|  1)
Iowa Hawkeyes -- New Iowa head coach, Tom Brands,
has quickly reloaded, although the majority of the talent
infusion will be unavailable until next season, assuming that
the current situation, with regards to the transfers, remains
unchanged. Focusing first on the new recruits, the top-rated
recruit arriving in Iowa City is Matt Ballweg
(Waverly-Shell, IA). Projecting at 149
pounds, Ballweg placed 1st at 145 in 2006 (3A), compiling
a 48-0 record, in addition to a 1st place finish in 2005 at
140, a 5th place finish at 119 in 2004, and a 4th place at
103 in 2003. Also in the mix at 149, from Blair Academy
is Travis Blasco (Blair
Academy, NJ),
a 4X National Prep Champion, at 145, 135, 119, and 103.
Travis also placed 5th at Fargo last season, 4th at Senior
Nationals, and 2nd at the Beast of the East. Arriving
to provide depth at 157 is Jake Kerr (Oskaloosa,
IA)
who finished 3rd in Iowa (3A) last season at 152 pounds in
addition to prior 3rd place finishes in both 2005 and 2004.
Kerr also took a 5th at Fargo in 2005 and earned a 4th place
finish at Senior Nationals, scoring a win over highly regarded
Indiana recruit, Kurt Kinser. Completing the recruiting
class is Aaron Janssen (Emmetsburg,
IA),
a 157 pound prospect.
Below the Radar: Aaron Janssen isa
3X Iowa (2A) state place winner, taking 1st in 2006, after
taking 4th in 2005, and 2nd in 2004. Janssen does not
come with a lot of publicity but will provide solid depth
in the middle of the Hawkeye line-up.
Transfers: Headlining the list of Iowa
transfers, all arriving via Virginia Tech,
is Brent Metcalf. Metcalf
was a 4X Michigan state champion, while going 228-0 in his
career. Last season, Metcalf placed 3rd at the West
Virginia Open, 3rd at the Kaufman-Brand Open, and won both
the PSU and Kent State Opens. Metcalf projects at 149
pounds. Also arriving in Iowa City are Joey
Slaton, 2X Iowa state champion, 4X finalist,
projects at 133, Jay Borschel, 4X
Iowa state champion, 163-1 career, projects at 174, Dan
LeClere, 4X Iowa state champion, projects at
141, and T.H. Leet, 3X Georgia state
champion and 4X finalist, projects at 165. As previously
mentioned, all of these transfers are currently ineligible
to compete this season.
 2)
Penn State
Nittany Lions -- The Nittany Nation is fired
up about the top-notch grapplers who will be heading to State
College in the fall. Leading the group of young Lions
is David Rella (Cuyahoga
Falls, OH),
a 2X Ohio state champion (Div II) and 3X finalist.
David took 2nd at both the Ironman and Powerade tournaments
this past year, losing both times to Cornell recruit Mack
Lewnes, but Rella was able to capture the Beast of the East
title with a win over Lewnes. Rella projects at 165 and will
be in the mix to start this season. Three other big-time
prospects will be joining Rella in Happy Valley come this
fall. Garrett Scott (Juniata
Valley, PA)
is a 3X Pennsylvania state champion (2A), who was unable to
compete for his 4th title this year due to a school suspension.
Scott projects at 141 and will also be in a battle to start
this year. Joining Penn State from Virginia is Bubba
Jenkins (Virginia Beach,
VA).
Jenkins did not compete at Virginia states the past two years,
but has clearly demonstrated his skills by winning a Virginia
(AAA) state title in 2004, finishing 2nd in 2005 and winning
a title at the Beast of the East tournament. Jenkins
was named as a 1st Team ASICS All-American and he projects
at 149. The fourth big name recruit to join the Lion
stable is Josh Rohler (Akron,
OH),
one of the top recruits, if not the top recruit, who never
staked his claim to a state title. Rohler has finishes
of 2nd, 3rd, and 2nd in Ohio (Div II). Rohler placed
3rd at Senior Nationals this past year and projects at 157
for Penn State. Additional prospects heading to State
College are Eric Caschera (South Williamsport,
PA) at 125, Mike Eagan (Wharton,
NJ) at 141, Christian Harr (Hollidaysburg,
PA) at 149, Mike Farina (Denville,
NJ) at 157, Michael Lorenzo (Bellefonte,
PA) at 157, A.J. Papa (Allentown,
PA) at 165, Eric Burnett (Uniondale,
NY) at 197, and Nathan Andrews (Spring
Mills, PA) at 285.
Below the Radar: Eric Burnett (Uniondale,
NY) -- 2X New York state placer, placed 2nd at 215 in 2006
and 6th at 215 in 2005. Burnett will take a redshirt
season and work with Phil Davis to develop his talents.
Transfer: Adding to the depth at heavyweight
will be John Laboranti (Virginia Tech).
Laboranti wrestled at 197 last year, but has added considerable
size and will do battle with Aaron Anspach for the starting
position.
 3)
Minnesota
Golden Gophers -- Taking 3rd in the Big 10 recruiting
race are the Golden Gophers of Minnesota. The Gophers
stocked up on big men by adding two candidates at 197 and
at heavyweight. Ben Berhow (Albert
Lea, MN)
will be the leading candidate to replace Cole Konrad after
a redshirt season. Berhow captured a Minnesota (3A)
state title in 2006 after finishing 2nd in the state in 2005
and earned Honorable Mention ASICS All-American honors.
Another big time prospect is Scott Glasser (Bismarck,
ND)
a 4X North Dakota (1A) state champion. In addition to
his four state titles, Glasser also placed 4th at Senior Nationals
and like Berhow, Glasser was named an Honorable Mention ASICS
All-American. Glasser projects at 157. Projecting
at 133 is Mike Thorn (St.
Michaels-Albertville, MN),
a 3X state champion and a 4X finalist (2A). Thorn placed
5th at Fargo in 2005 and is also an Honorable Mention ASICS
All-American. A fourth highly regarded recruit ready
to call Minneapolis home is Brandon Sitch (Kelso,
WA). Sitch is
a 4X Washington state champion (3A) and projects at 165.
Providing depth to the Gophers class are Jake
Mallmer (Dickinson, ND) at 141, John
Sundgren (Blaine, MN) at 149, Jordan
Kolbow (Forest Lake, MN) at 157, Paul
Ode (Brandon Valley, SD) at 184, Brent
Eidenschink (Detroit Lakes, MN) at 197, and
Joe Nord (Waconia, MN) at 285.
Below the Radar: Jake Mallmer is a 4X
North Dakota state champion who has not shown up on many national
ranking services radar screens. Mallmer has great potential
and could find himself a home in the Gopher line-up after
a redshirt season.
Transfer: Joining the Gophers is Yura
Malamura (HighlineCommunity
College) a 2005 Junior
College National Champion. Malamura redshirted last
season at Highline to maintain an additional year of eligibility
and will enter Minnesota as a sophomore.
 4)
Ohio State
Buckeyes -- New Buckeye head coach, Tom Ryan’s
small, but powerful class will look to continue the transformation
of the Buckeye program back into the nation’s elite.
Leading the charge is 4X (Div 1) Ohio state champion, Lance
Palmer (Lakewood,
OH),
who compiled a tremendous 150-6 record in his high school
career. Palmer also claimed titles at Senior Nationals
and the prestigious Beast of the East tournament and is a
1st Team ASICS All-American. Palmer projects at 149
for the Buckeyes and will be in a heated battle for a starting
position this season. Another top recruit calling Columbus
home is Ryan Patrovich (Islip,
NY),
a 2X New York state champion and 3X finalist (Div 1).
Patrovich also placed 2nd at Fargo last year and 2nd at Senior
Nationals, falling to Penn State recruit David Rella in a
great match. Patrovich is a 3rd Team ASICS All-American
and will compete to start at 157. The 3rd new recruit
is Will Livingston (Kittatinny,
NJ),
a 2006 New Jersey state champion and a 4X state placer.
Livingston is a 133 pound prospect and is expected to redshirt.
Below the Radar: None
Transfer: Heading to Columbus is Mike
Pucillo (Hofstra), who redshirted in his first
season with the Pride. During the redshirt season, Pucillo
placed 7th at the East Stroudsburg Open at 197 and claimed
at title at the Cleveland State Open. Pucillo will battle
veteran, Alex Picazo, for the starting slot at 184.
 5)
Indiana Hoosiers
-- The Hoosiers added ten prospects to the fold with the leading
additions being two grapplers, who will not have to travel
all that far. Projecting at 165 is 2X Indiana state
champion, Paul Young (Bloomington,
IN).
Young placed 6th at Senior Nationals, is an Honorable Mention
ASICS All-American, and is expected to redshirt this year
behind Max Dean. The second local prospect is Kurt
Kinser (Bloomington,
IN)
an Indiana state champion in 2006 and a state runner-up in
2005. Kinser projects at 157 and is expected to redshirt
behind 2X All-American Brandon Becker. A 3rd top prospect,
Jantzen Minton (Christianburg,
VA)
staked claim to a 2006 Virginia (AA) state championship after
taking 3rd in 2005. Minton also took 4th at the Beast
of the East and projects at 174/184. Filling out the
Hoosier class are Ted Strychalski (Libertyville,
IL) at 125, Michael Peysakhovich
(LaGrange, IL) at 125, Alexander
Warren (Mooresville, IN) at 133/141, Nick
Walpole (Perry Merdian, IN) at 141/149, Eric
Cameron (Moeller, OH) at 174/184, Nathan
Everhart (Tinley Park, IL) at 197, and Nick
Avery (Foxboro, MA) at 197.
Below the Radar: Eric Cameron, although
only placing 7th in Ohio at 171, Cameron claimed titles at
both Powerade and Ironman, showcasing his upside potential
as a Division 1 prospect.
 6)
Michigan Wolverines- Coach Joe McFarland and
his staff have collected six prospects to bolster the Wolverine
wrestling room. The top-rated recruit is Chris
Diehl (Kersley,
MI),
a 2X state champion and 4X finalist (Div 2), who also claimed
a 3rd at Senior Nationals. Diehl will spend the season
behind Mark Moos as a redshirt and then be ready to assume
a starting role next year. Next in line is Matt
Guhn (Clyde, OH) an Ohio state runner-up at 275 in
2006 and state champion in 2005 (Div II). Guhn will
have to be ready right out of the gate as the Wolverine coaches
expect to unleash him this season. A 3rd top prospect
is Scott Giffin (Eastern, NJ).
Giffin placed 2nd in the state in 2006 after claiming a state
title at 152 in his junior campaign, and finishing 5th as
a sophomore. Giffin is expected to redshirt this year
then do battle at 165/174 next season. Filling out the
Wolverine class are Mark Beaudry (Pueblo,
CO)
at 141, Anthony Biondo (Chippewa
Valley, MI)
at 149, and Eddie Phillips (Lakewood, MI)
at 184.
Below the Radar: Eddie Phillips is a
3X Michigan state placer and 2X finalist who went 45-0 in
2006. He will provide excellent depth behind Tyrel Todd
in the Michigan wrestling room.
 7)
Purdue Boilermakers -- Two top recruits headline
the Boilermaker recruiting efforts. Brent
Chriswell (South Kitsap,
WA) is a 2X state champion and a 3X finalist
(4A). Chriswell placed 3rd at Fargo last season and
is projected to redshirt this year then step in at 184.
Kevin Lipp (Beachwood,
OH)
is a 2X Ohio state champion (Div III), taking titles at 140
in 2006 and 112 in 2003. Lipp also claimed 3rd twice
in (Div II) in 2005 and 2004. Lipp is expected to redshirt
and then enter the fray at 141 the following season.
The remaining Purdue commitments as follows, Luke
Manuel (Nevada City, CA) at 157, Michael
Reese (Franklin, IN) at 157/165, Logan
Brown (Covington, OH) at 197, and David
Pisarcik (Valencia, PA) at 197.
Below the Radar: Luke Manuel placed 2nd
in the difficult California state tournament this past season
in addition to his 6th place finish in 2005. Luke went
3-2 at Senior Nationals, eventually getting knocked out of
the tournament by highly regarded Hoosier recruit, Kurt Kinser.
Manuel will take a redshirt season this year.
 8)
Illinois Fighting
Illini -- Scouring the Illinois landscape, the
Illini staff secured the commitments of eight home grown prospects.
The top prospect in the lot is Jimmy Kennedy (Fox
Lake Grant, IL).
Kennedy is a 2X state champion and 4X state place winner,
adding 2nd and 3rd place finishes (AA). Kennedy placed
7th at Fargo last year and was named as a 3rd team ASICS All-American.
Should be an interesting wrestle-off as Kennedy will do battle
with Joe Gomez to claim the 133 pound starting assignment.
Another elite prospect is John Dergo (Morris,
IL).
Dergo is a 2X state champion (AA), claiming both titles at
171, after finishing 3rd at 171 in 2004. Dergo is an
Honorable Mention ASICS All-American and projects at 174/184.
Adding to the Illinois future are John Deneen
(Fox Grant, IL) at 125, Ryan Nallen
(Notre Dame, IL) at 125, Dalton
Bullard (Belvidere, IL) at 133, Joey
Kotowski (Nequa Valley, IL) at 149, Ben
Friedl (Orland Park, IL) at 174, and Clinton
Polz (Orland Park, IL) at 174.
Below the Radar: Dalton Bullard is a
2X state runner-up, getting topped in both cases by Northwestern
recruit, Brandon Precin. Bullard placed at Illinois
states all four seasons and also took a 6th at Senior Nationals.
 9)
Wisconsin Badgers -- Short on numbers but big
on talent is the best way to describe Wisconsin’s class
of two. Leading the way is Trevor Brandvold
(River Falls,
WI),
who captured a state title (Div 1) at 189 in 2006. In
2005, Brandvold was the state runner-up to Max Askren and
was also a runner-up in 2004 at 160. Brandvold took
1st at Senior Nationals and is a 1st Team ASICS All-American,
he projects at 184 and could very well be in the mix for Wisconsin
in his true freshman season. The second addition, Aaron
Hart (Graham,
OH) is
a 2X Ohio state champion (Div II), climbing to the top of
the podium in 2006 at 119 and in 2004 at 103. Hart also
earned finishes of 2nd at 112 in 2005 and 4th at 103 in 2003.
Hart placed 2nd at Fargo last year, took 3rd at the Beast
of the East, and earned 3rd Team ASICS All-American honors.
Hart will redshirt and projects to take over at 125 following
the departure of Badger veteran Collin Cudd.
Below the Radar: None
 10)
Michigan State
Spartans -- The Spartans will look forward to
next season with the addition of six new wrestlers heading
to the East Lansing campus. The only wrestler who is
not a Michigan native is Walker Faison (Virginia
Beach, VA).
Faison is a 3X Virginia state champion (AAA), taking 1st at
119 in 2006, 1st at 112 in 2005 and 1st at 103 in 2004.
Faison also earned a 2nd place finish at Senior Nationals
and will redshirt this season then enter the mix at 125.
Next in line is Joel Trombly (New Baltimore,
MI),
a 3X state placer (Div 1), taking 2nd at 125 in 2006, in addition
to two 3rd place finishes. Trombly placed 7th at Senior
Nationals this past year and projects at 133. Completing
the Spartan recruiting all are John Fulger (Montrose,
MI) at 149/157, Blake Mesyn (Clinton
Twp, MI) at 165/174, Alex Strachan
(Brighton, MI) at 285, and Nick
Anurak (Hartland, MI) at 285.
Below the Radar: Joel Trombly is not
ranked on the national scene as he never was able to capture
an elusive state title, but his win over Minnesota recruit,
Mike Thorn, at Senior Nationals validates his potential.
 11)
Northwestern Wildcats -- Heading the list of
the five new recruits that will be calling Evanston home is
Brandon Precin (Orland
Park, IL).
Precin is a 2X state champion at 130 and 125, in addition
to his 3rd place finishes at 112 and 103 (AA). Precin
placed 7th at Fargo last year, is 2nd all time in Illinois
high school victories, and earned Honorable Mention ASICS
All-America honors. Brandon projects at 125 and is a
likely starter this year for the Wildcats. Another big
time talent heading west from Ohio is Keith Sulzer
(Lakewood,
OH),
a state champion (Div I) at 125 in 2006 and a 2nd place finisher
at 119 in 2005. Sulzer projects at 133 and could also
be in the running to start this season. Other additions
include, Robert Joyce (St.
Viator, IL) at 125, Andrew Nadhir
(Detroit,
MI)
at 141 and Kyle Bertin (Lakewood,
OH)
at 149/157.
Below the Radar: Kyle Bertin did place
2nd in Ohio (Div 1) this past season, earning his first state
placing of his career. Kyle has tremendous upside and
has not yet achieved his full potential, with the name alone
providing Northwestern fans some major excitement, as Kyle’s
brother Ryan was a 4X All-American at Michigan.
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