Recruiting other team's commits

[Nitlion1986]

I don't have a link, but it is my understanding that after Marsteller made a verbal commitment to PSU, he made a visit to the campus and something went sour between him and Cael. (or possibly one of the other coaches) It appeared from the posts that were made here that it was PSU that encouraged him to look somewhere else. I don't know the details, so if someone has better info, please feel free to chime in.

In order
Penn State offered.
Marstellar made a verbal commitment.
Marstellar came for an official.
Post visit the guys on the team who hosted expressed to Cael they did not believe Marstellar would be a good fit.
Cael suggested Marstellar might find a more favorable fit at a different school.
Oklahoma State announced Marstellar would be a Cowboy.
Nobody associated with the program ever challenged the narrative that Oklahoma State had effectively flipped Marstellar.

 

[KCLion]

Chris is older. I am a little older than Rob but interacted with him through different wrestling events through his HS wrestling. Then a friend of mine had a kid wrestle for him at Cornell.

Chris was my HS wrestling coach my senior year.

 

[Pennstate1985]

And then there was Carter Neves giving a "soft verbal" lol.

is that like a whisper lol

 

[El-Jefe]

is that like a whisper lol

It was always clear that both PSU and Neves would keep looking at other options and then decide later. So funny as it was, also kinda admirable in its honesty.

Neves was an interesting case of swerves. From southwest OH -- IIRC he attended the same HS as Taylor. Lifelong Buck fan who wanted to wrestle for Cael. Was a really good prospect there, and "committed" to PSU. Transferred to Blair and improved a ton, and committed to Stanford. When Koll left, everyone thought Neves would follow to Chapel Hill, but he decided to join Ryan instead. Full circle of sorts.

 

[CropDuster507]

It was always clear that both PSU and Neves would keep looking at other options and then decide later. So funny as it was, also kinda admirable in its honesty.

Neves was an interesting case of swerves. From southwest OH -- IIRC he attended the same HS as Taylor. Lifelong Buck fan who wanted to wrestle for Cael. Was a really good prospect there, and "committed" to PSU. Transferred to Blair and improved a ton, and committed to Stanford. When Koll left, everyone thought Neves would follow to Chapel Hill, but he decided to join Ryan instead. Full circle of sorts.

Idk if I ever told this story before, but I got a chance to work out with Carter years ago. Think it was MS for him. Cool kid, nice family.

 

[Foreverinbluejeans57]

It was always clear that both PSU and Neves would keep looking at other options and then decide later. So funny as it was, also kinda admirable in its honesty.

Neves was an interesting case of swerves. From southwest OH -- IIRC he attended the same HS as Taylor. Lifelong Buck fan who wanted to wrestle for Cael. Was a really good prospect there, and "committed" to PSU. Transferred to Blair and improved a ton, and committed to Stanford. When Koll left, everyone thought Neves would follow to Chapel Hill, but he decided to join Ryan instead. Full circle of sorts.

This might be the wrong post to comment on but do the heavyweights right now seem like a fickle group? Why is Neves at OSU when he’ll never start? Why is Mullen trying to be a backup on VT’s football team when he can’t beat Catka? Why is Kueter messing around with football? Why is Gable doing everything except wrestle? Why are guys turning down full scholly’s and podium spots to play lower levels of football? Maybe it’s always been this difficult to keep heavyweights in wrestling but each one sucks for a fan.

 

[El-Jefe]

This might be the wrong post to comment on but do the heavyweights right now seem like a fickle group? Why is Neves at OSU when he’ll never start? Why is Mullen trying to be a backup on VT’s football team when he can’t beat Catka? Why is Kueter messing around with football? Why is Gable doing everything except wrestle? Why are guys turning down full scholly’s and podium spots to play lower levels of football? Maybe it’s always been this difficult to keep heavyweights in wrestling but each one sucks for a fan.

Neves will have 2 years of eligibility after Feldman graduates.

 

[tullfan68]

Idk if I ever told this story before, but I got a chance to work out with Carter years ago. Think it was MS for him. Cool kid, nice family.

I am betting that after one practice with a recruit Cael knows if the kid is good enough or not!

 

[Foreverinbluejeans57]

Neves will have 2 years of eligibility after Feldman graduates.

You’d think he’d want 4 somewhere

 

[Pennstate1985]

You’d think he’d want 4 somewhere

Maybe he wants to wrestle for his home team at in-state tuition rates. There is more to some decisions than wrestling, and maybe wrestling is no longer his main focus. I don't know. Just spit balling.

 

[Psalm 1 guy]

I have known Koll since he was a junior high kid and I have always liked him. I haven't always agreed with him, but I don’t have to agree with anybody all the time to be able to like them.

I don't believe that was Koll implying Cael did anything wrong. It was Koll simply poking at Cael and not all that surprising considering the mutual dislike each has for the other.

This world would be a much better place if more people shared your perspective.

 

[El-Jefe]

You’d think he’d want 4 somewhere

We as fans tend to project our priorities onto the athletes.

If he wanted to start 4 years, he could've stayed at Stanford. They have 1 HWT on the roster, who went 1-4 last year while shirting, and none committed. And he'd get a better education.

Or he could've followed Koll to North Carolina -- except he'd have to wrestle-off against his brother for a few years. Which is why AJ Nevills transferred out of PSU.

Or, instead of starting for 4 years, he could wear the uniform of his state flagship school.

Obviously his goals are different than yours or mine.

 

[Agoodnap]

If guys weren't hitting on my girlfriend I'd consider getting a new girlfriend. I've been married 35 years and guys still hit on my wife and I just laugh.

 

[Chickenman Testa]

If guys weren't hitting on my girlfriend I'd consider getting a new girlfriend. I've been married 35 years and guys still hit on my wife and I just laugh.

 

[mjmirv]

Yianni is so unlikable. Nothing will top using a lawyer to get you a rematch, but he keeps trying to do things to make himself look bad. The sooner he is out of wrestling, the better. Wrestling needs leaders, not whiners.

 

[El-Jefe]

If guys weren't hitting on my girlfriend I'd consider getting a new girlfriend. I've been married 35 years and guys still hit on my wife and I just laugh.

What does your wife think about guys hitting on your girlfriend?

 

[LOTOlion]

If guys weren't hitting on my girlfriend I'd consider getting a new girlfriend. I've been married 35 years and guys still hit on my wife and I just laugh.

pics for reference please

 

[PSU Mike]

You’d think he’d want 4 somewhere

AJ Ferrari’s been hoping for that outcome for years now.

 

[Nitlion1986]

Yianni is so unlikable. Nothing will top using a lawyer to get you a rematch, but he keeps trying to do things to make himself look bad. The sooner he is out of wrestling, the better. Wrestling needs leaders, not whiners.

Mrs. Grey teaches undergraduate and post graduate courses in it at Cornell. I imagine some of the wrestlers take the classes.

 

[AgSurfer]

This world would be a much better place if more people shared your perspective.

The world would be an even better place if everyone agreed with me! 😁

 

[Psalm 1 guy]

The world would be an even better place if everyone agreed with me! 😁

I agree.

 

[AgSurfer]

I agree.

As I have often advised my wife, whenever someone disagrees with my opinion, it’s a pretty strong indication that they are wrong. 😆

 

[KSLion]

In order
Penn State offered.
Marstellar made a verbal commitment.
Marstellar came for an official.
Post visit the guys on the team who hosted expressed to Cael they did not believe Marstellar would be a good fit.
Cael suggested Marstellar might find a more favorable fit at a different school.
Oklahoma State announced Marstellar would be a Cowboy.
Nobody associated with the program ever challenged the narrative that Oklahoma State had effectively flipped Marstellar.

Have got a general recollection based upon reading various newspaper articles at the time, that Marsteller had been quietly experiencing some rather significant, ongoing family issues prior to his official visit to PSU, issues which may well have been the primary drivers for, or possibly early results of, a now-well-documented alcohol and drug addiction. Presuming Cael made a personal family visit when initially extending a grant-in-aid offer to one of the country's top prospects, apparently nothing he saw or sensed at the time was enough to cause a change of mind.

Did the staff, based upon subsequently-received information, quietly suggest to Marstellar that he might find a better fit elsewhere? Did Marstellar simply decide on his own that he wanted to put a good chunk of distance between himself and family issues which were just not going away? Are both of these possibilities true?

Whatever.

What is certainly true is that no useful purpose could possibly have been served for the program, and certainly not for Marstellar, by anyone on the staff publicly or privately implying he might've been asked to move on. And, flip or no flip, Marstellar's experience and results in John Smith's program are now a well-documented matter of public record.

 

[wrestlingfan22]

This might be the wrong post to comment on but do the heavyweights right now seem like a fickle group? Why is Neves at OSU when he’ll never start? Why is Mullen trying to be a backup on VT’s football team when he can’t beat Catka? Why is Kueter messing around with football? Why is Gable doing everything except wrestle? Why are guys turning down full scholly’s and podium spots to play lower levels of football? Maybe it’s always been this difficult to keep heavyweights in wrestling but each one sucks for a fan.

Mullen quit football and has been focusing on wrestling only since last season ended

 

[El-Jefe]

Have got a general recollection based upon reading various newspaper articles at the time, that Marsteller had been quietly experiencing some rather significant, ongoing family issues prior to his official visit to PSU, issues which may well have been the primary drivers for, or possibly early results of, a now-well-documented alcohol and drug addiction. Presuming Cael made a personal family visit when initially extending a grant-in-aid offer to one of the country's top prospects, apparently nothing he saw or sensed at the time was enough to cause a change of mind.

Did the staff, based upon subsequently-received information, quietly suggest to Marstellar that he might find a better fit elsewhere? Did Marstellar simply decide on his own that he wanted to put a good chunk of distance between himself and family issues which were just not going away? Are both of these possibilities true?

Whatever.

What is certainly true is that no useful purpose could possibly have been served for the program, and certainly not for Marstellar, by anyone on the staff publicly or privately implying he might've been asked to move on. And, flip or no flip, Marstellar's experience and results in John Smith's program are now a well-documented matter of public record.

Some of everything and more.

Marsteller's family situation was the kind of thing you wouldn't wish on anyone. He seems determined to raise a better family than he experienced. Enough said there.

I don't recall if the home visit were at his home or on neutral territory (such as at the school). In any case, lots of people can hold it together for a few hours. And IIRC his self-destructive behavior grew in his SR year, at some point after schools visited him.

Marsteller has said that he felt enormous pressure to go to PSU, both external and self-imposed, and gave into that pressure. With an opportunity to reconsider, he did.

Leaving the family was a factor, but his decision was more about escaping the shadow of own legend. OKST made a ton of sense -- he'd be far from PA, it was a top program with a great coach.

OTOH, the party culture at OKST was the worst possible environment for him. But there probably was no good program for him until he bottomed out.

 

[Pennstate1985]

I don't know Chance Marsteller, but I am very proud of what he has accomplished in his life since his first year at LHU. It takes a very strong person and support system to claw your way back from where he was in life. He has a lot to give back to young people and does it every day.

 

[Nitlion1986]

I don't know Chance Marsteller, but I am very proud of what he has accomplished in his life since his first year at LHU. It takes a very strong person and support system to claw your way back from where he was in life. He has a lot to give back to young people and does it every day.

The depth he reached was I think as close to bottom as he could go and remain with us. The effort to successfully surface from that depth was herculean. Someone gave him unshakable support and his mental and emotional strength had to have been other worldly.
God bless that kid and whoever it was who had his back. One day at a time keep on keeping on.

 

[316_Lyons]

Some of everything and more.

Marsteller's family situation was the kind of thing you wouldn't wish on anyone. He seems determined to raise a better family than he experienced. Enough said there.

I don't recall if the home visit were at his home or on neutral territory (such as at the school). In any case, lots of people can hold it together for a few hours. And IIRC his self-destructive behavior grew in his SR year, at some point after schools visited him.

Marsteller has said that he felt enormous pressure to go to PSU, both external and self-imposed, and gave into that pressure. With an opportunity to reconsider, he did.

Leaving the family was a factor, but his decision was more about escaping the shadow of own legend. OKST made a ton of sense -- he'd be far from PA, it was a top program with a great coach.

OTOH, the party culture at OKST was the worst possible environment for him. But there probably was no good program for him until he bottomed out.

Living in the area, rumors were starting to swirl regarding his substance demons his sophomore year of high school. We all know how it played out from there. Gotta give him a ton of credit for turning his life around and salvaging what he could of his wrestling talent.