2019 Recruiting Class Rankings

[Wrassler17]

Flo published their 2019 recruiting class rankings. We finished 13th as a team. Ohio State was #1, Arizona State #2, and Cornell #3. OU was #16.

We had the following ranked recruits:
Witcraft #24 overall
Balmeceda #25
Manibog #47
The rest of our recruits were not in the top 100. On a positive note, they said we have an amazing class for 2020 and we will be ranked 1st if we get Ferrari.

Ohio State was #1 with the following ranked guys:
Kerkvliet #1 overall
Kharchla #4
Decatur #5
D'Emilio #32
Wilcox #50 (the guy who beat Surber last month)

Last year, tOSU was #2 (we were #12) with the following guys:
Sasso #4 overall
Hoffman #10
Plus #s 15, 24, 35, 37, 78, 98. That's 5 top 10 guys and a bunch of other top 100 guys in back-to-back years. I don't understand how they have $ for Ferrari, Amos & Vasquez this year.

https://www.flowrestling.org/rankin...ngs/31613-buckeyes-lead-2019-recruiting-hauls

 

[Air_Thurman]

Flo published their 2019 recruiting class rankings. We finished 13th as a team. Ohio State was #1, Arizona State #2, and Cornell #3. OU was #16.

We had the following ranked recruits:
Witcraft #24 overall
Balmeceda #25
Manibog #47
The rest of our recruits were not in the top 100. On a positive note, they said we have an amazing class for 2020 and we will be ranked 1st if we get Ferrari.

Ohio State was #1 with the following ranked guys:
Kerkvliet #1 overall
Kharchla #4
Decatur #5
D'Emilio #32
Wilcox #50 (the guy who beat Surber last month)

Last year, tOSU was #2 (we were #12) with the following guys:
Sasso #4 overall
Hoffman #10
Plus #s 15, 24, 35, 37, 78, 98. That's 5 top 10 guys and a bunch of other top 100 guys in back-to-back years. I don't understand how they have $ for Ferrari, Amos & Vasquez this year.

https://www.flowrestling.org/rankin...ngs/31613-buckeyes-lead-2019-recruiting-hauls

I guess I haven't looked at other classes but can anyone really challenge us for No. 1 even if we don't get Ferrari?

 

[TheJimReaper]

I guess I haven't looked at other classes but can anyone really challenge us for No. 1 even if we don't get Ferrari?

Mayyyyyybe Iowa if they Get Jesse Vasquez.

 

[Harleycowboy]

I guess I haven't looked at other classes but can anyone really challenge us for No. 1 even if we don't get Ferrari?

Getting the number 1 class is good but we are way behind in young program talent and we need Ferrari at 197 to catch up. Penn. St. wins with their superstars and we need more superstars ( Fix, Plott) and Ferrari would give us 3 potential young stars.

 

[Sebastian]

I think the Mastros and Burkes would qualify as to a very high level as well. Maybe Doucette too. Haas and Picklo would too. I think Surber may surprise. We'll be right back in it if our new recruiting people/methods can keep it up. Would have been nice to get Kirkliviet and Kharchla in this class.

 

[Air_Thurman]

Getting the number 1 class is good but we are way behind in young program talent and we need Ferrari at 197 to catch up. Penn. St. wins with their superstars and we need more superstars ( Fix, Plott) and Ferrari would give us 3 potential young stars.

I wasn’t saying we don’t need Ferrari at all. We need him. I was just saying I think we have the top class regardless.

 

[osu2082]

Fix
G
Witlake
Witcraft
Balmaceda
Plott
Mastro
Burks
Doucet

That is a bunch of firepower and all are top 25 nationally ranked kids. Montavalo (33),Mclane (47), and Surber (40) are also very highly thought of prospects.

This doesn’t include the likelihood of one of Amos or AJ and also what looks to be another loaded class teed up for 2021. We are close to being back to making several legitimate trophy runs.

 

[Harleycowboy]

Fix
G
Witlake
Witcraft
Balmaceda
Plott
Mastro
Burks
Doucet

That is a bunch of firepower and all are top 25 nationally ranked kids. Montavalo (33),Mclane (47), and Surber (40) are also very highly thought of prospects.

This doesn’t include the likelihood of one of Amos or AJ and also what looks to be another loaded class teed up for 2021. We are close to being back to making several legitimate trophy runs.

I agree we are making great progress but my point is true the last 2 years we have had the number 12 and 13 classes in the country. I really love how our 20 class is shaping up and the potential for the 21 class. My love for the 20 class though needs to include 1= Ferrari or 2= Amos at 97. Although Haas could come in at 97 the next year. I have said that 21 we need young Mastro at 49 as most important recruit that year, we need Picklo because he is a potential superstar from Oklahoma. I have written about the importance of Haas because he is a heavier weight who will only be a junior in high school next year but Voinavich may be more important because he is a 57 maybe and time will tell how good Balmaceda is going to be. This group you listed will not allow us to catch Ohio State or Penn. St in my opinion but our opinions frequently differ. By the way I really do like Surber's potential and 1 of the reasons I really want Picklo despite no opening( weakness) at his weight is that Picklo beat Surber this spring fairly soundly.

 

[Wrassler17]

IMO one issue with Flo's class rankings is they don't weight the top end guys heavily enough. PSU is not in the top 20 for 2019 (or even HM), yet they got the #9 overall recruit in Carter Starocci. I think Willie tries to recognize the teams that get "solid" guys, but those guys don't score big points at Nationals. The superstars win team titles.

For us the goal is to win those team titles, not team trophies. So we need the elite recruits, no great revelation there. That's the top 10 overall guys, or at least the top 20. Guys that you are very confident will make the semis at Nationals, not "could make" the semis with a good draw.

Based on the individual rankings for our 2017-2019 recruiting classes, that should be Daton, G, and Wittlake. I think (hope) G was banged up this year, so I'll give him a mulligan. Wittlake is a big question mark right now IMO. We badly need him to be closer to the next Alex Dieringer than the next Johnny Sebastian. But based on his #6 ranking at graduation, he should be a multi time high AA, so we'll see. And I do like Witcraft, even if his ranking (#24) indicates that he's not a sure fire semifinalist.

I think our best chance at a team title will be in 2022 (and beyond). Some things I hope happen...

- Daton takes an Olympic redshirt. Would mean he can anchor the 2023 team.
- Get Ferrari - a must .Great wrestler, yes. But a great kid, great work ethic, great family, younger brothers. He will attract future upper weight recruits, like Daton does lower weights recruits (Burks, Mastro).
- Amos does not go to tOSU or PSU. If not us, then VT would be best.
- The older Mastro can hold 125
- The younger Mastro can hold 157. Some have him as a 149, but I don't see it (just wrestled 70 kg and hasn't turned 17 yet). Flo projects him to 165.
- Surber can hold 165. Flo projects him to 174.
- Either Plott or Picklo can hold 174. Picklo is young for his grade and Plott is old for his grade. Flo projects both to be 184.
- Voinovich can hold 149. Flo projects him to 174, but his father has joked that he's short like him and that teams are looking at him for 157. Just wrestled 65 kg as a soph.

 

[TheJimReaper]

IMO one issue with Flo's class rankings is they don't weight the top end guys heavily enough. PSU is not in the top 20 for 2019 (or even HM), yet they got the #9 overall recruit in Carter Starocci. I think Willie tries to recognize the teams that get "solid" guys, but those guys don't score big points at Nationals. The superstars win team titles.

For us the goal is to win those team titles, not team trophies. So we need the elite recruits, no great revelation there. That's the top 10 overall guys, or at least the top 20. Guys that you are very confident will make the semis at Nationals, not "could make" the semis with a good draw.

Based on the individual rankings for our 2017-2019 recruiting classes, that should be Daton, G, and Wittlake. I think (hope) G was banged up this year, so I'll give him a mulligan. Wittlake is a big question mark right now IMO. We badly need him to be closer to the next Alex Dieringer than the next Johnny Sebastian. But based on his #6 ranking at graduation, he should be a multi time high AA, so we'll see. And I do like Witcraft, even if his ranking (#24) indicates that he's not a sure fire semifinalist.

I think our best chance at a team title will be in 2022 (and beyond). Some things I hope happen...

- Daton takes an Olympic redshirt. Would mean he can anchor the 2023 team.
- Get Ferrari - a must .Great wrestler, yes. But a great kid, great work ethic, great family, younger brothers. He will attract future upper weight recruits, like Daton does lower weights recruits (Burks, Mastro).
- Amos does not go to tOSU or PSU. If not us, then VT would be best.
- The older Mastro can hold 125
- The younger Mastro can hold 157. Some have him as a 149, but I don't see it (just wrestled 70 kg and hasn't turned 17 yet). Flo projects him to 165.
- Surber can hold 165. Flo projects him to 174.
- Either Plott or Picklo can hold 174. Picklo is young for his grade and Plott is old for his grade. Flo projects both to be 184.
- Voinovich can hold 149. Flo projects him to 174, but his father has joked that he's short like him and that teams are looking at him for 157. Just wrestled 65 kg as a soph.

I kinda hope Daton takes an OR too. The only problem is that might keep one of Burks or older Mastro out of the lineup for a bit.

I also don't think Amos is going to PSU. I personally think it'll be Ohio State but best case scenario we get both him and Ferrari. Second best case scenario he goes to VT like you said.

 

[Wrassler17]

I kinda hope Daton takes an OR too. The only problem is that might keep one of Burks or older Mastro out of the lineup for a bit.

I also don't think Amos is going to PSU. I personally think it'll be Ohio State but best case scenario we get both him and Ferrari. Second best case scenario he goes to VT like you said.

Another factor on whether Daton takes an Olympic redshirt is what happens this year at World's. If he makes the team and medals, he gets a bye into Final X next year. So the redshirt would make a lot of sense. If he doesn't medal, then he might prefer the "grind" of a college season to prepare for the WTT. He said after the US Open that wrestling a ranked opponent every other week helped him this year.

In terms of making it work for Burks & Mastro, I think it can be done. Burks said recently he might be able to make 125 as a freshman, but then he would get too big. So how about this, he's young for his grade so have him grayshirt, wrestle, then redshirt. Then the lineup would look like this for 125-149.

2020
Picc (RSSr)
Brock (RSSr), Daton Olympic redshirt
G (RSSo), Witcraft redshirts
Boo (RSSr)

2021
Mastro (goes as a true Fr), Burks grayshirts
Daton (RSSo)
Witcraft (RSFr)
G (RSJr)

2022
Burks (GSFr), Mastro redshirts
Daton (RSJr)
Witcraft (RSSo)
G (RSSr), Voinovich redshirts

2023
Mastro (RSSo), Burks redshirts
Daton (RSSr)
Witcraft (RSJr)
Voinovich (RSFr)

2024
Mastro (RSJr)
Burks (RSSo)
Witcraft (RSSr)
Voinovich (RSSo)

Picklo is young for his grade also. He could grayshirt as well and then he & Wittlake could start all 4 years.