I understand how it works. Things happen who knows if he goes 4 straight with the Olympics. Coming in this year and RS and taking 12 credits to just wrestle in 5 dates is definitely not gonna happen.
Next Year’s Lineup '26
- Thread starter SlickWillie18
- Start date
Well, in his defense, there are people close to the program that said he’d be in an Orange singlet starting in January.
Now, I really believe it sits in the hands of Jax/Howard and could be fairly fluid. Those two guys are team players and will most likely do what is best for the team. If 33 is doing well, it’s probably not smart to use him.
So your saying he wont be at the Ironman for McCort this year? I think he will be
Here's the whole damn problem boys. Think about how crazy good psu has been and theyve only just now managed to get 10 AAs. Cael's finally reaping the full benefits of his success by having a stud at every weight. Now, we can let the hungry guys go OR we can try to figure out a plan for having a top 5 guy at every weight in the near future and try to take them down. Much easier said than done of course. You have to take into account what recruits you land, development and the possibilities of injury. The last piece of that is can DT get studs to stay and sit a year or more if he needs them to?
I feel like from 165 down we have the guys now along w/ the incoming guys to hang w/ psu for the next 4-5 years. We also have an amazing heavyweight prospect coming. That leaves 3 weights that we have to develop better than what weve seen so far, but to be fair they all have potential and its early. All 3 can AA. Now If the development doesnt come that leaves recruiting better talent or get a stud from the portal.
Now if like I posted elsewhere if LRob and Dee could move up a weight in a couple years that leaves two weights we need improvement from at least what weve seen so far. Let me be clear, 84 and 97 (&74) could absolutely become solid top 5 talent but keep in mind we also need point scorers. I hope by the end of the season I can come back to this post and say we got all we need.
Bottom line I see the merits in both ideas of letting the hungry dawgs eat or loading up a future stacked deck.
But either way the silver lining says we're really not that far off!
I feel like from 165 down we have the guys now along w/ the incoming guys to hang w/ psu for the next 4-5 years. We also have an amazing heavyweight prospect coming. That leaves 3 weights that we have to develop better than what weve seen so far, but to be fair they all have potential and its early. All 3 can AA. Now If the development doesnt come that leaves recruiting better talent or get a stud from the portal.
Now if like I posted elsewhere if LRob and Dee could move up a weight in a couple years that leaves two weights we need improvement from at least what weve seen so far. Let me be clear, 84 and 97 (&74) could absolutely become solid top 5 talent but keep in mind we also need point scorers. I hope by the end of the season I can come back to this post and say we got all we need.
Bottom line I see the merits in both ideas of letting the hungry dawgs eat or loading up a future stacked deck.
But either way the silver lining says we're really not that far off!
I understand Willie has great contacts. I also understand coaches are going hedge what they say to him and everyone else. I also take into account Willie’s best OSU contacts are no longer there. I don’t think Willie is lying or making anything up. Conversations have obviously taken place surrounding Jax and what could happen this year.
The conversation I had was asking if Jax would transfer here at semester and be the starter and was told it was very unlikely. They said he could enroll but likely wouldn’t wrestle and if he did they would still preserve a RS for him.
This wasn’t DT or another coach and this information could certainly change. I was just passing along information from one of our biggest wrestling donors who is very close with our staff.
I love that you guys are having a "my contacts are better than your contacts" contest. It's cute
Jax this year or next, redshirt studs vs roll 'em out, heck I'm just happy to be on this ride!
Jax this year or next, redshirt studs vs roll 'em out, heck I'm just happy to be on this ride!
I believe Chase has the best contacts cause they know he will kick em in the shin if not telling the truth.I love that you guys are having a "my contacts are better than your contacts" contest. It's cute
Carter Young is no longer on the roster. Rumors are he will be at Maryland 2nd semester
Good for Carter. Good luck to him at Maryland! Hopefully he does well there.
He could use a redshirt and then still have 4 years of eligibility but it’s not a “free” year.
Athletes can enroll early and train and take classes and it doesn’t start their eligibility clock but obviously cannot “officially” compete or play in their sport.
IMO, this was a fantastic tournament, as well as the perfect time to have this tournament. You don’t peak you wrestlers for it but it’s a great way to grab their attention and evaluate strengths and weaknesses. Put a chip on their shoulders. Nothing is as motivating as underperforming. Troy started the year off last year a little slow as well. This team will be fine. Come March
He probably is now haha
I really enjoy watching the Raney’s wrestle but I still can’t for the life of me figure out how they slot in the lineup. Taking a RS next year and an OS the year after is as far as I get.
Room full of killers will work that out themselves
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I think the short answer is they likely won't all fit into the lineup perfectly, but this type of recruiting is necessary to beat Penn State because they have been doing this type of recruiting for years. If you look at their lineup they have multiple guys at many weights capable of winning a title or placing very high. They use gray shirts, red shirts, Olympic years, moving up or down weights and just plain old sitting behind a guy that beat you out or they sometimes even transfer out like Teague did. The result is when nationals rolls around they have a team full of wolves, hungry and at their peak ready to roll the competition. The bar is far higher now. This is just what it takes now to win a team title. Anything less doesn’t work any more.
We are talking about 2 potential, perhaps even likely finalists. The Raneys will have to slot in where ever there is an opening as at least 2 spots will be accounted for.
Some of it depends on what happens at the mid-upper weights. We have guys who are probably going to grow, but we have other guys (Facundo and Ryder) who seem unlikely to be able to go up a weight without losing competitiveness.
It will be interesting to see how it shakes out. It is hard to say a lot without knowing (a) how our current guys do at NCAAs; (b) the talent we are able to bring in from the portal; and (c) the college readiness of our the guys in our incoming freshman class.
One of my biggest questions lately has been Mikey White. I could see him taking a few years to develop into a starter, but I could also see him taking off like a rocket and forcing his way into our lineup from day one.
It will be interesting to see how it shakes out. It is hard to say a lot without knowing (a) how our current guys do at NCAAs; (b) the talent we are able to bring in from the portal; and (c) the college readiness of our the guys in our incoming freshman class.
One of my biggest questions lately has been Mikey White. I could see him taking a few years to develop into a starter, but I could also see him taking off like a rocket and forcing his way into our lineup from day one.
Many of us thought if Jax wrestled the UNI match it was a tip off that he was not going to Redshirt but this is not the case as wrestling two matches on a weekend counts only as one so he can wrestle both Iowa State and Iowa and not lose Redshirt status. DT has been asked if he will burn his redshirt and answered that it still has not been decided saying, We will see how it goes." I have been an advocate for him red-shirting but it was pointed out to me in this era of athletes going to the highest bidder that coaches are less inclined to let top recruits redshirt due to the uncertainty of whether they will stay. My opinion now is that Jax will not redshirt this year and I can now see why this is a good thing.
curious the thoughts on who redshirts and who slots in to 133-157 for 2026-27
125: Spratley SR, Sakamoto SO, Zinklin FR
133: Forrest SO, Ramirez SO, Raney FR, Hughes JR
141: Vega SO, Jamison SR
149: Swiderski SR, Raney FR
157: Robideau SO, Routledge FR
165: Lockett SO
174: Facundo SR
184: Ryder SO, Thompson JR, Robb JR, White FR
197: Merrill SO, Johnson FR
HWT: Ross FR
Then 27-28
125. Sakamoto or Zinklin
133: Forrest, Ramirez, Raney, Hughes, Sakamoto or Zinklin
141: Forrest, Hughes, Vega, Raney
149, Vega, Raney
157: Robideau, Routledge , Raney
165, Robideau, Routledge
174: Lockett
184 Ryder, Thompson, Robb, White
197, Merrill, Johnson, White
HWT: Ross
White, unlike our other freshmen started wrestling late in life. He would benefit tremendously from a redshirt year. After that year I think he beats Ryder out.
Hard to imagine any scenario other than injury where Vega is not in the lineup. He’s #2 in the Nation, a likely finalist, and has the ability to win it all.
How many NCAAs have you been to?
*don’t answer that. I’m still working on my sarcasm.
You know seeds never go chalk. OSU is moving to a spot where roster spots are filled with the guy that brings the points.
seems to me that Lockett staying at 65 for one more year makes a lot of sense until 74 clears out after Facundo's eligibility expires.
then the biggest questions are can Forrest and Vega hold 33 and 41 for another year or even 2?
Dee isn’t a big 65…he’s likely a career 65.
On your second point, possible, but don’t bet on it.
Physically being at NCAAs has absolutely nothing to do with evaluating talent or projecting lineups. That’s a lazy appeal to authority, not an argument.
And you’re not even addressing the actual point. No one said seeds go chalk. No one said rosters don’t evolve. You’re shadowboxing.
The question is simple: who is taking Vega’s spot?
Not “who’s exciting,” not “who might be good someday,” but who is actually doing it.
Vega is a proven, current-production guy. He’s #2 in the country right now. No one has gotten to him. That’s what “brings points” looks like in reality, not recruiting hype.
No Freshmen is going to walk in and knock out a made guy like Vega unless they’re Jax-level or better. And as good as the incoming class is, none of them are that. Until someone rips the spot away on the mat, which isn’t happening in real life, this isn’t a debate.