Laxhawk174

Good, Iowa needs them all. The risk is worth the reward.

Also - this should go without saying, but Iowa has to go after PJ Duke as well. Even if the weight class/fit isn't clear right now - get the talent in the room and then worry about it. Ala tOSU, PSU.

Yeah, Iowa hasn't done particularly well recruiting NJ (Can't even think of the last recruit Iowa has had from NJ)- so I'm not holding my breath. It's more of a situation where, Iowa has lower weight openings and you'd think SOME top lightweight recruits would want to continue the tradition. But list of available lightweight blue chippers grows thinner every day, or are further out from HS graduation.

For the class of 2025 - Anthony Knox #2 per FLO Isaiah Cortez #34 per FLO Elijah Cortez #38 per FLO Daniel Zepeda #59 per FLO The latter 3 all being Gilroy boys in Cali. All were very impressive at the CA state tourney. As Iowa fans we also need to be looking at Bassett obviously in the class of 2026, but getting some of these guys would be awesome IMO. And gives you lightweight flexibility post- Ayala. Especially if Block ever moves up from 141.

I tell you what, a 665 lb deadlift tat being flexed on me would leave me speechless. So you very well may be right.

Clearly a friendly little squabble about weightlifting and sportsfighting. Based on the video we are seeing, it would appear that Ferrari definitively won the argument by showing off his superior physique.

No, I was still riding the high of being the best team 2 years in a row, with 1 fantasy/paper title and 1 real title to show for it. Plus as you mentioned, injuries took us out of it before it even started last year. In my mind I'm envisioning a scenario where Iowa is the favorite and a portal guys points were the tipping point between PSU/tOSU/whomever else toppling us. Let me have my fantasy scenario to create my own fake outrage

Maybe it's as simple as both have finished undergrad, and it's really hard to get into NW Grad school for whatever program they are looking at?

The portal has been very kind to my Hawks. I will remain a fan until the power of the portal is wielded against us to devastating effect.

Ohio State is sucking up all of Iowa's potential future lightweight studs. Stop it.

Maybe he wants to reunite with his old coach Jimmy Kennedy at PSU...? Though I would love to have him at Iowa, don't get me wrong. Perfect 2 year filler while hopefully landing a lightweight stud in the class of 2024.

Lincoln McIlravy - Boot Scoot Austin DeSanto - Gripping triceps

Iowa 125 - Drake Ayala 133 - Brody Teske 141 - Real Woods 149 - Cody Chittum 157 - Anthony Ferrari 165 - Patrick Kennedy 174 - Nelson Brands 184 - Abe Assad 197 - AJ Ferrari 285 - Tony Cassioppi

Okay. There are Hawk fans close to the situation who have stated both 157 and 149, nobody seems to know for sure. Are you talking extra lbs weight allowances for Freestyle or something on those weights? I can easily see why he'd rather wrestle 70KG than 65KG, even if he was wrestling 149. Don't know anything about his age, just that he was supposed to be class of 2023 and graduated summer of '22 and trained in Iowa city this year. Am I wrong on that?

Meh, I hear you, just saying. Every ranking service, media seems to be in the dark on it. Majority of casual Iowa fans probably still think he's coming. Doesn't bother me one way or the other, but a small statement would easily dispel the fog.

Can't remember if I saw it on HR or Facebook Iowa Wrestling group, but Jesuroga has enlisted with the Navy, and will be shipping out to basic after High School graduation. Not sure why there's been radio silence from Jesuroga on the issue.

ISU should be happy about how Swiderski finished the season. His start and finish were good, but based on that whole middle part, didn't look like he would win more than a match or two. Have to figure it out with Paniro. I didn't see how he got bounced on the backside, but that was pretty surprising. Need him to rebound with a strong year. However, 149 is going to be pretty bonkers next year. Not the stacked high end talent (in terms of champs) as 165, but just look, pretty impressive list I'd say: Sammy Sasso - Returning 3X AA, 2X Finalist Shayne Van Ness - Returning Freshman AA Kyle Parco - Returning 2X AA Austin Gomez - Returning 2X AA, Many thought he would be in the finals opposite Yianni if healthy. Caleb Henson - Returning True Freshman AA Brock Mauller - Returning 2X AA Ridge Lovett - 2022 NCAA finalist Meyer Shapiro - Top 3 P4p recruit - replacing Yianni after doing the Cornell Greyshirt system Cody Chittum - #1 p4p recruit - graduated HS early and spent the last year training with HWC) Paniro Johnson - 5 Seed as a FR for ISU Michael Blockhus - Returning AA I was talking about ISU and got a little distracted there. Bastida looks like he might be struggling making the weight and had some injuries, on the clone board some have him penciled in at HWT next year. Schuyler, I really thought he would break through and AA, looked tough all year. Tough matchup, with former multi-AA Hilger in the blood round (I had to laugh during the first 2 sessions, Shane Sparks kept mentioning on the matcast about how Hilger put on 50 LBS this off-season, eating 10,000 calories a day!). Plus 133 lber Redding, who was pretty unheralded and quietly made the R12. All in all they had an incredibly solid dual squad and conference tourney squad. Fell back from the pack in NCAA tourney setting. Only have 1 year left of Carr, and after that - severely lacking in the high end scorer department.

What about Messenbrink at 157? Followed by 165 the following season after Mocco is gone and O'Toole moves up. Obviously it needs to materialize first, but the AWA/Askren/Mizzou connection plus weight class seems like an obvious fit.

Just picture this for a minute will you Vak. It's March 2024, Saturday night of the NCAA D1 Wrestling Championships. The team scores are neck and neck between Iowa and Penn State, stakes are high, pressure is high, excitement is high. It all comes down to 197 lbs, Aaron Brooks going for his 4th NCAA Title, vs AJ Ferrari, Iowa. Ferrari Defeats Brooks, perhaps (hopefully?) even in a controversial manner. Ferrari flexes on Cael, chairs are thrown. The entire Iowa crowd wearing the Iowa NWO shirts are flexing. It's a grand time. Life is good.

https://iowa.forums.rivals.com/threads/2023-ncaa-wrestling-interactive-bracket.414570/ A poster over on HR has been doing it for a number of years. Great for testing out scenarios.

Cobe Siebrecht (14) Iowa 157 Nelson Brands (11) Iowa 174 Jacob Warner (14) Iowa 197 Michael DeAugustino (12) NW 125 Pat McKee (11) MINN 125 Brandon Courtney (10) ASU 125 Lucas Byrd (10) ILL 133 Jesse Mendez (14) tOSU 133 Dylan Ragusin (12) MICH 133 Kaden Gfeller (10) OSU 157 Carson Kharchla (10) tOSU 165 Zach Elam (10) MIZZ 285 Some of my picks in my first quick go around at the interactive bracket.