Rylan Rogers (Right) vs. Lenny Pinto (Left) at FloWrestling's Who's #1 in 2020. Photo by Sam Janicki/SJanickiPhoto.com.
The Michigan Wolverine wrestling program earned its first commitment from the Class of 2022 earlier this week as TOM's No. 4 in the class, Rylan Rogers (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho), pledged to the Wolverines.
https://twitter.com/RylanRogers4/status/1409276325844570113
The verbal commitment came by way of a video on the True Wrestling Rokfin channel. Rogers picked the Maize and Blue over other powerhouse programs like NC State, Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon State, and Oklahoma,
According to Rogers' interview, Rogers pointed to the RTC opportunity at Michigan – the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club and its related resources – as the x-factor offering that made Michigan was the perfect fit for him.
Rogers, a 2019 16U freestyle national Fargo runner-up and 2019 Cadet World Team Trials runner-up, made no secret that his goals in wrestling extend far beyond the collegiate mat.
"For me, the RTC focus was really big," Rogers said. "Having Alex Dieringer. When I was there visiting campus recently, I saw Myles Amine and Stevan Micic training for the Olympics, which was huge. I just saw that they put a really big emphasis and the structure of the RTC."
At the beginning of his prep career, Rogers spent the first two seasons at Blair Academy in New Jersey, where he was a two-time National Preps Championships placer, first at 195 before dropping to 182 as a sophomore. Additionally, Rogers has All-American honors following a sixth-place finish in Cadet freestyle in Fargo.
During his most recent high school season, the COVID-19 pandemic forced Rogers back closer to home in the Pacific Northwest. After enrolling at Coeur d'Alene high school in Idaho for the 2020-21season, Rogers promptly stormed to an Idaho Class-5A state title back at 195 pounds.
Rogers is projected to be a 197-pounder when he enters Big Ten wrestling. The timing of his move to Ann Arbor could be very fortuitous for Sean Bormet and company.
It is currently unknown if four-time All-American Myles Amine, an Olympian for San Marino, will be bringing his Michigan career to a close before next season or if he will use his free eligibility year from COVID-19. Similarly, Princeton transfer and All-American Patrick Brucki, expected to start at 184 next year, will graduate before the 2022-23 season as well.
Whether Rogers starts as a true freshman or takes a redshirt season in 2022-23, there is little doubt that h should be a big-impact type guy in the Michigan lineup.
Class of 2021 star Chance Lamer (Crescent Valley, OR) and Rogers will be quite the dynamic young duo to lead the Maize and Blue in the years to come.
Back to articles