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Next Years Lineup

C

Cowboy1989

Redshirt
Dec 1, 2009
256
475
63
125 - Sprately. Hopefully AA, but the weight is very deep again.
133 - Who knows. I was hoping Hughes, but is he too big? Sakamoto should redshirt - no folkstyle experience and a true frosh.
141 - Jamison? Hughes? Young? Possible AA.
149 - Williams - should be AA if he wants it. Lots of talent.
157 - I like Travis after a year of lifting. Possible AA - this weight clears out a lot.
165 - Portal
174 - Portal. Thompson should redshirt and go to 184lb the following year
184 - Plott - hopefully finalist again
197 - Caroll. Potential to be a high AA. He's an elite talent - the kind that we need up and down the lineup.
Hwt - Doucet. He could sneak in a low AA. Weight clears out quite a bit. Merrill should redshirt. He'll be a true frosh and too small. He is another elite talent though. Just hope he's big enough for heavy the year after.

The bad news is we're only returning 1 AA which is ridiculous for OSU. It's like Smith just hung it up after the string of national titles in the early 2000s and stopped recruiting elite talent and let all the other programs catch up. With Gable gone, the platform was there for OSU to establish itself as "THE" place for elite talent to come, like PSU is now but Smith blew it.

The good news is I think the future trajectory has changed from down to flat to in the up direction again finally. Once you've hit rock bottom it's hard to climb out of that hole though. I think Smith is finally using the modern tools of recruiting and Coleman is helping tremendously. Next year with no help from the Portal we're probably sitting at around 3, maybe 4 AA. With help hopefully more. There has been some good recruiting lately - the elite talent that it takes to get back to the top 3. Caroll, Merrill, Sakamoto, Lockett - These guys have the potential to win multiple titles - we just need more of them.
 
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Use to at the end of each year there would be plenty of predictions as to when we would have our next shot at a title. This is the first year that I think EVERYONE agrees that we need to figure out how to finish top 5 before we can get back on top.

OSU will never be back on top until we get MAJOR NIL money. We have not proven that we can predict which recruits will pan out at a high rate. There is no room for error if we ever want to compete with PSU. We need NIL money so we can go pluck guys who lower level programs hit on. Kind of like how Mike Gundy turns 2 star guys into 4 star guys.

OSU wrestling recruiting= Texas FB recruiting
 
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We aren’t beating PSU until Cael retires and that kills the program and even then who knows. I heard tonight a PSU insider said they are already to replace Noto. Cael isn’t even closed to being finished.
 
We are still so far from a team championship it isn’t even mildly realistic. This program is close to being as bad historically as it’s ever been. We have had 1 champ since AJ and before that it was Dean. Pretty sad. JS time is limited I can feel it.
 
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Okie_Pat said:
We aren’t beating PSU until Cael retires and that kills the program and even then who knows. I heard tonight a PSU insider said they are already to replace Noto. Cael isn’t even closed to being finished.
Click to expand...
PSU is actually bad for the sport right now. When 1st place is 100 points ahead of 2nd place something is wrong. Right now PSU is getting their pick of anyone they want and everyone else is fighting for the rest.
 
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Okie_Pat said:
We are still so far from a team championship it isn’t even mildly realistic. This program is close to being as bad historically as it’s ever been. We have had 1 champ since AJ and before that it was Dean. Pretty sad. JS time is limited I can feel it.
Click to expand...
Everyone except PSU is so far away from a championship right now. I think we are finally getting back on track with long overdue changes that were made. We need to keep recruiting a couple elite guys who want to live the life every year and not miss on many and hit the portal hard. The next two years will tell us if the changes are working. Two years from now is when the lineup is set to be stacked again - if they don't dominate everyone other than PSU then I don't know...
 
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Ordinarily, I'd save this for my annual "Way Too Early Line-Up Prediction" Post...

The added traffic on this site seems like a positive and a sign that OSU Wrestling is still important to a great many people.

In the immortal words of Cody Canada, "If I were President":

In order to be in OSU's Starting Line-Up, you must have the ability to:

1. Contend for a Big 12 Championship
2. All-American at minimum. You should be in the Top 8 at your weight class

Times have changed and OSU has been slow to adapt.

You have to appreciate John Smith's Michael Corleone level of loyalty.



That said, it seems the only way to begin to close the gap is to get guys who can go on Day 1. This will lead to some difficult, uncomfortable situations. The bottom line is, others in contention have figured out a way to make it work. Development looks different now. You have to maximize the Portal. OSU should use the Portal liberally for any All-American Candidate who is looking for a better place to compete. Izzak Olejnik is the template.

All that said, here is what it seems to look like as of right now, measuring everyone to the standard listed above (fairly or not).

125: Troy Sprately seems to have all the necessary ingredients to be a Big 12 Champ and AA for the duration of his career. His mistakes were typically mistakes of aggression that should be coachable. He has an appropriate level of nastiness and most importantly the will & determination to succeed. He is able to get in on legs that you need in this new era of the 3-point Takedown. To give you a sense of his ability, he has a Major Decision of the eventual National Champ under his belt. OSU should be fine at this weight for the next 3 years.

Sam Smith & Jayce Mullin are the only other guys on the current Roster to back up. Perhaps Zach Blankenship could make the cut; he's looking pretty thick and still recovering from what looks like shoulder surgery.

133: 1st weight where things start to look interesting. The only returning 133 on the Roster is Reece Witcraft. You've got J.J. McComas & Rin Sakamoto coming in as True Freshmen; which makes this a fascinating situation. Seems like you have to Redshirt Sakamoto with no Folkstyle experience. Unless this guy is just unbelievable from Day 1.

1. Can they compete for a Big 12 Championship?
2. Can they All-American?

I'm Reece Witcraft's biggest fan outside of any relatives. Can he beat Frost from Iowa State? That is the new standard.

What do you do if Nasir Bailey is sitting in the Portal? It seems highly irresponsible for OSU if they don't pursue. Will be an interesting test of how OSU is looking at things and how they plan to manage. Massive shoes to fill here, obviously.

Zach Blankenship & Jim Mullin provide depth.

141: Interesting situation #2; although the answer seems to be on the Roster. Tagen Jamison showed a lot of promise. Carter Young has shown a lot of promise. Cael Hughes is ultra-talented and has to be in the Line-Up. Who can cut and who can bulk? After a year at 141, Young looked smallish. He hasn't been 100% so likely not fair to him...he hasn't been able to beat Jamison or Jordan Williams. Its a good problem to have except for the fact that you might not have a spot for everyone. Someone is going to get left out unless everything goes perfectly in terms of finding the right weight classes. If you could get Hughes or Young to 133, that would help a ton; although that ship seems to have sailed. Could Jamison bulk to 149?

149: Interesting situation #3, although the answer seems to be on the Roster. In a perfect world, you've got "The Guy" in Jordan Williams who answers both Standards Questions. The problem is, as can be seen at 141; how do you fit in other talented athletes? Can Jordan bulk? Obviously you don't do it if that messes him up. So you have, potentially, Williams, Young, and Jamison?

You've got Cutter Sheets here as depth.

157: Interesting situation #4. Everyone (myself included) loves the Nolan Boyd/Preston Weigel types; and it looks like OSU has that kind of athlete in Teague Travis. It also seems like this is a placeholder situation LaDarion Lockett.

1. Can he compete for a Big 12 Championship? Potentially
2. Can he All-American? Hard to tell. He beat Top 10 guys this season. He also looked completely overmatched against Levi Haines.

This is yet another tough situation. Is there anyone that can bulk to 157? Is Teague done bulking? In the pre-portal/NIL era, it seems you let this one continue to play out/blossom. The challenge seems to be, does this allow OSU to compete at the highest level next year? Everyone would like the answer to be yes. This seems to be the perfect test case. What would Penn State and Iowa do here? Would they go into the season with someone like this starting or look to improve? Through different methods, it seems both would be looking for the best possible guy.

I don't know the answer, and it seems increasingly harder to say what the right thing is to do. Fans are demanding championships. Teague has everything you want and are looking for in an OSU wrestler with the possible exception of elite talent.

Other than the younger Manibog, you don't have anyone else on the Roster unless someone bulks.

165: Portal all the way. There is no one else on the Roster. At one point, Brayden Thompson was mentioned as a 165. That ship seems to have sailed. Lee Cotheran stated that Iowa is forcing Patrick Kennedy out. If that is the case; he should be Target #1. Back up Olejnik with another Olejnik. The wrestler from Binghamton has been mentioned as well. There is no other option than the Portal here and it should be an attractive landing spot for the most talented guy out there looking to move.

174: Interesting situation #5. We saw all sides from Brayden Thompson this year it seems. Being a Top 6 P4P Recruit, it feels like it would be a huge bust if he didn't work out somewhere. I like the idea of a Redshirt Year for him to get him to 184 and find a Portal Option. You've also got A.J. Heeg available who was ready to jump in when Thompson was struggling early. Both Thompson and Williams showed signs at certain points during the season; between the 2, Thompson seems to be a big more of a question mark. Will he make the necessary commitments to be great? We will see and time will tell. So the options seem to be either ride with him, Redshirt and either replace in the Portal or go with Heeg.

184: The new leader of the Team. Big 12 Champ and NCAA Finalist. Wish OSU had 5-6 more weights like this.

197: Interesting situation #6. What do you do with a guy like Luke Surber? How much has injury affected him this past season? This guy has beaten BOTH Elam Brothers. He seems like the ultimate OSU guy. Before this season, the answer to the 2 Standards Questions seemed to be Yes. After this season, who knows what to think. Is Christian Carroll going to be at this weight? If he is, and can't beat Surber, will he be willing to be patient? Can Surber beat Carroll? If Carroll is as good as his ranking, and comes in and commands the weight, that would simplify things. What if Surber returns to the form he showed prior to this year? In an ideal world, you have one final season of peak Surber with Carroll coming in behind.

285: Interesting situation #7: If Carroll is indeed at 197, it looks like OSU is headed for one more year of Konner Doucet. The difficult thing about Doucet is that the answer to the 2 Standards Questions unless proven otherwise is No. Which limits OSU's ability to both 1. Win a Big 12 Title and 2. Close the gap with Penn State. I don't know if you go Portal here for a 1 year guy. Merrill likely won't be ready to go on Day 1. Is Surber up for a bulk job again? Which path gives OSU the best chance to answer the 2 Standards Questions? This is murky at best and looking at it today, its hard to see any situation other than Doucet.

This makes guessing extremely difficult. So here goes on a Dual #1 Line-Up (Big 12 Champ Potential/AA Potential):

125: Spratley (Yes/Yes)
133: Witcraft (No/No) OR McComas (No/No)
141: Jamison (Yes/Yes) OR Hughes (Yes/Yes)
149: Williams (Yes/Yes)
157: Travis (Outside Chance with Downey & Chittum/Outside Chance)
165: Portal
174: Thompson (Yes, only Sax ahead of him/Outside Chance)
184: Plott (Yes/Yes)
197: Carroll (Yes, this weight COMLETEY clears out in the Big 12/Maybe?)
285: Doucet (No - Schultz & Heindselman, who has figured Doucet out/No)
 
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JAY45 said:
Ordinarily, I'd save this for my annual "Way Too Early Line-Up Prediction" Post...

The added traffic on this site seems like a positive and a sign that OSU Wrestling is still important to a great many people.

In the immortal words of Cody Canada, "If I were President":

In order to be in OSU's Starting Line-Up, you must have the ability to:

1. Contend for a Big 12 Championship
2. All-American at minimum. You should be in the Top 8 at your weight class

Times have changed and OSU has been slow to adapt.

You have to appreciate John Smith's Michael Corleone level of loyalty.

View embedded media


That said, it seems the only way to begin to close the gap is to get guys who can go on Day 1. This will lead to some difficult, uncomfortable situations. The bottom line is, others in contention have figured out a way to make it work. Development looks different now. You have to maximize the Portal. OSU should use the Portal liberally for any All-American Candidate who is looking for a better place to compete. Izzak Olejnik is the template.

All that said, here is what it seems to look like as of right now, measuring everyone to the standard listed above (fairly or not).

125: Troy Sprately seems to have all the necessary ingredients to be a Big 12 Champ and AA for the duration of his career. His mistakes were typically mistakes of aggression that should be coachable. He has an appropriate level of nastiness and most importantly the will & determination to succeed. He is able to get in on legs that you need in this new era of the 3-point Takedown. To give you a sense of his ability, he has a Major Decision of the eventual National Champ under his belt. OSU should be fine at this weight for the next 3 years.

Sam Smith & Jayce Mullin are the only other guys on the current Roster to back up. Perhaps Zach Blankenship could make the cut; he's looking pretty thick and still recovering from what looks like shoulder surgery.

133: 1st weight where things start to look interesting. The only returning 133 on the Roster is Reece Witcraft. You've got J.J. McComas & Rin Sakamoto coming in as True Freshmen; which makes this a fascinating situation. Seems like you have to Redshirt Sakamoto with no Folkstyle experience. Unless this guy is just unbelievable from Day 1.

1. Can they compete for a Big 12 Championship?
2. Can they All-American?

I'm Reece Witcraft's biggest fan outside of any relatives. Can he beat Frost from Iowa State? That is the new standard.

What do you do if Nasir Bailey is sitting in the Portal? It seems highly irresponsible for OSU if they don't pursue. Will be an interesting test of how OSU is looking at things and how they plan to manage. Massive shoes to fill here, obviously.

Zach Blankenship & Jim Mullin provide depth.

141: Interesting situation #2; although the answer seems to be on the Roster. Tagen Jamison showed a lot of promise. Carter Young has shown a lot of promise. Cael Hughes is ultra-talented and has to be in the Line-Up. Who can cut and who can bulk? After a year at 141, Young looked smallish. He hasn't been 100% so likely not fair to him...he hasn't been able to beat Jamison or Jordan Williams. Its a good problem to have except for the fact that you might not have a spot for everyone. Someone is going to get left out unless everything goes perfectly in terms of finding the right weight classes. If you could get Hughes or Young to 133, that would help a ton; although that ship seems to have sailed. Could Jamison bulk to 149?

149: Interesting situation #3, although the answer seems to be on the Roster. In a perfect world, you've got "The Guy" in Jordan Williams who answers both Standards Questions. The problem is, as can be seen at 141; how do you fit in other talented athletes? Can Jordan bulk? Obviously you don't do it if that messes him up. So you have, potentially, Williams, Young, and Jamison?

You've got Cutter Sheets here as depth.

157: Interesting situation #4. Everyone (myself included) loves the Nolan Boyd/Preston Weigel types; and it looks like OSU has that kind of athlete in Teague Travis. It also seems like this is a placeholder situation LaDarion Lockett.

1. Can he compete for a Big 12 Championship? Potentially
2. Can he All-American? Hard to tell. He beat Top 10 guys this season. He also looked completely overmatched against Levi Haines.

This is yet another tough situation. Is there anyone that can bulk to 157? Is Teague done bulking? In the pre-portal/NIL era, it seems you let this one continue to play out/blossom. The challenge seems to be, does this allow OSU to compete at the highest level next year? Everyone would like the answer to be yes. This seems to be the perfect test case. What would Penn State and Iowa do here? Would they go into the season with someone like this starting or look to improve? Through different methods, it seems both would be looking for the best possible guy.

I don't know the answer, and it seems increasingly harder to say what the right thing is to do. Fans are demanding championships. Teague has everything you want and are looking for in an OSU wrestler with the possible exception of elite talent.

Other than the younger Manibog, you don't have anyone else on the Roster unless someone bulks.

165: Portal all the way. There is no one else on the Roster. At one point, Brayden Thompson was mentioned as a 165. That ship seems to have sailed. Lee Cotheran stated that Iowa is forcing Patrick Kennedy out. If that is the case; he should be Target #1. Back up Olejnik with another Olejnik. The wrestler from Binghamton has been mentioned as well. There is no other option than the Portal here and it should be an attractive landing spot for the most talented guy out there looking to move.

174: Interesting situation #5. We saw all sides from Brayden Thompson this year it seems. Being a Top 6 P4P Recruit, it feels like it would be a huge bust if he didn't work out somewhere. I like the idea of a Redshirt Year for him to get him to 184 and find a Portal Option. You've also got A.J. Heeg available who was ready to jump in when Thompson was struggling early. Both Thompson and Williams showed signs at certain points during the season; between the 2, Thompson seems to be a big more of a question mark. Will he make the necessary commitments to be great? We will see and time will tell. So the options seem to be either ride with him, Redshirt and either replace in the Portal or go with Heeg.

184: The new leader of the Team. Big 12 Champ and NCAA Finalist. Wish OSU had 5-6 more weights like this.

197: Interesting situation #6. What do you do with a guy like Luke Surber? How much has injury affected him this past season? This guy has beaten BOTH Elam Brothers. He seems like the ultimate OSU guy. Before this season, the answer to the 2 Standards Questions seemed to be Yes. After this season, who knows what to think. Is Christian Carroll going to be at this weight? If he is, and can't beat Surber, will he be willing to be patient? Can Surber beat Carroll? If Carroll is as good as his ranking, and comes in and commands the weight, that would simplify things. What if Surber returns to the form he showed prior to this year? In an ideal world, you have one final season of peak Surber with Carroll coming in behind.

285: Interesting situation #7: If Carroll is indeed at 197, it looks like OSU is headed for one more year of Konner Doucet. The difficult thing about Doucet is that the answer to the 2 Standards Questions unless proven otherwise is No. Which limits OSU's ability to both 1. Win a Big 12 Title and 2. Close the gap with Penn State. I don't know if you go Portal here for a 1 year guy. Merrill likely won't be ready to go on Day 1. Is Surber up for a bulk job again? Which path gives OSU the best chance to answer the 2 Standards Questions? This is murky at best and looking at it today, its hard to see any situation other than Doucet.

This makes guessing extremely difficult. So here goes on a Dual #1 Line-Up (Big 12 Champ Potential/AA Potential):

125: Spratley (Yes/Yes)
133: Witcraft (No/No) OR McComas (No/No)
141: Jamison (Yes/Yes) OR Hughes (Yes/Yes)
149: Williams (Yes/Yes)
157: Travis (Outside Chance with Downey & Chittum/Outside Chance)
165: Portal
174: Thompson (Yes, only Sax ahead of him/Outside Chance)
184: Plott (Yes/Yes)
197: Carroll (Yes, this weight COMLETEY clears out in the Big 12/Maybe?)
285: Doucet (No - Schultz & Heindselman, who has figured Doucet out/No)
Click to expand...
Good stuff there, thanks for posting.
 
That is a great breakdown. Would love to see Carroll at 97 and what Surber can do if he bulks up correctly. If the injuries do not continue to hamper him I would think we see more offensive output than we have from Doucet. The transfer portal will be critical this year. Would definitely like to see Bailey if Hughes is too big for 33. Aside from that, 65 is our Most glaring need, 74 not too far behind from what I see.
 
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Pretty close to my guess as well,
125 - Troy
133 - Hughes(Last I saw, Blair confirmed he’s going 33 a couple weeks back)
141- Jamison/Young
149 - Williams
157 - Travis/Portal
165 - Portal
174 - Portal/BT/Heeg, also is the Khaytiov guy ever going to be eligible?
184 - Plott
197 - CC
285 - Doucet/Merrill

At Cali HS State, Merrill looked big weight wise and some of these elite HS kids come ready to
Win, think he has a shot to be one. Think 197 is better option for CC, as IMO he may struggle with the length of some of the taller heavyweights. I see it similarly to Daton at 133, so damn good he could beat almost anyone, but the two guys he couldn’t beat had length and quickness, think Daton’s build/arm length is better suited for 125. But what do I know. As far as portal, I’d like to see us get Peyton Keller from Ohio, was 5th at 157lbs and only a sophomore this year. Could bulk and go 165 or take over for Teague. I love him but at this point, I think more competition in the room the better. I think Alvarez sitch made JW much better this year! Carter Young did look small at 141 as a Freshman, and I remember people saying he’s a true 33 but went 41 bc of Daton. Obvi gained some weight this year, not sure how much exactly, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him 133-157. I feel like 149 is probably the best weight for JW, his length and quickness works well there IMO. Surber is the biggest question mark, last year I’d say he’s probably the guy but this year left a lot of
questions. If CC can make 197 and it’s not an awful cut, I don’t see Surber beating him.

Everyone’s talking about potential transfers in, how about Transfers out? The only starter I’m thinking would enter the portal would be Brayden Thompson, idk if it’s the weight cut, OSU, or wrestling in general, but he genuinely looks like he hates it every single match, and doesn’t appear he enjoys wrestling or even cares about it tbrh. He’s an elite talent and I appreciate his effort and performance this year, not saying he’s not talented. Just saying the average person sees him wrestle a match they’re going to assume he hates wrestling. Only other guys I see leaving are bench guys which I can’t blame them, and then if Carter Young can’t win a spot I could see him transferring. Also Sammy Alvarez confirmed he has 1 more of eligibility, do we think he sticks around?
 
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Sounds like we have around $400k for NIL. some of that goes for maintenance. I THINK we have a 165 pounder coming in through the portal that has AA'd before. A couple more AA's at weigbts with reasonable solutions already. ot sure if that is our wad, but I think we have top five NIL money.
 
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JAY45 said:
Ordinarily, I'd save this for my annual "Way Too Early Line-Up Prediction" Post...

The added traffic on this site seems like a positive and a sign that OSU Wrestling is still important to a great many people.

In the immortal words of Cody Canada, "If I were President":

In order to be in OSU's Starting Line-Up, you must have the ability to:

1. Contend for a Big 12 Championship
2. All-American at minimum. You should be in the Top 8 at your weight class

Times have changed and OSU has been slow to adapt.

You have to appreciate John Smith's Michael Corleone level of loyalty.

View embedded media


That said, it seems the only way to begin to close the gap is to get guys who can go on Day 1. This will lead to some difficult, uncomfortable situations. The bottom line is, others in contention have figured out a way to make it work. Development looks different now. You have to maximize the Portal. OSU should use the Portal liberally for any All-American Candidate who is looking for a better place to compete. Izzak Olejnik is the template.

All that said, here is what it seems to look like as of right now, measuring everyone to the standard listed above (fairly or not).

125: Troy Sprately seems to have all the necessary ingredients to be a Big 12 Champ and AA for the duration of his career. His mistakes were typically mistakes of aggression that should be coachable. He has an appropriate level of nastiness and most importantly the will & determination to succeed. He is able to get in on legs that you need in this new era of the 3-point Takedown. To give you a sense of his ability, he has a Major Decision of the eventual National Champ under his belt. OSU should be fine at this weight for the next 3 years.

Sam Smith & Jayce Mullin are the only other guys on the current Roster to back up. Perhaps Zach Blankenship could make the cut; he's looking pretty thick and still recovering from what looks like shoulder surgery.

133: 1st weight where things start to look interesting. The only returning 133 on the Roster is Reece Witcraft. You've got J.J. McComas & Rin Sakamoto coming in as True Freshmen; which makes this a fascinating situation. Seems like you have to Redshirt Sakamoto with no Folkstyle experience. Unless this guy is just unbelievable from Day 1.

1. Can they compete for a Big 12 Championship?
2. Can they All-American?

I'm Reece Witcraft's biggest fan outside of any relatives. Can he beat Frost from Iowa State? That is the new standard.

What do you do if Nasir Bailey is sitting in the Portal? It seems highly irresponsible for OSU if they don't pursue. Will be an interesting test of how OSU is looking at things and how they plan to manage. Massive shoes to fill here, obviously.

Zach Blankenship & Jim Mullin provide depth.

141: Interesting situation #2; although the answer seems to be on the Roster. Tagen Jamison showed a lot of promise. Carter Young has shown a lot of promise. Cael Hughes is ultra-talented and has to be in the Line-Up. Who can cut and who can bulk? After a year at 141, Young looked smallish. He hasn't been 100% so likely not fair to him...he hasn't been able to beat Jamison or Jordan Williams. Its a good problem to have except for the fact that you might not have a spot for everyone. Someone is going to get left out unless everything goes perfectly in terms of finding the right weight classes. If you could get Hughes or Young to 133, that would help a ton; although that ship seems to have sailed. Could Jamison bulk to 149?

149: Interesting situation #3, although the answer seems to be on the Roster. In a perfect world, you've got "The Guy" in Jordan Williams who answers both Standards Questions. The problem is, as can be seen at 141; how do you fit in other talented athletes? Can Jordan bulk? Obviously you don't do it if that messes him up. So you have, potentially, Williams, Young, and Jamison?

You've got Cutter Sheets here as depth.

157: Interesting situation #4. Everyone (myself included) loves the Nolan Boyd/Preston Weigel types; and it looks like OSU has that kind of athlete in Teague Travis. It also seems like this is a placeholder situation LaDarion Lockett.

1. Can he compete for a Big 12 Championship? Potentially
2. Can he All-American? Hard to tell. He beat Top 10 guys this season. He also looked completely overmatched against Levi Haines.

This is yet another tough situation. Is there anyone that can bulk to 157? Is Teague done bulking? In the pre-portal/NIL era, it seems you let this one continue to play out/blossom. The challenge seems to be, does this allow OSU to compete at the highest level next year? Everyone would like the answer to be yes. This seems to be the perfect test case. What would Penn State and Iowa do here? Would they go into the season with someone like this starting or look to improve? Through different methods, it seems both would be looking for the best possible guy.

I don't know the answer, and it seems increasingly harder to say what the right thing is to do. Fans are demanding championships. Teague has everything you want and are looking for in an OSU wrestler with the possible exception of elite talent.

Other than the younger Manibog, you don't have anyone else on the Roster unless someone bulks.

165: Portal all the way. There is no one else on the Roster. At one point, Brayden Thompson was mentioned as a 165. That ship seems to have sailed. Lee Cotheran stated that Iowa is forcing Patrick Kennedy out. If that is the case; he should be Target #1. Back up Olejnik with another Olejnik. The wrestler from Binghamton has been mentioned as well. There is no other option than the Portal here and it should be an attractive landing spot for the most talented guy out there looking to move.

174: Interesting situation #5. We saw all sides from Brayden Thompson this year it seems. Being a Top 6 P4P Recruit, it feels like it would be a huge bust if he didn't work out somewhere. I like the idea of a Redshirt Year for him to get him to 184 and find a Portal Option. You've also got A.J. Heeg available who was ready to jump in when Thompson was struggling early. Both Thompson and Williams showed signs at certain points during the season; between the 2, Thompson seems to be a big more of a question mark. Will he make the necessary commitments to be great? We will see and time will tell. So the options seem to be either ride with him, Redshirt and either replace in the Portal or go with Heeg.

184: The new leader of the Team. Big 12 Champ and NCAA Finalist. Wish OSU had 5-6 more weights like this.

197: Interesting situation #6. What do you do with a guy like Luke Surber? How much has injury affected him this past season? This guy has beaten BOTH Elam Brothers. He seems like the ultimate OSU guy. Before this season, the answer to the 2 Standards Questions seemed to be Yes. After this season, who knows what to think. Is Christian Carroll going to be at this weight? If he is, and can't beat Surber, will he be willing to be patient? Can Surber beat Carroll? If Carroll is as good as his ranking, and comes in and commands the weight, that would simplify things. What if Surber returns to the form he showed prior to this year? In an ideal world, you have one final season of peak Surber with Carroll coming in behind.

285: Interesting situation #7: If Carroll is indeed at 197, it looks like OSU is headed for one more year of Konner Doucet. The difficult thing about Doucet is that the answer to the 2 Standards Questions unless proven otherwise is No. Which limits OSU's ability to both 1. Win a Big 12 Title and 2. Close the gap with Penn State. I don't know if you go Portal here for a 1 year guy. Merrill likely won't be ready to go on Day 1. Is Surber up for a bulk job again? Which path gives OSU the best chance to answer the 2 Standards Questions? This is murky at best and looking at it today, its hard to see any situation other than Doucet.

This makes guessing extremely difficult. So here goes on a Dual #1 Line-Up (Big 12 Champ Potential/AA Potential):

125: Spratley (Yes/Yes)
133: Witcraft (No/No) OR McComas (No/No)
141: Jamison (Yes/Yes) OR Hughes (Yes/Yes)
149: Williams (Yes/Yes)
157: Travis (Outside Chance with Downey & Chittum/Outside Chance)
165: Portal
174: Thompson (Yes, only Sax ahead of him/Outside Chance)
184: Plott (Yes/Yes)
197: Carroll (Yes, this weight COMLETEY clears out in the Big 12/Maybe?)
285: Doucet (No - Schultz & Heindselman, who has figured Doucet out/No)
Click to expand...
Excellent post! I agree that now adays to compete for 2nd place each weight needs to have an athlete who has a good chance to AA. Eventually, if we ever hope to compete against PSU we'll need multiple elite athletes in the lineup who are going for 2, 3 or 4 time national titles.

141 - Is Jamison having a hard time pulling weight? Is that why he faded at the end of the season?
157 - I wouldn't recruit over Travis as long as he is as dedicated as he has been, I think he will have a chance to AA if he bulks up more. We need to spend money on other weights.
174 - Are Thompson's issues due to cutting too much weight or lifestyle? If it's lifestyle, in today's age you can't waste time and large amounts of NIL money on these guys - spend the money on someone else.
197 - If CC can hold weight well I think he's a high AA, if not use Surber again.
HWT - If CC goes 197 I'd like to see Surber bulk up again and battle Doucett for the spot.
 
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Cowboy1989 said:
Excellent post! I agree that now adays to compete for 2nd place each weight needs to have an athlete who has a good chance to AA. Eventually, if we ever hope to compete against PSU we'll need multiple elite athletes in the lineup who are going for 2, 3 or 4 time national titles.

141 - Is Jamison having a hard time pulling weight? Is that why he faded at the end of the season?
157 - I wouldn't recruit over Travis as long as he is as dedicated as he has been, I think he will have a chance to AA if he bulks up more. We need to spend money on other weights.
174 - Are Thompson's issues due to cutting too much weight or lifestyle? If it's lifestyle, in today's age you can't waste time and large amounts of NIL money on these guys - spend the money on someone else.
197 - If CC can hold weight well I think he's a high AA, if not use Surber again.
HWT - If CC goes 197 I'd like to see Surber bulk up again and battle Doucett for the spot.
Click to expand...
I’d like to see us go get transfers at 141, 165(need,) 174, 197 and 285.

Yes, that’s half a lineup. But, it should be clear we expect production at the NCAAs. If you don’t produce (unless injured, etc.) your NIL money will be used on someone that will.

Travis did enough to miss that scenario.
 
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chasepollard said:
I’d like to see us go get transfers at 141, 165(need,) 174, 197 and 285.

Yes, that’s half a lineup. But, it should be clear we expect production at the NCAAs. If you don’t produce (unless injured, etc.) your NIL money will be used on someone that will.

Travis did enough to miss that scenario.
Click to expand...
I think you add 133 to the list if Hughes can't make the drop.
 
Something I noticed or at least paid more attention to this tournament was how guys responded to adversity during the matches when they were down and things got tough. And how guys responded after losing (especially early on). And this is not just OSU guys but everyone. What I noticed might be stating the obvious but the guys who had the fight in them and the desire, heart and will seemed to push through and got on the podium beating more talented and past AA’s. It’s harder IMO to lose in the first round and come back to earn a high AA place (3rd/4th) than it is to make the finals. Like what Kasak did for PSU. You can’t teach that, it’s just something you have inside you. I hear a lot of people talk about Hughes not wanting to go 133 and that’s a terrible sign for me. I want a kid who is going to be doing back flips bc they are so excited and ready to wrestle they will go whatever weight you want them at. Not a unproven freshman who wants to pick his weight. You get your ass out there and win and earn that. I want guys who love wrestling, who live it and live their lives the right way bc they love it so much. Find me those guys bc talent will only take you so far.
 
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Okie_Pat said:
Sorry, I meant Nagao.
Click to expand...
I knew what you meant, just couldn't resist.

It will be interesting to see how it shakes out though. Nate Desmond is likely a career 125. Lilledahl is an incoming stud at 133, but possible he shirts. Davis and Kasak could redshirt. Maybe Nagao stays at 133, Bartlett seems likely to return, and SVN will be back from injury at 149.
 
Here is my thinking on the transfer portal.
We have a hole at 165 we need someone who can place high enough at big 12 to qualify for nationals sure I would love another AA but it’s just a hole that needs to be filled. Loved that we didn’t need any at large qualifiers. Then from there I would go after the best guy at a couple different weights but obviously only so much money to go around. Hope Hughes can make 133 but if not that would be a good spot to go after some one but the prospect would have to be AA material because witcraft can qualify the weight. Also with the rumors of Thompson being to big for 174 and also no offense, I could see 174 being a good spot for a high level transfer. Also I think Lockett is a 165/174 so maybe need to get a guy with multiple years similar to spratley and Jamison this year.
 
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125- Spratley- he had it and let it slip away. I'm not a D1 coach but I'd love for him to forget that claw ride. He doesn't get consistent swipes with it and a good mat wrestler like TJ will get him in trouble w/ it most of the time like we saw. Like to see him just use that cross wrist tilt more unless he can really get better with the other. Another year to get bigger and stronger and I'd really be surprised if he doesn't make the podium.

133- best case scenario is Hughes. Give us just one season at 33 Cael.

141- Jamison- gotta put it altogether. Especially on the mental side. Guy is tough! Also needs a better top game in the way of a solid ride and consistent turn.

149- Williams- Get bigger and stronger and look out! Like Jamison he desperately needs a much improved top game, ride and turn to become more complete.

157- Travis- like many other weights this one was a meet grinder. No B12 AAs. Had some great wins this year. Get bigger, stronger, meaner and develop some turns on top.

165- portal

174- portal. For the love of God let Thompson RS. You will not be an AA if you can't go get a TD consistently.

184- Plott. I don't know the key to beating Keckeisen, I really don't, but what great season for Dustin!

197- Up in the air. The weight clears out some though. I feel like a healthy Surber can AA. My big question is that if its CC can the guy scramble like he needs to at 197? This isn't HS 215 and it sure isn't heavyweight.

285- By all accounts KD is a great guy. But like I said about BT, you aren't going to AA if you cant go get a TD. My thoughts is either the portal or let's hope a short heavy like Merrill is ready as a true freshman.
 
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Howie_Fartz said:
125- Spratley- he had it and let it slip away. I'm not a D1 coach but I'd love for him to forget that claw ride. He doesn't get consistent swipes with it and a good mat wrestler like TJ will get him in trouble w/ it most of the time like we saw. Like to see him just use that cross wrist tilt more unless he can really get better with the other. Another year to get bigger and stronger and I'd really be surprised if he doesn't make the podium.

133- best case scenario is Hughes. Give us just one season at 33 Cael.

141- Jamison- gotta put it altogether. Especially on the mental side. Guy is tough! Also needs a better top game in the way of a solid ride and consistent turn.

149- Williams- Get bigger and stronger and look out! Like Jamison he desperately needs a much improved top game, ride and turn to become more complete.

157- Travis- like many other weights this one was a meet grinder. No B12 AAs. Had some great wins this year. Get bigger, stronger, meaner and develop some turns on top.

165- portal

174- portal. For the love of God let Thompson RS. You will not be an AA if you can't go get a TD consistently.

184- Plott. I don't know the key to beating Keckeisen, I really don't, but what great season for Dustin!

197- Up in the air. The weight clears out some though. I feel like a healthy Surber can AA. My big question is that if its CC can the guy scramble like he needs to at 197? This isn't HS 215 and it sure isn't heavyweight.

285- By all accounts KD is a great guy. But like I said about BT, you aren't going to AA if you cant go get a TD. My thoughts is either the portal or let's hope a short heavy like Merrill is ready as a true freshman.
Click to expand...
165 was just filled. Dean Hamiti is now a Poke
 
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Howie_Fartz said:
125- Spratley- he had it and let it slip away. I'm not a D1 coach but I'd love for him to forget that claw ride. He doesn't get consistent swipes with it and a good mat wrestler like TJ will get him in trouble w/ it most of the time like we saw. Like to see him just use that cross wrist tilt more unless he can really get better with the other. Another year to get bigger and stronger and I'd really be surprised if he doesn't make the podium.

133- best case scenario is Hughes. Give us just one season at 33 Cael.

141- Jamison- gotta put it altogether. Especially on the mental side. Guy is tough! Also needs a better top game in the way of a solid ride and consistent turn.

149- Williams- Get bigger and stronger and look out! Like Jamison he desperately needs a much improved top game, ride and turn to become more complete.

157- Travis- like many other weights this one was a meet grinder. No B12 AAs. Had some great wins this year. Get bigger, stronger, meaner and develop some turns on top.

165- portal

174- portal. For the love of God let Thompson RS. You will not be an AA if you can't go get a TD consistently.

184- Plott. I don't know the key to beating Keckeisen, I really don't, but what great season for Dustin!

197- Up in the air. The weight clears out some though. I feel like a healthy Surber can AA. My big question is that if its CC can the guy scramble like he needs to at 197? This isn't HS 215 and it sure isn't heavyweight.

285- By all accounts KD is a great guy. But like I said about BT, you aren't going to AA if you cant go get a TD. My thoughts is either the portal or let's hope a short heavy like Merrill is ready as a true freshman.
Click to expand...
125 - Spratley (should AA in the 3-8 range) 5 points minimum
133 - Sure hope Hughes can make it, but the writing is on the wall here. Probably go portal
141 - Hughes, Jamison or Young (should at least blood round) 2.5 points
149 - Williams (same as Spratley) 5 points minimum
157 - TT (same) 5 points
165 - Saldate (see 141 until otherwise noted) 2.5
174 - Hamiti (possible finalist but lets say 3rd) 13 points
184 - Plott (finalist) 22.5 points
197 - Carroll (same as 141 should be the minimum) 2.5
285 - Hendrickson (please let it be a possibility) 22.5 points

There you have it 80.5 and a second place team trophy.
 
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chasepollard said:
125 - Spratley (should AA in the 3-8 range) 5 points minimum
133 - Sure hope Hughes can make it, but the writing is on the wall here. Probably go portal
141 - Hughes, Jamison or Young (should at least blood round) 2.5 points
149 - Williams (same as Spratley) 5 points minimum
157 - TT (same) 5 points
165 - Saldate (see 141 until otherwise noted) 2.5
174 - Hamiti (possible finalist but lets say 3rd) 13 points
184 - Plott (finalist) 22.5 points
197 - Carroll (same as 141 should be the minimum) 2.5
285 - Hendrickson (please let it be a possibility) 22.5 points

There you have it 80.5 and a second place team trophy.
Click to expand...
We are not going portal at 33. Hughes will be there Saldata will not be 65.
 
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