase their talents in the Blue vs Orange intrasquad dual on October 18th at 5PM. They officially open the season on November 2nd at the Southeast Open. They will make their EIWA dual meet debut at Lehigh on November 15th at 7PM. The full schedule can be found here: Morgan State 2024-25 Schedule Be sure to visit the team website for more information: Morgan State Wrestling

Every year in college wrestling we are treated to some young superstars seemingly coming out of nowhere to jump onto the scene. Guys who will undoubtedly knock off top-ranked stalwarts, who have been in our lives for half a decade (or more sometimes). Oftentimes, they are top recruits who pan out, sometimes they are guys who have waited for their chance in the lineup. Regardless of their genesis, all they need is a chance to breakout, and once it happens, it’s off to the races. Last season the B1G was treated to some great young wrestlers. Whether it is Rocco Welsh making the NCAA finals, or Sergio Lemley getting some high-level wins on the scene, we saw some new faces make the most of their opportunities. If I’m certain of anything, it’s that this season will have some studs show up and show out. It’s my job here to give you a heads-up on who this might be. Here is my first list of some potential breakout candidates for the B1G season. If you missed Part One of this feature make sure to go back and check that out, as well. Minnesota - It’s a little weird to have a returning All-American as my breakout candidate, but damn it that’s what I’m doing. I had the privilege of interviewing Vance Vombaur shortly after he earned his AA status with an OT win in the bloodround. With blood on his face, he shared how he had failed in the past, and how trusted the process and that’s how he got here. When asked “Do seeds matter”, he replied, “No, my name’s Vance. You can’t just tell me how good I am by a number”. It was some of the most inspirational stuff I saw that weekend. Am I taking too much stock in an awesome interview? No. In fact, I feel like the confidence boost from getting on that podium will be huge for Vance. I’m excited to see how that impacts his approach moving forward, but I believe it’ll be way more positive than negative. Northwestern - Northwestern has done such a great job with their limitations from a roster construction standpoint. Despite the difficulties with the school’s academic standards, paired with limits on roster construction, the Wildcats have consistently been producing high-end talent. Throw in that they had several guys transfer out last season, and all of a sudden the Wildcats were in a rebuilding mode before they knew it. As a result, the team was very young last season, but that allowed some guys chances to develop and prepare to attack this season. Sam Cartella is one of the bright young wrestlers poised to jump into the action this season. Last year Sam redshirted, but thanks to the new rules he was able to compete occasionally as the starter for Northwestern. He finished the year 25-9 at 149 pounds, placing third in the open division at the MSU Open to start the season, and going undefeated in his limited action in B1G competition. At the aforementioned MSU Open, Sam defeated Willie McDougald of Oklahoma on his way through the backside to place third. Sam wrestles tough and should be a fun addition to the B1G competition slate at 149. Rutgers - Rutgers is in the advantageous position of having a team with a lot of familiarity. This might not seem like a “breakout” pick to most, but stick with me here. Dean Peterson is about as familiar and dangerous as they get without having been on the podium. That all changes this season. Dean was ranked as highly as 2nd in the country last year and has racked up some huge wins over the years. A lot of dudes cleared out of the B1G 125-pound contingent last year, but Dean remains a constant and veteran presence. Over the years we’ve had some greats battling for their chance to get on the podium. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it does not, but in this instance, I believe Dean gets it done, and does so in a very matter-of-fact way. Indiana - Derek Gilcher had his season cut short last year due to injury. It’s a little weird to pick a redshirt senior as a breakout candidate, but I feel great about Gilcher’s chance to have a great year. He was 7-1 last season before getting hurt and was highly ranked and regarded as well. He will likely compete at 165 this year, but he had competed at 157 previously in his career and has wins over guys like Chase Saldate (previously MSU 157, now wrestling for Michigan), as well as Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State). Derek improved each year he was in the lineup, which to this point has been just about every year of his career in Bloomington. Sometimes a year away is good for the mind, body, and soul, and I expect Derek to attack this season with the fire of a guy who has one last chance to get on the podium. Nebraska - Nebraska, like Rutgers referenced above, has a lot of returning talent at most of their weights. So this name isn’t necessarily new, but nobody should feel at all comfortable with their favorite wrestler putting their toe on the line against Jacob Van Dee. JVD was Nebraska’s Redshirt of the year in the 2022-2023 season, and last year helped Nebraska kick Michigan in the chest in their explosive start in that dual meet with a win over Dylan Ragusin. JVD ended up going 1-2 at NCAAs, but a close second-round loss to Kai Orine of NC State, and an eventual eliminating loss to Tyler Wells of Minnesota (also super dangerous), is nothing to be concerned with. I would point to his fourth-place finish in the B1G last season, with wins over Bouzakis of Ohio State and Teske of Iowa as more indicative of his ability, and what we can prepare for moving forward. JVD is ready to have a breakout season, so be ready. Penn State - Alex Facundo and Josh Barr are both winning this award. Both are products of the great state of Michigan, specifically Davison High School and are both trying to position themselves as getting into the lineup. I don’t know who, or where, or how either will get into the lineup. Does Facundo end up at 174 to replace Starocci? He has the frame. Some are even saying 157! Barr could go 184, or maybe 197, but Starocci coming back clogs things up for sure. Where do Haines and Messenbrink end up in the lineup? I would expect they would likely start at whichever weight they want to be at, but we’ll see. It must be nice to have highly recruited guys like Facundo and Barr trying to figure out how they will fit into the plans for the Nittany Lions. Whoever gets it done though will absolutely break out this season. Wisconsin - Nicolar Rivera competed for the Badgers at 133 in his first year in Madison. He was 8-7 at the weight and competed admirably in the losses. He was a solid homegrown recruit, having won three state titles in High School. Nicolar also had shown a willingness to hit some big and flashy moves back in the day, so we know that he has a deep arsenal. Last season, Rivera won the MSU Open Freshman/Sophomore division. It appears that he might be dropping down to 125 with Eric Barnett graduating, and pairing the drop in weight with another year of development in college wrestling, he could certainly be ready to jump back into competition. Jump in and around, if you will.

Just over two weeks ago, the University of Minnesota’s coaching staff was dealt a big blow as assistant coach Trevor Brandvold announced he was leaving to pursue an opportunity outside of the collegiate coaching world. Golden Gopher head coach Brandon Eggum was able to move quickly and added a potential rising star in the coaching ranks, in Michael Kemerer, to replace Brandvold. Kemerer comes to Minnesota after spending a year on the Brown coaching staff. He also spent a year coaching and competing with Cornell’s Spartan Combat RTC. Kemerer is no stranger to the Big Ten as he wrestled collegiately at the University of Iowa and earned NCAA All-American honors on four occasions and once through the NWCA. During his time at Iowa, Kemerer never finished lower than fourth at the national tournament and he reached the national finals in 2021. Earlier that season, Kemerer won a Big Ten championship - which was his first after making the finals in two of the previous three years. Also in 2021, Kemerer was a leader on an Iowa team that won their first NCAA title in 11 years. They were also heavy favorites to win in 2020; however, the tournament was canceled at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Iowa head coach Tom Brands credited Kemerer’s initial signing as one that helped usher in a new era of Hawkeye wrestling. In the two years following Kemerer’s signing, top recruits like Alex Marinelli and Spencer Lee followed suit and headed to Iowa City. In addition to Kemerer, the Gophers still have a pair of mainstays on their coaching staff with four-time All-Americans Luke Becker and Zach Sanders. Minnesota returns a squad that features a pair of returning All-Americans (Vance Vombaur and Isaiah Salazar) and could field a starting ten that includes eight returning national qualifiers.

Mt. Horeb/Barneveld

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 18. One school was removed from this week's graphic: Stanford The following schools remain on Bassett’s graphic and therefore in contention for his services: Air Force, Arizona State, Cornell, Iowa, Iowa State, Lehigh, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Pitt-Johnstown, Pittsburgh, Princeton, Rutgers, Virginia Tech. One school was removed from last week's 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 has a few of upcoming home visits scheduled. Here are the home visit dates: Sept 18th Northern Iowa Sept 19th Penn State Bassett's first on-campus visit will take place on September 20th-22nd at the University of Michigan Bassett recently competed at the U20 World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain. He advanced to the semifinals and ended up coming away with a bronze medal. Next on the docket a Who's #1 rematch with Daniel Zepeda. The event will take place close to home, at Pitt-Johnstown, on September 29th.

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 184 Top-20 Notes: The two national finalists in the 2024 NCAA Championships are atop the 184 leaderboard, but in reverse order. Parker Keckeisen may have gotten the better of Dustin Plott during the regular and postseason (3-0 in all competitions), but Plott ended up with the most Fpts to be #1 in Fantasy Wrestling. Plott used his three extra matches to his advantage to overcome two losses and finish 5 Pts ahead of Keckeisen. For starting the season 4-5, with only one of those wins by bonus, it’s a wonder that Jha’Quan Anderson made it to #3. He finishes with 80 Fpts and the highest placer in Fantasy Wrestling for Gardner-Webb in the past four years at a weight and overall (article coming soon). Isaiah Salazar improved from his 2023 placing (16th at 184) to 4th in the 2024 season and upped his fantasy production by 25 Fpts with only three additional matches. Next in the rankings comes four sets of ties with Fpts, though all with varying PPMs. Lenny Pinto and Dalton Harkins both with 64 Fpts, but with Harkins having double the number of losses (six to Pinto’s three), Pinto grabs the #6 spot. Maximus Hale and James Conway tied at 61 Fpts, with Hale taking the #8 spot by a 0.7 PPM difference. Josh Barr and Jacob Nolan tied at 59 Fpts, with Barr wrestling nine fewer matches than Nolan. Barr rounds out the Top-10 thanks to a 3.9 PPM, which was the best out of any wrestler in the Top-20. Last of the tied groups is Chris Foca and Caleb Hopkins at 58 Fpts. Foca had an impressive 62% bonus rate against countable D1 matches, while Hopkins was able to salvage an up-and-down first half (seven losses in 15 countable matches) with a string of 11 wins in 12 matches consisting of four pins and two techs. Foca finished with the better PPM and thus, the #12 spot. Obviously, one win here or a loss there by any combination of these weight wrestlers, and we could have had a much different-looking Top-20. Two Redshirts make the Top-20, with Josh Barr finishing at #10, which is the highest of any Redshirt in any weight for the 2024 season. Max McEnelly was the other, wrestling in 15 matches but having only 12 of them be D1 countable opponents. Winning all 12, McEnelly put together an impressive bonus streak with only three wins by decision. A few more matches at an open and he could have been right up there with Barr. Trey Munoz and Benett Berge didn't just meet in the Consi-finals at NCAAs, they also were neck and neck being separated by two Fpts. Munoz had a loss by fall to Feldkamp at CKLV, but had he won that match (which is how the match looked to be going in the first period) by decision, Munoz would have had at least 66 Fpts and ranked #6 in the 2024 Top-20. Who Missed The Cut: Three All-Americans missed the cut, one of which has been a fantasy staple these past few years. Bernie Truax (PSU) took his talents from sunny California where he had finished twice in the Top-10 of his weight since the 2021 season. It may surprise you, but in his last four seasons (2021-2024), Truax had not wrestled more than 14 countable D1 matches. The difference this time, he suffered his most losses in one season within that time frame (three, including one loss by pin). Truax would end up with 34 Fpts. Starting the season off at 17 Fpts in his first three duals, it seemed David Key (NAVY) was making a bid to end his career in the Top-20 again (which he was #10 in 2021, the COVID Season). Unfortunately, in his last 10 D1 matches, Key would go on to lose seven of them and end with 25 Fpts. He would go on to AA, so there’s that at least. Vying for a starting spot, TJ Stewart (VT) wrestled only 8 regular-season matches. Two of those matches would go on to be -9 Fpts on his fantasy record, but even if he had won them, would still have fallen well short of anywhere near the Top-10. Stewart would finish with 12 Fpts, but like Key, at least he has an AA trophy. Other notables to miss the cut include Triston Willis (LR) who finished with 41 Fpts and 0.3 PPM behind #20, Clayton Whiting (MIZZ) with 40 Fpts, Nate Dugan (PRIN) at 38 Fpts, Brian Soldano (RUT) with 37 Fpts, Colton Hawks (MIZZ) with 30 Fpts, and Will Feldkamp (ISU) with 27 Fpts

Even though we’re about a month and a half away from the start of the collegiate wrestling season, there still has been plenty of recent movement on the coaching front. Additionally, there are still some teams that will need to round out their coaching staffs, so move changes will occur before November. Some of the recent addition include California Baptist completing an excellent staff with NCAA champions Mark Munoz and Nathan Tomasello. Yesterday, Hofstra announced that they’ve hired 2021 national runner-up Jesse Dellavecchia who is someone that is well-thought of as a young coaching prospect. Also on Monday, Campbell announced the hiring of former Purdue All-American Jake Patacsil. Patacsil has previously coached on the DI level at Duke and Hofstra. Friday night, Columbia revealed what was a poorly-kept secret in their hiring of 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Sebastian Rivera. Rivera worked closely with new Lions head coach Donny Pritzlaff, so that hire made a lot of sense. Offseason Coaching Movement Air Force: Elroy Perkin (California Baptist Assistant Coach) Appalachian State: Paul Bianchi (Minnesota State Assistant Coach) Appalachian State: Max Maylor (Wisconsin athlete) Army West Point: Taylor LaMont (USA Wrestling) Binghamton: Louie DePrez - Assistant Coach (Binghamton athlete) Binghamton: Sam Schuyler - Assistant Coach (Iowa State Graduate Assistant) Bloomsburg: John Stutzman - Associate Head Coach (Buffalo Head Coach) Bloomsburg: Mitch Moore - Assistant Coach (Rutgers athlete) Brown: Micky Phillippi - Assistant Coach (Brown Director of Ops) Bucknell: Dan Neff - Assistant Coach (Navy Assistant Coach) Buffalo: Donnie Vinson - Head Coach (Cornell Associate Head Coach) Buffalo: Andrew Dunn - Assistant Coach (North Carolina Director of Operations) Buffalo: Hunter Richard - Assistant Coach (Appalachian State Assistant Coach) California Baptist: Mark Munoz - Assistant Coach California Baptist: Nathan Tomasello - Assistant Coach Campbell: TJ Dudley - Assistant Coach (Brown Assistant Coach) Campbell: Jake Patacsil - Assistant Coach (Manchester University volunteer assistant) Central Michigan: Ben Bennett (Central Michigan Associate Head Coach) Columbia: Donny Pritzlaff (Rutgers Associate Head Coach) Columbia: Sebastian Rivera (RTC athlete) Cornell: Scottie Boykin (Air Force Assistant Coach) Cornell: David McFadden (Drexel Assistant Coach) Davidson: Alan Clothier - Assistant Coach (Buffalo Assistant Coach) Drexel: Jimmy Overhiser - Assistant Coach (Tarleton State Assistant Coach) Drexel: Chad Walsh - Assistant Coach (Columbia Assistant Coach) Duke: Erkin Tadzhimetov - Assistant Coach (Utah Valley Assistant Coach) Edinboro: AJ Schopp - Head Assistant Coach (Purdue Assistant Coach) Gardner-Webb: Keaton Kluever - Assistant Coach (Hofstra athlete) George Mason: Dean Heil - Head Assistant Coach Hofstra: Jamie Franco - Head Coach (Columbia Assistant Coach) Hofstra: Jesse Dellavecchia - Assistant Coach (Long Island assistant coach) Lock Haven: Gavin Hoffman - Volunteer Assistant (Ohio State athlete) Maryland: Ethan Laird - Assistant Coach (DMV RTC athlete) Navy: Barry Davis - Assistant Coach Navy: Ty Eustice - Assistant Coach (Davidson Assistant Coach) NC State: Zack Esposito - Associate Head Coach (USOPTC) North Dakota State: Matt Malcom - Assistant Coach (Bellevue East HS) North Dakota State: Scott Mattingly - Head Assistant Coach (Gardner-Webb Associate Head Coach) Northern Illinois: McGwire Midkiff - Assistant Coach Oklahoma State: David Taylor - Head Coach (NLWC Athlete) Oklahoma State: Thomas Gilman - Assistant Coach (NLWC Athlete) Oklahoma State: Jimmy Kennedy - Associate Head Coach (Penn State Assistant Coach) Penn: Darian Cruz - Assistant Coach (LVWC athlete) Penn: Matt Valenti - Associate Head Coach (Penn athletic administration) Penn: Doug Zapf - Assistant Coach (PRTC athlete) Penn State: Nick Lee - Assistant Coach (NLWC athlete) Pittsburgh: Lou Rosselli - Assistant Coach Princeton: Anthony Ashnault - Assistant Coach (NYC RTC athlete) Princeton: Cody Brewer - Head Assistant Coach (Virginia Tech Assistant Coach) Princeton: Nate Jackson (NJ RTC athlete) Rutgers: Mikey Labriola - assistant coach (LVWC athlete) SIU Edwardsville: Austin Murphy - Graduate Assistant (Campbell athlete) Stanford: Hayden Hidlay (North Dakota State Assistant Coach) Utah Valley: Adam Hall - Head Coach (NC State Associate Head Coach) Utah Valley: Andrew Hochstrasser - Assistant Coach (Utah Club Coach) Utah Valley: Joey Lavallee - Assistant Coach (LWVC RTC athlete) Utah Valley: Timmy McCall - Assistant Coach Virginia Tech: Zach Tanelli - Associate Head Coach (Columbia Head Coach) Wisconsin: Tony Cassioppi - Assistant Coach (HWC athlete) Non-Coaching Roles California Baptist: Noah Hardy - Director of Operations Maryland: Cole Matthews - Special Assistant to the Head Coach Missouri: Jarrett Jacques - Recruiting Coordinator Navy: Ben Barton - Director of Operations Nebraska: Brandon Bailey - Director of Operations (Nebraska Wesleyan head coach) North Carolina: Vincenzo Joseph - Recruiting Coordinator (SKWC Athlete) Oklahoma: Mark Hall - Director of Operations (Penn Assistant Coach) Oklahoma State: Bryan Pearsall - Recruiting Coordinator (Penn Associate Head Coach) Oregon State: Kate Gillett - Director of Operations RTC’s and Wrestling Clubs Navy WC: Peyton Walsh Nittany Lion WC: Zain Retherford (NLWC Athlete) Ohio RTC: Kollin Moore (Ohio RTC Athlete) Ohio RTC: Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State Associate Head Coach) Current Openings Central Michigan: Assistant Coach George Mason: Assistant Coach Long Island: Assistant Coach Minnesota: Assistant Coach Purdue: Assistant Coach

Iowa-Grant/Highland

The longest tenured DI head coach in the nation is now Harvard's Jay Weiss. Coach Weiss sits down with Austin Sommer to discuss all of the changes he's seen since taking over in 1995. He also gets into what to look for from the Crimson during the 2024-25 season. The two wrap-up the conversation by going through the reasoning behind the Ivy League split from the EIWA and what it means for the upcoming season.

Pictured above is Aaron Stewart 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 Arizona State Nathan Carrillo: St. John Bosco, CA - #46 Class of 2026 Christian Fretwell: Lake Gibson, FL - Class of 2025 Alex Taylor: Mount Vernon, OH - #94 Class of 2026 Nikade Zinkin: Clovis, CA - #46 Class of 2025 Arizona State actually got their recruiting weekend started before the actual weekend. The Sun Devils had a Thursday night football game and had a quartet of recruits in town for the festivities. It was a mix of current juniors and seniors and Zeke Jones’ staff had the highest-ranking uncommitted senior in town in Nikade Zinkin. Zinkin is a California state champ and a three-time placewinner. The other junior amongst this group is Christian Fretwell who is a former NHSCA All-American. Fretwell visited Iowa last year and has another visit we’ll discuss later. From the juniors, it’s not a surprise to see St. John Bosco’s state runner-up, Nathan Carrillo, in Tempe. ASU has a history with the California power and is home to the Valencia brothers and more. This is the first visit we’re aware of for Carrillo. ASU appears to have some big guys in the works with their Class of 2025, but that doesn’t stop them from having Ohio placewinner Alex Taylor out. Taylor was a double champion at the 16U level this summer in Fargo. This is the first visit we’ve heard about from Taylor. Bucknell Antonio Boni: Central Valley, PA - Class of 2026 Will Detar: Trinity, PA - #96 Class of 2026 Brandt Harer: Montgomery, PA - #12 Class of 2026 Cooper Merli: Newburgh Free Academy, NY - Class of 2026 Santino Sloboda: Butler, PA - Class of 2026 Max Wirnsberger: Warrior Run, PA - Class of 2026 Bucknell’s campus is about a half hour away from one of the best prospects in the Class of 2026, Brandt Harer, so it makes sense that the Bison staff had him on a visit over the weekend. Harer is a two-time Pennsylvania state finalist (1x champion) and a two-time winner of the NHSCA grade-level national competition. Harer’s older brother, Conner, is a true freshman at Rutgers this year and is likely the starter for the Scarlet Knights. He already has a visit scheduled at Rutgers in mid-October. Speaking of family ties, Max Wirnsberger is no stranger to the Bucknell campus, as his dad, Dan, is the head coach of the Bison. He already has an older brother, Cade, on the team. Max was seventh at the AA state tournament as a freshman. Will Detar and Santino Sloboda are PA placewinners who have been busy on the visit circuit. Detar has already been on campus at the Air Force Academy (9/7), Cornell (8/17), and Virginia (8/30). Having visited those schools and Bucknell, it’s obvious academics are a high priority for Deter. Sloboda has already seen Brown (9/7) and West Virginia (8/30). Two-time Pennsylvania state qualifier Antonio Boni was also in the group and made his first visit. In addition to Boni, fellow lightweight Cooper Merli, a two-time New York state champion, was in Lewisburg. Merli has also made visits to Buffalo (8/23), Army West Point (8/30), and Virginia (9/7). Chattanooga Patrick O’Keefe: St. John Vianney, NJ - Class of 2025 Jake Zaltsman: St. John Vianney, NJ - Class of 2025 Chattanooga hosted a pair of New Jersey teammates this weekend with Patrick O’Keefe and Jake Zaltsman, both of St. John Vianney. O’Keefe was a state finalist as a freshman at 106 lbs and has placed twice since then at 132 lbs. Zaltsman made the podium for the first time this year when he was seventh at 138 lbs. O’Keefe is a past Super 32 medalist, while Zaltsman’s best credential outside of Jersey is an eighth-place finish at the Beast. Zaltsman has already visited Rutgers last school year and Lock Haven in April. This is the first visit we’ve seen associated with O’Keefe. Davidson Roman Belardo: Jefferson, GA - Class of 2026 Davidson recruiting has been on an upward trajectory under Nate Carr Jr. and that is illustrated here with a visit from two-time Georgia state champion Roman Belardo. During the 2023-24 season, Belardo took third at the Knockout Christmas Classic and was fifth at the Cheesehead Invitational. George Mason Jared Goodson: Poquoson, VA - Class of 2026 Dom Sumpolec: Notre Dame-Green Pond, PA - #121 Class of 2026 George Mason continues to get good prospects to their Fairfax, Virginia campus. Both Jared Goodson and Dom Sumpolec are current juniors looking at GMU. Sumpolec is from a school and an area that the Patriot staff has frequently targeted in the past - 2024 MAC champion, Evan Maag, hails from Notre Dame-Green Pond. Sumpolec is a one-time PA state placewinner who has placed at the Beast and Powerade. Last weekend, Sumpolec was at MAC rival Clarion for a visit. Jared Goodson is a two-time Virginia state champion who has frequented all of the major offseason tournaments and is potentially on the cusp of a breakthrough. This was Goodson’s first visit though he does have a few others scheduled for the near future. Illinois Wyatt Medlin: Washington, IL - #29 Class of 2026 Dom Munaretto: St. Charles East, IL - #7 Class of 2026 Jaxon Penovich: Prospect, IL - #38 Class of 2026 Jayden Raney: Union County, KY - #5 Class of 2026 Aaron Stewart: Warren Township, IL - #8 Class of 2026 Could this have been the biggest recruiting weekend for any school in the country during the past three days? Mike Poeta’s team had three top-ten recruits from the Class of 2026, along with two others ranked in the top 40. It was also a very Illinois-centric group. Since attention turned towards the Class of 2026 and their recruiting, Illinois was seen as a potential landing spot for Kentucky’s Raney twins, Jayden and Jordyn. The Illini confirmed those rumors by having Jayden on campus. At this time, I can’t confirm whether Jordyn was in Champaign, as well. Less than a month ago, we saw Jayden strike gold in Amann, Jordan with a U17 World Championship - a feat Jordyn accomplished in 2023. Jayden captured double titles in Fargo twice at the 16U division and was also a UWW U17 Trials runner-up in freestyle. Speaking of international success, two-time U17 world champion Dom Munaretto was also in town. Last week, Munaretto was in Columbus, Ohio visiting Big Ten rival Ohio State. The third top-ten recruit in town was Aaron Stewart. Stewart is also a two-time U16 double champion and an Ironman runner-up. He’s also a monster running back on the gridiron. Within the last few weeks, Stewart has also visited Maryland, Nebraska, and Oklahoma State. Another potential in-state product is Jaxon Penovich. Penovich was third in both styles in Fargo in 2023 at the 16U division and is a UWW Trials placewinner in Greco. This weekend has already paid dividends as Poeta’s team received a verbal commitment from Wyatt Medlin on Sunday morning. Medlin was a 16U Greco national champion in 2023 and a Junior runner-up this summer. He was also top-three in both styles at the UWW Trials. Medlin is the son of Illinois Director of Operations, Bryan Medlin, so seeing Wyatt a commitment from Wyatt isn’t the most shocking news; however, it’s a great start to the 2026 class and could lead to others from this talented bunch. The elder Medlin is considered one of our best Greco coaches in the nation, a fact that might give Illinois an edge for prospects like the Raney’s or Penovich. Kent State Landen Johnson: Massillon Perry, OH - Class of 2025 Brennan Warwick: Massillon Perry, OH - Class of 2026 A pair of Perry teammates stayed in-state this weekend to check out the Kent State program. Landen Johnson is a prospect from the Class of 2025, while Brennan Warwick is a junior. Johnson was a state runner-up to Ohio State blue-chip signee Ethan Birden. Warwick missed out on the top eight in Ohio, but really put himself on the map with a seventh-place finish in Fargo’s 16U freestyle this summer. Johnson's best offseason result was a sixth-place finish at NHSCA Junior’s. Warwick spent last weekend visiting Indiana. Michigan State Michael Esteban: Marist, Illinois - Class of 2025 Evan Gosz: Fremd, Illinois - Class of 2025 A pair of seniors from Illinois headed north for the weekend to visit East Lansing and the Michigan State Spartans. Evan Gosz is a three-time Illinois 3A state placewinner who made the finals in 2024. Last summer, Gosz was sixth in Fargo’s 16U freestyle tournament. Michael Esteban was also an Illinois 3A state finalist in 2024 and is a two-time state medalist. This is the first visit we’re aware of from either of these wrestlers. Minnesota Ashton Besmer: Buchanan, CA - #97 Class of 2026 Tyler Dekraker: Faith Christian Academy, PA - #31 Class of 2026 John Murphy: St. Michael-Albertville, MN - Class of 2025 Haakon Peterson: Dodgeville, WI - #35 Class of 2026 Minnesota had a quality weekend with three top-100 recruits from the Class of 2026 and an under-the-radar in-state senior - John Murphy. Murphy is a Minnesota state champion from a school that has provided many wrestlers to the Gophers in the past - most notably the McKee and Thorn brothers. Wisconsin has recruited well in Wisconsin and has another top prospect in from across the border in Haakon Peterson. Peterson is a four-time Fargo champion and five-time placewinner. He has already taken trips to NC State (8/25), Oklahoma State (8/30) and Wisconsin (9/7). The highest ranked of the bunch is Tyler Dekraker who has finished top-five at the Super 32, Ironman, UWW U17 freestyle, and this summer in Fargo’s Junior freestyle. Two weekends ago, Dekraker and Murphy were together visiting Oklahoma. Wyoming has also hosted Murphy. All the way from California is 2024 state fourth-place finisher Ashton Besmer. This summer Besmer made the Fargo 16U freestyle finals. Besmer has already taken a visit to Army West Point. NC State Sam Herring: Bishop McCort, PA - #23 Class of 2026 Owen McMullen: Bishop McCort, PA - Class of 2026 Rocklin Zinkin: Buchanan, CA - #44 Class of 2026 What a recruiting weekend for NC State! By Monday morning, Pat Popolizio’s staff had received two verbal commitments from Class of 2026 recruits. As of now, they are the only team with multiple commitments from the Class of 2026. On Sunday afternoon, two-time Pennsylvania runner-up and Fargo All-American Dom Deputy (#58 overall) committed to the Wolfpack live on PaPowerWrestling’s Rokfin channel. Monday morning had another with Griffin LaPlante (#27 overall), a 2024 NHSCA Sophomore National champion. Deputy had already visited Cornell, Maryland, and West Virginia. He also reportedly had visits scheduled with Minnesota, Penn State, and Pittsburgh, which have now been canceled. LaPlante had visited Army West Point and West Virginia. Getting to the recruits in Raleigh over the weekend - NC State had a pair of Bishop McCort teammates join two-time California state finalist (and one-time champ) Rocklin Zinklin. Sam Herring is a 2023 U17 Greco world team member who was fifth in Junior freestyle this summer in Fargo and has placed at the Super 32 on two occasions. Owen McMullen did not place at the Pennsylvania state tournament in 2024, but did AA in both styles at the UWW U17 Trials this spring. Zinklin has already visited Oklahoma State (8/30) and Michigan (9/7). McMullan has been equally busy with trips to the Air Force Academy and Brown. Herring has visited Cornell. Oklahoma Eric Casula: Westmoore, OK - Class of 2026 Aiden Cooley: Allen, TX - Class of 2026 Christian Fretwell: Lake Gibson, FL - Class of 2025 Joey Jeter: Edmond North, OK - #22 Class of 2026 Isaiah Jones: Bixby, OK - #113 Class of 2026 Dreshaun Ross: Fort Dodge, IA - #3 Class of 2026 Tommy Verrette: Edmond North, OK - #32 Class of 2026 The first full recruiting class (2024) under Roger Kish was massive and ended up ranked third in the nation. The Sooners Class of 2025 is coming together nicely, as well. This 2026 group could be another huge one, judging by the amount of wrestlers OU has already had in for visits. This class featured three of the top 32 juniors in the nation, led by Dreshaun Ross. Though Ross is injured and on the shelf for awhile, that hasn’t tempered any enthusiasm on the recruiting trail. He’s already traveled to Iowa State (8/3) and Ohio State (9/7) for recent visits. Joey Jeter and his new teammate Tommy Verrette were together for the Oklahoma visit. Both were in Cornell together last weekend. Jeter was a U17 World Team member in Greco this summer, while Verrette has nearly made the team, as well. It appears that the early recruiting weekend for Arizona State allowed Christian Fretwell to double-dip and hit Oklahoma only a few days later. Aiden Cooley has already visited NC State (8/23), while this is the first visit for Eric Casula and Isaiah Jones. Pittsburgh Mark Effendian: Faith Christian Academy, PA - #88 Class of 2026 Cael Weidemoyer: Faith Christian Academy, PA - #25 Class of 2026 Pittsburgh already had a verbal from the Class of 2026 from a wrestler that could end up at heavyweight in Elijah Brown. This weekend this hosted a pair of upperweights, one of which is a heavyweight (Mark Effendian) and another that could be a 184 lber (Cael Weidemoyer). Wiedemoyer was a state finalist and Effendian was a third-place finisher for Faith Christian in 2024. Weidemoyer has won the NHSCA grade-level tournament in each of the last two years, while Effendian was top-four in both styles at the UWW U17 Trials - amongst a boatload of other national credentials. This is the first visit for Effendian. Later in the fall, he’s slated to visit Rutgers. Weidemoyer has been busy with Cornell (8/17), Missouri (8/30), and Brown (9/7) before Pitt. **Editor's Note: Pittsburgh also hosted Jason Singer (Faith Christian, PA) and Jackson Angelo (Frazier, PA) Princeton Travis Cardenas: Chandler, AZ - #62 Class of 2026 Keanu Dillard: Bethlehem Catholic, PA - #16 Class of 2026 CJ Huerta: Buchanan, CA - #73 Class of 2026 Anthony Mason: Southern Regional, NJ - #63 Class of 2026 Nevin Mattessich: Don Bosco Prep, NJ - #53 Class of 2026 Coby Merrill: JW North, CA - #14 Class of 2026 The revamped Princeton staff had a huge weekend with six of the top 75 wrestlers in the nation in town for a visit. Typically, Princeton recruits well in their home state and in Pennsylvania - both have representation here, but there are also a trio from the West Coast with two from California and another from Arizona. The Cali contingent is two-time state runner-up Coby Merrill and two-time placer CJ Huerta. It is the first visit for both; however, Merrill’s older brother Cody is a freshman at Oklahoma State. This is also the first visit for Travis Cardenas, a two-time Fargo 16U freestyle All-American and a top-eight finish in UWW U17 freestyle. Two-time Pennsylvania state champion, Keanu Dillard, was a U17 World Team member and could be a dangerous lightweight under the tutelage of Joe Dubuque and Cody Brewer. Dillard has also visited Nebraska (9/7) and Virginia (8/30). Another lightweight prospect for the Princeton staff is New Jersey state finalist Anthony Mason. Mason has already visited Army West Point. It’s obvious that big man Nevin Mattessich has his eyes on the Ivy League. Before coming to Princeton, he visited Brown (8/30) and Cornell (9/7). Purdue Waylon Cressell: Warren Central, IN - #68 Class of 2026 Camden Baum: Bishop McDevitt, PA - #33 Class of 2026 Purdue hosted a small, but talented, crop of recruits that includes a pair of top-100 wrestlers. The Boilermaker staff is seeking to keep Waylon Cressell, a double Fargo All-American, within their borders. Cressell made two state finals appearances in North Dakota before moving to Indiana and winning a title in the Hoosier state. Camden Baum was a Pennsylvania AA state third-place finisher in 2024 and also was third at the Powerade earlier in the regular season. Cressell has already visited Wyoming (8/17), Oklahoma (8/30), and Cornell (9/7). Baum’s first visit was to NC State (8/30). Virginia James Bechter: Northfield Mt. Hermon, MA - #50 Class of 2026 Riley Johnson: Skutt Catholic, NE - #87 Class of 2026 Rylan Seacrist: Massillon Perry, OH - #106 Class of 2026 Jarrett Smith: Lowell, MI - #91 Class of 2026 For the third consecutive weekend, the UVA staff had hosted a very talented group of recruits - this one included four top-100 recruits. The highest-ranked of the bunch is heavyweight James Bechter. The Ohio native has placed four times in Fargo and in both styles at the UWW U17 Trials this year. He has already visited Brown. Fellow Ohio native Rylan Seacrist was in Charlottesville, as well. Seacrist was fourth in Ohio’s largest division last year and was fifth at the UWW Trials in freestyle. Seacrist has already visited Ohio State this fall. Since the Paulson twins arrived at UVA, the school has fared well at recruiting in Iowa/Nebraska. They went back to the Omaha area to recruit Riley Johnson - a double 16U sixth-place finisher in Fargo in 2024. Johnson has already visited Oklahoma State (8/30) and Nebraska (9/7). Michigan is another state that UVA has dipped into on occasion. This time they’re looking at lightweight sensation Jarrett Smith. Smith was third in Junior freestyle this year after winning a 16U title in 2023. Last week, Smith took a visit to Indiana. Wisconsin Eli Leonard: Mt. Horeb/Barneveld, WI - Class of 2026 Hunter Stevens: Iowa-Grant/Highland, WI - Class of 2026 After a big weekend a week ago, Wisconsin had a bit of a smaller group this time around. Last week’s visits already netted a verbal commitment in Collin McDowell, so Chris Bono’s staff is likely hoping this one is as productive. This group features a pair of wrestlers that are maybe still a bit under-the-radar. Eli Leonard has placed fourth and fifth during his first two years of high school. Hunter Stevens has been third and fifth. Stevens had a breakout performance in Fargo, where he was a 16U freestyle finalist at 138 lbs. This was the first visit for both wrestlers. Additional to last week's column. Once our article on the 9/7 weekend was published, additional information about Air Force’s crop of recruits rolled in. Air Force had a mix of wrestlers from the 2025 and 2026 classes. #63 Rylan Kuhn, who has already committed to Air Force and is not training at the Olympic Training Center was around. Other current seniors included Gavin Cole (Council Rock South, PA), Brandon Dean (Colorado Springs, CO), Colson Hoffman (Central Carroll, GA), Chase Hontz (Faith Christian, Pennsylvania), and Dario Petrucelli (Rockwall, TX). Wrestlers from the Class of 2026 included #96 Will Detar and Siraj Sidhu (Del Oro, CA). Last week, Hoffman announced that he had verbally committed to Air Force. With Hoffman’s commitment, Air Force’s Class of 2025 now looks like this . On the other hand, Cole has announced he had committed to Navy.

Another season ushers in another wave of new ACC wrestlers and coaches. We’ve already seen breakdowns of the recruiting classes, let's take a look at the new coaching hires and transfers that join the ACC this fall. Duke Erkin Tadzhimetov joins the coaching staff in Durham after a long tenure at his alma mater Utah Valley. He will work with the lightweights, marking a big change in the staffing in the Lanham era. Coach Lanham has had an upper-weight heavy coaching staff over the past decade and the addition of a lightweight coach could pay dividends for the Blue Devils. Tyler O’Boyle (285) Franklin and Marshall Spencer Von Savoye (141/149) California Baptist North Carolina Vincenzo Joseph will join the Tar Heels staff in the role of Recruiting Coordinator. The two-time NCAA Champion for the Nittany Lions will be reuniting with Coach Koll having served on staff under him at Stanford. For the new position, Joseph will “assist the program in team travel, on-campus recruiting, match day planning, and operations, donor relations, and all program-related events”. In his short time in the college coaching ranks, Joseph has shown that he can be a valuable asset to the Tar Heel staff. Nolan Neves (285) - Columbia Ethan Oakley (133) - Appalachian State - SOCON Champ 2x NCAA Qualifier Josh Ogunsanya (174) - North Carolina - EIWA Runner-Up 2x NCAA Qualifier North Carolina State Zack Esposito steps into the Associate Head Coach position after the departure of Adam Hall to Utah Valley. Espo brings a wealth of experience on the folkstyle and freestyle side. He was the RTC coach at Oklahoma State prior to taking the Associate Head Coach role, where he served for seven years. Most recently he was in Colorado Springs as the Freestyle Developmental and Resident Coach for USA Wrestling. Pittsburgh Lou Rosselli joins the Panthers, adding another experienced and successful coach to the staff. Rosselli brings some impeccable credentials to Pittsburgh in both freestyle and folkstyle. He served as the Head Coach at the University of Oklahoma for seven years and had a successful tenure. He is most lauded for his success at Ohio State where he served as the Associate Head Coach and led the Ohio RTC--Coach Gavin was a resident athlete under Coach Rosselli at Ohio RTC. Nick Babin (125) - Columbia - NCAA Qualifier (R16 in 2022-2023) Mateo de la Pena (165) - California Baptist Chase Kranitz (184) - Buffalo Evan Tallmadge (125) - Navy Stanford The biggest transfer of them all is the move for Stanford into the ACC from the PAC12. A Pacific Coast team in the Atlantic Coast Conference seems counterintuitive, but here we are. The logistics of travel for conference duals will be interesting to watch, but the addition of the Cardinal will bolster an already strong conference. Hayden Hidlay will return to the ACC, joining Coach Chris Ayres’ staff in Palo Alto after starting his coaching career as the Student-Athlete Development Coordinator under Obe Blanc at North Dakota State. Hidlay had a phenomenal career under Pat Popolizio at NC State where he was four-time ACC Champion and five-time All-American. Virginia The Hoos are the only team in the ACC that did not add a new member of the staff this season! They maintain a coaching staff loaded with former Iowa State stars - Associate Head Coach Travis Paulson and Assistant Coaches Trent Paulson and Ian Parker. Justin Phillips (157) - California Baptist - Returns to UVA after one year at Cal Baptist. Virginia Tech Zach Tanelli comes to Blacksburg after eight successful seasons as the Head Coach at Columbia. He turned around the Lions program both on the mat and off; in his final season, he coached two wrestlers to EIWA titles and Lennox Wolak to All-American honors for the Lions. Wolak will join Tannelli in Blacksburg for his final year of eligibility as a grad student as the Ivy League doesn’t allow grad students to compete. Connor McGonagle (133) - Lehigh - 2x NCAA Qualifier (Turned down at-large bid due to injury in 2022-2023) Lennox Wolak (174) - Columbia - EIWA Champ All-American-6th 2x NCAA Qualifier Tyler Stewart (285) - Morgan State

St. Francis

Chestnut Ridge

Sun Valley

Lockwood