We’re less than a week away from the 2025 Senior World Championships. The World Championships are where wrestlers can immortalize themselves in USA Wrestling lore. The Olympics are more prestigious from a general sports fan's perspective; however, the World Championship brackets are much bigger and feature many more threats, and most are wrestling at their ideal weights.
Typically, the year after an Olympic Games is a transition year for the World Championships. Wrestlers might highlight the Olympics as a retirement date, win or lose. With ten weights, opposed to six at the Olympics, we might see wrestlers move up or down in weight to compete at a non-Olympic weight that suits their bodies more appropriately. Some are beaten down by the pursuit of the Olympics and take a year off. All of these situations open the door for new faces to shine.
New faces are prevalent on the US men’s freestyle team. Only two of the ten world teamers have competed at a Senior World Championship event (and a third was in the Olympics). That isn’t to say it will be a down year. We just have a lot of wrestlers that haven’t gotten the opportunity to shine yet at the Senior World level. Most have earned international medals at the age-group level. Now, it’s their time to take the next step.
In our preview, we feature the eight seeded wrestlers at each weight, along with past world/Olympic medalists, as well as other notable threats at the weight. Along with some analysis about our representatives, the medal prospects, and potential hazards.
For part one of our men’s freestyle preview: Click Here

79 kg - Levi Haines
Seeds
#1 Akhsarbek Gulaev (SVK)
#2 Suldkhuu Olonbayar (MGL)
#3 Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (GEO)
#4 Magomet Evloev (TJK)
#5 Mohammad Nokhodi (IRI)
#6 Daulet Yergesh (KAZ)
#7 Khidir Saipudinov (BRN)
#8 Zelimkhan Khadjiev (FRA)

Past Senior World/Olympic medalists:
Gualev: 2024 World bronze
Gamkrelidze: 2023 World silver
Khadjiev: 2019 World bronze
Vasil Mikhailov (UKR): 2022 World bronze
Nokhodi: 4x World medalist
Akhmed Usmanov (UWW - Russia): 2023 World champion

Others
Dzhabrail Gadzhiev (AZE): 2024 U23 World bronze
Georgios Kougioumtsidis (GRE): 2022 European champion
Saipudinov: 2025 Asian silver

With Kyle Dake up at 86 kg and Jordan Burroughs foregoing the Trials process in 2025, we knew that there would be a new representative at 79 kg. That turned out to be Levi Haines, who swept Evan Wick in two straight matches at Final X. Haines doesn’t have extensive international experience. He was a Cadet World Team member back in 2021. Earlier this year, he won a U23 Pan-American title. After securing his spot on the team, Haines went to the Hungarian Ranking Series event and took ninth, losing to Greece’s former European champion Kougioumtsidis.
Can Haines make the necessary adjustments to reverse a match like that or beat someone of even higher caliber? With the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club and USAW behind him, you have to like his chances.
This weight is one of the more balanced ones on the men’s freestyle side. I don’t see anyone as a huge favorite, yet there are a lot of viable contenders. Russian Akhmed Usmanov is the only world champion in the bunch and is probably a slight favorite. Usmanov has won the European title in each of the last two years, following a world championship in 2023.
Before we get brackets, the top half looks a bit tougher than the bottom. The fifth seed, Nokhodi, has the most world hardware of anyone in this bracket. He’s the opponent that Burroughs beat in the 2021 and 2021 gold medal match.
Like many on the men’s freestyle team, it’s hard to quantify specific expectations for Haines. A lot will come down to the draw, as he is unseeded.

86 kg - Zahid Valencia
Seeds
#1 Osman Gocen (TUR)
#2 Arsenii Dzhioev (AZE)
#3 Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau (UWW - Belarus)
#4 Zahid Valencia (USA)
#5 Rakhim Magamadov (FRA)
#6 Hayato Ishiguro (JPN)
#7 Batbilguun Naadambat (MGL)
#8 Gyeongyeon Lee (KOR)

Past Senior World/Olympic medalists:
Azamat Dauletbekov (KAZ):2x World bronze
Kamran Ghasempour (IRI): 2x World champion
Kadzimahamedau: 2021 Olympic silver
Avtandil Kentchadze: 2024 World champion, 2x World medalist
Boris Makoev (SVK): 2x World medalist
Valencia: 2023 World bronze

Others
Dzhioev: 2024 U23 World silver
Gocen: 3x European bronze
Ibragim Kadiev: 2x U20 World champion
Magamadov: 2x U20 World champion

Throughout the previews thus far, I’ve felt a bit wishy-washy and unsure of what to predict from our representatives. At 86 kg, we have more of a known commodity in Zahid Valencia. Since losing in the 2024 World Team Trials to David Taylor, Valencia joined forces with Taylor at the Cowboy RTC and is thriving. He downed Kyle Dake at the US Open and in two consecutive matches at Final X. Internationally, Valencia has three tournament titles on the year. Simply put, he seems to be at his peak and in the perfect weight class. Valencia earned a world medal in 2023 at 92 kg, but 86 kg looks like a much better fit. This weight class is pretty loaded, but you have to like Valencia’s chances based on his recent form.
So who does Valencia have to look out for in this bracket? Well, there are a pair of past world champions (Ghasempour and Kentchadze). Kadzimahamedau is the opponent who beat Dake at the 2021 Olympic Games and is always a threat. Russian Kadiev is the next superstar. In 2024, Kadiev downed Josh Barr in the U20 finals to capture his second gold medal at that event. Ghasempour is the opponent that Taylor beat for the bronze medal last year at 92 kg. He’ll be massive at 86 kg.
Valencia starts his tournament as the fourth seed. I like that position in the bracket - on the opposite side of Kadzimahamedau. In the quarters, he would possibly have to contend with two-time U20 champion Magamadov of France. But, without a draw, it’s difficult to say exactly how good of a draw it is for Valencia. Either way, he’ll be tough to beat in Zagreb.

92 kg - Trent Hidlay
Seeded
#1 Miriani Maisuradze (GEO)
#2 Benjamin Honis (ITA)
#3 Batyrbek Tsakulov (SVK)
#4 Osman Nurmagomedov (AZE)
#5 Dauren Kurugliev (GRE)
#6 Amirhossein Firouzpour (IRI)
#7 Lars Schaefle (GER)
#8 Trent Hidlay (USA)

Past Senior World/Olympic medalists:
Kurugliev: 2024 Olympic bronze
Maisuradze: 2x World medalist
Nurmagomedov: 3x World medalist
Deepak Punia (IND): 2019 World silver
Tsakulov: 2x World medalist

Others
Firouzpour: 2x U23 World Champion, 3x Asian Champion
Magomed Sharipov (BRN): 2x Asian bronze
 
Even though he’s a first-time Senior World Team member, I feel better about forecasting Trent Hidlay’s tournament than the other new faces. At the 2024 non-Olympic World Championships, it was David Taylor in this spot. Obviously, he’s gone and Hidlay fills the void. He earned his slot on the team by downing young upstarts Aeoden Sinclair in the US Open finals and Josh Barr in Final X.
Hidlay has world level experience under his belt as he medaled in 2019 at the Junior level and in 2022 at U23’s. Additionally, he competed at the Hungarian Ranking Series event earlier this year and got the gold medal. While his eighth seed might not look great, he dropped the current #1 seed in the gold medal match and beat the #5 seed by injury default in the semis.
Hidlay’s style is also one that is successful on the international stage. Controlling the exchanges with his underhook, along with the center of the mat, is a recipe for favorable calls from the officials.
The young star to watch out for is on the other half of the bracket in #6 Firouzpour. He’s a two-time U23 world champion. In both instances, 2024 being the most recent, he defeated Jacob Cardenas in the gold medal matchup.

97 kg - Kyle Snyder
Seeded
#1 Akhmed Tazhudinov (BRN)
#2 Givi Matcharashvili (GEO)
#3 Kyle Snyder (USA)
#4 Magomedkhan Magomedov (AZE)
#5 Amirali Azarpira (IRI)
#6 Zbigniew Baranowski (POL)
#7 Arash Yoshida (JPN)
#8 Richard Vegh (HUN)

Past Senior World/Olympic medalists:
Rizabek Aitmukhan (KAZ): 2023 World champion
Azarpira: 2024 Olympic bronze
Magomedov: 2024 Olympic bronze, 2x World medalist
Matcharashvili: 2024 Olympic silver, 2x World medalist
Snyder: 2016 Olympic champion, 3x World champion, 7x World medalist
Tazhudinov: 2024 Olympic champion, 2023 World champion

Others
Radu Lefter (MDA): 2023 U23 World silver
Arash Yoshida (JPN): 2x Asian champion

The big storyline on the men’s freestyle side has been the status of seven-time world and Olympic champion, Abdulrashid Sadulaev. As we were wrapping up writing this preview, UWW modified their entries and removed Sadulaev from the 97 kg weight class. He was having difficulties with his visa and was not permitted to travel to Croatia. It’s unfortunate, as he’s one of the all-time greats and a frequent opponent of American Kyle Snyder.
Speaking of Snyder, he’ll make his 11th straight World/Olympic appearance. Last year, at the Olympic Games, was the first time that Snyder has left a Senior world event empty handed. He’ll look to get back on the medal stand this year and earn his eighth world medal.
In 2025, Snyder traveled internationally twice and won the Zagreb Open and finished with a bronze medal at the Albanian Ranking Series event. In Albania, he suffered a loss to Japan’s Yoshida, an opponent that had not previously beaten him. Yoshida is on Snyder’s half of the bracket; however, he’d have to get through a tough Matcharashvili to find Snyder again. Matcharashvili was the Olympic silver medalist last year, but he and Snyder did not square off in Paris.
Though Sadulaev isn’t in this field, the new version of him is Akhmed Tazhudinov. Tazhudinov burst on the scene in 2023 when he beat Snyder and Sadulaev for his first world title. A year later, he dominated Matcharashvili with a fall in the Olympic finals (In the semis, he beat Snyder 6-4). Tazhudinov sits atop this bracket as the one seed and his half of the bracket is quite brutal with two Olympic bronze medalists.
This is the only weight where all four of the 2024 Olympic medalists are back. Even though Kyle Snyder is Kyle Snyder, he’ll have a handful of tough matches to get back on the podium. I’m sure most would like to see a finals bout with Tazhidunov and Snyder, but he’ll have to work to make it that far. Matcharishivli and Yoshida are excellent and others could be drawn into the bottom half.

125 kg - Wyatt Hendrickson
Seeds
#1 Giorgi Meshvildishvili (AZE)
#2 Amir Zare (IRI)
#3 Dzianis Khramiankou (UWW - Belarus)
#4 Robert Baran (POL)
#5 Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur (MGL)
#6 Shamil Sharipov (BRN)
#7 Solomon Manashvili (GEO)
#8 Jonovan Smith (PUR)

Past Senior World/Olympic medalists:
Meshvildishvili: 2024 Olympic bronze
Munkhtur: 2x World medalist
Khasanboy Rakhimov: 2019 World bronze
Zare: 2x Olympic medalist, 2x World champion, 3x World medalist

Others
Hakan Buyukcingil (TUR): 2x U20 World bronze
Abdulla Kurbanov (UWW - Russia): 2024 U23 World bronze
Manashvili: 2025 European silver
Alisher Yergali (KAZ): 2022 U23 World bronze

2025 has been the year of Wyatt Hendrickson. The iconic upset of Gable Steveson, a wild Final X win, dominance at RAF….now a World title? Hendrickson already has a gold medal from the 2023 U23 World Championships and he’s improved significantly since then. The United States is in the middle of an excellent run of heavyweights and Hendrickson is currently our best. He’s seeking to become the fourth different American big man to medal at the World/Olympics since 2017.
This weight is a bit unique. It’s very top-heavy, but doesn’t have quite as much depth as others. Only two of the medalists from the 2024 Olympic Games return. Both Zare and Meshvildishvili should be considered favorites. Prior to Paris, Zare may have been seen as the “guy” at this weight; however, Geno Petriashvili wasn’t ready to pass the crown just yet. Even so, Zare still has a pair of world titles under his belt and is the favorite here.
The question for Hendrickson is how his aggressiveness will translate against the massive upper-echelon heavyweights. At times, that was an issue for Mason Parris against opponents like Mongolia’s Munkhtur. Hendrickson will need to balance his offensive skills that make him a crowd favorite with savvy match tactics and not putting himself in dangerous positions. 

As we move closer to the collegiate season, most coaching staffs have been rounded out or are in the process of doing so. This week we have a couple of new additions - plus a couple that you might know about, but haven’t been announced as official by their respective schools. 
With Ryan LeBlanc taking the reins at Binghamton so late in the game, it made sense for The Citadel to announce that Luke Welch will serve as the program’s interim head coach for the 2025-26 campaign. Welch had spent the last five years as an assistant coach on LeBlanc’s staff. He presumably will be a finalist for the position next spring or, perhaps, be named the full-time head coach after the season. 
Another recent coaching announcement takes us across the country to Oregon State. Recent graduate Trey Munoz has been named the Beavers graduate assistant. Munoz was a two-time All-American for Oregon State, placing sixth and third in the nation at 184 lbs. He also captured three Pac-12 titles. Oregon State had a vacancy on staff after Nate Engel left to pursue a coaching position with the Army WCAP. 
There are also a couple of other coaching hires that have not yet been announced by the schools. Lehigh and Little Rock. Lehigh has added a stud from the other side of the state, while Little Rock’s new assistant has a family tie to the team. 
We still have some high-profile openings that will need to be filled, so pay attention for upcoming coaching announcements. 
 
Coaching Changes
Army West Point: Alan Clothier (Assistant Coach)
Army West Point: Troy Nickerson (Head Coach)
Bellarmine: Brayton Lee (Assistant Coach)
Binghamton: Brevin Cassella (Assistant Coach)
Binghamton: Ryan LeBlanc (Head Coach)
Brown: Tyler Grayson (Assistant Coach)
Campbell: TJ Dudley (Head Coach)
Gardner-Webb: Vincent Scollo (Graduate Assistant)
Illinois: Eric Schultz (Assistant Coach)
Kent State: Fred Garcia (Assistant Coach)
Kent State: Josh Moore (Head Coach)
Kent State: Devin Schroder (Assistant Coach)
Lock Haven: Gavin Hoffman (Assistant Coach)
Lock Haven: Brock Mauller (Assistant Coach)
Long Island: Jay Nivison (Assistant Coach)
Mercyhurst: Jimmy Overhiser (Head Coach)
Missouri: Keegan O’Toole (Assistant Coach)
NC State: Malik McDonald (Assistant Coach)
North Dakota State: Willie Miklus (Assistant Coach)
Northern Colorado: Charles Jones Jr. (Assistant Coach)
Northern Colorado: Teyon Ware (Head Coach)
Northern Iowa: Ian Parker (Assistant Coach)
Oklahoma State: Kevin Ward (Assistant Coach)
Oregon State: Trey Munoz (Graduate Assistant)
Penn: Matt Valenti (Head Coach)
Penn: Lennox Wolak (Assistant Coach)
Princeton: Ryan Wolfe (Assistant Coach)
Purdue: Matt Ramos (Assistant Coach)
The Citadel: Luke Welch (Interim Head Coach)
 
RTC/Club
Lee Roper (Cowboy RTC)
 
Open
Appalachian State: Assistant Coach
Binghamton: Assistant Coach
California Baptist: Assistant Coach
Campbell: Assistant Coach (x2)
Central Michigan: Assistant Coach
Drexel: Assistant Coach
George Mason: Assistant Coach
Maryland: Assistant Coach
Mercyhurst: Assistant Coach
Michigan State: Assistant Coach
Oklahoma: Assistant Coach
The Citadel: Assistant Coach
Virginia: Assistant Coach
VMI: Assistant Coach

The fall visit season was in full swing last weekend, which coincided with some marquee college football games on the docket. Big games usually mean big recruiting weekends! Some high-profile wrestlers were on the road to explore new programs and perhaps find that perfect fit.

One of the things that makes following the recruiting process fun is the cloak-and-dagger secrecy surrounding certain aspects of it. For every Bo Bassett who routinely keeps the public informed on recruiting decisions, there are plenty of others who don’t discuss it as much. Therefore, it can be difficult to follow which recruit is interested in which school and vice versa. I suppose it’s fun, but you’re left wanting more!
To help our fan base feel more knowledgeable about the process, we’ll feature a weekly column that recaps the recruiting weekend. Who has visited where? Maybe some background information on the recruits or the process from the school.
Here’s last weekend's article: 8/30, along with the previous week
If we've missed a recruit or you'd like to provide info on future visits, please let me know: earl@matscouts.com

Appalachian State
Blake Bartos (Medina Buckeye, OH) - 2026
It was a busy weekend for Blake Bartos, who went to Appalachian State after traveling to another school we’ll mention later. Bartos is a two-time Ohio DII state finalist. He was a champion as a sophomore and a runner-up at 132 lbs in 2025.

Brown
#29 Ronan An (North Cobb, GA)
Alex Bajores (Wyoming Seminary, PA) - 2026
#133 Ray Fitzgerald (Malvern Prep, PA)
Cole Lemovitz (Ponaganset, RI)
#89 Evan Stanley (Lowell, IN)
Gregory Torosian (Birmingham, CA)
For the second straight week, Brown had a good-sized group in Providence. The list has three Big Boarder’s on it, but it’s led by UWW U17 freestyle and Fargo Junior freestyle All-American, Ronan An. This was his first visit. The other Big Boarder’s are two-time Indiana state medalist #89 Evan Stanley and National Prep All-American #133 Ray Fitzgerald. Of note, on the other recruits, Alex Bajores is doing a post-graduate year at Wyoming Seminary and is a 2026 recruit. Gregory Torosian has already taken a visit to Army West Point.

Bucknell
Brady Brown (Derry Area, PA)
#35 Greyson Music (Bishop McDevitt, PA)
#115 Bradley Wagner (Mifflinburg, PA)
Last weekend, Brady Brown and Greyson Music visited Pitt together; this weekend, they got back together at Bucknell. Music is a two-time PA state placewinner and Brown made the finals of the UWW U17 Trials, a few months after getting on the PA medal stand for the first time.
We mentioned Bradley Wagner’s name in each of the last two weeks. He has been busy traveling to Lock Haven and Brown before Bucknell. Like Lock Haven, Bucknell is very close to home for the two-time Pennsylvania medalist.

Clarion
Abai Beishembiev (West Springfield, VA) - 2026
We’re still trying to figure out the complete list of recruits that Clarion had in over the weekend. One we know is two-time Virginia 6A state qualifier Abai Beishembiev. Clarion has already gotten a commitment from one Virginia wrestler in the Class of 2026 (Bryce Schnelzer).

Columbia
#37 Mikey Batista (Blair Academy, NJ)
Tyler Neiva (Greens Farms Academy, CT) - 2026
Cody Pritzlaff (Watchung Hills, NJ) - 2026
It’s no surprise that a very New Jersey-centric coaching staff is reaching into Jersey for talent. The ranked wrestler in this crew is Mikey Batista, a National Prep runner-up in 2025. Tyler Neiva was sixth at National Preps and earned a bronze medal in 2024 at the U17 Pan-American Championships representing Brazil. This is the first recruiting visit we’ve captured for Batista, Neiva, or Cody Pritzlaff.

Cornell
#9 Lucas Boe (Lake Highland Prep, FL)
#13 Gavin Mangano (Shoreham-Wading River, NY)
#28 Cam Sontz (Delbarton, NJ)
#117 Kai Vielma (Connellsville, PA)
#126 Jackson Weller (Delran, NJ)
Cornell had their second big recruiting weekend of the fall. It included three top 30 prospects and five big boarders total. #9 Lucas Boe already traveled to New York once this fall, as he visited Army West Point two weeks ago. Gavin Mangano, Cam Sontz, and Kai Vielma were all at North Carolina last week and Cornell this weekend. Jackson Weller definitely is looking at the Ivy League, as he spent last weekend at Penn.
Looking at recruiting patterns, though Cornell typically casts a wide net, they do well with New Jersey kids (particularly Delbarton), so it’s not a surprise to see some of these names associated with the Big Red. The same goes for in-state recruits and Florida.

Iowa State
#45 Maximus Dhabolt (Ankeny Centennial, IA)
#53 Grayson Fuchs (Detroit Central Catholic, MI)
#66 Roman Stewart (Liberty, MO)
Cale Vandermark  (Ankeny Centennial, IA) - 2026
#38 Dawson Youngblut (Don Bosco, IA)
It was a huge weekend for Iowa State sports as the Cyclones defeated rival Iowa on the football field Saturday. The Cyclone wrestling team has been on a hot streak on the recruiting trail, as well. On Sunday night, #66 Roman Stewart committed to Kevin Dresser’s team shortly after his weekend visit. They also picked up two recruits from the Class of 2026.
Joining Stewart in Ames were Maximus Dhabolt, Grayson Fuchs, Cale Vandermark, and Dawson Youngblut. Dhabolt and Vandermark are high school teammates, with Vandermark being the older of the pair. Both were Iowa 3A finalists in 2025, with Dhabolt winning a title. We wrote about Dhabolt visiting Oklahoma last weekend.
The double 16U AA, Youngblut, has already taken a trip to Cornell this fall. This is the first visit on record for Fuchs, who was a 16U Fargo freestyle AA in 2024.

Little Rock
#43 Zach Aquila (Brecksville, OH)
#199 Brennan Warwick (Massillon Perry, OH) - 2026
It was an Ohio-themed recruiting weekend for Neil Erisman’s staff at Little Rock. Junior Zach Aquila is a two-time Fargo freestyle 16U All-American. This is the first recruit we have on file for Aquila. Senior Brennan Warwick was fifth in Ohio’s largest classification. He took a visit to Kent State last weekend and one to Indiana last fall.
 
Maryland
Blake Bartos (Medina, OH) - 2026
#76 Mason Horwat (Derry Area, PA)
#20 Brock Rothermel (Line Mountain, PA)
We already mentioned Blake Bartos once in this update, but he was also at Maryland. The Terps staff already has three Big Boarders locked in for 2026. Looking ahead to 2027, they brought in two of the top 100 prospects in the country. Brock Rothermel, a two-time top-three finisher in Junior freestyle in Fargo, would be an excellent get for the Maryland staff. Mason Horwat committed to Pitt (whom he visited last weekend) on Monday, so he’s likely out of the picture.

Mercyhurst
Nate Burchfiel (Rockwell Heath, TX) - 2026
Trevor DellaPenta (Eden, NY) - 2026
Danny Goodwin (St. Patrick, IL) - 2026
Clay Kimmy (General McLane, PA) - 2026
Logan Latimore (North East, PA) - 2026
Rocky Kowle (North East, PA) - 2026
Aiden Ohl (Ontario, OH) - 2026
Will Wortkoetter (St. Francis, NY) - 2026
New head coach Jimmy Overhiser is working hard at the newest DI wrestling program. Among the big group he brought in last weekend are three local kids, Clay Kimmy, Logan Latimore, and Rocky Kowle. Of the bunch, Kimmy is a returning state medalist, having placed eighth at the AA tournament.
Danny Goodwin has plenty of national-level credentials in Greco, including a Fargo Junior runner-up finish this summer. He was also a state runner-up in 2025.
Aiden Ohl has finished in the top three at the Ohio DII tournament in each of the last two years.
Nate Burchfiel was third in Texas’ 6A state tournament at 132 lbs last season.
Overhiser has been using his connections at home in New York and it’s shown, getting state medalists Trevor DellaPenta and Will Wortkoetter in town for visits. Before the weekend was up, Wortkoetter had de-committed from Army and committed to Mercyhurst. He’s the second member of the St. Francis team to commit to Overhiser.

Missouri
#2 Joe Bachmann (Faith Christian, PA)
Trey Craig (Christian Brothers, MO) - 2026
#52 Luke Hayden (Hickman, MO)
#25 Turner Ross (Edmond North, OK)
#91 Colin Rutlin (Christian Brothers, MO)
Missouri really turned the heat up with this crew. It was led by two-time Pennsylvania state champion and two-time U17 world medalist Joe Bachmann. Getting Bachmann would be one of Mizzou’s best signings ever! The other out-of-state visitor is Oklahoma’s Turner Ross. Ross was Junior freestyle champion this year in Fargo. He was a 16U runner-up in 2024.
The in-state recruits in Columbia were juniors Luke Hayden and Colin Rutlin, along with senior Trey Craig. Craig and Rutlin are high school teammates at Christian Brothers College in St. Louis. Rutlin also captured a stop sign this summer in Fargo. He won the 150 lb weight class in 16U freestyle. Craig was third at the state tournament in 2025.
Rutlin has also visited Oklahoma this fall.
Finally, we have Luke Hayden. Hayden was third at NHSCA Sophomores this spring, two months after winning his second state title in as many tries. Though this is his first visit, Missouri was one of 13 schools on Hayden’s initial recruiting list.

NC State
#24 Caleb Noble (Warren, IL)
#36 Kane Shawger (St. Xavier, OH)
#237 Isaiah Taylor (AIM Academy, PA)
NC State’s recruiting weekend featured a big man, a lightweight, and someone in between. The middleweight is Kane Shawger, who gave rival UNC a verbal commitment last night. The future 125 lber is Caleb Noble, a 2025 U17 World Team member in Greco-Roman. With potentially two more attempts available to him, Noble has already placed six times in Fargo. Heavyweight Isaiah Taylor was seventh at National Preps as a sophomore.

Nebraska
#2 Bo Bassett (Bishop McCort, PA) - 2026
#1 Melvin Miller (Bishop McCort, PA)
#11 Clinton Shephard (Crown Point, IN)
The Cornhuskers stole the recruiting spotlight this weekend as they hosted the top available junior and senior in the country - Bo Bassett and younger brother Melvin Miller. Each dominated on their way to Junior freestyle titles in Fargo this year - amongst other honors. This was the first official visit for Bassett since decommitting from Iowa. We’re not entirely sure whether Bassett/Miller is a package deal, but it seems that way.
Nebraska had another massive prospect in town with two-time Fargo finalist Clinton Shepherd. Shepherd made the Junior freestyle finals this summer, which is an excellent sign for a rising junior.

Oklahoma
#3 Sonny Amato (Rumson-Fair Haven, NJ)
#42 Mac Crosson (Indianola, IA)
#58 Slater Hicks (Valencia, CA)
#14 Max Konopka (Simsbury, CT)
Oklahoma had another big group this weekend and the recruits were treated to a Saturday night non-conference football game against Michigan. This crew featured four of the top 60 juniors in the nation - and it truly was a group from all over the country. Sonny Amato and Max Konopka from the northeast, Slater Hicks from the West Coast, and Iowa’s Mac Crosson.
Amato recently trimmed his recruiting list down to four schools with Oklahoma joining Iowa, Iowa State, and Virginia Tech. The New Jersey state champion has already taken a visit to Iowa State.
The Oklahoma staff will have to work to pry the two-time NHSCA grade-level champion, Konopka, away from NC State. The Connecticut native visited Raleigh last week and the Wolfpack has a track record with wrestlers from the Nutmeg State.
California’s Slater Hicks has been busy over the last month or so. During that time, the three-time Fargo All-American has taken visits to Arizona State and NC State.
This is the first visit we have reported for Iowa state champion Mac Crosson. Back in 2022, Cross won a Fargo 16U freestyle title at 88 lbs.
 
Pittsburgh
#4 Landon Sidun (Norwin, PA)
It’s been a great couple of days on the recruiting trail for Pitt. They are now the only program to have three verbal commitments from Class of 2027 prospects. Keeping #4 overall Landon Sidun at home would be the cherry on top. Sidun, after winning a PA state title as a freshman, Sidun claimed championships at the Beast, the Powerade, and Doc B, as a sophomore; however, he did not compete in the postseason.

Purdue
Kyler Walters (Shakopee, MN) - 2026
Purdue already has a huge group committed in the Class of 2026, but the staff isn’t slowing down. They already have verbals from five of the top 112 prospects in the country. Over the weekend, they hosted Minnesota AAA state runner-up Kyler Walters.

Utah Valley
Ian Avalos (Mountain View, ID)
Brand’n Edstrom (Madison, ID)
#18 Shamus Regan (Wyoming Seminary, PA)
Utah Valley continues to work hard on the recruiting trail. Their latest recruiting group featured a potentially massive “get” in #18 Shemus Regan. Regan is a two-time 16U freestyle champion and placed at the Ironman, Powerade and UWW U17’s last season.
It’s no surprise that the Wolverines dipped into head coach Adam Hall’s home state to take a look at two-time state runner’s-up Ian Avalos and Brand’n Edstrom.
 
Virginia Tech
#7 Mario Carini (Poway, CA)
#12 Paul Kenny (Christian Brothers, NJ)
#19 Gabe Logan (Delbarton, NJ)
#27 Nick Singer (Faith Christian, PA)
#31 Lukas Zalota (Malvern Prep, PA)
Lost in the hype surrounding Nebraska this weekend was the group that Virginia Tech had in town. Five of the top 31 juniors. New Jersey and Pennsylvania have been usual recruiting spots for the Hokie staff and they have been working there in a major way.
They also ventured out west to California’s Mario Carini. Carini placed at the Super 32 prior to last school year and was a finalist at the Doc Buchanan before pulling an upset to win a state title. Carini has also visited Cornell earlier this cycle.
The New Jersey contingent includes U17 world champion Paul Kenny and Gabe Logan. Kenny nearly made his second world team this spring. He then went on to take third in Junior freestyle in Fargo. Logan was a 16U Fargo freestyle finalist in 2024 and a Greco champion in 2023. This is the first visit on file for both.
From PA is state and Junior freestyle champion Nick Singer and Lukas Zalota got on the podium at the Ironman, Beast, and Powerade as a sophomore heavyweight. Last weekend, Singer visited Ohio State. Two weeks ago, Zalota was at West Point.

VMI
#94 Brenden Agcaoili (SLAM Academy, NV) - 2026
Ben Aguilar (Mountain View, VA) - 2026
Jared Goodson (Poquoson, VA) - 2026
Lincoln Kelley (Loudoun County, VA) - 2026
Rudy Wagner (Cox, VA) - 2026
VMI is still focused on the Class of 2026 and had a top 100 recruit in Lexington, along with some decorated in-state recruits. Nevada native Brenden Agcaoili is a two-time UWW U17 freestyle All-American and a double Fargo 16U All-American.
The Virginia portion of this group features multi-time state champions Jared Goodson (x3), Lincoln Kelley (x2), and Rudy Wagner (x2). Ben Aguilar has been a runner-up and a third-place finisher.
Goodson has already taken visits to George Mason and Roanoke.
After last week’s article was posted, we learned that #34 Max Fortier had taken a visit to the Naval Academy