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Young Guns half way grade

My opinions so take these with a grain of salt.

We have several options, but don't expect any title contender out of the gate from next year's pipeline.

My Crystal ball says unfortunately Howard won't make it through another full season. Shoulders are the absolute worst injury for wrestling. It makes me sick to think what could have been, but his injury history is now a trend, not an outlier.

I think a bigger Steen will once again man 125 and if Cael thinks we need him Davis goes to 133 and is a qualifier. Anything above that is pure speculation, and the next year Gibson comes in. Steen needs 5 more lbs of muscle and I am sure he is going to be on the weight gain and lifting, diet this off season. I think he can have a career similar to Heinselman at tOSU who struggled quite a bit the first few years getting horsed around as a talented but undersized guy. In principle I am not a fan of anyone but the bluest of blue chippers at the low weights going as a true freshman. Maybe well get Lilledahl down the road. Net-net without a portal supprise, the loss of Roman will hurt pretty badly, and we probably won't get notable points from those two weights. Bettancourt should be in the fold by then as well I doubt he can get back down to 125, and I see nothing that says he is better than Steen or Davis. Maybe he goes to protect Davis' redshirt.

I am far less worried about 197. No confirmation that Brooks bumps up but I see that as a 50/50 proposition at this time. I hope he goes, as it clears things up below a bit. If not, we probably go with Barr as a true freshman stud, on par with where we saw Levi, SVN and Facundo this preseason. It's anyones guess how successful he will be up at 197 as a true freshman, but the kid is a stud and I am sure the thought of AA isn't completely outrageous. Ball is another logical choice who has shown flashes and would be a national qualifier for sure if he can add 5-10 lbs of muscle. Any upside over that, we would have to see.

The other weight of intrigue is 157. If we take the rumors of Levi growing out of that weight, I think he shirts behind Facundo for 1 year before he moves up. That leaves yet an improved again Barraclough as the likely go to, with the rider Gibson a possibility of we had any idea where his weight is at these days.

I don't see next year's team having the same points potential as this year, however we will remain favorites, with several other teams nipping at our heels.

PS - the 4 young guns, 1 year better, look out!
 
And Levi to 149?

Far too much time being spent around the campfire with John Smith, IMO.

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. I have seen very few kids with great success 1 weight below their ideal. Off the top of my head I can't even think of an any.
thats funny!!
 
and who is to say what the ideal weight is??you??I cut a lot of weight to much I dont want to see kids losing weight so I agree let them wrestle the weight they are comfy with and that remark about smith was not needed!
 
He does have a similar body type, but I'd like to see him develop his style around his elbow pull/duck series. He has the rare okie state hip flexibility to disappear on those. He could craft a very effective style of using his length to create space on the edge and his flexibility to use to the edge as a safety blanket, and then duck and elbow pull when guys chase him.

It's not the typical style of attack we see from Cael and co. PSU guys have mostly used penetration attacks. If I'm Cael, I'm doing a study on college Coleman Scott and putting Facundo to work this summer. He has the tools to be a really good folkstyler.

Check this one out for what I mean (minus the gas tank issues)

Great analysis. I agree completely. His duck has always been his best attack and when he uses it it is effective but he just hasn’t been pulling the trigger on it as much as he used to. Against Kennedy it seemed like he was in position to hit it multiple times but only went to it once. It was also probably the best attack he had against Kennedy. He should be studying John Smith, Scott, and even Jordan Oliver.
 
Well then he is stuck behind Van Ness. I don't see Van Ness going up to 57. I guess the solution is to hit the weights and the stretching rack.🙂
I don't see Van Ness going up either. Looks can be deceiving but he appears a bit undersized at 149.
 
We've seen more of our hammers move up than down over the years.
 
Agree. Had Shayne managed to secure that 2nd TD against Sossa instead of giving it up, I think we all would have been pretty freakin stoked. From where I’m sitting, SVN has attempted far more legit offensive shots than either Beau or Facundo to this point, and he’s done this while facing better competition. He obviously still needs to learn how to get out from bottom against the top hammers but otherwise he’s in there going Mano a Mano with some of the best guys in the weight class.
I must be watching something different and acknowledge knowing little about technique but SVN seems to not have a penetration step to me and everything is straight on. Doesn't seem to work angles. You see RBY start to one side and switch to the other and I saw many opportunities similar with SVN but doesn't seem to execute the second move. Does he have a go to takedown? Beau and Facundo may have less overall attempts but would say they have more real shots with positive outcome.
 
We also have Kasak around those weights as well
Where does Kasak fit into the future? He's currently wrestling 141/149 unattached this year. Assuming neither Beau nor SVN move up (or down, but that seems highly unlikely), then Kasak seems blocked for a while. Obviously, he could greyshirt then redshirt and wait until Beau is gone, but can he hold 141 for 3 years (since he's still just in high school)? Can he grow into 157 by next year if Haines can't hold 157 and redshirts? That seems like a stretch as well for a true freshman.
 
Where does Kasak fit into the future? He's currently wrestling 141/149 unattached this year. Assuming neither Beau nor SVN move up (or down, but that seems highly unlikely), then Kasak seems blocked for a while. Obviously, he could greyshirt then redshirt and wait until Beau is gone, but can he hold 141 for 3 years (since he's still just in high school)? Can he grow into 157 by next year if Haines can't hold 157 and redshirts? That seems like a stretch as well for a true freshman.
I think he redshirts next season and either him or SVN goes 157 the following year depending on who can put on a bit of size and strength. At this point I think that is probably Kasak
 
I think he redshirts next season and either him or SVN goes 157 the following year depending on who can put on a bit of size and strength. At this point I think that is probably Kasak
So do you think Haines will make 157 next year and then redshirt the following year if he can't? Joe Sealey is going to be in the mix at 157/165 by that point, too, and even though Brooks will be done, Barr is waiting in the wings to take his place, so there isn't a lot of room for people to move up. Can Kasak bulk up by next year or is it Barraclough at 157 next year if Haines can't hold the class? There is going to be a serious logjam in the middle weights.
 
So do you think Haines will make 157 next year and then redshirt the following year if he can't? Joe Sealey is going to be in the mix at 157/165 by that point, too, and even though Brooks will be done, Barr is waiting in the wings to take his place, so there isn't a lot of room for people to move up. Can Kasak bulk up by next year or is it Barraclough at 157 next year if Haines can't hold the class? There is going to be a serious logjam in the middle weights.
It’s going to be interesting for sure. A definite logjam with a lot of really great kids. I think Haines probably redshirts next year if he can’t make 157 and then slot in at 165 the following year when Starocci is possibly done. I think Starocci would still have 1 more year but I’m not sure if he will stay around that long. If he doesn’t come back that would allow Facundo to move up to 174, Barr at 184, Haines at 165 with Sealey and Kasak battling it out for the 157 spot. That’s 2 years out however so who knows how things play out. Kids could hit a growth spurt and not be in the conversation at these weights. I unfortunately do think that 1 one of these kids will transfer out just because it doesn’t look like there are enough spots to fit everyone and all of the kids we are talking about are blue chip recruits. If Haines could make 157 next year it would be really beneficial for team building purposes going forward but it doesn’t sound like that’s going to be possible
 
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So do you think Haines will make 157 next year and then redshirt the following year if he can't? Joe Sealey is going to be in the mix at 157/165 by that point, too, and even though Brooks will be done, Barr is waiting in the wings to take his place, so there isn't a lot of room for people to move up. Can Kasak bulk up by next year or is it Barraclough at 157 next year if Haines can't hold the class? There is going to be a serious logjam in the middle weights.
All of those things have a way of sorting themselves out. For fans there are too many unknowns to have a guess what the answers are.
 
All of those things have a way of sorting themselves out. For fans there are too many unknowns to have a guess what the answers are.
For sure but this is what these boards were made for. Fans to speculate on things they really have no idea about. Talking about recruiting and future lineups is one of my favorite things on here even if I’m barely ever right. It’s enjoyable which is I why I like taking part in this forum
 
All of those things have a way of sorting themselves out. For fans there are too many unknowns to have a guess what the answers are.
There are too many unknowns to know what the answers are. The purpose of discussion forums like this is for fans to talk through the possibilities, though.
 
It’s going to be interesting for sure. A definite logjam with a lot of really great kids. I think Haines probably redshirts next year if he can’t make 157 and then slot in at 165 the following year when Starocci is possibly done. I think Starocci would still have 1 more year but I’m not sure if he will stay around that long. If he doesn’t come back that would allow Facundo to move up to 174, Barr at 184, Haines at 165 with Sealey and Kasak battling it out for the 157 spot. That’s 2 years out however so who knows how things play out. Kids could hit a growth spurt and not be in the conversation at these weights. I unfortunately do think that 1 one of these kids will transfer out just because it doesn’t look like there are enough spots to fit everyone and all of the kids we are talking about are blue chip recruits. If Haines could make 157 next year it would be really beneficial for team building purposes going forward but it doesn’t sound like that’s going to be possible
I know what Starocci has said, but if it comes down to a chance to win 5 (and there's a lot of work in between for that to even be a possibility), I think he will do it. That's something that no one has ever done and may not ever have a chance to do in the future. I can't imagine he would pass on that opportunity.
 
Is there no talk of Carter going up too next year, assuming Aaron does? Two things he mentioned in the Big Ten network piece on him was his strict adherence to weight and his thoughts of being a 5 time Nat'l Champ. I have no idea how tall so maybe he stays where he is but his decision on chasing 5 titles will be impactful to the lineup going forward.
 
Is there no talk of Carter going up too next year, assuming Aaron does? Two things he mentioned in the Big Ten network piece on him was his strict adherence to weight and his thoughts of being a 5 time Nat'l Champ. I have no idea how tall so maybe he stays where he is but his decision on chasing 5 titles will be impactful to the lineup going forward.
I don't think he will go up. I don't look at him as a big 74. I guess a lot of year 6 would be how dedicated he is to wrestle freestyle. If he is going to keep wrestling I could see him staying but if he is moving on to some other combat sport I would think he would move on after 5 years. He graduated HS in 2019. That is a long time to stay in college.
 
Bookmark this string for a reference in early April when we our post 10th championship glow stars to fade and we all start to get bored in the long of season. Then it's time to start noodling our multiyear roster plans.

To be perfectly honest the stacked mid to top half of our lineup, is what I would have expected by now through all 10 weights given the last decade of Cael's success. With NIL and the portal flexibility, is it such a bad thing to put in a Grey or Redshirt year in state college and go somewhere else if you get stuck behind another hammer?

Bottom half kids come on in, what do you have to lose. What you have to gain is pretty obvious.
 
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I don't think he will go up. I don't look at him as a big 74. I guess a lot of year 6 would be how dedicated he is to wrestle freestyle. If he is going to keep wrestling I could see him staying but if he is moving on to some other combat sport I would think he would move on after 5 years. He graduated HS in 2019. That is a long time to stay in college.
Star is bound and determined to try 74 kgs in 24. God help him lol. Regardless, there is little too no chance he moves up.
 
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Where does Kasak fit into the future? He's currently wrestling 141/149 unattached this year. Assuming neither Beau nor SVN move up (or down, but that seems highly unlikely), then Kasak seems blocked for a while. Obviously, he could greyshirt then redshirt and wait until Beau is gone, but can he hold 141 for 3 years (since he's still just in high school)? Can he grow into 157 by next year if Haines can't hold 157 and redshirts? That seems like a stretch as well for a true freshman.
Or he can kick some ass in the room and put people on notice that starting anywhere isn't a given
 
I dont really see AB going up either.
Looks to me like he is right where he belongs.
Kids just to wait on AB and Starocci.
We need portal help next year.
 
I dont really see AB going up either.
Looks to me like he is right where he belongs.
Kids just to wait on AB and Starocci.
We need portal help next year.
I don't think AB would have to do it. But he may want to do it to prep himself for a freestyle career at 86kg. The senior 86kg guys are much bigger than your collegiate 184 pounders.
 
I don't think AB would have to do it. But he may want to do it to prep himself for a freestyle career at 86kg. The senior 86kg guys are much bigger than your collegiate 184 pounders.
Yeah, Brooks looks a lot more like someone who could move up a class and not look small than Starocci, so if he is planning for freestyle, that may be a wise move. It would certainly help the team to open a spot for Barr instead of having to portal someone in (or use Ball as a small 197 or something), unless we portal Beard back (i kid! I kid!).
 
I don't see how we need portal help next year. We lose RBY & Dean but all of the other team lose more than that.
steve-carrell-well-said.gif
 
I don't see how we need portal help next year. We lose RBY & Dean but all of the other team lose more than that.
Despite their losses, I think tOSU should be better next year with several hammers coming out of Redshirt. They have a lot of youth on this year's roster already that will be better as well.

You can't be the perenial recruiting national champions without it paying dividends eventually.

Still not enough IMO, but I suspect they will be preseason #2.
 
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I don't see how we need portal help next year. We lose RBY & Dean but all of the other team lose more than that.
Not sure other teams are losing 2 multi time (hopefully) champions.

I get the thought of portal help, but with the exception of Long the Nits haven't gotten much portal help. At least as far as scoring NCAA team points goes.

It will be Davis at 133, Aaron at 197 and most likely Barr at 184. It will be fun watching the young guns develop, while anchored by Carter, Aaron and Greg.
 
Not sure other teams are losing 2 multi time (hopefully) champions.

I get the thought of portal help, but with the exception of Long the Nits haven't gotten much portal help. At least as far as scoring NCAA team points goes.

It will be Davis at 133, Aaron at 197 and most likely Barr at 184. It will be fun watching the young guns develop, while anchored by Carter, Aaron and Greg.pl
Max Dean didn't help? Iowa is losing a 3x time Champ and last years 197 finalist plus 3rd place finisher Cass.
 
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Not sure other teams are losing 2 multi time (hopefully) champions.

I get the thought of portal help, but with the exception of Long the Nits haven't gotten much portal help. At least as far as scoring NCAA team points goes.

It will be Davis at 133, Aaron at 197 and most likely Barr at 184. It will be fun watching the young guns develop, while anchored by Carter, Aaron and Greg.
We'll know more in 6 weeks ... but it's possible that we win nationals this year by more points than RBY + Dean.

In which case, we'll be OK next year too considering other teams' attrition.
 
We will likely lose 40+ points off of our 2023 score. With Lee, Murin, and Warner graduating, Iowa is the only other team that could lose that much.
 
Despite their losses, I think tOSU should be better next year with several hammers coming out of Redshirt. They have a lot of youth on this year's roster already that will be better as well.

You can't be the perenial recruiting national champions without it paying dividends eventually.

Still not enough IMO, but I suspect they will be preseason #2.
I’m anxious to see how Bouzakis and Mendez fit into the lineup together
 
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