Ohio State's wrestling team had a solid weekend, capped off by a dominant dual-meet victory over Indiana with just six starters on the mats. Future Buckeyes were in action as well, with four big-time commitments in marquee meets across the country.
Love our 2018 Bucks. Good start. @sammysasso @Malikheins @rocky_jordan2 @gavinhoffman_ ! Passion, Skill, Effort. #PositiveInfinity
— Thomas Ryan (@Buckeye158) December 10, 2017
Sammy Sasso, Malik Heinselman, Rocky Jordan and Gavin Hoffman are headliners of Coach Tom Ryan's exceptional 2018 class, and each acquitted themselves quite well. A quick breakdown:
- Sasso, the nation's top prospect at 149 pounds, won the 152-pound class at the Cumberland Valley Kickoff Classic, pinning his opponent at 3:50;
- Heinselman, a Top 40 prospect overall, dropped a close decision in overtime to a Top 10 opponent at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman tournament;
- Jordan, the third brother in the Jordan dynasty, was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Ironman, pinning his opponent in the waning seconds of the match to seal the 170-pound class; and,
- Hoffman, likewise, earned Outstanding Wrestler honors at the Top Hat Wrestling Tournament with a 22-7 tech fall in the final match at 195 pounds.
Rocky Jordan with the fall as time expires! Wow. pic.twitter.com/eGZ9HRiwjN
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) December 10, 2017
Here's a look at the 2018 recruiting class, as a reminder:
| Name | High School | Projected Weight | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaden Mattox | Grove City Central Crossing | 157 | No. 18 |
| Malik Heinselman | Castle View (Colorado) | 125 | No. 40 |
| Jashon Hubbard | Steubenville | 157 | |
| Gavin Hoffman | Montoursville (Pennsylvania) | 197 | No. 14 |
| Kyle Gruber | Massillon Perry | 125 | |
| Rocky Jordan | St. Paris Graham | 165/174 | No. 36 |
| Sammy Sasso | Nazareth (Pennsylvania) | 149/157 | No. 12 |
| Quinn Kinner | Kingsway (New Jersey) | 141/149 | No. 55 |
| Alex Felix | Gillroy (California) | 141/149 | No. 76 |
| Josh Ramirez | Dubuque Wahlert (Iowa) | 165/174 | No. 17 (at 160) |
Reader and wrestling fan Desymond posed a good question last night after observing that Ohio State's back-ups have had mixed results filling in for Nathan Tomasello, Joey McKenna and Kyle Snyder:
Are any of the backups expected to be starters in the future? Should we be concerned that they haven't been really blowing the doors off as they fill in?
Wrestling aficionado Bdhof wisely noted that in the case of Brakan Mead, it's been trial by fire as the true freshman was expected to redshirt this year. Tomasello's unfortunate knee injury at the U23 World Team Trials prompted his last-minute insertion into the lineup.
Cody Burcher, who won his match at 165 Sunday filling in for Te'Shan Campbell, went more or less .500 last season and qualified for the NCAA tournament. He, like Fritz Schierl and Kevin Snyder, seem destined to be career backups given the type of recruits coming into the program.
In late October, FloWrestling took a look at likely future Buckeye lineups given this class, and it's worth a read for those interested in what the future holds. Here's a summary:
| Weight | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125 | Nathan Tomasello | Malik Heinselman | Heinselman | Heinselman |
| 133 | Luke Pletcher | Pletcher | Pletcher | Jordan Decatur |
| 141 | Joey McKenna | McKenna | Hayes | Quinn Kinner |
| 149 | Ke-Shawn Hayes | Hayes | Sammy Sasso | Sasso |
| 157 | Micah Jordan | M. Jordan | Jaden Mattox | Mattox |
| 165 | Te'Shan Campbell | Campbell | Rocky Jordan | R. Jordan |
| 174 | Bo Jordan | Kaleb Romero | Romero | Romero |
| 184 | Myles Martin | Martin | Gavin Hoffman | Ethan Smith |
| 197 | Kollin Moore | Moore | Moore | Hoffman |
| HWT | Kyle Snyder | Chase Singletary | Singletary | Singletary |
There's a bit of educated guesswork involved here, naturally, but the lineup looks pretty darn good for Ohio State over the next three years. Replacing a trio of likely four-time All Americans in Tomasello, Bo Jordan and Kyle Snyder is no small task, but Ryan has recruited the horses to do it to a high degree.
For next season the biggest question is probably 125: Flo slotted Heinselman into the lineup given his potential, but wrestling him as a true freshman isn't necessarily ideal. Mead could battle for the spot and Heinselman could well redshirt, as more or less the rest of his class will.
Kaleb Romero and Chase Singletary are two of the more heralded recruits in recent years, and both are expected to step in and go to work at a high level. Both men have the unenviable task of following two of the best wrestlers in Ohio State history, and in the case of Singletary, following perhaps the greatest wrestler of all time.
At any rate, Tom Ryan has been quite successful out on the recruiting trail, and fans of the program have plenty to look forward to in the coming years.
