ADVERTISEMENT

New 133 contender

@artradley, what can you tell us about this guy? 2X NJ State Champ - ranked #73 on FLO's 2023 big board. Is he underrated? Maybe lower ranked due to lack of national results, despite a 3 loss HS career in one of the toughest HS wrestling states?
 
  • Like
Reactions: T8KUDWN and Grip220
to take over for teske after a redshirt year
Shootin’ for the stars, eh?

Maybe he comes in at #5 AT HIS WEIGHT. First year he’s gonna end up around #20 at his weight due to three or four years worth of athletes ahead of him in experience. He might make blood round the second season! Then we’ll more than likely have two years of scratching to make the podium.

Meanwhile, PSU keeps landing recruits who are light years ahead AS BACK UP, to number one recruit at their weight.
 
Last edited:
Shootin’ for the stars, eh?

Maybe he comes in at #5 AT HIS WEIGHT. First year he’s gonna end up around #20 at his weight due to three or four years worth of athletes ahead of him in experience. He might make blood round the second season! Then we’ll more than likely have two years of scratching to make the podium.

Meanwhile, PSU keeps landing recruits who are light years ahead AS BACK UP, to number one recruit at their weight.

haha i have no idea if this kid is even good but apparently iowa is involved so someone must think he’s worth a look.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LaxHawk174
@artradley, what can you tell us about this guy? 2X NJ State Champ - ranked #73 on FLO's 2023 big board. Is he underrated? Maybe lower ranked due to lack of national results, despite a 3 loss HS career in one of the toughest HS wrestling states?
Looking at the kids resume’ he hasn’t beaten anybody notable that I can see. The two kids that beat him aren't exactly world beaters either. I think Iowa can do better, especially with lightweights.
 
  • Like
Reactions: xjohnx and el dub
How do you know? Could start a NJ pipeline which wouldn’t hurt.

Well, Teske was much higher rated out of HS and has been on the edge of AA in college. This kid is ranked in the 70s. Not a blue chipper.

That said…bring him on! I’d be very happy to have him. But thinking he’s better than Teske (or Schriever) for next season is far fetched. I’d 100% be happy to have him.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lightweight87
Difference in Iowa and Psu right now. They’re constantly getting the top ranked and Iowa is in the mix for a guy that may develop but also may never see the podium.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TarpHawk
4x NJ Finalist ( pretty sure there have only about 6/7 other that have accomplished that in NJ History, Great Tournament ...Jordan Burroughs has 1 NJ title and Bruce Baumgartner was 2nd as a Senior)

Brother was also a 2x Champ and was a Freshman at Pitt last year

Dad Vinny runs and owns one of the best wrestling clubs in USA that has been around for about 25 years and still strong. Best wrestler was NCAA Champ and USA Olympian Frank Molinaro.. Dad was great wrestler and wrestled D1 at Lock Haven
 
Last edited:
GET EVERY KID WILLING TO COME!!!! Make in-roads to as many states as possible. Start recruiting a lot harder. This kid has a lot going for him. Not sure what it would take these days with the numbers being thrown around?
 
Being from Jersey and knowing how tough the state tournament is, I’m confused how this kid is ranked in the 70s. Id expect an NJ kid with a 138-3 record and a 4x finalist/2x champ to be much higher. Must have taken a bunch of losses in out of season tournaments, or is a multi sport athlete so he doesn’t compete at them and he hasn’t hit enough ranked kids in season. Maybe @smalls103 can shed some light.
 
  • Like
Reactions: IRONBIRD
Being from Jersey and knowing how tough the state tournament is, I’m confused how this kid is ranked in the 70s. Id expect an NJ kid with a 138-3 record and a 4x finalist/2x champ to be much higher. Must have taken a bunch of losses in out of season tournaments, or is a multi sport athlete so he doesn’t compete at them and he hasn’t hit enough ranked kids in season. Maybe @smalls103 can shed some light.
He was injured after Jr. season and was on shelf and didn't compete until he went 40-0 in Senior year. He's a sleeper Nationally right now
 
Huh? Pipeline needs to carry certified studs, not projects or room guys. Unless you mean a walk-on pipeline? J/k
If anybody has been following College Wrestling in last 30 years a Pipeline to New Jerseys Best HS Wrestlers wouldn't be a bad thing.
Just think if Iowa recruited Darrion Caldwell..He would of went to Iowa in a second over NC State
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: IRONBIRD
If anybody has been following College Wrestling in last 30 years a Pipeline to New Jerseys Best HS Wrestlers wouldn't be a bad thing.
Just think if Iowa recruited Darrion Caldwell..He would of went to Iowa in a second over NC State
Different convo.
 
Being from Jersey and knowing how tough the state tournament is, I’m confused how this kid is ranked in the 70s. Id expect an NJ kid with a 138-3 record and a 4x finalist/2x champ to be much higher. Must have taken a bunch of losses in out of season tournaments, or is a multi sport athlete so he doesn’t compete at them and he hasn’t hit enough ranked kids in season. Maybe @smalls103 can shed some light.
He’s probably ranked in 70s bc he didn’t beat/run into many highly nationally ranked guys.. big board ranking doesn’t care if you are multi Sport athlete or x times champ of which state.. think it mainly factors who you beat on route to said state title and how you do on national scale would be my guess..
 
He’s probably ranked in 70s bc he didn’t beat/run into many highly nationally ranked guys.. big board ranking doesn’t care if you are multi Sport athlete or x times champ of which state.. think it mainly factors who you beat on route to said state title and how you do on national scale would be my guess..
Yeah the only reason why I mentioned the possibility of him being a multi sport athlete was because then he wouldn’t be competing in out of season events to elevate his stock against other nationally ranked opponents.
 
Yeah the only reason why I mentioned the possibility of him being a multi sport athlete was because then he wouldn’t be competing in out of season events to elevate his stock against other nationally ranked opponents.
Right, agreed, he could be a sleeper if he didn’t face a lot of nationally ranked opponents.. I just think the number of state title from y location is lil overhyped.. it really matters more who u beat.. someone can be a 3/4x state champ from y location and beat no one en route to it.. vs someone who is 1x champ but won everything under the sun his sr year and the second guy would be considered the better prospect heading into college.
 
NJ kids are studs, whether hes ranked #73 by FLO or #18 by matscouts. A good example of why you need to dig a little deeper sometimes than just the recruiting ranking. @so cal hawkfan correctly identified the Cortez bros as total studs based on his eyeball test, despite not having the greatest big board rankings at the time. After watching their state tournament matches, that was easy to see. I'll bet that they'll both be top 15-20ish type guys on the big board before it's all said and done. NJ/CA/PA are probably the 3 toughest state tournaments in the country - so I tend to give a little extra respect to champs and multi-champs from said states.
 
  • Like
Reactions: el dub
NJ kids are studs, whether hes ranked #73 by FLO or #18 by matscouts. A good example of why you need to dig a little deeper sometimes than just the recruiting ranking. @so cal hawkfan correctly identified the Cortez bros as total studs based on his eyeball test, despite not having the greatest big board rankings at the time. After watching their state tournament matches, that was easy to see. I'll bet that they'll both be top 15-20ish type guys on the big board before it's all said and done. NJ/CA/PA are probably the 3 toughest state tournaments in the country - so I tend to give a little extra respect to champs and multi-champs from said states.
NJ/Ca/PA state titles are worth more for consideration bc,on average, they have tougher competition. At the end of the day it always comes down to who you beat.. that combined w/ mindset and how much they wanna keep improving but that’s harder to gauge.
 
Could you imagine if Iowa had state championship rounds to sort that out?
 
If you look at the 2025 Big Board there’s tons of NJ talent. And I’m sure he’s connected to some of those guys.
 
Santaniello is a stud recruit. He is not a project/room guy. He would relieve a lot of the sting from the Jesuroga loss.
 
  • Like
Reactions: eb05
For what it’s worth, Willie has him #18 on MatScouts 2023 Big Board, 1 spot ahead of Gabe Arnold and at least 183 spots ahead of Kale Petersen.
Santaniello is tough to gauge. (so is Petersen fwiw. i just put him in.)

I feel he's much better than the 80's but frankly i can't criticize flo too much on this one. in state he was dominant, but his national performances were lacking a bit and as stated he missed some time.

he absolutely dominated this hs season but it does seem like the entire state avoided him making his state bracket not very deep.
 
If TNT see something in the kid and he has a solid background I would definitely recruit him and maybe he does open a talent pipeline for other New Jersey guys ! Its not like we are going to be over flowing with recruits who will be better than he is. and on another bright note... He may be able to help the Ferrari Brothers entice a Jersey Shore barber to move to IC so they can keep that " Fresh Fade" nice and tight with the clean lines that you can only get on the NJ and NY Shore .
 
If TNT see something in the kid and he has a solid background I would definitely recruit him and maybe he does open a talent pipeline for other New Jersey guys ! Its not like we are going to be over flowing with recruits who will be better than he is. and on another bright note... He may be able to help the Ferrari Brothers entice a Jersey Shore barber to move to IC so they can keep that " Fresh Fade" nice and tight with the clean lines that you can only get on the NJ and NY Shore .
I don’t want to sound like a troll but we don’t like pipeline’s to states with really good HS talent
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: el dub and AFHawk86
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT