I think this chart sums up the impact the NCAA's decision to take away a year of eligibility from the 2016 high school graduating class (approximately) and transfer it to the 2017 and beyond classes (approximately) impacted college wrestling.
Using Willie's Big Board data out to his top 100 ranked recruits I show the number of All-American honors won by each high school graduating class.
Notes:
Using Willie's Big Board data out to his top 100 ranked recruits I show the number of All-American honors won by each high school graduating class.
Notes:
- The 2016 graduating class was poised to become the most decorated of the era before the NCAA decided to cancel the 2020 tournament. As it stands without their final year of eligibility they were only 1 AA behind 2014, equal with 2015, and 5 AA's ahead of 2013.
- The 2017 - 2019 classes effectively received an extra redshirt allowing them to complete their careers a year older than they would have otherwise. While not all took advantage of the extra year, enough did that is shows up in the data.
- Curiously, the 2020 class, the direct beneficiaries of the fifth year, did little with it. While 40 of the 100 still have remaining eligibility, only 11 of the 40 have AA'd in the past. The class of 2020 is likely to finish with 50 - 55 AA's.
- The class of 2021 is a bloodbath. With only 16 total AA's from 9 wrestlers among the top 100 through four years, it is not looking good. The story can be told by its top 2 ranked high schoolers. Paddy Gallagher and Alex Facundo have zero AA's between them. While Facundo still two years left (3? who really knows for sure at this point?) and Gallagher still has one, even if they AA out it will be historically low.
