Austin Gomez to wrestle for Michigan
- Thread starter GregPickel
- Start date
Does Michigan even try recruiting & developing their own guys or are they now the wrestling equivalent of USC football? After the Amine well runs dry, what will they do, other than mine the portal & grad transfer well? I guess I just expected a program of that level to be a bit more high school centric...
You make a good point. Michael DeAugustino, Chris Cannon, Shane Griffith, and Lucas Davison are grad transfers that joined the program during the summer. With the addition of Gomez, that's five guys that will wrestle for them this season that were transfers.
Switching it around a bit to 2024 recruiting, and using Flo's Big Board (the 11/27/23 rankings), Michigan has the following:
#9 Brock Mantanona (152, from CA)
#32 Cameron Catrabone (145, from NY)
#43 Christopher Kiser (113, from OK)
By comparison (with the caveat that PSU has loaded up this year), PSU has:
#1 Luke Lilledahl (126, from PA)
#5 Zack Ryder (182, from NY)
#6 Joe Sealey (160, from PA)
#11 Connor Mirasola (195, from WI)
#14 Mason Gibson (138, from PA)
#24 Cole Mirasola (220, from WI)
A note that the "from XX" listed above is where the school they're attending is located, not necessarily where their home is located.
I suspect there will be more and more teams recruiting established guys rather than developing them from scratch. Like it or not, every college sport is a money race. Michigan has the money. It is not like PS doesn't go out and get the best guys if they need a guy. We have 3 starters who were on another squad last year and a fourth who started at a different school.
Michigan also has:
- 125: true freshman Caden Horwath - true FR, 4x MI state champ. Beat Davis last year, IIRC was a higher ranked recruit. He can shirt while DeAugustino wrestles this year.
- 133: Dylan Ragusin - 3x NQ, R12 in 2022. He finally shirts with Cannon there.
- 141: Sergio Lemley - true FR starter. 4x state champ (1 IN + 3 IL). Super 32 champ, won Who's Number One.
- 149: Derek Gilcher - true FR, starter until Gomez arrived (he can still shirt). 4x MI state champ, Super 32 champ.
- 157: yet another Mattin (Zach).
- 165: Amaan Gulacha - true FR, 3x Canadian freestyle national champ.
- 165: Beau Mantanona - true FR, CA state champ, Super 32 champ, won Who's Number One (beat Kasak), Cadet world team member
- 184: Rylan Rogers - RS FR, national prep champ (Blair), then moved home and won 2 ID state titles. Won Ironman and Super 32. I'm surprised he's sitting behind Bullock.
- 197: Hayden Walters - true FR, 4x OR state champ.
Last year's class (Horwath, Lemley, Gilcher, Mantanona, Walters, Gulacha) was outstanding. Not true to say they're not recruiting and developing. And all except Lemley get to shirt this year.
- 125: true freshman Caden Horwath - true FR, 4x MI state champ. Beat Davis last year, IIRC was a higher ranked recruit. He can shirt while DeAugustino wrestles this year.
- 133: Dylan Ragusin - 3x NQ, R12 in 2022. He finally shirts with Cannon there.
- 141: Sergio Lemley - true FR starter. 4x state champ (1 IN + 3 IL). Super 32 champ, won Who's Number One.
- 149: Derek Gilcher - true FR, starter until Gomez arrived (he can still shirt). 4x MI state champ, Super 32 champ.
- 157: yet another Mattin (Zach).
- 165: Amaan Gulacha - true FR, 3x Canadian freestyle national champ.
- 165: Beau Mantanona - true FR, CA state champ, Super 32 champ, won Who's Number One (beat Kasak), Cadet world team member
- 184: Rylan Rogers - RS FR, national prep champ (Blair), then moved home and won 2 ID state titles. Won Ironman and Super 32. I'm surprised he's sitting behind Bullock.
- 197: Hayden Walters - true FR, 4x OR state champ.
Last year's class (Horwath, Lemley, Gilcher, Mantanona, Walters, Gulacha) was outstanding. Not true to say they're not recruiting and developing. And all except Lemley get to shirt this year.
SIAP, but what weight class is this young man? (I only follow Penn State wrestling.) Thanks!
IMO, the portal activity will slow down once the 'extra year' ends.
UM is not the only team active in the portal, but they have focused on the one-and-done guys more than most. They have brought in 8 transfers in the last 3 years; Cannon is in his 5th year, and the others were/are in year 6 or more.
UM is not the only team active in the portal, but they have focused on the one-and-done guys more than most. They have brought in 8 transfers in the last 3 years; Cannon is in his 5th year, and the others were/are in year 6 or more.
Check out Beloglazov's career -- on the mat and in the corner.
To say Gomez won't improve there like he would here, is myopic. Maybe he will, maybe he won't. CKWC is probably the 2nd best club in the country, and with world medal results.
DIdn't say NLWC wasn't.
Only disputing the idea that only NLWC can maximize talent. Michigan's club has also proven that ability.
