With the conclusion of the NCAA wrestling tournament and the calendar changing over to April, you’d think that it means it’s the offseason for college wrestling and all focus should turn to the Olympic styles, right? Maybe in the past, but in a new era of collegiate athletics, once the final whistle has blown on a particular postseason, it means it’s time to turn your attention to the transfer portal.
Love it or hate it, it’s the reality. Student-athletes have the ability to transfer much more freely than past generations. Couple that with the extra year of eligibility doled out by the NCAA in the aftermath of the COVID years and you have a wild combination. There was lots of movement last “offseason” and I don’t foresee that changing this year.
In just a week and a half since the NCAA finals, there have already been some huge names that have gone into the portal. Some have already announced their new homes, while others are still being courted.
The first list of wrestlers we’ve listed have already publicly committed to a new transfer destination. That new school is listed first, along with their projected weight, followed by their former school.
Below them are notable wrestlers that have gone into the transfer portal. It is not a comprehensive list. Some (like Jacob Cardenas and Lennox Wolak) knew they were graduating and were unable to continue competing at their Ivy League schools and went into the portal before the season started. Others have just submitted their names.
Expect many updates to this feature in the coming weeks and months.
Illinois: Ramazan Attasauov (125/133) - Iowa State
Indiana: Angelo Rini (133) - Columbia
Iowa State: Evan Bockman (197) - Utah Valley
Little Rock: Brock DelSignore (184) - NC State
Lock Haven: Max Elton (125) - Buffalo
Lock Haven: Nick Stampoulos (157) - Buffalo
Michigan: Jacob Cardenas (197) - Cornell
Michigan: Chase Saldate (157) - Michigan State
Minnesota: Tommy Askey (157) - Appalachian State
Minnesota: Clayton Whiting (174/184) - Missouri
Morgan State: Xavier Doolin (285) - Northern Colorado
North Carolina: Ethan Oakley (133) - Appalachian State
North Carolina: Josh Ogunsanya (174) - North Carolina
Northern Illinois: Markel Baker (125/133) - George Mason
Northern Illinois: Spencer Mooberry (197) - North Dakota State
Oklahoma: Carter Schubert (165) - California Baptist
Oklahoma State: Caleb Fish (165) - Michigan State
Oklahoma State: Dean Hamiti (165/174) - Wisconsin
Oregon State: Sean Harman (174) - Missouri
Pittsburgh: Chase Kranitz (184) - Buffalo
Pittsburgh: Evan Tallmadge (125) - Navy
Rider: Sammy Alvarez (149) - Oklahoma State
Rutgers: Dagen Condomitti (157) - Oregon State
SIU Edwardsville: Luke Odom (157) - Illinois
SIU Edwardsville: Griffin Ray (165) - Nebraska
Virginia Tech: Connor McGonagle (133) - Lehigh
Virginia Tech: Lennox Wolak (174) - Columbia
Wyoming: Sam Mitchell (197) - Buffalo
Perhaps the most significant name to hit the transfer portal did so today as Wyatt Hendrickson’s name was added. Hendrickson has finished third in the nation at 285 lbs in each of the last two years for the Air Force Academy. In 2023, he was the first Air Force wrestler in 20 years to each All-American honors. While in Colorado Springs, Hendrickson racked up two Big 12 titles and never finished lower than third in the conference. All told, Hendrickson won 97 bouts for Air Force, against only 11 losses, and earned bonus points in more the 79% of his matches during his final three years. He has twice represented the USA internationally, taking fifth at the U20 World Championships in 2021 and claiming a gold medal at the U23 World Championships last year.
Hendrickson's name is in the portal alongside a “Do Not Contact” designation. That means Hendrickson already has a short list or a single school he’s looking at and would not like to be bothered with other calls.
There was some uncertainty as to whether Hendrickson would be allowed to wrestle in 2024-25. While he has an extra year of eligibility from the COVID year, the US Government had to sign a waiver allowing him to use that additional year, rather than immediately starting his service with the Air Force. Since an athlete is unable to compete for more than four years at a service academy, Hendrickson was forced to transfer if he received his waiver and intended on using the final year of eligibility.
Hendrickson, along with four-time All-American Kyle Parco, are the most notable names currently in the portal. Parco’s name was added the day before the Olympic Trials began.
On the other end of the spectrum, Clayton Whiting, Angelo Rini, and Dagen Condomitti are some of the recent wrestlers who were in the portal and made their transfer destinations known. All three will be moving into the Big Ten.
Whiting spent a portion of the year ranked in the top-15 at 184 lbs as Missouri’s starter. Colton Hawks later grabbed ahold of the starting role and was the Tigers entrant into the Big 12 Championships. Whiting will be heading to Minnesota and fits in at 174 or 184 lbs.
Rini was a national qualifier in 2023 for Columbia; however, his 2023-24 season never got on track because of injuries. He’ll join the Indiana Hoosiers as a graduate transfer at 133 lbs. It marks the second straight year that a grad transfer has moved from Columbia to Indiana. Danny Fongaro did it last season and made it to the national tournament.
Condomitti comes back to the East Coast, as he is from Northampton, Pennsylvania. He placed three times at the PIAA AAA state tournament for the Konrete Kids. Condomitti comes to Rutgers after spending a year at Oregon State. He won his only bout of the year competing at 157 lbs.
Portal
Cade Balestrini (149) - Bloomsburg
Fernando Barreto (133) - North Dakota State
Ryan Boersma (285) - Missouri
Kaleb Burgess (149) - Buffalo
Colton Camacho (125/133) - Pittsburgh
Charlie Darracott (165) - Stanford
Devon Dawson (285) - North Dakota State
Massoma Endene (197) - Wartburg
Cooper Flynn (125) - Virginia Tech
Logan Frazier (133) - Virginia Tech
Max Hale (184) - Penn
Wyatt Hendrickson (285) - Air Force
Nathan Higley (149) - George Mason
Jared Hill (157) - Oklahoma
Jacob Joyce (125) - Stanford
Jason Kraisser (157) - Iowa State
Carson Martinson (165) - Iowa
Carter Martinson (157) - Iowa
Hunter Mayes (165) - Lehigh
Peter Ming (285) - Stanford
Peyton Moore (133) - Missouri
Kyle Mosher (165) - Columbia
Jack Nies (149) - American
Danny Nini (157) - North Carolina
Kyle Parco (149) - Arizona State
Isaiah Powe (141) - Chattanooga
Bretli Reyna (149) - Iowa
Chris Rivera (141) - Campbell
Justin Rivera (149) - Campbell
Rylan Rogers (184) - Michigan
Cheaney Schoeff (133) - Indiana
Korbin Shepherd (133) - Missouri
Yaraslau Slavikouski (285) - Rutgers
Tyler Stewart (285) - Morgan State
Ethan Stiles (157) - Nebraska
Clayton Ulrey (157) - Virginia Tech
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