Four of the other five starters were ranked within the top 42 of their recruiting class, while the remaining starter was a three-time state champion and ranked in his weight class.
The high school accomplishments of this lineup were abundant; each was at least a multiple-time state champion. The ten wrestlers combined for 31 state titles (or in the case of Kyle Snyder, National Prep championships), including four that were four-time state champions.
Said talent level in the lineup created the preseason hype and expectation around the Buckeyes as being a true national title contender, and in some corners the national favorite, though this group's collegiate accomplishments may not have suggested such a position.
What can be learned from the Ohio State roster of this year as a tool to apply for programs going forward? There are many points to consider, depending on perspective.
The recruiting class rankings for Ohio State in the previous five years were the following: 4th (2014), 11th, 16th, 1st (2011), and 12th. Those are all good rankings; however, beyond the 2011 class, none was a true "load up." Interestingly, within that load up, only three of the six core pieces are still part of the Ohio State wrestling puzzle: Hunter Stieber, Courts, and DiJulius; Andrew Campolattano, Cam Tessari, and Derek Garcia have all moved on for different reasons.
The other four classes were more "quality over quantity" when it comes to core pieces. The Buckeyes have generally chosen to target bigger names, leaving the depth of their roster in question. One could see the impact of that when starters were missing during dual meet competition, especially this past year.
Having such a collection of talent creates a "higher margin" for program success should top prospective wrestlers fail to meet pre-conceived expectations. The more stars a team brings into the program, the more likely it is for the proper number of them to emerge as key contributors.
While there are some excellent recruiting hauls here in 2015, let's not overreact and say that it guarantees program success. What is more accurate to say is that strong recruiting hauls create positive momentum for a program, but ultimate end-game results may end up being a different story. Even though the high performers in college generally come from the subset of high-profile prospects, being a high-profile recruit entering college is no guarantee of strong collegiate performance -- especially when considering the full career.
Below is this year's breakdown of how Division I programs performed in procuring future talent in their recruiting Classes of 2015.
Top 100 recruits: No. 1 Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.), No. 3 Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.), No. 5 Lance Benick (Totino-Grace, Minn.), No. 29 Josh Shields (Franklin Regional, Pa.), and No. 77 Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional, Pa.)
Additional newcomers: Chance Eskam (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Tanner Hall (Meridian, Idaho/USOTC)
Commentary: On the job for just about a year, head coach Zeke Jones has totally shifted the paradigm for Arizona State wrestling. His pedigree as a wrestler, along with tactical acumen and leadership/vision shown during his stint at USA Wrestling speaks for itself. Zeke and staff bring in a group of high end prospects, including three of the top five in the 2015 class, which should be able to thrive in relative short order. Eskam graduated in 2014, and was a two-time state placer; while Hall was an elite prospect in the 2011 class, training at the USOTC for the next year, then going on his Mormon mission to Uganda for two years, and training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center this year.
2. Oklahoma State
Top 100 recruits: No. 16 Joe Smith (Stillwater, Okla.), No. 23 Kaid Brock (Stillwater, Okla.), No. 26 Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville, N.Y.), No. 38 Boo Lewallen (Yukon, Okla.), No. 57 Austin Marsden (Crystal Lake Central, Ill.), and No. 62 Lincoln Olson (Davison, Mich.)
Additional notable recruit: Four-time state finalist Tristan Moran (Stillwater, Okla.)
Commentary: One year after bringing in five top 100 recruits, head coach John Smith procures six, which is the most for any class this year. It marks back-to-back recruiting classes for the Cowboys ranked second nationally. Four of the six top 100 recruits address the lighter four weights, after two of last year's five did the same. The six top 100 recruits and Moran combine for 21 state titles from 25 state tournament appearances.
3. West Virginia
Top 100 recruits: No. 18 Keegan Moore (Putnam City, Okla.), No. 22 Austin Myers (Campbell County, Ky.), No. 39 Patrick Duggan (Cumberland Valley, Pa.), No. 61 Connor Flynn (Francis Howell, Mo.), and No. 86 Devin Brown (Franklin Regional, Pa.)
Other ranked recruits: Zachary Moore (Putnam City, Okla.)
Additional notable recruit: State runner-up Bailey Faust (Lexington, Ohio) and three-time state champion J.D. Gregory (Hanover, Va.)
Commentary: Like Zeke Jones at Arizona State, head coach Sammie Henson has had a transformative impact on the Mountaineers wrestling program in his one year at the helm. Many cited Henson's work while an assistant at Mizzou as a reason why the Tigers had the roster quality to win the NWCA National Duals this past year. This recruiting class with five top 100 wrestlers, along with the national finals run for true freshman Zeke Moisey out of "left field," are further feathers in the cap of Henson. It addresses roster needs across the spectrum: a career 125 in Brown, middleweights in the Moore brothers, Duggan, and Flynn, and an upperweight in Myers.
4. Northern Iowa
Top 100 recruits: No. 14 Max Thomsen (Union, Iowa), No. 17 Taylor Lujan (Carrollton, Ga.), and No. 27 Bryce Steiert (Waverly-Shell Rock, Iowa)
Other ranked recruits: Jacob Holschlag (Union, Iowa), Paden Moore (Jackson County Central, Minn.), Isaiah Patton (Dowling Catholic, Iowa), and Jacob Schwarm (Bettendorf, Iowa)
Additional notable recruit: Two-time state champion Hunter Washburn (Alburnett, Iowa)
Commentary: Though this past year was a relative setback for Northern Iowa in terms of on-the-mat performance, Doug Schwab has done an excellent job during his time as head coach in Cedar Falls. The 2014 season was a banner one for the Panthers, as they went undefeated in regular season duals. In addition, fan enthusiasm for the program over the last couple of years is very high. This recruiting class for the Panthers features seven weight class ranked wrestlers, which is the most for any program in the country. Six of eight core prospects are in-state wrestlers, an important part of the Panthers' identity; while Paden Moore is a "legacy" recruit, and Lujan comes from the "Georgia pipeline" that Northern Iowa has kind of established.
5. Virginia
Top 100 recruits: No. 6 Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.), No. 10 Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.), No. 36 Cameron Harrell (McDonogh, Md.), and No. 97 Jabari Moody (Rich Central, Ill.)
Other ranked recruits: Corbin Allen (Hanover, Va.)
Additional notable recruit: Two-time state champion Tyler Love (Centreville, Va.)
Commentary: This is the third straight recruiting class for the Cavaliers that is nationally ranked, 16th in 2013 and 14th in 2014. Their emergence into relevance on the mat goes hand-in-hand with this improved recruiting. Head coach Steve Garland hit the high water mark this year with four top 100 recruits, including true "blue chip" types in Baldwin and Krivus.
6. Ohio State
Top 100 recruits: No. 4 Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.), No. 13 Ke-Shawn Hayes (Park Hill, Mo.), No. 32 Kollin Moore (Norwayne, Ohio), and No. 54 Jose Rodriguez (Massillon Perry, Ohio)
Additional notable recruit: Two-time state champion Troy Caldwell (Jonathan Alder, Ohio)
Commentary: More of the same in recruiting for head coach Tom Ryan and the national champion Buckeyes. They have brought in four high-end prospects, two in-state and two out-of-state that address roster openings across the spectrum of weight classes (Rodriguez a lower weight, Hayes a lower-middle, Martin and Moore are upperweights). These four recruits combine for nine state titles from 11 state finals appearances in their caeers; Martin and Hayes were Junior National freestyle finalists (Martin a champion) this past summer, while Moore and Rodriguez were Super 32 Challenge runners-up this past fall.
7. Minnesota
Top 100 recruits: No. 8 Bobby Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.), No. 15 Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf, Iowa), and No. 42 Larry Early (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.)
Other ranked recruit: Ben Brancale (Eden Prairie, Minn.)
Commentary: After four straight recruiting classes outside the top ten, this Golden Gophers' class ranks within the top ten. Considering the major graduations from the Minnesota roster this year, it was an important recruiting class. Three high-end prospects, Bobby Steveson, Fredy Stroker and Larry Early -- all Junior National All-Americans this past summer -- anchor the class.
8. Wisconsin
Top 100 recruits: No. 37 Mason Reinhardt (Merrill, Wis.), No. 64 Hunter Ritter (John Carroll, Md.), No. 92 Daniel Chadd (Lancaster, Wis.), and No. 93 Eli Stickley (St. Paris Graham, Ohio)
Other ranked recruit: Michael Cullen (Cary Grove, Ill.)
Additional notable recruits: Three-time state champion Cole Martin (Lancaster, Wis.) and Izaec Quintanilla (North Central, Wash.)
Commentary: After a few years where the Wisconsin program was in a state of flux, with people wondering about the long-term viability of Barry Davis as head coach, things have stabilized within the program. The Badgers saw three wrestlers earn All-American honors at the national tournament this year, with all three returning to Madison next year; two other wrestlers that won multiple matches at nationals do the same. Three of the five ranked recruits are upper weights, the other two are lower weights, with the two notable recruits being middleweights. Yet again, solid out-of-state talent compliments solid in-state talent across the spectrum of weight classes.
9. Missouri
Top 100 recruits: No. 48 Will Roark (Seneca, Mo.), No. 52 Jaydin Clayton (Father Tolton Catholic, Mo.), and No. 85 Dylan Wisman (Millbrook, Va.)
Other ranked recruits: Alexander Butler (Boylan Catholic, Ill.)
Additional notable recruits: Junior National freestyle All-American Luke Fortuna (Montini Catholic, Ill.) and multi-time state champion Seth Pesek (Gardner Edgerton, Kansas)
Impact transfers: Blaise Butler (Virginia/Boylan Catholic, Ill.) and Grant Leeth (Duke/Kearney, Mo.)
Commentary: Five of the ten starters for the NWCA National Duals champion Tigers graduated this past year, so that leads to the abundance of room on the roster -- and available scholarship money -- for head coach Brian Smith. This is a very strong class for Mizzou, both in terms of quality and quantity, with three top 100 recruits along with a pair of impact transfers at the head of the class. Blaise Butler is a two-time NCAA qualifier; while Leeth, a top 100 recruit in 2014, returns home with four years left to compete (and either three or four years of eligibility depending on if he was released from Duke).
10. Michigan
Top 100 recruits: No. 2 Logan Massa (St. Johns, Mich.), No. 40 Myles Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), and No. 56 Austin Assad (Brecksville, Ohio)
Other ranked recruit: Ben Lamantia (St. Anthony's, N.Y.)
Additional notable recruits: Super 32 Challenge placer Sal Profaci (Monroe, N.J.)
Commentary: The "identity crisis" seems over for Michigan wrestling. They qualified all ten weight classes to nationals, earning five All-Americans, which tied for the most among any program. Though it only yielded an 11th-place finish, a return to the top ten (with top five contention) should come in 2016. This is a fourth straight solid recruiting class for the Wolverines, with three top 100 recruits anchoring the class.
11. Oklahoma
Top 100 recruits: No. 20 Davion Jeffries (Broken Arrow, Okla.), No. 43 Dylan Lucas (Plainview, Okla.), and No. 46 Sean Deshazer (Wichita Heights, Kansas)
Additional notable recruits: Two-time state champion Christian Moody (Collinsville, Okla.) and two-time state runner-up Hayden Hansen (Norman North, Okla.)
Impact transfer: Freddie Rodriguez (Holt, Mich./Iowa Lakes)
Commentary: Another excellent year of recruiting, nabbing the No. 11 class for a second straight year. In-state prospects were once again at the core of the Sooners' haul, as four of the five notable high school signees come from within Oklahoma. The additional newcomer is the very talented Rodriguez, a two-time junior college national champion. Lower weight prospects are the core of this recruiting haul, with five of the six projecting into the lower half of the lineup.
12. Iowa
Top 100 recruits: No. 11 Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.), No. 51 Vincent Turk (Montini Catholic, Ill.), and No. 100 Cash Wilcke (OA-BCIG, Iowa)
Other ranked recruits: Steven Holloway (Mediapolis, Iowa)
Additional notable recruits: State runner-up Joey Gunther (Libertyville, Ill.); along with former state champions Jeren Glosser (Eddyville/Blakesburg-Fremont, Iowa) and Matt Wempen (Linn Mar, Iowa)
Commentary: This is a third straight Hawkeyes' recruiting class that falls outside the top five. The clear anchor in this class is Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.), who won Super 32 Challenge, Walsh Ironman, and state tournament championships this past season; over his career, he was a four-time state tournament and Super 32 Challenge finalist, and a two-time Junior freestyle All-American. The class features two other top 100 recruits and a fourth nationally ranked wrestler, along with an abundance of depth type middleweights.
13. Lehigh
Top 100 recruits: 21 Jordan Kutler (Blair Academy, N.J) and No. 71 Cole Walter (Mifflinburg, Pa.)
Other ranked recruits: Christian Colucci (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.) and Ryan Pomrinca (North Hunterdon, N.J.)
Additional notable recruits: State champion and three-time FloNationals medalist Kent Lane (Southern Columbia, Pa.)
Commentary: Local recruiting is the lifeblood of Lehigh's program, and an excellent "base" has enabled Pat Santoro to bring in yet another ranked class. Two of the five "core" recruits come from the Keystone State, while the other three are from the neighboring Garden State. Pomrinca is a lower weight, Colucci is an upper weight, while the other three project to be middle weights.
14. Virginia Tech
Top 100 recruits: No. 12 David McFadden (DePaul Catholic, N.J.), No. 44 Dayton Racer (Bettendorf, Iowa), and No. 55 Andrew Dunn (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.)
Additional notable recruit: Two-time state champion B.C. Laprade (New Kent, Va.)
Commentary: It's hard to believe, but Kevin Dresser has already been at the helm in Blacksburg for ten years. In that time, he's turned a program that was rumored to be "in trouble" to one that has finished inside the top ten at the NCAA tournament for three straight years. Procuring high-level talent has been at the core of that success, and this year's recruiting class includes a trio of top 100 prospects.
15. Princeton
Top 100 recruits: No. 9 Matthew Kolodzik (Blair Academy, N.J.)
Other ranked recruits: Mike D'Angelo (Commack, N.Y.), Patrick D'Arcy (Holy Spirit, N.J.), and Joseph Tavoso (Delbarton, N.J.)
Commentary: Blair Academy star Kolodzik anchors what is a pretty solid class for head coach Chris Ayres and the Tigers. The four-time state tournament/National Prep champion follows older brother Daniel onto the mats at Princeton, which also brought in three other nationally ranked wrestlers in this class. The core quartet of wrestlers in this class addresses key needs within the lower half of the lineup.
16. Penn State
Top 100 recruits: No. 7 Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.) and No. 83 Kellan Stout (Mt. Lebanon, Pa.)
Commentary: Not even Cael Sanderson and the empire he has built at Penn State -- national title winners in 2011 through 2014 -- can have mega recruiting classes every single year. It should be noted that all of last year's No. 1 recruiting class redshirted this past year (including the three top seven prospects in Nick Nevills, Bo Nickal, and Jason Nolf). Also redshirting last year for the Nittany Lions were All-Americans Nico Megaludis and Zain Retherford. Among those that started at the Big Ten Tournament, only national champion Matt Brown and All-American Jimmy Lawson graduate; they'll be replaced by Nickal and Nevills. Given said abundance on the roster, there just wasn't room for a big class this year; however, the two core pieces they brought in are strong. Joseph in particular is an elite prospect, a two-time state champion and Junior National freestyle runner-up.
17. Oregon State
Top 100 recruits: No. 41 Bryce Parson (Lewiston, Idaho), No. 58 Tate Orndorff (University, Wash.), and No. 70 Alex Rich (Crescent Valley, Ore.)
Additional notable recruits: Four-time state finalists Weston Dobler (West Fargo, N.D.) and Colbran Meeker (Crook County, Ore.)
Impact transfer: Dylan Reel (Clackamas C.C./Minnesota/Washington, Ill.)
Commentary: The four-time Pac-12 champion Beavers have brought in a strong recruiting class, as they seek to maintain supremacy in an increasingly competitive conference climate. Three top 100 recruits lead the way, as Parson was superlative in winning a title at the NHSCA Senior Nationals, while Orndorff is a very capable heavyweight (something that is not easy to find). Dobler and Meeker should provide depth in the middleweight area, while the transfer Reel seeks to reach his potential in a second opportunity at the Division I level.
18. Northwestern
Top 100 recruit: No. 33 Zack Chakonis (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.)
Other ranked recruit: Luke Norland (Jackson County Central, Minn.)
Additional notable recruit: NHSCA Senior Nationals runner-up Anthony Rubinetti (Northern Valley, N.J.)
Commentary: Consecutive ranked recruiting classes has not been the norm for Drew Pariano and the Wildcats, who have brought in strong groups in the even years (2008, 2010, 2012, 2014) and not as strong in the odd years. This year's group is anchored by the nation's best heavyweight, who is actually going to compete on the mats in college. Junior freestyle All-American Norland should be an asset in the middle-to-upper area of the lineup, while Rubinetti fits in nicely as an opening weight candidate.
19. Maryland
Top 100 recruit: No. 74 Josh Ugalde (Bound Brook, N.J.)
Other ranked recruits: Yousef Hemida (Mamaroneck, N.Y.), Wade Hodges (Wauseon, Ohio), Jakob Restrepo (Sachem East, N.Y.), and David-Brian Whisler (Warren Howland, Ohio)
Commentary: The debut Big Ten season for the Terrapins was a struggle to say the least, winless in nine conference dual meets and last in the conference tournament. However, the move to the Big Ten seems to have broadened the reach of recruiting. The quantity of talented wrestlers in this class is strong, even though that high-end star is lacking. Five weight class ranked wrestlers are present here, addressing the middle and upper portions of the lineup.
20. Rutgers
Top 100 recruit: No. 30 Ronnie Gentile (Paulsboro, N.J.)
Additional notable recruits: State champion Kyle Kremiller (Perry, Ohio) and Junior National freestyle All-American Peter Lipari (Bergen Catholic, N.J.)
Commentary: The Garden State provides a fertile in-state recruiting base for head coach Scott Goodale and his Scarlet Knights. Two consecutive seasons with an All-American has helped validate the development work that has gone into the program during Goodale's reign. Increased fan interest and engagement along with a robust roster should see Rutgers on the ascendancy going forward. Four of the five reported commitments are from in-state, led by 2014 state champion Gentile and Lipari; also signing on the dotted line are state placer Sam Cali (Don Bosco Prep) and two-time state placer William Povalac (Edison).
21. Navy
Top 100 recruits: No. 26 Jared Prince (Palm Harbor University, Fla.)
Additional notable recruits: Multi-time state champions Josh Roteman (Kotzebue, Alaska) and Marty Margolis (La Plata, Md.), along with three-time state placer Zach Elvin (Central Dauphin, Pa.)
Commentary: Three-time state champion and two-time Super 32 Challenge placer Prince provide an anchor to what is a rather good initial recruiting class for head coach Joel Sharratt, who took over the Midshipmen wrestling program last spring. The rest of the class features some multi-time state champions, as well as multi-time placers in powerful state (level) tournaments.
22. Illinois
Top 100 recruits: No. 34 Xavier Montalvo (Montini Catholic, Ill.) and No. 76 Eric Barone (Crystal Lake South, Ill.)
Additional notable recruit: Three-time state champion Carver James (Dakota, Ill.)
Commentary: Another year, yet again the Fighting Illini bring in multiple top 100 recruits to Champaign-Urbana. Head coach Jim Heffernan has again brought in solid in-state talent with the three state champions listed here. However, a slight concern for the program is that with nine Land of Lincoln natives among the top 100 recruits, seven of them chose schools other than the state's flagship institution.
23. South Dakota State
Top 100 recruits: No. 49 Anthony Cefolo (Hanover Park, N.J.) and No. 81 Brett Bye (Vermillion, S.D.)
Additional notable recruits: Five-time state champion Cameron Sykora (Border West, Minn.) and three-time state champion Louie Sanders (LCWM, Minn.)
Commentary: Head coach Chris Bono has created a climate and culture for major improvement within the Jackrabbits program during his time at the helm, and this recruiting class is just another example. Cefolo and Bye were both double All-Americans at the Junior Nationals last summer in Fargo, while Sykora and Sanders are among the slew of state champions that have been signed by Bono and staff to compliment the two top 100 recruits.
24. Edinboro
Top 100 recruit: No. 75 Patricio Lugo (South Dade, Fla.) and No. 78 Korbin Myers (Boiling Springs, Pa.)
Other ranked recruits: Dylan Reynolds (Saegertown, Pa.)
Additional notable recruits: Two-time state champion Nate Hagan (Toledo Central Catholic, Ohio) and New England champion Fritz Hoehn (North Andover, Mass.)
Commentary: Even with the program success that Edinboro has had in recent years, nationally ranked recruiting classes have been the exception as opposed to the norm for head coach Tim Flynn and the Fighting Scots. However, they'll get a ranked class coming off a third-place finish at the NCAA tournament, and graduate three All-Americans (along with a fourth NCAA qualifier in Kory Mines). The group is anchored by a pair of top 100 recruits in Lugo and Myers and four other state (level) tournament champions.
25. North Dakota State
Top 100 recruits: No. 67 Andrew Fogarty (Scott West, Minn.)
Other ranked recruits: Carter Nielsen (Foley, Minn.), Cordell Eaton (North Scott, Iowa) and Vincent Feola (Walt Whitman, N.Y.)
Additional notable recruit: Three-time state placer Nico Colunga (Oakdale, Calif.) and Junior freestyle All-American Dan Stibral (Bon Homme Scotland, S.D.)
Commentary: Having completed four seasons as head coach, Roger Kish has led the Bison to consecutive West Regional titles as well as undefeated conference dual meet marks in 2013 and 2015. Talent procurement and talent development have been a key part of the puzzle, and the positives in talent procurement reflect in a nationally ranked recruiting class this year. Upperweight recruiting was a point of emphasis, as Eaton projects to either 197 or 285, while Feola and Stibral are both likely 285-pound wrestlers; Fogarty and Nielsen are middle-to-upper weight types as well.
Honorable Mention (alphabetical):
Indiana
Nebraska
North Carolina
Northern Colorado
Old Dominion
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