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    Recruiting class rankings released; Penn State No. 1

    Talent matters in terms of college wrestling success. In looking at the starting lineups for the four top teams in NCAA Division I wrestling this past season -- Penn State, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, and Iowa -- 33 of 40 starters were top 100 recruits at the end of their senior year of high school.

    Seven of the 10 starters for Penn State (which qualified their whole lineup) were top 10 recruits at the end of their senior year. The Nittany Lions have had recruiting classes ranked sixth, second, fifth, 15th, and seventh for the 2009-2013 seasons.

    Eight of the nine NCAA qualifiers (and 10 starters) for Minnesota were recruited as part of the 2009 and 2010 recruiting classes, which were ranked second and fourth respectively. In addition, nine of 10 starters this past season for the Golden Gophers were top 100 recruits; five of them in fact appeared in the top 50.

    2014 Recruiting Class Rankings

    1. Penn State
    2. Oklahoma State
    3. Cornell
    4. Ohio State
    5. Northwestern
    6. Nebraska
    7. Iowa
    8. Illinois
    9. Stanford
    10. Michigan
    11. Oklahoma
    12. Minnesota
    13. Iowa State
    14. Virginia
    15. North Carolina
    16. Virginia Tech
    17. Indiana
    18. Bucknell
    19. Lehigh
    20. Maryland
    21. Old Dominion
    22. Utah Valley
    23. Wisconsin
    24. Central Michigan
    25. North Carolina State
    Eight of the 10 starters for Oklahoma State (which qualified their whole lineup) come from the 2009, 2011, and 2012 classes that ranked first, seventh, and fifth respectively; with single starters coming from a 2010 class ranked 21st and the 2013 class ranked 15th. Furthermore, eight of those wrestlers were ranked among the top 50 of their graduating class as high school seniors, with one other starter ranked No. 100 overall.

    Nine of 10 starters for Iowa (which qualified their whole lineup) come from the 2009, 2010, and 2012 classes that ranked fifth, first, and first overall. In addition, eight of the 10 starters were ranked within the top 20 of their graduating class as high school seniors.

    Below is this year's breakdown of how Division I programs performed in procuring future talent in their recruiting Classes of 2014.

    1. Penn State

    Top 100 recruits: No. 4 Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), No. 5 Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), No. 7 Jason Nolf (Kittanning, Pa.), and No. 56 Shakur Rasheed (Longwood, N.Y.)

    Other ranked recruits: Anthony Cassar (Montgomery, N.J.) and Gary Dinmore (Hunterdon Central, N.J.)

    Commentary: Cael Sanderson has built an empire in Happy Valley, as the Nittany Lions have won four consecutive NCAA championships. Talent procurement has played a major role in this development, and this group of recruits will continue that stream of talent rolling into the Penn State wrestling program. Nevills, Nickal, and Nolf qualify as obvious superstars, while Rasheed is another potential star. Three-time state runner-up Dinmore and undefeated state champion Cassar will help bolster the quality of depth on the Nittany Lions' roster.

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    2. Oklahoma State

    Top 100 recruits: No. 2 Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.), No. 18 Ryan Blees (Bismarck, N.D.), No. 20 Chandler Rogers (Stillwater, Okla.), No. 60 Gary Wayne Harding (Collinsville, Okla.), and No. 63 Mike Magaldo (Watchung Hills, N.J.)

    Other ranked recruits: Tanner Allen (Blackwell, Okla.), Dusty Hone (Cedar City, Utah), and Preston Weigel (Hays, Kan.)

    Additional notable recruit: State champion Jacobe Smith (Muskogee, Okla.)

    Commentary: Lots of talent and lots of winning to be found in John Smith's recruiting class. The eight weight class ranked recruits is the most of any program this year. There are five four-time state champions in this group, which in all has accumulated 25 total state titles and 29 state finals appearances.

    3. Cornell

    Top 100 recruits: No. 22 Dillon Artigliere (Roxbury, N.J.), No. 31 Joseph Galasso (Father Judge, Pa.), No. 32 Jon-Jay Chavez (Centennial, Idaho), No. 36 Dalton Macri (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), No. 78 Andrew Garcia (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), and No. 81 Jeramy Sweany (Vacaville, Calif.)

    Other ranked recruit: Brandon Womack (Scottsboro, Ala.)

    Additional notable recruits: National Prep champion Jake Anderson (Malvern Prep, Pa.) and three-time state champion William Koll (Lansing, N.Y.)

    Commentary: Though there is not necessarily an obvious superstar in this class, the six top 100 recruits for the Big Red are the most for any program this year. It is a very talented group that pretty much covers the whole weight class spectrum and should bolster an already strong roster.

    4. Ohio State

    Top 100 recruits: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md./USOTC), No. 6 Micah Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), and No. 9 Thomas Haines (Solanco, Pa.)

    Additional notable recruits: Super 32 Challenge placers Ryan Harris (Beachwood, Ohio) and Seth Williams (Tiffin Columbian, Ohio)

    Commentary: Three obvious superstars have been added to the Buckeyes' stable. In fact, Kyle Snyder is likely an immediate All-American candidate, possibly an important component in a national championship trophy brought back to Columbus. Snyder was undefeated during his three-year high school career, was a FILA Junior World champion this past summer, and spent the 2013-14 season competing and training against men at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. An additional item to watch in this class is how those outside the "big three" develop and progress, as they have potential to provide viable roster depth, which has been an issue in recent years for Ohio State.

    5. Northwestern

    Top 100 recruits: No. 3 Bryce Brill (Mt. Carmel, Ill.), No. 12 Johnny Sebastian (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), and No. 19 Stevan Micic (Hanover Central, Ind.)

    Other ranked recruit: Regis Durbin (Lake Forest, Ill.)

    Commentary: It seems that strong recruiting classes for the Wildcats are an every other year thing (2012 included Jason Tsirtsis, 2010 included Mike McMullan, 2008 included Jason Welch). This year being an even year means that Northwestern has done very well in recruiting. Their class includes three top 20 recruits, each of whom ended the season ranked No. 1 in their high school weight class. The fourth ranked recruit, undefeated state champion Durbin, comes in as a potential late bloomer.

    6. Nebraska

    Top 100 recruits: No. 29 Tyler Berger (Crook County, Ore.), No. 30 Hayden Tuma (Centennial, Idaho), No. 59 Colton Adams (Scottsbluff, Neb.), No. 70 Derek White (Edmond North, Okla.), and No. 80 Nick Bennett (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.)

    Additional notable recruit: Three-time state champion Dustin Williams (Gardner-Edgerton, Kan.)

    Commentary: After placing fourth at the NCAA tournament in 2009, it has been five straight finishes outside the top 10 at the NCAAs, including 11th place in the standings this year. However, it has not been for a lack of success in recruiting. This will be the fourth time in five years that Nebraska has had the No. 6 recruiting class, and (at least) the sixth consecutive year that the Cornhuskers have had a top six recruiting class (third in 2011, fourth in 2009). The group of wrestlers this year mostly addresses the lower-middle weight area, with White as an upper-weight talent.

    7. Iowa

    Top 100 recruits: No. 10 Sam Stoll (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), No. 58 Seth Gross (Apple Valley, Minn.), and No. 62 Logan Ryan (Bettendorf, Iowa)

    Other ranked recruits: Mitch Bowman (North Scott, Iowa), Tagen Lambotte (Rossville, Kan.), and Burke Paddock (Warsaw, N.Y.)

    Commentary: For the second straight year, the Hawkeyes' recruiting class falls outside of the top five and may be lacking that obvious superstar, with Stoll being the closest to fitting the bill. However, there is talent as well as depth present with three top 100 recruits and another three that are weight class ranked. Stoll is an excellent heavyweight, while the other five listed recruits address needs and depth in the middle chunk of the lineup.

    8. Illinois

    Top 100 recruits: No. 13 Michael Pixley (Blue Springs, Mo.), No. 39 Jered Cortez (Glenbard North, Ill.), and No. 43 Brock Ervin (Union County, Ky.)

    Other ranked recruit: Andre Lee (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.)

    Commentary: This is the third straight year that the Fighting Illini has brought in three top 100 recruits to the Champaign-Urbana campus. The four ranked wrestlers split into two segments, two projected lower-weights (Cortez and Ervin) and two as upper-weights (Pixley and Lee). Head coach Jim Heffernan and associate head coach Mark Perry continue to do a solid job in recruiting.

    9. Stanford

    Top 100 recruits: No. 8 Joey McKenna (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 69 Isaiah Locsin (Gilroy, Calif.), No. 87 Mason Pengilly (Porterville, Calif.), and No. 92 Paul Fox (Gilroy, Calif.)

    Other ranked recruit: Brian Rossi (Lockport, Ill.)

    Additional notable recruit: FloNationals placer Boomer Fleming (Ridgeview, Ore.)

    Commentary: Though the Cardinal finished without an All-American for a second straight year, head coach Jason Borrelli continues to bring in high-level talent to The Farm. This is his fifth recruiting haul in six years that is among the top 20 nationally, and the ninth position in the rankings is the high water mark to date. However, the Cardinal have yet to register a top-10 finish at the NCAA tournament (11th in 2011 and 16th in 2012 the recent high points). This group that addresses the lower half of the lineup has the potential to help change that script going forward.

    10. Michigan

    Top 100 recruits: No. 15 Zac Hall (St. Johns, Mich.), No. 41 Davonte Mahomes (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), No. 97 Zehlin Storr (Leslie, Mich.), and No. 100 Garrett Sutton (Richmond Burton, Ill.)

    Other ranked recruit: Malik Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.)

    Additional notable recruit: 2013 FloNationals placer Alec Pantaleo (Canton, Mich.)

    Commentary: The last few years have somewhat reflected an "identity crisis" for the Wolverines, as they have been unsure if it's been all-in for the present or build for the future. However, going forward, it looks like the confusion is done. This marks a third straight solid recruiting class for the Maize and Blue, and the roster is now well-positioned for a return to a top-10 position at the national tournament; something they did in eight consecutive years from 2001-2008.

    11. Oklahoma

    Top 100 recruits: No. 38 Ryan Millhof (Collins Hill, Ga.) and No. 76 Joel Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.)

    Other ranked recruits: Andrew Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.), Lance Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.), Gage Stallworth (Cushing, Okla.), and Cale Wilson (Sallisaw, Okla.)

    Additional notable recruits: NHSCA Senior Nationals runner-up Nathan Marek (Southmoore, Okla.) and Junior National double All-American Jacob Rubio (Canyon Randall, Texas)

    Commentary: This excellent recruiting class for Mark Cody reflects an ability to capitalize on what was an excellent year for in-state talent in the Sooner State. Five of the six weight class ranked wrestlers in this class are in-state wrestlers, and six of the eight identified in the profile are native Oklahomans. Of this group, Millhof and Rubio are lower-weights, while the other six address needs within the upper half of the lineup.

    12. Minnesota

    Top 100 recruits: No. 21 Tommy Thorn (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), No. 57 Nathan Rose, and No. 73 Ethan Lizak (Parkland, Pa.)

    Other ranked recruit: Jack Bass (Robinson, Va.)

    Additional notable recruit: 2013 state champion Will Balow (Lake City, Minn.)

    Commentary: Interestingly, this is a fourth straight recruiting class for the Golden Gophers that ranks outside the top 10. However, at present, they have a solid projected starting lineup with pretty good complimentary pieces. J Robinson and staff have done an excellent job in building and developing performance out of the recruits they bring in, but the nature of the starting lineup and overall depth in years beyond 2014-15 is still something that merits attention.

    13. Iowa State

    Top 100 recruits: No. 42 Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Cheektowaga, N.Y.), No. 50 Nathan Boston (Woodford County, Ky.), and No. 93 Marcus Harrington (Waterloo West, Iowa)

    Other ranked recruit: Logan Breitenbach (Archbishop Spalding, Md.)

    Additional notable recruit: Preseason Nationals champion Dante' Rodriguez (Kearney, Neb.)

    Commentary: Like Northwestern before, the Cyclones in the post-Cael Sanderson era have been very odd/even in terms of recruiting success. Even years, of which this is one, have yielded a class residing around the top 10; while the odd years have been relatively barren. Even though the last two seasons have yielded outside the top-10 finishes at NCAAs, earning three All-Americans in each season has helped to stabilize things for Kevin Jackson as head coach. Bringing in another three top 100 recruits will help further build the positive momentum in Ames for the Cyclones.

    14. Virginia

    Top 100 recruits: No. 16 Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.) and No. 61 Will Schany (Blair, Neb.)

    Other ranked recruits: Chance McClure (Commerce, Ga.) and Austin Underwood (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.)

    Commentary: The 2013 recruiting class, which was ranked 16th overall, addressed needs for the Cavaliers in the front two-thirds of the lineup; while this one provides contributors for the back half of the lineup. The two top 100 recruits project to start at 165 and 184 in the near-term, after a likely redshirt year for each; while the other two ranked recruits have potential to be contributors at the always tough to find 197 and 285-pound weight classes.

    15. North Carolina

    Top 100 recruits: No. 26 Jack Clark (St. Augustine Prep, N.J.) and No. 65 Chip Ness (Buford, Ga.)

    Other ranked recruits: Cory Daniel (River Hill, Md.) and Matthew Moore (Apalachee, Ga.)

    Commentary: This marks three top 15 ranked classes in four years for the Tar Heels, and hopefully for head coach C.D. Mock it provides them the tools necessary to contend in a conference whose rigor is increasing on a year-to-year basis.

    16. Virginia Tech

    Top 100 recruits: No. 11 Solomon Chishko (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) and No. 48 Zack Zavatsky (Greater Latrobe, Pa.)

    Additional notable recruit: 2013 state champion Taylor Misuna (Grassfield, Va.)

    Commentary: In nine seasons as head coach at Virginia Tech, head coach Kevin Dresser has turned a program that was rumored to be on the chopping block before his hire to one that is now working with consecutive ACC titles and consecutive top-10 finishes at the NCAA tournament. A key ingredient in that success has been the ability to procure high-level talent. This year's haul includes a dent into talent-rich Western Pennsylvania, where the Hokies picked up a pair of top 100 recruits. Chishko won two state titles, placing third the other two years at state, and was a four-time Super 32 Challenge placer; while Zavatsky won the Super 32 Challenge this past year, was an undefeated state champion this past year, and a three-time state placer.

    17. Indiana

    Top 100 recruits: No. 17 Jacob Danishek (Dayton Christian, Ohio) and No. 88 Cole Weaver (Hudson, Mich.)

    Other ranked recruits: Bryce Martin (Bakersfield, Calif.) and Fletcher Miller (Kokomo, Ind.)

    Additional notable recruit: Junior National freestyle All-American Logan Marcicki (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.)

    Commentary: Here we are again with a sixth consecutive top 25 recruiting class for head coach Duane Goldman and the Hoosiers, yet the tangible measures of improved performance within the Big Ten and NCAA tournament prism are missing. The question continues to be, why the chasm? Danishek and Weaver are top 100 recruits and project as middle-weights, while the other three noted wrestlers fit in the back third of the lineup.

    18. Bucknell

    Top 100 recruits: No. 28 Zach Kelly (Kiski Prep, Pa.), No. 79 Tyler Smith (Franklin Regional, Pa.), and No. 84 Zach Valley (Northampton, Pa.)

    Other ranked recruit: Tom Sleigh (DuBois, Pa.)

    Additional notable recruit: Junior National Greco-Roman runner-up Andrew Millsap (Junction City, Kan.)

    Commentary: This marks the first appearance in the top 25 of the recruiting rankings for the Bison since InterMat started with the grade level rankings in 2009. It's also a class with a local flair, as they tapped talent-rich Pennsylvania for all four of the ranked wrestlers in the class. Smith, Valley, and Sleigh have proven success in the nation's toughest state tournament, Pennsylvania Class AAA, along with some national event success. The anchor of the class -- Junior National freestyle All-American and Super 32 Challenge runner-up Kelly -- will actually be enrolling on campus in 2015, as he completes a post-graduate year before appearing in Lewisburg.

    19. Lehigh

    Top 100 recruits: No. 14 Dylan Milonas (Blair Academy, N.J.) and No. 66 Scott Parker (Pennridge, Pa.)

    Additional notable recruits: State champion Ian Brown (Hanover, Pa.), 2012 National Prep champion Patrick Coover (Blair Academy, N.J.), and two-time FloNationals placer Ryan Preisch (Milton, Pa.)

    Commentary: Like EIWA and Patriot League compatriots Bucknell, Lehigh has capitalized on its talent-rich locale to produce a solid recruiting class. Three of the five listed are native Pennsylvanians, while the other two come from nearby Blair Academy in New Jersey. Parker and Brown are lighter-weight wrestlers; while Milonas, Preisch, and Coover address the middle-weight area of the Mountain Hawks lineup.

    20. Maryland

    Top 100 recruits: No. 33 Alfred Bannister (Bishop McNamara, Md.) and No. 40 Josh Llopez (St. Mary's Ryken, Md.)

    Additional notable recruit: Four-time National Prep placer Toby Hague (McDonogh, Md.)

    Commentary: Moving into the Big Ten for the 2014-15 season marks a step up in class for head coach Kerry McCoy and his Terrapins squad. Adding two top 40 recruits in this class, and seeing them develop into effective collegiate wrestlers will be key for the program's competitive ability going forward. Bannister was a three-time National Prep finalist, winning titles the last two years, while Llopez was twice a runner-up at National Preps after winning Maryland state titles as a freshman and sophomore; with both wrestlers also having success in major national competitions.

    21. Old Dominion

    Top 100 recruits: No. 25 T.C. Warner (Cumberland Valley, Pa.) and No 72 Emilio Saavedra (Modesto, Calif.)

    Other ranked wrestler: Joey Balboni (David Brearley, N.J.)

    Additional notable recruit: Three-time Super 32 Challenge placer Trent Allen (Old Dominion)

    Commentary: Redshirt freshman Jack Dechow earned All-American honors for the Monarchs this year, which cut their run without an All-American at two, after they had produced one in four straight years (2008-2011). When combined with bringing back five of six qualifiers from the 2014 NCAA tournament, as well as picking up state champions from the two toughest state tournaments in the country -- Warner in Pennsylvania AAA and Saavedra in single-class California -- there is positive momentum for the program headed into 2014-15.

    22. Utah Valley

    Top 100 recruits: No. 23 Roy Nash (Taylorsville, Utah) and No. 27 Kimball Bastian (Maple Mountain, Utah)

    Commentary: Though this is a small recruiting class in terms of quantity, the two notable figures within it have the ability to make a demonstrated positive impact. Nash is a star upper-weight, sweeping Greco-Roman and freestyle titles the last two summers in Fargo (2012 as a Cadet, 2013 as a Junior); while Bastian has been similarly excellent in the same levels of competition (double Cadet finalist in 2012, double Junior fifth in 2013).

    23. Wisconsin

    Top 100 recruits: No. 46 Ryan Christensen (Woodinville, Wash.) and No. 82 Johnny Jimenez (Marmion Academy, Ill.)

    Other ranked wrestler: Jens Lantz (Ellsworth, Wis.)

    Additional notable recruits: Two-time state champions Jared Scharenbock (Sun Prairie, Wis.) and Tyler Schmidt (Merrill, Wis.)

    Commentary: Barry Davis has brought in a solid class to Madison this year led by a pair of top 100 recruits from out-of-state. It is augmented by four in-state wrestlers who won state titles this past year; the four-timer Lantz, two-timers Scharenbock and Schmidt, as well as middle-weight Jacob Englebert (Southern Door). This class covers a cross-section of weight classes and reflects the best of both worlds, high-level out-of-state talent complimented by in-state wrestlers with potential to contribute.

    24. Central Michigan

    Top 100 recruits: No. 67 Cody LeCount (Perry Meridian, Ind.) and No. 99 Justin Oliver (Davison, Mich.)

    Other ranked wrestlers: Brent Fleetwood (Smryna, Del.) and Miguel Silva (Plainfield South, Ill.)

    Additional notable recruits: State champion Jordan Atienza (Livonia Franklin, Mich.)

    Commentary: Three years ago Central Michigan made a big bold statement with the nation's No. 2 recruiting class. However, the results for that group have been -- to put it mildly -- mixed. Combined with a plethora of other factors, the Chippewas' iron clad grip of supremacy in the MAC is no longer. This group has the potential to help lead Central Michigan back towards the elite of the MAC, as there is proven talent as well as wrestlers with the potential to develop into lineup contributors. The listed wrestlers reflect two light-weights (Fleetwood and Silva are both projected 125s), while the other three fit into the middle-weights.

    25. North Carolina State

    Top 100 recruit: No. 83 Michael Boykin (Coatesville, Pa.)

    Other ranked wrestler: Kevin Jack (Danbury, Conn.)

    Additional notable recruits: NHSCA Senior Nationals runner-up Sean Fausz (Campbell County, Ky.), Super 32 Challenge placer Troy Gregor (Hickory Ridge, N.C.), Super 32 Challenge runner-up Nicky Hall (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), Junior National freestyle All-American Derick Maisonet (Plano, Ill.), and two-time Junior National freestyle All-American Bryce Meredith (Cheyenne Central, Wyo.)

    Commentary: Two years into the Popolizio era in Raleigh, and there is significant positive momentum, something that had quite frankly been mostly absent prior to his hire at N.C. State. Last year it was a recruiting haul that ranked No. 10 nationally, while the 2013-14 brought about a national championship for redshirt sophomore Nick Gwiazdowski at heavyweight. Though this group is ranked lower than last year's group, it's a voluminous one with many accomplished wrestlers. Most notable are undefeated state champion Boykin, two-time Super 32 Challenge placer Jack, and two-time National Prep champion Hall.

    Honorable Mention

    Buffalo
    Kent State
    Northern Iowa
    Princeton
    Rutgers

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