To start, it's unfair and inappropriate to use Bo and Nolf as benchmarks. At this level any young wrestler who can compete for an AA is a success, and whets the appetite for the future.
Beau - He is noticeably stronger and a bit more aggressive. Some takedowns and his reattacks look almost as quick as RBYs. The only thing between him and a high AA is his level of confidence, a far too conservative gameplan, and a noticeable lack of aggression versus top competition. He is far and away the veteran of the group, so we can assume his development from here forward on a slight lower trajectory than the rest, which affects his grade slightly. I am pleased with where he is at. B+
SVN - Admittedly, pre-season 'my' expectations for him given his petigre and small sample size last year, was the highest of the 4. It seems his results so far are the lowest of the 4. An unfair comparison, but his development ramp is far less impressive than Levi. It looks like he will need another year to reveal how far Cael can take him in this program. Career AA is a slam dunk, which is outstanding, but National champion caliber is too early to tell. The gap vs top tier competition is more apparent than the other 4. I think he will get there next year, but this year an AA is not guaranteed. B
Levi - Many of you had lofty expectations for Levi coming into the year. With Levi being the youngest of the 4 as a true freshman, my thoughts were much more measured, and expectations lower. In time the RS just had to come off given his rapid development. He is a legit National champion contender already, and continues to display progress nearly every time out. The sky is the limit with this kid. A+
Facundo - Alex can roll with anyone. His elite defense will keep him in nearly any match. He is cat quick for his size and has an obvious feel for the craft that you can't teach. His neutral game displays strong skills when he chooses to pull the trigger, but overall inconsistent. His game planning is too conservative to beat the best at this weight class with any consistency. He needs more work from top and bottom. Overall I think he is on plan, and could be a really dominant hammer out of the gate next year. A
I'll take 4 grades like that anytime. These kids will certainly soften the blow of losing 2 national champs next year, and with the new blood coming in we should be in a strong position. With a little injury luck, or portal help at the lower weights we are the team to beat going forward with some margin, even with the lineup tOSU has built. Overall grade for the young guns as a collective at the half way point. A pretty solid A
Thoughts, agreement, disagreement?
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