Iowa is getting smoked in recruiting.
Official Portal Watch
- Thread starter eb05
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They DO have a top 10 from that class in DeLuca. So, when you say "getting smoked" only 1 team has more than 1 top 10 in that class and, of course, it is PSU with 2. Admittedly, I would like to know what their plans are for the rest of that recruiting class, but if they had a bunch of 20's-50's, the usual suspects would be complaining about that instead...
it’s never been more clear to me that we need a recruiting coordinator to compete nationally for the top tier recruits. they have had some wins with ferrari and deluca more guys are needed to get back to the top.
this doesn't make it any better. We followed up a paltry 2024 class with a paltry 2025 class. This is getting WORSE.
Was Ferrari a win? Once it was established that they were a package deal, there weren't many suitors.
They weren't (VT for instance wouldn't have taken Anthony and AJ)
BUT, it made it easier for Angelo.
I am sorry, but “paltry” is a ridiculous word to use to describe ANY recruiting class that lands a top 10 recruit(many argued Ferrari as #1 overall). I get that you have an agenda and, right now, you are full steam ahead creating a negative twist to every aspect possible. Would more recruits in the top 30 be nice? Absolutely. Would I call the 2025 recruiting class great? No. But, it is much closer to that level than you just painted it as…
No. It's not. Not when we're supposed to competing for championships. And we have back-to-back "paltry" classes.
I didn't say completely devoid of talent. and whatever my "agenda" is - this isn't a good thing and it gosh dang ain't a good trend.
and honestly dude... I'm at least looking for HOPE. SOMEWHERE, ANYWHERE! Do you see it?
Iowa wrestlers as seniors have diminishing returns - CHECK
Iowa wrestlers can't scramble - so Tom has said we'll address it by getting better at something that's not scrambling - CHECK
Spencer's dad gave us a notebook on recruiting - so we'll do better there by not bringing in multiple top 20 recruits for multiple consecutive classes - CHECK CHECK
We'll have the WORLDS BEST FACILITY that will help us recruit - but really just make it a seggs dungeon - CHECK CHECK CHECK
Do me a favor and instead of just complaining about my posts, being a damn apologist and telling me the sun is shining when it's actually Alaska's 60 days of night - YOU give me something to cheer and be positive about.
Iowa wrestlers as seniors have diminishing returns - CHECK
Iowa wrestlers can't scramble - so Tom has said we'll address it by getting better at something that's not scrambling - CHECK
Spencer's dad gave us a notebook on recruiting - so we'll do better there by not bringing in multiple top 20 recruits for multiple consecutive classes - CHECK CHECK
We'll have the WORLDS BEST FACILITY that will help us recruit - but really just make it a seggs dungeon - CHECK CHECK CHECK
Do me a favor and instead of just complaining about my posts, being a damn apologist and telling me the sun is shining when it's actually Alaska's 60 days of night - YOU give me something to cheer and be positive about.
With all the holes we have, I stand by my statement
Agreed. One a class isn’t gonna cut it. Iowa desperately needs Blaze and for whatever reason people in the know say it’s a long shot.
So does Tom. You seriously better want to be part of the program to get his attention, apparently.
Flo Pound for Pound:
Apr 11, 2024:
Apr 11, 2024:
| Rank | Year | Name | School | State | Weight | College | Previous |
| 1 | SR | Luke Lilledahl | Wyoming Seminary | PA | 126 | Penn State | 1 |
| 2 | SO | Jax Forrest | Bishop McCort | PA | 126 | 6 | |
| 3 | SR | Angelo Ferrari | Melissa | TX | 170 | Iowa | 2 |
| 4 | SR | Benjamin Davino | St. Charles | IL | 132 | Ohio State | 3 |
| 5 | JR | Marcus Blaze | Perrysburg | OH | 132 | 4 | |
| 6 | SR | Zack Ryder | Minisink Valley | NY | 190 | Penn State | 5 |
| 7 | SR | Cody Merrill | Gilroy | CA | 215 | Oklahoma State | 7 |
| 8 | JR | PJ Duke | Minisink Valley | NY | 157 | Penn State | 8 |
| 9 | SR | Aeoden Sinclair | Milton | WI | 190 | Missouri | 9 |
| 10 | SR | Connor Mirasola | West Bend West | WI | 190 | Penn State | 10 |
| 11 | SO | Bo Bassett | Bishop McCort | PA | 138 | 13 | |
| 12 | SR | Sawyer Bartelt | South Dade | FL | 215 | Iowa State | 11 |
| 13 | SR | Joseph Sealey | Wyoming Seminary | PA | 165 | Penn State | 12 |
| 14 | JR | Anthony Knox | Saint John Vianney | NJ | 120 | Cornell | 14 |
| 15 | JR | LaDarion Lockett | Stillwater | OK | 165 | Oklahoma State | 15 |
| 16 | JR | William Henckel | Blair Academy | NJ | 165 | Penn State | 16 |
| 17 | SR | Brock Mantanona | Palm Desert | CA | 150 | Michigan | 17 |
| 18 | SR | Kyler Larkin | Valiant Prep | AZ | 132 | Arizona State | 18 |
| 19 | SR | Dillan Johnson | Joliet Catholic | IL | 285 | Wisconsin | 20 |
| 20 | SR | Cole Mirasola | West Bend West | WI | 215 | Penn State | 21 |
If Forrest does indeed go to Oklahoma State that gives them 3 PFP kids. Blaze to Purdue with his brother and Basset to tOSU and that leaves PSU with 7, Okie St. with 3 and everyone else with 1?
Is this how Iowa wrestling is going to make a come back?
I guess if we get 21-25 PFP??
Is this how Iowa wrestling is going to make a come back?
I guess if we get 21-25 PFP??
LOL. I feel like BIll Maher arguing with the progressive left that has taken over. I am NOT running around saying everything is rosey and great. I am just arguing you are SO EXTREME to the "left" in this case that you won't even acknowledge takes that are closer to the middle.
Simply put, I DO think there are issues that need to be addressed and have posted a TON about those issues. I am just not moronic enough to whine about windows and natural light or flat out ignore top 10 recruits. The simple truth is the sky is NOT falling like you detractors claim. The ceiling is lower than it should be but it is still there.
Any staffing changes updates?
Asking for a friend.
Asking for a friend.
Honest question. After that 100+point ass beating we just took, what is it about Iowa's recruiting strategy or coaching/philosophical changes make you think Brands ISN'T setting the table for more of what we've seen for last 14 years?
While I am almost always on your side when it comes to the way we like to look at IOWA. I do get what others are saying. We are just NOT making the strides needed to UP the level of the HAWKS program enough to WIN TITLES!
Many including me just do NOT understand why, or what, or when, or who is going to ignite a darn fire!!! You may be seeing Ohio st taking some steps. IF they land a few more as some are saying, well game is on for them. OK st. also is seeing a possible uptick. IOWA, not so much?
I would fully expect to see/hear about some BIG additions this off-season. So far we have nothing BIG that we did not know about at seasons end!!! Someone should have an interview with Tom and ask straight out. WTF is the plan for next year and moving forward???
You now have a few STUDS in the portal, you have one top kid on the big board, you have several underclass HAMMERS etc...... WHEN does IOWA get some!?!?!?
Honest answer? I DO NOT THINK ANYONE would be competing any better with PSU right now and I DO NOT see anyone that would do any better any time soon. The hard truth is this is a PSU thing WAY MORE than an Iowa thing.
On top of it all, PSU has the best team EVER in DI history the same time that ONLY the state of Iowa investigates colleges for gambling. No matter what ignorant, "what if denying" arguments that were used, Iowa was the CLEAR 2nd best team behind the best team OF ALL TIME this year.
If you flat out compare Iowa to just PSU, yes, they fail. But, guess what? So does EVERYONE else and so would they if they were coaching at Iowa.
Finally, that DOES NOT mean I do not believe there are plenty of areas where I believe the Brands are deficient in. I absolutely believe there should be changes in coaching emphasis on positions and strategy. I also lean towards assistant coaching changes to bring in those that are better at coaching in those areas. I simply WON'T go down the road of saying all this is Brands failing when I realize how much of it is really just SANDERSON having incredible success...
The Davino thing blows my mind. That's a kid we should have been all over and secured his commitment. Bordering state at a needed weight. He could have stepped right in at 133 or 141 at Iowa. And he goes to Ohio State to sit behind Bouzakis or Mendez and burn at least one year of his eligibility after redshirt waiting his turn. Recruiting is broken at Iowa and won't change until there's a regime change.
Hell, if many actually read what I type, they would see that I agree with many arguments as well. I just am not the extremist that many on here are. I also will not ignore how much of the gap is something that is flat out uncontrollable by ANY theoretical coach you replace Brands with.
PSU has created the most incredible dynasty I have EVER witnessed in DI wrestling. With how social media and technology has changed youth training and access to the very best coaching, it has truly changed how and, how important, recruiting is. As great as what Gable did during his time was, I never thought anyone could do that again with how much access kids can have to every school and vice versa. On top of it all, PSU built the most ridiculous RTC imaginable.
With that said, I absolutely do want Iowa to still win titles and am hopeful there are things they can do to get much closer. The problem is I also absolutely believe PSU will need to start making some kind of mistakes to fall back a little to make that possible for ANYONE...
It’s a good start And a step in the right direction. Iowa is desperate for 133/141. If you want to win titles you need 2-3 top 15 guys a class. Pretty easy to see the formula one school is using to win.
Extreme to the left? You mean still right of center, right?
Now this is a sex dungeon lol. 😎
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I get the frustration, for years i wondered why psu didn’t do better in wrestling because they do have certain advantages the first being geographic location. Money was sometimes an issue at the school ( the athletic department seemed pretty cheap over the years, but now it’s not an issue. )
Sanderson obviously changed it. I tend to agree with MSU, i don’t think a coaching change changes things unless it’s a Gable, Sanderson like hire and I don’t see one in the near future. I’d want the staff to change their ways or style in a positive manner, whatever that may be.
Btw…. Under current conditions, Ronnie RayGun’s politics would be viewed as left of center along with all but one of the rest of the republican presidents since 1980. Can you guess which one?
Penn State is blowing everyone out of the water recruiting and in results no doubt. But it feels like tOSU is recruiting great for the last 3 years even without great results. Same with Okie State with very mediocre results. Heck, Cornell is beating us on the recruiting trail in the last couple years, but they are producing champs as well. Something better change pretty quickly for Iowa as I absolutely see tOSU catching us very soon with the last couple classes they have brought in.
i spent two hours talking to Bartlett’s dad and his friend on a break at the Big tens. Him explaining his son’s recruiting was very interesting . They first approached Beau at a freestyle tournament after he beat a psu wrestler .
The psu wrestler went out of his watch congratulate Beau, followed by the coaches . This impressed him and his father. Every thing that might have been an objection to going to psu was handled in a very calm and low keyed manner.
The dad was hoping for an ivy league school because he wanted his son to get a great education for example. They were at a recruiting visit and after telling him that, Sanderson called some guys over to talk to them.
They wrestled at PSU and barely saw mat time but were more than happy to talk academics . The three were either graduates or attending post graduate schools in business and medicine. All had scholarships. What was implied was Sanderson goes to bat for his people.
I’m sure they had great grades but he will work for his kids. He also showed him his phone and showed some of his business contacts. Some of the biggest names in the sports business like CEOs etc. Again, it’s well known that the staff will help you post graduate . It’s all done matter of fact.
They are straight up and use the soft sell. Obviously the recruits see the success is the major driver , him and his staff just cements things with their style .
It wouldn’t be Trump, he’s actually fairly moderate and along with Reagan the only one who hasn’t gotten us in a new war since Reagan.
Ohio State just had a first year guy in the finals and a second year guy win a title. Sasso would have been in the mix if healthy and Feldman looks like a future champ.
They definitely missed on a couple classes (Gallagher for example and Kharchla was derailed by injuries), but they're getting back on track.
So in your opinion, it’s acceptable to simply roll over and take it from them, annually…..because it’s just the way it is? I’m sorry, I dont accept that. And no self respecting Iowa wrestling fan should, especially since we’ve had the same program in place for almost two decades while PSU has widened the gap.
I would be interested in why you tie changes in social media and youth training to the importance of recruiting. Recruiting has always been of paramount importance so I'm having trouble seeing how it changes due to those issues other than that media and clubs and video make it far easier to identify the right studs than it used to be.
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Who cares??
You always want to push the political conversation...
I actually think several will pop up in the next five years. We already have Coleman Scott, then they'll be Lee, DT, Dake, and Nolf and maybe more getting into coaching.
Where did I say anything close to roll over? Go back and actually read what I posted. I gave plenty of things that need to be changed and absolutely said there are things that could be done to lessen the gap.
Many of our differences are NOT in the observations. They are in the conclusions. I do not think removing Brands fixes anything. I still think he is the best guy for the job until a new hot name proves himself. But, that doesn't mean that Brands shouldn't adapt and make some changes to fix some very obvious inefficiencies and bad tendencies.
For the umpteenth time, I never said, nor will I ever say that Iowa fans shouldn't always aspire for the best possible results. My argument is more about the reality of what it takes to achieve that based on what PSU is currently doing and what is available across the entire coaching landscape...
In the past you are were able to get "diamonds in the rough" and find many "raw" guys that "fit the mindset" and develop them. You didn't HAVE to solely recruit top 10's to be competitive at the top. Now, the new crop are showing they are damn near Title Contenders right out of the gate, if not at least solid AA's.
Now, there are VERY few of the former out there. Simply put, there is NO WAY you are competing with Iowa with that old school recruiting mentality and you are still going to be hard pressed to remotely compete with them on recruiting top tier talent anyway...
Transformational coaches? I’m sure many will be very good, but it’s gonna take a lot more than just a well-known wrestler. It’s going to be a certain person, time, and place.
And that might take some time.
