Freshmen just weren't ready or have the skills/technique to compete, mostly defensive skills. Well with more & more college wrestling talent coaching all the way down at the kids club level, thats just not the case anymore. You could argue academics were perhaps at one point an issue, again not the case anymore, lots of opportunity to be prepared, take AP courses, tutoring etc. look also at number of football players opting out of last semester Sr HS year to join the college team early.