2021 NCAA champion Aaron Brooks (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com; Graphic/Anna-Lee Marie)
Welcome to a new recurring feature from InterMat as we lead into the 2021-22 collegiate season. We are about 50 days away from the start of the new season, so what better way to ring in the new year than to use that time to count down the top-50 current collegiate wrestlers. Each day a new wrestler will be released.
These rankings have been compiled by members of the InterMat staff and used a combination of collegiate achievements, with 2021 accomplishments carrying more weight than past years, along with win-loss records and notable wins. While we are counting down the top-50 wrestlers based primarily on collegiate accomplishments, it is impossible to totally ignore achievements in the international settings, so they did factor in slightly, too.
Before getting to the next wrestler on the list, look at the wrestlers previously profiled:
#50 - Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State)
#49 - Ben Darmstadt (Cornell)
#48 - Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State)
#47 - Kaleb Young (Iowa)
#46 - Rocky Elam (Missouri)
#45 - Chad Red Jr. (Nebraska)
#44 - Brandon Courtney (Arizona State)
#43 - Brock Mauller (Missouri)
#42 - Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State)
#41 - John Poznanski (Rutgers)
#40 - Brayton Lee (Minnesota)
#39 - Travis Wittlake (Oklahoma State)
#38 - Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa)
#37 - Tariq Wilson (NC State)
#36 - Jacob Warner (Iowa)
#35 - Jacori Teemer (Arizona State)
#34 - Tony Cassioppi (Iowa)
#33 - Vito Arujau (Cornell)
#32 - Patrick Glory (Princeton)
#31 - Max Dean (Penn State)
#30 - Keegan O'Toole (Missouri)
#29 - Mike Labriola (Nebraska)
#28 - Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh)
#27 - Austin DeSanto (Iowa)
#26 - Jake Wentzel (Pittsburgh)
#25 - Evan Wick (Cal Poly)
#24 - Alex Marinelli (Iowa)
#23 - Ryan Deakin (Northwestern)
#22 - Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers)
#21 - Sammy Sasso (Ohio State)
#20 - Trent Hidlay (NC State)
#19 - Stevan Micic (Michigan)
#18 - Hayden Hidlay (NC State)
#17 - Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech)
#16 - Michael Kemerer (Iowa)
#15 - Mason Parris (Michigan)
#14 - Shane Griffith (Stanford)
#13 - AJ Ferrari (Oklahoma State)
#12 - Carter Starocci (Penn State)
#11 - Jaydin Eierman (Iowa)
#10 - Myles Amine (Michigan)
#9 - Daton Fix (Oklahoma State)
#8 - Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State)
#7 - Austin O'Connor (North Carolina)
Next up is…
#6 Aaron Brooks (Penn State)
Weight: 184 lbs
Year: Junior
Career Record: 29-1
Hometown: North Hagerstown, Maryland
College Accomplishments: 2021 NCAA Champ, 2x Big Ten Champ, 2020 NWCA 1st Team All-American
2021-22 Preseason Ranking: #1 at 184 lbs
A Cadet World Championship in 2017 helped make Aaron Brooks one of the most coveted recruits in an absolutely loaded Class of 2018. A year later, Brooks made the Junior World Team and ended up coming away with a silver medal. Brooks did not immediately enroll at Penn State, though, as he took a greyshirt during the 2018-19 season. Once again, Brooks made the 2019 Junior World Team, but was unable to get on the medal stand.
The initial plan during Brooks' true freshman year was to keep him in redshirt, but Brooks emerged from the shirt in early December. In his first appearance wearing a Penn State singlet, Brooks notched a solid 10-5 victory over past NCAA Round of 12 finisher Chris Weiler (Lehigh).
Two weeks later, Brooks got his first significant test of the year with Nebraska's All-American Taylor Venz. The funky Venz was too much, at that time, for the freshman and Brooks fell 9-5.
In his next outing, Brooks did his part and defeated Abe Assad (Iowa) 7-3 in a battle in hostile territory at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. That wasn't enough as Penn State fell to the Hawkeyes 19-17.
Brooks started to hit his stride down the homestretch of the 2019-20 season and put together major decision victories over national qualifiers Rocky Jordan (Ohio State) and Owen Webster (Minnesota).
At his first Big Ten Championship event, Brooks replicated the result of his regular season contest with Webster and prevailed with a 15-4 major decision. The semifinals saw Brooks pair with the only wrestler to defeat him during the regular season, Venz. Brooks left no doubts as he pinned the Husker in 4:00. For the title, Brooks held off Michigan State's Cam Caffey, 3-2.
The Big Ten title helped Brooks earn the number three seed at the 2020 NCAA Championships. He and the rest of the 329 national qualifiers did not get to travel to Minneapolis as the national tournament was canceled at the outset of Covid. Some of the notables on Brooks' half of the bracket included #2 Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech), #6 Caffey, #7 Venz, #10 Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh), and #11 Assad.
While Brooks was great as a true freshman, he came back in 2021 on a different level. He was six-for-six in capturing bonus points during regular season dual meets, a record marked by major decisions over Jordan and Weiler.
Brooks kept up his high-scoring ways at the Big Ten Championships, as he put up at least ten points in all three of his bouts. Once again, Brooks squared off with Venz in an important match. This time the Big Ten finals. He would capture title number two after cruising to a 10-5 win over the Husker vet.
A 9-0 record and bonus points in seven of his nine contests was good enough for the number one seed at the 2021 NCAA Championships. Brooks made his NCAA Tournament debut by teching Jha'Quan Anderson (Gardner-Webb) 17-1, before shutting out Webster, 5-0.
The NCAA quarterfinals was the scene for yet another meeting with Venz. Brooks continued his mastery over the only wrestler to defeat him in a collegiate match with a 9-4 win. That win sealed NCAA All-American honors for the first time. To make the national finals, Brooks had to get by tough freshman Parker Keckiesen (Northern Iowa), which he did by the score of 6-4.
In the NCAA finals it was the second seed Trent Hidlay (NC State) who advanced through the bottom half of the bracket. Hidlay was able to keep Brooks in-check like no one else all year, A takedown in the second period proved to be the difference for Brooks and he ended up fending off Hidlay attacks in the final stanza.
Through two years of competition, Brooks only has one loss, which he has avenged three times, and has a pair of Big Ten titles.
Strengths: Brooks has excellent movement on his feet and quick level changes. The is frequently clubbing his opponent's head trying to set up an offensive attack. He can score with a wide array of leg attacks, from low single's to high-C's, to inside-reach singles, or doubles. Though he doesn't need to resort to scrambling very often, he can acquit himself well in those situations. His footspeed combined with his hands defense, leads to easy takedowns from go-behind's. On the mat, Brooks is actively looking for wrists and can compile riding times, but typically doesn't turn top-level competitors.
2021-22 Outlook: Coming in as the number one ranked wrestler at 184 lbs, all eyes are on Brooks to repeat. He'll have another challenge in the Big Ten as four-time All-American and Olympic bronze medalist Myles Amine (Michigan) has dropped down from 197 lbs. The two, along with Hidlay, and the freshmen (Keckeisen and John Poznanski - Rutgers) should be the elite tier at the weight.
2021 NCAA champion Aaron Brooks(Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com)
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