Man… I’m really hoping that we start to land some big fish because the gap is wide and it’ll continue to widen if we cant land multiple big fish in one class.
We NEED to land multiple big fishes in the next coming classes.
Recruiting….
- Thread starter Lightweight87
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We NEED to land multiple big fishes in the next coming classes.
Send in the closers now, Telford and M*
It is a must! PSU and Oklahoma State are widening the gap in a large way. We need a big recruiting class in the next few years. Who are our REALISTIC targets? Not just who we want, but who we realistically have a chance on?
I agree, I’m asking the same question. Who are REALISTIC targets that we need and have a chance with. We need big recruiting classes for these next years to come.
We need 2-3 top 10 recruits in EACH future class. Hoping our coaches can rebound from our 2026 class and do great in recruiting 2027, 2028, and etc…
at least its 2 programs widening the gap now in a large way and not just one. Realistic will continue be one per year...at most. want will continue to go elsewhere.
they haven't signed 2-3 top 10 recruits in EACH class for 15 years years. They haven't even signed 3 top 10 guys in one single year. why would that change now?
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BK, Gabe, Nate Jesuroga, and Block were the best class in awhile. I think Chittum was supposed to be in that class as well. Looked really good but then things changed.
2 of those guys never suited up. a 3rd is in limbo. so the one year they recruited like a blue blood "things changed". if they want to be on top they need to do this every year. I would take every 2 or 3 years at his point.
Wrong. Lee and Warner were same class. DeLuca and Ludington are the very most recent class and they are very close to that range depending on the ranking site. Hell, only 1 program in the country will be starting the season with more top 10 lb4lb guys in the starting lineup....
PSU's crazy level of recruiting has taken way too many of you completely out of the realm of reality. NEVER before has a program been able to consistently recruit like Cael has and new teams won't continue it. Even DT won't. DT is the new "hotness" to quote Will Ferrel in Zoolander. But, that will wear out, just like it even did for Brands when he landed monster classes when he first started.
Still, Iowa right now:
125: Top 10 recruit
133: Top 10 recruit
141: Top 4 NCAA transfer
149: Top 12 NCAA transfer
157: Top 12 NCAA transfer
165: Top 2 NCAA transfer
174: Top 5 recruit
184: NUMBER 1 recruit
197: Top 12 recruit
285: Top 2 recruit
You can whine all you want, but PSU is the ONLY program that really is even close to that level...
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False, and even if it were true, they aren't close to the prospects Lee and Warner were.
What is false about that? DeLuca has consistently been top 10 and Ludington in the top 15...and I never remotely compared them to Warner, let alone Lee, other than to say they were both groups ranked in the top 10 or so...
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DeLuca and Ludington are good gets but Lee was a sure fire can't miss and Warner looked like a college AA in high school and looked like a can't miss as well. While he took a lot of flack for his style and regular season head scratchers obviously we would take a team of 10 of him and his results. My only hindsight criticism of Warner is he looked physically like the same guy for 6-7 years. Guys like that at PSU and MN seem to grow a lot of muscles, kinda feel the same way about Kennedy.
Can't wait to see DeLuca in 5 meets next year.
I think Nolf really hit it on the head with the RTC. Would love to see our RTC make the same strides that the Cowboys have in the last year. I think we were complacent when we had so much young talent with Marinelli, Warner, Cass, ADS, Lee, Kemmerer, etc. 6-7 years ago it looked like they would go through the program and be a HWC stable for several years but for various reasons it didn't work out and we didn't have a plan B. The Cowboys brought it those horses for practice partners, different perspectives, and the supplement to the coaching staff for all their young guys.
I like that we are bringing in the Japanese training partners. I think the room needs variety. Nolf articulated it so well -- the young guys at PSU can look at successful friends in the room that had results that they want, but in significantly different ways. I don't think the HWC has that.
Can't wait to see DeLuca in 5 meets next year.
I think Nolf really hit it on the head with the RTC. Would love to see our RTC make the same strides that the Cowboys have in the last year. I think we were complacent when we had so much young talent with Marinelli, Warner, Cass, ADS, Lee, Kemmerer, etc. 6-7 years ago it looked like they would go through the program and be a HWC stable for several years but for various reasons it didn't work out and we didn't have a plan B. The Cowboys brought it those horses for practice partners, different perspectives, and the supplement to the coaching staff for all their young guys.
I like that we are bringing in the Japanese training partners. I think the room needs variety. Nolf articulated it so well -- the young guys at PSU can look at successful friends in the room that had results that they want, but in significantly different ways. I don't think the HWC has that.
We did good with our 2025 class in getting Leo and Harvey Ludington, both who will be pillars in the next 5 years to come; but we need a minimum of 3 big recruits in each class to come to close the gap.
Hoping we hit hard in the class of 2027 and the momentum carries onto the 2028 class. Really hope we don’t strike out like we did in the class of 2026; but we did get Mocco and I appreciate the coaches going all in on the 2026 class and swinging for the fences.
Hoping we hit hard in the class of 2027 and the momentum carries onto the 2028 class. Really hope we don’t strike out like we did in the class of 2026; but we did get Mocco and I appreciate the coaches going all in on the 2026 class and swinging for the fences.
Again, I think many are glossing over just how badly Covid hurt Iowa's momentum when it came to recruiting and even the HWC. Without it the facilities get done much earlier. They almost certainly win back to back titles, Lee most likely has 4 Individual Titles and the trickle down effect would have been considerable.....no team got crushed REMOTELY like what it did to Iowa wrestling...
That is over and it is 2025. People aren't 'glossing over' it. If the program is using that as the excuse for recruiting KPIs not being met now, well then we are in trouble.
Reasons and excuses are NOT synonymous. People can hate on the Brands all they want. But, they are the absolute last type of people to make excuses. I am simply pointing out that they hit an obstacle very, very hard and it smashed them. Several insiders on the past board made that very clear...
Mind you, Iowa did pretty damn well recruiting in 2025...
No arguments here. I agree with that. I just think we need a 'refresh' like OSU is getting. I get that you are skeptical of the long term direction of that program but every sign possible says we are 2-3 years away from being very comfortably behind them as well. You think it is possible that will taper off -- it could, but it might not. If we brought in a grouping like RBY, Zahid, McKenna, MAN -- Bob said the playing field was level financially but PSU has been bringing in other guys for a decade in that RTC but we decided not to allocate the funds to bringing people in. They obviously were out there because OSU found them.
I absolutely do NOT believe the answer is new coaches. I do not believe there is a better fit specific to Iowa. Now, what I DO AGREE WITH is something considerably NEEDS to be done with the RTC. It is becoming glaringly apparent that this is what has helped PSU pull so far away and is what is helping OkState gain massive momentum.
The problem with this appears to be Iowa itself. Many reports on the old board linked the Iowa Compliance Department directly to serious limitations with how the HWC is ran. If this is true, no coaching change was going to do anything different to all of a sudden push them past the level Brands currently has them.
Hopefully they can still find a way, even with compliance restrictions, to get big name recruits convinced that the HWC can compete with anyone on that front...
I wasn't suggesting new coaches but can see how that would be interpreted from my post. I meant a refresh to the RTC and bringing in a core like RBY, McKenna, and Zahid like OSU did -- with the current coaching staff (well I would take new assistants also). I hope we look at the top graduates from the last 2 years across the country and send out feelers to the upcoming graduates for the next couple of years. Get them fresh out of college when they are cheap, young, and perhaps not at their potential in freestyle. My 2 cents, wish I had Bob's $ but I don't so it is just message board opinions.
New recruits or flips? How soon does the news drop?
I believe that was sarcastic.
Adjust your sarcasm meter, especially considering who posted it.
what we should recruit is...... A COUPLE MIILIONAIRE OR BILLIONAIRE DONORS to give Bob some help and to spend some serious cash on both recruits and the RTC... When you buy the best talent look much everyone thinks you won because of your coaching ... I mean we send wrestlers out to clinics and camps and they can influence young wrestlers to come to your school and the coaches make the phone calls but forget some of the other tactics and realize Carl had a blank check book BEFORE NIL and some of the Ped State recruits were very well paid before ever stepping on the mats at Rec Hall and that lead to winning ways which brought in more recruits and more BIG DONORS and more $$$$$ and then more recruits and buying some topshelf transfers when needed and slip in buying some recruits that you dont need....but denys other schools from getting them add in a VERY LAX compliance department and you have the business model to win in college wrestling.
Now you at least have to pay the max allowable for NIL, but it’s even more important to build your RTC. PSU is so far ahead in money for the RTC, and Taylor can instantly compete with his billionaire who joined forces with him when he was hired. These young stud high schoolers seem more interested in international freestyle, Greco for a few, than actual college wrestling. If you like fan support and big crowds at meets, college is where you get that, especially Iowa. I guess that’s good for the USA senior level wrestling in the future, but sucks for us with minimal RTC. Wasn’t practice with our HWC during freestyle season the root cause of Bassett family bailing.Ya, the recruiting problems are because of money......
Holy ****
Any chance the Bassetts come to Iowa City still? I know all about the break up but is there still communication going on. It's the one question I can't get a straight answer on......
He literally said Iowa was not the right place for his faith journey and there were reports of a shouting match between Tom and his mom. I would think that’s pretty clear he’s no longer considering Iowa.
That would mean either 1 or both sides would have to admit they acted stupid. There's 0% chance either side would do that.
2027 and 2028 are crucial for the Hawks. Those recruiting classes have to be legit. I also don't think we land any top 10 guys unless we get a few big names in the RTC. Jason Nolf said it best on FRL, PSU and Oklahoma State are at the top because they have strong RTC programs.
Pretty sure none of the blame belongs to Tom on this one
I agree, I still think all signs point to this being a situation where neither side is probably looking to mend a relationship.