Well somebody here had to have been on wrestling scholarships. Nolf/Nickal/Nevills/JG/Zain/Mac probably all of which are on full, which leaves 3.9 (we'll say 4) then Conaway (partial) and who?...
Recruiting Puzzle
- Thread starter dicemen99
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That's my point, we just don't know and we never will so speculating is fine but saying anything for certain about what we can or can't offer future recruits is BEYOND speculation.
I strongly suspect many of the numbers being floated above are inflated, some of them grossly inflated.
Recall the insiders have been saying for years that athletic aid offers are less than one would expect. Some guys get needs-based aid. Some are asked how much they value their training partners and the opportunity to reach the podium and win team titles. Most are told to go earn academic money with good grades.
For example (and I wish I could find the link to this): last summer Nevills told the Fresno papers he was getting 60%. He didn't specify how much of that was athletic vs. academic vs. need. Cael knew he was competing with Ryan, PSU is more expensive, and Ohio State has more university-wide academic aid for nonresidents.
Using that as a benchmark of sorts, then many of the numbers above don't make much sense.
Bottom line, Cael gets most guys he really wants and more than enough of the guys he merely likes. We'll be OK.
Recall the insiders have been saying for years that athletic aid offers are less than one would expect. Some guys get needs-based aid. Some are asked how much they value their training partners and the opportunity to reach the podium and win team titles. Most are told to go earn academic money with good grades.
For example (and I wish I could find the link to this): last summer Nevills told the Fresno papers he was getting 60%. He didn't specify how much of that was athletic vs. academic vs. need. Cael knew he was competing with Ryan, PSU is more expensive, and Ohio State has more university-wide academic aid for nonresidents.
Using that as a benchmark of sorts, then many of the numbers above don't make much sense.
Bottom line, Cael gets most guys he really wants and more than enough of the guys he merely likes. We'll be OK.
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Two Jordan Burroughs Tweets from earlier today:
"It's easy to join something that is already successful. It takes courage to be a trailblazer and help start and build something great!"
"The truly driven will rise to the top wherever they decide to attend ... It's not about the location, it's about the destination."
I wonder who he's trying to convince ...
"It's easy to join something that is already successful. It takes courage to be a trailblazer and help start and build something great!"
"The truly driven will rise to the top wherever they decide to attend ... It's not about the location, it's about the destination."
I wonder who he's trying to convince ...
This. I am working with one of these smart guy groups....Boston Consulting. One of the guys is from New Hampshire but went to Ohio State. They had the best overall package for him as an out of state kid. A friend heard the same thing just this week from a kid who used to wrestle for PSU. I guess I show my age when I call these young men kids. Sorry if anyone is offended.
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I can't speak for all 6 but I know at least 2 of them are on roughly 2/3 scholarship when they signed their NLI and as long as Cael has been at PSU, he's never had a academic scholarship student athlete.
I can't speak for all 6 but I know at least 2 of them are on roughly 2/3 scholarship when they signed their NLI and as long as Cael has been at PSU, he's never had a academic scholarship student athlete.
Not exactly sure why, but I've always somewhat suspected this. Or, at least, wondered if it might be the case. I've had similar musings about DT.
Meta note: I totally concur with the declarations that wrestling scholly speculation is likely to be far more inaccurate than many other aspects of our internet fandom. That said, given how incredibly fundamental & important scholarship management is to the running of a fully-funded top-5 program (and to all programs, however well-funded they are, of course), the subject is like the missing link for our favorite sport's fans. I believe we have the right to internet-speculate about it all, but it also walks a real fine line up against student-athlete privacy concerns. Which, btw, is one of Penn State Pat's most important focuses which, I'm guessing, is where his 'sensitivities' with social media lie.
The BHGP bros are fond of the phrase Caring is Creepy when discussing recruiting, and it gets even more so (for me anyway) when it gets into the meat of family & program finances. I feel conflicted. I really, really want to know or discuss & speculate on the scholly matrices, but I also don't want to be too creepy. Using social media, we can observe indicators of a wrestler's family's money position, but I guess this is a long-winded way for me to tell myself not to share those observations.
It's a delicate game.
Not just for the program and for the wrestlers' families, but for fans as well.
Unless Matt Brown got all his $$$ from the ROTC scholarship he easily would've qualified for academic scholly money.
Reading the tea leaves, it sounds like NU transfer Stevan Micic is a possibility. He could sit out this year and then step in for departing Nico. I guess we'll see.
Financially it could. Lineup-wise, it probably has little or no real impact. Consider this possible lineup projection:
2016: Nico, Conaway, Gulibon; Micic sits
2017: Micic, Suriano, Gulibon; Red shirts
2018: Micic, Suriano, Red; Lee shirts
2019: Lee, Micic, Red; Suriano shirts
2020: Lee, Suriano, Red
Note that Micic loses a year of eligibility if he transfers within the B10.
This works with any combination of 2 out of Suriano, Pletcher, and Red -- assuming Cael can work the financials out and Micic can go 133 for one year.
So, if Micic does prove true, let's consider it Step 1 of the 2016 Plan for World Domination.
2016: Nico, Conaway, Gulibon; Micic sits
2017: Micic, Suriano, Gulibon; Red shirts
2018: Micic, Suriano, Red; Lee shirts
2019: Lee, Micic, Red; Suriano shirts
2020: Lee, Suriano, Red
Note that Micic loses a year of eligibility if he transfers within the B10.
This works with any combination of 2 out of Suriano, Pletcher, and Red -- assuming Cael can work the financials out and Micic can go 133 for one year.
So, if Micic does prove true, let's consider it Step 1 of the 2016 Plan for World Domination.
It should be a fun week. Hopefully by next Sunday the PSU faithfull will have some celebrating to do. It would be nice if there was some more chatter going on.....things appear to be screwed down tight just about everywhere. My only guess is there is a domino effect here and the whole situation is being orchestrated. There is only one team whose line-up is ideal for the influx of this young talent.
Word is Gulibon loves the weight room and has been lifting with Zain. We've seen how much bigger Zain got.
I'll guess mid AA next year, but it's really tough to project 141 until we see how the weights shake out. We're expecting Brewer to move up, and Durso to return at 141. Right now Brewer and Mayes are the only 2 I'd say are clearly ahead (and Mayes' nationals did not live up to his regular season). I'd put Gulibon in that next range with Heil, Durso, etc.
I hear that Brewer moving up is pretty much a gurantee. I have also heard from guys in the PSU room that Gulibon is crazy strong! I think he will do just fine, I like the fact that our guys arent pulling so much weight all season long. I think it helps them stay healthy, both mentally and physically all season long.
I think Gulibon is a fascinating case study of modern weight management. RSFR year, it sounds like he was still a little sloppy with his nutrition, was struggling with the weight cut, looked listless at times AND also looked smaller than some of the 133 tanks that year (Ramos, Graff & especially Morrison).
RSSO year, accounts indicated he'd tightened up his nutrition, had incorporated a more sustainable weight-management plan, looked MUCH bigger & stronger, hung well with all the top guys (well, like many, he never saw Brewer, but he also avoided Brewer's juggernaut nationals, unlike some others) and had himself a nice 5th place AA season.
By all accounts, Jimmy was P4P one of the strongest guys in the room last year, and I believe Gorilla Hulk even mentioned that at some point. He doesn't look too physically imposing but I guess that part isn't really necessary.
And, from what I read on the FOS board, he would still have to sit out his first year "in residence" at PSU or any other B1G school he transfers to.
By B1G rule, you forfeit a year of eligibility when transferring inconference. So the Olympic RS, while technically available, it really only gives him an extra year to use his 3 years. He can't get 4. And at the end of the day, he is going to sit this year behind Nico anyway so for PSU lineup purposes it is moot.
I guess, if he qualifies for an Olympic RS, he would have 4 years to complete 3 years of eligibility starting in 2016-17, but that seems to be an unlikely scenario.
I guess, if he qualifies for an Olympic RS, he would have 4 years to complete 3 years of eligibility starting in 2016-17, but that seems to be an unlikely scenario.
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Some further thoughts (more of a summary) on where Micic might end up (should be ending soon per his flo interview deadline of 8/2). His contenders are:
Michigan: Currently number 1, fits freestyle desires and would be able to fit in the lineup at either 25 or 33 the first year he's eligible, depending what they'd do with Youtsey. Bruno comes off the books so they likely have money. Pretty easy to see why it's ideal at this point. Can pick his weight his final two years.
Illinois: Close with Perry. Would have to battle Cortez or Richards to start his first year.
Oklahoma: Millhof and Rodriguez would be seniors his first eligible year. I don't think that would stop him from going there.
The last three all have great freestyle experience written on them:
Penn State: Would likely start immediately as Jefe mentioned, and at an ideal weight.
Ohio State: Tomasello is there for two years, so he'd either have to beat him for the spot or go 33 for essentially his career (unless if as a senior he were to drop).
Arizona State: Carpio graduates and he would likely be plugged in at 25 for his career. Would have to fend off Hayden Lee. But, as he mentioned, money could be an issue.
He also noted the recent call from Iowa so they are at least interested (don't know if its mutual). If he were looking there, he would probably sit behind Gilman or Clark for a year, but would obviously get great freestyle training.
Micic seems, in my opinion, to be looking for the total package (freestyle, location, money, starting when eligible) so that narrows down the choices. Michigan and Illinois as a top two make sense. After that it gets murky. It seems like Arizona State will miss out. Oklahoma also seems below Penn State and Ohio State. Part of it will depend on what weight he wants to go. I think we have a shot but are behind.
Michigan: Currently number 1, fits freestyle desires and would be able to fit in the lineup at either 25 or 33 the first year he's eligible, depending what they'd do with Youtsey. Bruno comes off the books so they likely have money. Pretty easy to see why it's ideal at this point. Can pick his weight his final two years.
Illinois: Close with Perry. Would have to battle Cortez or Richards to start his first year.
Oklahoma: Millhof and Rodriguez would be seniors his first eligible year. I don't think that would stop him from going there.
The last three all have great freestyle experience written on them:
Penn State: Would likely start immediately as Jefe mentioned, and at an ideal weight.
Ohio State: Tomasello is there for two years, so he'd either have to beat him for the spot or go 33 for essentially his career (unless if as a senior he were to drop).
Arizona State: Carpio graduates and he would likely be plugged in at 25 for his career. Would have to fend off Hayden Lee. But, as he mentioned, money could be an issue.
He also noted the recent call from Iowa so they are at least interested (don't know if its mutual). If he were looking there, he would probably sit behind Gilman or Clark for a year, but would obviously get great freestyle training.
Micic seems, in my opinion, to be looking for the total package (freestyle, location, money, starting when eligible) so that narrows down the choices. Michigan and Illinois as a top two make sense. After that it gets murky. It seems like Arizona State will miss out. Oklahoma also seems below Penn State and Ohio State. Part of it will depend on what weight he wants to go. I think we have a shot but are behind.
Sounds like we took the lead per one of our insiders. Not surprising as he slots in perfectly to our situation.
Michigan has Austin Assad coming in as a freshman this year. He's a Fargo champ, a top 50 recruit and a likely career 125 pounder. I'm not saying he's on Micic's level, but Michigan no doubt has some scholarship money tied up with him.
After the 2015-2016 season, Tomasello will be wrestling 133# for his final 2 years at tOSU. With that being said, Micic would fit nicely at tOSU.
I know that KidNittany is much better informed than I. However with his aspirations,
I can't imagine Micic picking Illinois or Michigan over PSU if given the choice.
I can't imagine Micic picking Illinois or Michigan over PSU if given the choice.
You sure about Tomasello Meluv, or is that just if they get Micic? Jose Rodriguez is in the incoming class for Ohio St. Also a top 50 recruit like Assad at Michigan. Thought Plan was for him to start after a redshirt when DiJulius left. Has to be some money there as well.
Pretty connected guy for Buckeyes says they are out for Micic.
Why is that? Hrovat is a pretty dang good coach in his own right. Look at what he has done to bring Jake Herbert back.
I don't like to balance anyone else's checkbook but Micic did mention available money being a factor in his decision. With so many things factoring in and not all things being equal at all places I can certainly imagine him choosing those 2 over PSU. I can also see him attending PSU.
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