2026 Recruiting underway

[doubleboots]

Fortunately they give me computer privileges!

 

[wrestlingfan22]

When I say kids I mean HS just to make that clear. College kids don't do that. I will give example of season to season changes and offseason. I will start in district one because that is what I follow most closely. Brandon Carr was a state qualifier at 145 as a sophmore and 172 as a Junior and was competing in the 170s during the offseason. Michael Spielman DNP at regions as a Freshman 152 then took 8th at AAA states as a Sophomore, also someone who competed in that offseason around 30lbs heavier. Two very recent examples and some of Diceman's boys are Ben Brillhart and Pat Woloshyn. Brillhart was a state qualifier at 145 this season who a week ago at Waterway Duals was at 174, Pat Woloshyn would likely have placed top 6 at states at 127 but missed regionals and he was at 154 at Waterway. In 2023 Cole Coffin was at 113 for PIAA States at 138 for Freestyle States (only 25 lbs but close enough). Back in 2019 Kyle Waterman (Shoutout Diceman again) wrestled 106 at PIAA States then 132 at Freestyle States before he went 126 in the postseason. I don't have an offseason citation because it is older example and the brackets are harder to find but Sam Hayes went from 126 at PIAA States as a sophomore to 152 to start his junior season.
These were just what came to me off the top of my head I can give you more and from other districts but those I would have to look for. Also lots of times guys will cut for the bigger offseason tournaments but wrestle their walking around weights for some of the smaller ones that brackets would be even harder to find. That is normally where you see 30+ lb differences. I feel it does happen enough that I am still surprised when I see it but not blown away.

Just to add another example that had slipped my mind and I found pretty interesting. Chris Dennis was 2023 PIAA 6th at 114 as a freshman, 2024 PIAA 6th at 133 as a sophomore and competed at Fargo 2024 at 165. Just an example of kid hitting multiple major growth spurts throughout high school. Dennis is also a stud and I am really interested at what weight he ends up wrestling for this PIAA season.

 

[dicemen99]

Just to add another example that had slipped my mind and I found pretty interesting. Chris Dennis was 2023 PIAA 6th at 114 as a freshman, 2024 PIAA 6th at 133 as a sophomore and competed at Fargo 2024 at 165. Just an example of kid hitting multiple major growth spurts throughout high school. Dennis is also a stud and I am really interested at what weight he ends up wrestling for this PIAA season.

Chris wrestled a few matches at Waterway at 174 I believe.

 

[kingslayer_85]

Chris wrestled a few matches at Waterway at 174 I believe.

Sounds like a kid having a hard time staying away from the Buffett line.

 

[El-Jefe]

Sounds like a kid having a hard time staying away from the Buffett line.

It's his own damn fault.

 

[dicemen99]

Sounds like a kid having a hard time staying away from the Buffett line.

The kid is like 6' tall (probably hyperbole) and he looked like a refugee even when he was 133. 165 was a little surprising, but not much. He'll still be taller than most of the kids at that weight.

 

[kingslayer_85]

The kid is like 6' tall (probably hyperbole) and he looked like a refugee even when he was 133. 165 was a little surprising, but not much. He'll still be taller than most of the kids at that weight.

Unfortunately I am old enough to recall that Bobby Telford had a huge growth spurt in high school, moved from 135 to 190 in one year. Then onto heavyweight

 

[The Japanese Whizzer]

Can you provide some examples?

Jared McGill from Chestnut Ridge went up 30 lbs from his freshman to sophomore season, eventually winning a state title and Pitt wrestler.

Lots of kids still drop insane amounts of weight in season but don’t for off season events.

 

[tullfan68]

Jared McGill from Chestnut Ridge went up 30 lbs from his freshman to sophomore season, eventually winning a state title and Pitt wrestler.

Lots of kids still drop insane amounts of weight in season but don’t for off season events.

weight drop for lower weights in high school should be set as so many lbs upperweights can lose more as its harder to lose weight as a lightweight knew a kid that wrestled 180 and he would drop 10 to 15 lbs in one parctice a lightweight could never come close to that!

 

[dpd926]

I wish punctuation was a lot harder to lose….

 

[El-Jefe]

Cael Weidemoyer to Lehigh. Willie has him at #25 in the class, and projected to 184.

 

[Sportfan2017]

FULL COURT PRESS ON____________(insert names here). Just getting ready for recruiting posts. Feel free to cut and paste.

 

[bwfight]

Unfortunately I am old enough to recall that Bobby Telford had a huge growth spurt in high school, moved from 135 to 190 in one year. Then onto heavyweight

Then onto tele-marketing. It’s the natural progression of things.

 

[McScoreley]

Not sure if he was a target but Keanu Dillard commits to Lehigh

 

[El-Jefe]

Not sure if he was a target but Keanu Dillard commits to Lehigh

He visited 5 other schools and none were PSU. So guessing he wasn't a priority -- which makes sense with the guys on board and possibly getting Blaze or Forrest.

 

[matter7172]

He visited 5 other schools and none were PSU. So guessing he wasn't a priority -- which makes sense with the guys on board and possibly getting Blaze or Forrest.

Good pickup for Lehigh in any case. Good to see them on the upswing after being kinda stagnant for a number of years. I had thoughts that Santoro had plateaued a few years ago but recent recruits have been an improvement over where they were 4-5 years ago.

 

[McScoreley]

He visited 5 other schools and none were PSU. So guessing he wasn't a priority -- which makes sense with the guys on board and possibly getting Blaze or Forrest.

I lean that you are correct but kids a lot of times don't post their OVs to PSU since a fancy photoshoot isn't a part of Cael's MO. I know Cael tries to gage the interest of all top PA kids but you're right it might probably wasn't the "full court press"

 

[El-Jefe]

Good pickup for Lehigh in any case. Good to see them on the upswing after being kinda stagnant for a number of years. I had thoughts that Santoro had plateaued a few years ago but recent recruits have been an improvement over where they were 4-5 years ago.

Agreed on both counts. TBD on if they start backing up once on campus.

IDK if Lehigh's recruiting is truly better or just cyclical. Looking at their commits and FR/SO, they're all from the typical Lehigh recruiting areas. (The only excepfion is Idaho native Rylan Rogers transferring in from Michigan -- and he attended Blair.) Maybe the talent in those areas is better? Or maybe Santoro has done a better job of defending his turf from Bryan Snyder?

Either way, the program appears to be on the rise. Good.

 

[BigFella235]

Santoro has hit on some less heralded wrestlers too. Two of them being from D9 in Nate Taylor and Owen Reinsel. Reinsel has been serviceable at worst and Taylor is a 2x NQ

 

[d-1980]

Santoro has hit on some less heralded wrestlers too. Two of them being from D9 in Nate Taylor and Owen Reinsel. Reinsel has been serviceable at worst and Taylor is a 2x NQ

...and both of them from AA Brookville HS

 

[Random4598375]

Not sure if he was a target but Keanu Dillard commits to Lehigh

He's a great add for anyone, but probably not a needle-mover for Cael. If not on the PSU radar, I'm happy to see BeCa and other elite Lehigh Valley kids stay home at Lehigh. It's always better when they have a strong program.

 

[ChillW]

Not sure if he was a target but Keanu Dillard commits

He visited 5 other schools and none were PSU. So guessing he wasn't a priority -- which makes sense with the guys on board and possibly getting Blaze or Forrest.

We spoke with his family recently He had a PSU visit on the radar (not sure if it was actually scheduled) but they said he really wanted a top academic school, so Lehigh is a good fit.

Smart, quiet kid. Family seems humble and polite. He'd have looked good in blue and white.

 

[El-Jefe]

We spoke with his family recently He had a PSU visit on the radar (not sure if it was actually scheduled) but they said he really wanted a top academic school, so Lehigh is a good fit.

Smart, quiet kid. Family seems humble and polite. He'd have looked good in blue and white.

And yet he visited Nebraska.

 

[FatWoodchuck]

Just how bad are their academics?

And yet he visited Nebraska.

 

[BruceK-PSU83]

Just how bad are their academics?

Well, as a Nebraska grad once told me, "N" is for knowledge.

 

[tullfan68]

He's a great add for anyone, but probably not a needle-mover for Cael. If not on the PSU radar, I'm happy to see BeCa and other elite Lehigh Valley kids stay home at Lehigh. It's always better when they have a strong program.

yes I would like to see all PA kids stay in state!

 

[El-Jefe]

Just how bad are their academics?

Take rankings FWIW, but Nebraska is the worst academic school in the expanded B10, even worse than Oregon which nobody confuses for Stanford.

US News ranks the bottom 3 conference schools: Iowa 98, Oregon 109, Nebraska 144.

Arizona State (121) is ranked higher than Nebraska.

But in fairness, Nebraska is would be a middle-of-the-pack SEC school.

 

[nerfstate]

My brother got his PHd from Nebraska--poor guy, lol.

 

[ChillW]

I think that the Nebraska visit was due to NU's Lehigh Valley connections.

 

[Shifty15]

My brother got his PHd from Nebraska--poor guy, lol.

Party Hardy degree?

 

[El-Jefe]

I think that the Nebraska visit was due to NU's Lehigh Valley connections.

Of course it was. And he could've declined it.

 

[ChillW]

Of course it was. And he could've declined it.

Of course he could have. But a lot of schools put on a pretty hard sell, and it can be hard to say no, especially if you have a connection with anyone at the school. Now with unlimited visits it's a lot easier to take a visit on a flyer. I'm sure that you know a lot of kids who are going on visits to schools that have very little chance of actually landing them.

 

[Nitlion1986]

Take rankings FWIW, but Nebraska is the worst academic school in the expanded B10, even worse than Oregon which nobody confuses for Stanford.

US News ranks the bottom 3 conference schools: Iowa 98, Oregon 109, Nebraska 144.

Arizona State (121) is ranked higher than Nebraska.

But in fairness, Nebraska is would be a middle-of-the-pack SEC school.

ASU is ranked better because of competitive co-ed population and proper attire

 

[Sleepylion]

ASU is ranked better because of competitive co-ed population and proper attire

I don't believe you... maybe a Pic or two would help. 😉

 

[District four]

 

[nerfstate]

Hmm, Arizona is a lot wetter than I realized. (cue the Michael Scott joke in 5…4…)

 

[86PSUPaul]

Hmm, Arizona is a lot wetter than I realized. (cue the Michael Scott joke in 5…4…)

I’m here for you Nerf, couldn’t leave you hanging.

 

[82bordeaux]

 

[baccafarmer]

ASU is ranked better because of competitive co-ed population and proper attire

Was down in Tuscoloosa last weekend. The attire down there was simply terrifying.

 

[Nitlion1986]

Was down in Tuscoloosa last weekend. The attire down there was simply terrifying.

Old guys should be terrified of what a properly attired young woman is capable of doing.