Perennial top 10? He ended up 17th this year (14 pre-ncaas), ended 15th last year (16 pre-ncaas).
HS Recruiting News
- Thread starter DEWrestlingFan
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I think Thompson & Carroll have to start next year. Make it work somehow.
It's tough to sit stud freshmen in this portal era. They could make the Scuffle finals as redshirts and then get poached before you even get a varsity year out of them.
It's tough to sit stud freshmen in this portal era. They could make the Scuffle finals as redshirts and then get poached before you even get a varsity year out of them.
Sadly I agree. Which sucks bc a redshirt year can also be so good for them. Portal Problems.
needs to and want to are two different things......I'm not sure he wants to!!! I'm also not sure Plott wants to redshirt either. Plott wants to wrestle, let him. We're not competing for **** right now so I'm not seeing the point in all this reshuffling.
I agree, don't make Plott red shirt unless he doesn't win the spot.
I asked this the other day, no one replied. Where did the Plott redshirt talk come from? It wouldn’t make sense.
I will also say, regardless of how good Thompson may be (I’m excited for him), I don’t think he can come in and beat Wittlake at 184. Too much experience and even though Wittlake has been slightly disappointing (from expectations) he is still really good.
So then it’s a matter of hoping some guys are ok with redshirts which is wild since wrestling used to be one sport where almost every freshman redshirted.
He has his Covid year still, but I don’t think he is confirmed coming back. Had that bad staph infection after NCAAs is last I heard.
Here is my thoughts on 174/184 I think it’s clear wittlake is a small 184 I think he could be a low AA at 174 so not losing much if Plott were to redshirt. The whole thing revolves around Plott though. If he wants to redshirt so he can have a better shot at a title his last year after starroci is gone then that’s what they should do. If Plott wants to wrestle then he will and should wrestle. At 184 I think Thompson would keep a lot of matches close like for example I think the Uni 84 majors wittlake but beats thompson 8-4 or something similar. I do think wittlake has better leg attacks and could be a blood round ish guy depending on the draw. Thompson has a redshirt to use so that’s probably the route I would go. Btw thompson looked pretty filled out at 86 kg 189 lbs definitely a full 184 but not a 197
I think there has been talk of title windows and how to best set us up to take advantage of one. A Plott RS year was discussed as one of those possibilities.
That must’ve been before PSU reloaded again lol
Their 2024 recruiting class and transfers appears to make them untouchable. I thought with our 2023 class and a real good 2024 class maybe we would have a chance. But Penn. St. response in the last 6 months indicates that hope was foolish. It is sad, but our goal should not be a National Championship in the near future, maybe it should be placing in the top 10 We have a very good 2023 recruiting class but we needed to follow up with a couple of star wrestlers in 2024. Also after a 2020 great recruiting turned out disappointing, I think as some others have expressed, disappointment with the 2023 class coming. We appear to have lots of bad luck besides a bunch of other problems.
I mean, I get it...people are guessing windows/ best case scenarios in which OSU can win a national championship....reality is there's no good window. As long as Penn State is around as a wrestling program, they'll always be one, if not the favorite.
I wanna be more optimistic than is possible, but I can't. PSU will be king for the foreseeable future.
Honestly though, this batch of recruits coming in is absolutely a step in the right direction. Sucks it is paired with losing VV as well as the loss of the Ferrari clan (forget hindsight, losing AJ and the potential of Angelo was huge, politics/personality aside).
We really need to stack a couple more classes together and it will click. If it doesn't, I truly think JS will step aside.
I didn't see this until after my post above. I think with how this season ended, myself and some others I chat with are starting to be concerned that it isn't just bad luck....but you're absolutely right on all of the above. My hopes are still high for next year, and for better or worse my expectation is honestly top 5. Doesn't seem like a stretch, but after this year, it is.
PSU not only got those recent recruits & transfers, they also had 3 guys break out in Bartlett, Van Ness, and Haines. Whatever window may have looked to be open 3 months ago has been nailed shut.
We aren’t catching PSU it’s just not happening with where OSU Wrestling is at this point. Top 5 would be great and probably our reality as our best goal unless John /OSU decide to get super serious about RTC and NIL money.
There is either a problem with evaluation and projection or development (possibly both) with the current staff. It goes beyond bad luck,
It isn't possibly both, it is both.
You are right, it is stunning to me that for so many years Coach Smith focused on a tree and missed the forest. So here we sit defeated. Yes, he is going to have to publicly step forward and grab a hold of RTC, NIL, recruiting assessment, and research modern wrestling development and leadership. I think it was important for him to step forward and respond and sincerely commit to these changes. He hasn't, and so I think he will stick with his half measures or maybe jump them up to 2/3 measures and he will have to leave in defeat. This is sad but I believe he has really worked hard to earn this defeat over the last decade or so. I hope that he proves me wrong.
This is how I feel but I don’t like to voice it because I have so much respect for him it’s hard. But the two thoughts can coexist.
It has nothing to do with evaluation of talent or recruiting at all Hass to do with the system. You have to change with the times and that’s 100% on Coach.
I mean I think there was something to be said about character assessment with some recent recruits so wouldn’t say recruiting/evaluation has been flawless.
But I think we are all really saying and worried about the same thing.
First step is to get back to winning Big 12 Tournament
Then get back to Top 5
It’s going to take a complete course correction (not just for OSU) to compete with PSU at this point.
It’s like Alabama Football once Saban got there. It can be done, it takes time and the willingness to do something different.
Then get back to Top 5
It’s going to take a complete course correction (not just for OSU) to compete with PSU at this point.
It’s like Alabama Football once Saban got there. It can be done, it takes time and the willingness to do something different.
Another possible issue is the work hard / play hard atmosphere. We had a recent wrestler seeded to AA who went 0-2 at Nationals. He said in an interview that it was because he wasn't doing the right things off the mat. The name isn't important, but it's someone well liked on this board.
For comparison...Bryan Pearsall was on a recent podcast and talked about Cael's first year at PSU. He said there was a work hard / play hard atmosphere under Sunderland, but Cael demanded year round commitment. 17 wrestlers left the program during his first year, voluntarily or involuntary.
For comparison...Bryan Pearsall was on a recent podcast and talked about Cael's first year at PSU. He said there was a work hard / play hard atmosphere under Sunderland, but Cael demanded year round commitment. 17 wrestlers left the program during his first year, voluntarily or involuntary.
Well I think time is running short, and I’m worried willingness for change isn’t there.
With VV leaving, I think that’s a clear signal that nothing is going to change to help develop these kids better and more individually. Even with last years issues, not sure we have willingness to do something different. My concern anyway.
Well, we haven't been told otherwise by the signature individual.
Found this interview yesterday trying to see any of Carroll's matches from the Open (no surprise, Flo only shared individual matches from their darlings which doesn't include OSU). Interesting commentary on OSU's approach. Said part of why he picked OSU is that we DON'T make a habit of bringing in transfers with bigtime NIL money.
I realize this goes against the dominant view here of John Bad NIL Good, but I found it interesting and thought I'd share.
I realize this goes against the dominant view here of John Bad NIL Good, but I found it interesting and thought I'd share.
He did not mean we will not using nil money. He was just making a point that if you don’t place as a freshman, OSU will not go out and try to replace you.
The fact that he only had 2 months to train and won a spot on the world team is very impressive. It'll be interesting to see how he looks at worlds
Not the point, everyone knows they were top 10.
The point was redshirting Plott next year made some sense at one time because it potentially set up title runs in 2025 & 2026. Mesenbrink, Nagao & Lilledahl closed that window. Bartlett, Van Ness & Haines were first time AAs this year. After finishing 3rd/3rd/2nd, they nailed it shut.
I actually applaud John's stance and share the same opinion as Carroll. I am for NIL and bringing in talent, but not at the expense of committed, less talented guys.
I'd rather NIL be used to get and keep talent to develop and use the transfer portal to fill holes.
Rumor is that VV is leaving due to development concerns with how the current practice/scheme is setup.
Are you saying VV left because he doesn’t want to compete against Williams?
I wouldn’t believe that for a second, but I don’t know you or where you get info from so are you 100% on this or that’s just what you’ve heard?
I wouldn’t believe that for a second, but I don’t know you or where you get info from so are you 100% on this or that’s just what you’ve heard?