photo courtesy of Richard Immel; RImmelPics.com
Time never stands still in the recruiting game and that could not have been more evident in the last year. With the rest of the world on hold because of the pandemic and little to no actual wrestling competitions in the spring and summer of 2020, coaches and high schoolers have managed to adapt. Even a recruiting dead period at the DI level hasn’t stopped both parties from engaging in virtual campus tours and other means of communication. The result? Plenty of recruiting news from the Class of 2022. As of today, half of the top twenty recruits in the Class of 2022 have committed to colleges. That means a lot of potential star power is already spoken for and plenty of teams have the foundation set for stellar recruiting classes. Today, we’ll look at 12 squads that already have received multiple verbal commitments and are making a case to earn a mention in our Class of 2022 recruiting rankings.
Remember, none of these wrestlers have officially signed with their college of choice, so there could be some decommitments between now and November.
12) Navy
Ever since Cary Kolat was hired, the Naval Academy’s recruiting went through the roof. A large contingent from the Class of 2021 is already committed to Kolat and the Navy, but even more talent is on the horizon with its Class of 2022. Three top-200 recruits in #86 Nick Vafiadis (New Kent, VA), #148 Evan Tallmadge (Brick Memorial, NJ), and #151 Danny Wask (Blair Academy, NJ), have pledged from the junior class. Vafiadis already has a pair of Virginia state titles to his name, along with a 16U National freestyle finals appearance from Fargo under his belt. That same year, in 2019, Tallmadge joined Vafiadis in the Fargo finals and came away with a stop sign. Last season, Evan was fourth in a brutal 106 lb weight class in New Jersey. Wask is a part of the great Blair Academy program and has placed top-four at the National Prep Championships in each of his first two seasons. He won in 2018 as a freshman. While Kolat has name-brand recognition nationally, he is still revered like few others in Pennsylvania. Expect him to add more recruits in 2022 from his home state, as he already has four onboard from the Class of 2021.
11) Oregon State
Like the Naval Academy, Oregon State brought in a new head coach in the spring and it immediately bolstered their recruiting presence. Chris Pendleton and staff have provided a shot in the arm of a Beaver program that had not made much noise on the recruiting scene of late. His first full class, the current seniors, is vast in numbers and will lend help immediately. The Class of 2022 is shaping up to be even better. Pendleton and company already have a commitment from #67 Gabe Whisenhunt (Crescent Valley, OR). While it’s vital to sign recruits of Gabe’s caliber, getting in with a local school like Crescent Valley, one that is arguably top-ten in the nation, is even better. Whisenhunt himself was a double 16U All-American in 2019 (making the freestyle finals) and finished third at the 2020 Doc Buchanan Invitational. OSU was also able to keep Isaiah Anderson (Chiawana, WA) in the Pacific Northwest. Anderson was a 16U Greco national finalist and finished eighth at the 2020 Super 32. Without another DI team in the region, Oregon State can call these Washington kids their own, as well. Under the new staff, Oregon State has nabbed talent from spots they rarely ventured in the past, like New Jersey and Nebraska. You can add Minnesota to the list with #55 Chase DeBlaere (Simley, MN). Like Whisenhunt, DeBlaere is from a consistent powerhouse HS program, one Pendleton’s team may revisit in the future. Chase is a two-time state champion that earned All-American honors in 2019 in Akron.
10) Virginia
Most of Virginia’s ACC rivals, North Carolina, NC State, and Virginia Tech, have been mainstays among recruiting rankings over the past five years. Even Pittsburgh has gotten into the mix under Keith Gavin. Virginia has really turned up the heat on the recruiting trail with their Class of 2021 and 2022. The result is a bevy of early commitments for the Cavaliers, primarily at the lightweights. Steve Garland’s team has received verbals from #71 Keyveon Roller (Lakeway Christian Academy, TN), #89 Garrett Grice (Bellevue East, NE), and #119 Kyle Montaperto (Central Academy, NC), combined with Peyton Fenton (Elyria, OH) to form an impressive foundation for the junior class. Montaperto was one of the biggest surprises of the Super 32 when he finished fifth at 113 lbs. Roller also had a strong showing at the tournament, taking sixth. He has been recognized more nationally after taking third at National Preps in 2020. Grice, the most recent commit, was a 16U freestyle All-American in Fargo in 2019 and has claimed a pair of Nebraska state titles. Fenton is one of the favorites to capture a DI state crown in Ohio this year and comes from a strong program. The only question is where everyone fits, as all four have competed at 126 lbs or under within the last few months. However it shakes out, the UVA lightweights will be tough-as-nails in the near future.
9) Northern Colorado
An incredible recruiting Class of 2019, mixed with their development on the mat, and the overall success of the Bear wrestling program, may have made Northern Colorado a regular in recruiting rankings going forward. The biggest splash from Troy Nickerson’s team in the Class of 2022 came with the commitment of #40 Quentin Saunders (Wichita West, NE). Saunders is a two-time state champion that won both styles at the 15U Pan-American Championships in 2017 and 2018. He should be able to chip in at 197 lbs, which is one of the hardest to fill. The other two early commits for the Bears come from within the state of Colorado in #115 Brady Hankin (Woodland Park) and #195 Kobi Johnson (Loveland). Both could contribute at the first two weights. As a sophomore, Hankin placed fifth in 16U freestyle, then was eighth at the Super 32. Johnson was a third-place finisher in 2019 at USAW’s Preseason Nationals. He’s chasing his second state title, while Hankin seeks his third.
8) NC State
No school in the country has been able to match the recruiting consistency that NC State has shown since 2018. The Wolfpack’s 2018 recruiting class was deemed sixth in the nation by TOM, the same ranking they received in 2020. Sandwiched between them was an eighth-place finish in 2019. With the amount of talent signed already in the Class of 2021, it’s hard to picture NC State out of the top-ten. So far, the Class of 2022 is well on its way to making it four consecutive years in that league. #14 Chase Horne (West Laurens, GA) is currently the top 285 lber in the nation and is one of the top wrestlers projected at heavyweight. He has a rare blend of size and athleticism that will serve him well at the next level. Preceding him in the NC State lineup could be 197 lb recruit, #31 Dylan Fishback (Aurora, OH). Dylan lost early in the 2019 Cadet World Team Trials and won eight-straight consolation bouts to grab third. That type of resiliency is essential in DI wrestling. Also headed down south is #118 Finn Solomon (Franklin Regional, PA). Finn was a state runner-up as a freshman but did not make it out of the region last year. Expect Solomon to be vying for a state title in his final two years of high school.
7) Cornell
Cornell has been a model of consistency in the recruiting game. Between 2017 and 2020, Rob Koll’s team has finished in the top-five in three of those four seasons. That knack for signing blue-chip wrestlers and then developing them had put the Big Red in position to fight for a national title in 2022. Cornell will add more talent as they have three top-75 wrestlers in the fold from this junior class. #32 Erik Gibson (Bishop McCort, PA) leads the group. He is a two-time state placer and was seventh at the 2020 Super 32. Looking down the road, Erik’s younger brother, Mason, is the top freshman in the country and it’s great to have an early “in” with him. #59 Brody Conley (Columbian, OH) is one of the favorites to win in Ohio’s D2 division this year at 170 lbs. Last season, he was a winner of the Brecksville Invitational. #75 Jack Darrah (Christian Brothers, MO) will join former HS teammate Josh Saunders in Ithaca. Darrah was a state runner-up in 2020. He notched one of the most significant wins of his high school career over the summer when he knocked off then-number one, Kyle Haas (Maize, KS) at the King of the Ring Duals.
6) Iowa State
The Cyclones only have two early commitments, but rest assured, they’re good ones. #18 Manny Rojas (Detroit Central Catholic, MI) and #29 Casey Swiderski (Dundee, MI) are both top-30 recruits in the Class of 2022 and have star potential. The duo hail from power programs in assistant coach Brent Metcalf’s home state of Michigan. That could be a fertile pipeline to continue developing in the future. This preseason, Rojas won the Super 32 and is a past Fargo 16U freestyle finalist. Though he won his second Michigan state title at 189 lbs, the Super 32 belt came at 170. Swiderski has been one of the breakout stars of the summer of 2020. He had an excellent showing at the Midwest Ironman Duals, downing top-ranked Drake Ayala, DeBlaere, and three-time Iowa champ and current Northern Iowa Panther, Adam Allard. Casey kept that momentum going into the Super 32, where he was fourth at 132 lbs. While Iowa State has been very solid in recruiting under Kevin Dresser’s leadership, they only had one top-ten class during that span. With Rojas and Swiderski already in place, they have the makings of a group that could be his best in Ames.
5) Penn
Roger Reina’s second term as the Penn Quakers head coach has ushered in an era of remarkable recruiting. The former Ivy superpower had fallen behind Cornell, then Princeton among its Ivy League-brethren. Back-to-back top-15 classes in 2018 and 2019, combined with a strong showing in 2020, have proven that Penn will be a formidable opponent for anyone on the recruiting front. The Quakers already have a considerable group committed in their Class of 2022. Reina’s staff has courted three top-50 recruits, #27 Martin Cosgrove (Camden Catholic, NJ), #45 Evan Mougalian (Kinnelon, NJ), and #47 Andrew Troczynski (Delbarton, NJ), among their seven early commits. Cosgrove and Mougalian were both New Jersey state champs as sophomores, while Troczynski was a finalist. Also from Jersey is two-time placewinner and two-time Super 32 third-place finisher, Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph’s Regional) and Louis Coloaicco (Blair Academy). They’ll be joined by Evan Bennett (St. Edward, OH) and Andrew Connolly (Malvern Prep, PA). The latest recruit, Connolly, is a two-time National Prep placer. It’s hard not to like how the Quakers have been able to pull in prospects from consistent national powers, which is what they’ve done for the bulk of their junior class.
4) Minnesota
Minnesota, along with Iowa State, is another program that has been able to make the list despite only having two verbals. Those recruits are ranked #21 and #25 in the Class of 2020, however. They are Troy Spratley (Collinsville, OK) and Hunter Lyden (Stillwater, MN). Spratley’s an impressive pickup since we rarely get to see Gopher wrestlers coming from Oklahoma. One of the two in-state titans usually sign a recruit of that caliber before making it outside the state borders. Troy has placed at the last two Super 32’s, taking seventh in 2019 and earning runner-up honors in 2020. Brandon Eggum’s staff has hit the lowerweights hard with the Class of 2021, but Spratley appears to be the highest touted recruit of the bunch. Minnesota also kept Lyden in-state. Hunter was top-six in 16U freestyle and at the Super 32 during his most recent trips to those events. Both of these wrestlers are on an upward trajectory, as far as results go, so they could look even better a year from now.
3) Lehigh
For the bulk of Pat Santoro’s tenure as head coach at Lehigh, the Mountain Hawks have been a strong recruiting team, coming in at #23 in the Class of 2020 and #18 in 2019. While his staff has continued to bring in solid talent and see them prosper, they haven’t had the type of prospects that are on board in 2021. #3 Ryan Crookham (Saucon Valley, PA) is the first top-five recruit to commit to Lehigh since #1 overall David Craig in the Class of 2006. The last top-ten recruit to ink with the Mountain Hawks was #8 Doug Vollaro (Oviedo, FL) in 2012. Crookham lives less than ten miles from campus, so it was even more important to retain his services. Crookham is a two-time Pennsylvania state champion that won the Super 32 while in eighth grade and took home a title at the Beast of the East last year. #24 PJ Casale (Delbarton, NJ) is also a top-flight junior that will enroll at Lehigh. Casale won a New Jersey state title at 220 lbs as a sophomore and made the Doc B finals early in 2020. Finally, Lehigh keeps #90 Enzo Morlacci (Kiski Area, PA) in-state. Enzo is a fast-riser that picked up some quality wins at the Elite 8 Duals in November. Lehigh tends to do well with their in-state recruiting, so I’d imagine there are plenty more kids to add before all is said and done.
2) Oklahoma State
The reigning recruiting class winners, Oklahoma State, has made a strong case for taking home the honors in back-to-back seasons with an excellent Class of 2021 signed. While that’s a topic for a different day, their 2022 class shapes up to be lights out, too. John Smith’s team already has commitments from the #12 Anthony Ferrari (Stillwater, OK) and #13 Jordan Williams (Collinsville, OK) juniors in the country. Anthony is the younger brother of current Cowboy star 197 lber, AJ. Younger brother, Angelo, is a freshman and one of the top wrestlers in the class. Anthony missed a large chunk of the 2019-20 season, but returned to make the finals at the 2020 Super 32, losing in tiebreakers. After his freshman year of high school, Anthony advanced to the best-of-three wrestle-off for a spot on the Cadet World Team at 60 kgs. Williams is a two-time Fargo 16U freestyle national champion and a participant at Who’s #1 earlier this season. He is one of the most exciting offensive wrestlers in the entire class and could be a perfect fit in Stillwater. With such an excellent recent record recruiting, there is plenty of talent in the Cowboy wrestling room around both wrestler’s projected weights. Even so, both have the potential to possibly unseat more established studs once they get on campus.
1) Ohio State
Ohio State has been able to be in the hunt for a national title for most of the last decade because of their ability to sign top talent. Some programs prefer large signing classes with seven or eight top-100’s recruits. The Buckeyes tend to be the opposite and get two or three potential superstars, rather than a group full of recruits ranked #75-100. That has been the case again in 2022 as Tom Ryan’s squad has #4 Nick Feldman (Malvern Prep, PA) and #8 Seth Shumate (Dublin Coffman, OH) waiting in the wings. Extra points are due to the Buckeyes way since Shumate (197) and Feldman (285) look poised to anchor the back end of the OSU lineup. Both weights can be challenging to fill, so getting these caliber recruits at those weights are even more special. Feldman ascended to the top spot in the nation at 220 lbs after dismantling Kyle Haas at Who’s #1. Since then, Nick has also won the Journeymen Fall Classic. In 2020, Feldman won his first National Prep title despite moving up from 160 to 195 lbs, between his freshman and sophomore years. Shumate was a double 16U national champion in Fargo in 2019. He also was an Ironman Champion later that year and recently finished fifth at the Super 32. Seth is the top prospect in the Class of 2022 at 197, while Feldman holds that distinction at 285. If the two big men weren’t enough, Ohio State also has a verbal from #66 Gavin Brown (Legacy Christian Academy, OH). Gavin was an Ohio state champion as a freshman and then placed fifth in Fargo at 16U freestyle nationals that same year. He could be an answer in the middle of the lineup after Sammy Sasso is finished.
For all of the recruits currently committed, check out TOM’s College Commitment Page.
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