2026 Recruiting underway
- Thread starter El-Jefe
- Start date
Flo spent some time on this, this am.
Bo's list is so large that they likened his weekly draw down to The Bachelor's shameless rose ceremonies.
Handing out roses, dashing the hopes of a number of stary eyed wannabes ever week, all of whom never had a chance in the first place. All the while creating tension and anticipation for the remaining 'lucky' ones.
Eventually it's pared down to the same small handful everyone predicted on day one. Trash TV, and shameless click bait.
Call me old fashioned. I embrace it. Somewhere in this pop self promoting culture I think integrity is lost. Zero doubt you and I have different standards for many things. I am more than good with that.
Having big opinions on what specific teenagers are doing on social media doesn't seem all that "old fashioned" to me.
Quite the opposite, actually.
If this is the worst behavior any PSU recruits have moving forward, we are blessed.
He wrestles fearlessly, trains hard, and promotes those attributes on social media. I'll take it!
He wrestles fearlessly, trains hard, and promotes those attributes on social media. I'll take it!
What does integrity have anything to do with this? It's the kid's time to enjoy the moment. He's not doing anything outrageous. I think it's high time for you to move on because it would be weird for you to die on this hill.
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when did last years PSU class publicly announce their decision to attend PSU? curious to see when we will start seeing some announcements
So don't watch.
It's not my taste either but was inevitable. The Bachelor has been on since 2002 -- it's been around for the entire lives of most college students. In that sense, what took so long for college recruits?
The Angelo Ferrari hat swap was far worse, and the sport somehow survived.
2024
Ryder - September 2022
Sealey - October 2022
Mirasolas - February 2023
Lilledahl - April 2023
So all before summer of senior year
2025
Dalton Perry - March 2022
Asher - June 2023 (but probably April 2009 if we're being honest)
Duke - September 2023
Desmond - December 2023
Henckel - December 2023 (like days after Desmond and it was somewhat out of the blue)
Based on the pattern, Fall is a typical time and the top kids for the most part will commit before summer of senior year. Marcus Blaze is the last from 2025 but from what I hear, the kid hates recruiting and just genuinely isn't sure right now.
The disconnect between the younger generations and the older is as old as time:
4th Century B.C.E.
“[Young people] are high-minded because they have not yet been humbled by life, nor have they experienced the force of circumstances.…
They think they know everything, and are always quite sure about it.”
1st Century B.C.E.
“The beardless youth… does not foresee what is useful, squandering his money.”“Our sires’ age was worse than our grandsires’. We, their sons, are more worthless than they; so in our turn we shall give the world a progeny yet more corrupt.”
1600’s
“Youth were never more sawcie, yea never more savagely saucie . . . the ancient are scorned, the honourable are contemned, the magistrate is not dreaded.”
“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”
― Mark Twain
If Bo goes anywhere other than PSU, some of your opinions about Bo always being in your faces will most certainly change. Hell, if he's a Hawkeye, he'll be the perfect kid to root against if you ask me. Especially when he's telling us theres a new sherriff in town and he can't wait to beat PSU.
The kid is quickly making himself king of wrestling social media. People just clicking away to get anything they can from Bo Bassett. He's still a h.s. wrestler just eating up the love, admiration and support (personally and financially) he gets from the wrestling community... But one day, some are going to go in another direction with it. He's gonna be some others team superstar and he will be on social media making sure you all know he's some other teams super star.
I'm perfectly fine with what he's doing. It's not my cup of tea but more power to him. He should know though that all the attention he gets will not always be so positive. And I damn well won't have a problem if he becomes a meme looking up at the lights at nationals or God forbid one of his parents starts trending over a meltdown they had in an arena Ala Spencer's mom. If you want to be the "story" then by all means be the story. Sometimes though, it's not always what it's cracked up to be...
The kid is quickly making himself king of wrestling social media. People just clicking away to get anything they can from Bo Bassett. He's still a h.s. wrestler just eating up the love, admiration and support (personally and financially) he gets from the wrestling community... But one day, some are going to go in another direction with it. He's gonna be some others team superstar and he will be on social media making sure you all know he's some other teams super star.
I'm perfectly fine with what he's doing. It's not my cup of tea but more power to him. He should know though that all the attention he gets will not always be so positive. And I damn well won't have a problem if he becomes a meme looking up at the lights at nationals or God forbid one of his parents starts trending over a meltdown they had in an arena Ala Spencer's mom. If you want to be the "story" then by all means be the story. Sometimes though, it's not always what it's cracked up to be...
Not sure why this bothers you? This kid likes to do things different, just cause others didn’t do this why is it wrong. He speaks great and his message is great for young kids. I think he is Changing the sport in a modern way, young kids are lucky to have a great role model to follow. He is fearless, Competes every weekend and I never seen anything but positive from him
Let the kid enjoy his process! He could be one of the best Pa hs wrestlers of all time.
If you don’t like it, don’t watch it. I often do this when Tony Romo does the football games. I turn it off. Not watch it and then complain about it.
With all this being said, I still would like Blaze over Bo. Even tho Bo scores a lot more. Blaze has a higher up side imo
All that to say that at times living by social media, you can die by social media. Envy has a horrible face and many on social media want to bring down others.
Thursday evening, nothing to do but sit on my back porch and drink a few beers. I have time to waste. Ha
It’s been said before, but it bears repeating. Nobody works harder than the kid, he takes on all comers, is never in trouble, very respectful to everyone, and very mature and articulate in all interviews. The kid wants to make a show about his recruiting process, let people behind the curtain a little bit, but make more wrestling fans - even if its not to my old guy taste - its a more than fair trade off. Let the kid be a kid - even if it means a few appearance “mistakes” are made along the way.
Come on man, you're being obtuse. While it doesn't ensure a team championship. These are the types of guys that have made the PSU dynasty. Bo is a national title and Senior World Team contender as a true freshman. He's a Snyder-level recruit in that respect.
Carl WANTS him. as does every blue-blood.
Can we dispense with "Carl" on our forum please.
It is very smart from a business and financial stand point to grow his social media. Some can be a little tacky and off putting but it’s smart.
I find it more off putting including teams like Bloomsburg on there who doesn’t even have a coach or D2 schools. You think the Presby coach woke up Wednesday and thought SOB I really thought we had this one when they were excluded.
I find it more off putting including teams like Bloomsburg on there who doesn’t even have a coach or D2 schools. You think the Presby coach woke up Wednesday and thought SOB I really thought we had this one when they were excluded.
This won't happen, but just imagine the entertainment value if UPJ -- or better yet, Millersville or Seton Hill -- stayed on his list longer than Iowa.
GIA would explode, and that's before @johnstownsteel throws gas on the fire.
I would have so much fun telling them Jody Strittmatter is even telling Bo not to go to Iowa. That even his D2 program is the better option. Lol
Looking at that list, plus Kasak and Davis from 2023, I think we'll be fine with or without Bo.
It's isn't that big of a deal, but I think both supporters and detractors of his current approach will admit it will in all likelyhood (90%+) come down to the top 5 programs (PSU, OSU, tOSU, Cornel, and Iowa).
In the unlikely event he trail blazes a different path (>10%), then maybe one of the next 5 top programs.
As for the next 20 programs, no chance - zero. They don't have the training partners, quality of coaching, facilities, geography, life changing NIL, and more to make any of them legitimate contenders. It's all a dog and pony show. For what? Free trips, or click bait?
Did I say this should lead to black listing him? Of course not. Does this seem to indicate a bit of narcism, possibly? The kid has been a headliner and the center of the wrestling universe for his age the past decade. How can than not skew how an adolescent to teenager views the world.
Some kids can manage this pretty damned well (i.e. David Taylor, Spencer Lee or Bo Nickal), some kids it can lead to poor decision making (Gable Steveson, maybe even Chance Marsteller), while at the tail end of this spectrum you end up with chronic narcissists like AJ.
Given how well BB interviews and what we have seen of his life so far, I would guess Bo is in the top tier or slightly below. This generation is all about self promotion, so times have definitely changed.
Does having a 30 school list as opposed to the 10 that actual have a shot smack of shameless self promotion and ego? How can it not?
In the unlikely event he trail blazes a different path (>10%), then maybe one of the next 5 top programs.
As for the next 20 programs, no chance - zero. They don't have the training partners, quality of coaching, facilities, geography, life changing NIL, and more to make any of them legitimate contenders. It's all a dog and pony show. For what? Free trips, or click bait?
Did I say this should lead to black listing him? Of course not. Does this seem to indicate a bit of narcism, possibly? The kid has been a headliner and the center of the wrestling universe for his age the past decade. How can than not skew how an adolescent to teenager views the world.
Some kids can manage this pretty damned well (i.e. David Taylor, Spencer Lee or Bo Nickal), some kids it can lead to poor decision making (Gable Steveson, maybe even Chance Marsteller), while at the tail end of this spectrum you end up with chronic narcissists like AJ.
Given how well BB interviews and what we have seen of his life so far, I would guess Bo is in the top tier or slightly below. This generation is all about self promotion, so times have definitely changed.
Does having a 30 school list as opposed to the 10 that actual have a shot smack of shameless self promotion and ego? How can it not?
No need for 7 paragraphs. You could have stopped after the 1st 7 words.
Gable Steveson's HS recruitment was completely normal, and not remotely a basis for his later poor decisions.
Certainly not a cautionary tale for Bassett or anyone else.
Of course...just like every other college coach in the country. The question in my mind is to what degree. A talent like Bo can command full scholly and loads of NIL. If that's what is most important to Bo then I'm sorry, I don't think Cael will be looking to dish out what a lot of other college coaches will.
Also, I believe there are other recruits that Cael would like to have just as much if not more than Bo. Blaze and Jax are the two I'm thinking. I admit I could be totally wrong on all this but I just don't think Cael is salivating over him like everyone else is. He had Nick Lee call the kid for crying out loud. For all we know, Cael was on another line with Jax. Lol
Having Nick call might have been pretty smart. They probably worked out numerous times together.
Cael is the closer. And by the sounds of it, Bo isn't ready to close things down.
I can agree with elements of all your posts. Nick Lee will be his direct coach so I can understand why he called. I’m sure Cael has already been involved under the radar. And I agree with JTS
I'm not sure where the "only Nick Lee called Bo" stories are from. I'm pretty sure all 4 of our coaches called him. Meisinger on FRL said Cael and Cody were at the Grand Canyon together and called him together and Casey made a separate call himself. And I'm sure Nick Lee made a call as well. Cael makes 6/15 calls, he's just not a "stay up until midnight and call him" kind of guy, guessing he finds them kind of corny. Everyone thinks it made some difference in Anthony Knox but I highly doubt that since it's not a well kept secret his dad preferred he gets an Ivy League education (smart dad!)
Also, not sure why everyone continues to downplay Bo Bassett when he has superstar written all over him and he fits a weight of need. He's in our backyard and we invite him to train extensively out of NLWC for a reason. Have some of you guys written him off to Iowa or Ohio State already just because you're assuming since he wants fanfare to his recruitment that he only cares about money?
Also, not sure why everyone continues to downplay Bo Bassett when he has superstar written all over him and he fits a weight of need. He's in our backyard and we invite him to train extensively out of NLWC for a reason. Have some of you guys written him off to Iowa or Ohio State already just because you're assuming since he wants fanfare to his recruitment that he only cares about money?
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Like McScoreley stated above. Not sure what you don’t see in this kid. To say you don’t think Cael is all in is absurd. Yes Jax and Blaze are unreal too, we want this PA born and raised monster to stay home. You are from Johnstown, just curious why you aren’t excited for Bo. Do you know him personally.
As a fan, I would love to see all there here but the reality is Jax is from NC and trains a lot at Oklahoma state. He will end up there. Blaze is Ohio and will end up with Tan Tom. Do we need Bo to win, no but he seems like a humble, good character super star. We left Spencer leave for Iowa. I hope we lock Bo down. I see Bo making the easy and right choice. Is money a factor, probably alittle bit but I am sure being the best wrestler he can be is the biggest factor.
I don't necessarily agree with everything JTS is saying but I think I know what concerns him because it concerns me as well. It has nothing to do with Bo, but the devisiveness on the team that may come from one guy getting a higher financial benefit that other guys on the team may be getting who are more or similarly successful. It's a team dynamic concern. May never happen but it's a valid concern.
If you're worried about Cael prioritizing getting one high schooler over the chemistry of his entire team, I would say .... why? I think he knows what he's doing and what conversations to have.
