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Top 10 Freshman in D1 Wrestling

Top 10 Freshman in D1 Wrestling

Jan 21, 2014 by Christian Pyles
Top 10 Freshman in D1 Wrestling
Top 10 Freshman in D1 Wrestling

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Top 10 Freshman in D1 Wrestling
Christian Pyles

More and more often, Freshman success is becoming a trend and expectation moreso than an outlier. We consistently are seeing Freshman come in and not only compete, but defeat established and elite college wrestlers.

Last year Nahshon Garrett and Alex Dieringer went toe to toe with National Champions. The year before that Logan Stieber won a title, Hunter Stieber beat 2 time champ Kellen Russell, and Nico Megaludis crashed the finals as a True Freshman.

For a variety of reasons, Freshman are coming in ready to go. Kids are better coached now than ever and are exposed to elite technique earlier as well as able to compete against the nations best around the country. Combine that with more education about nutrition and building strength, it’s a perfect storm for a seamless transition from high school to college.

As we look at the current D1 landscape, we are about to enter a transitional period. The David Taylor, Ed Ruth, Tony Ramos, Kendric Maple, Derek St. John, Tony Nelson and Chris Perry eras are coming to an end. We will usher in a new class of elite guys.

I wanted to come up with a top 10 list of the best Freshman that are competing right now. The list is extremely impressive. So much talent, the future is very bright for college wrestling.  Let the countdown begin!


#10 Brian Murphy-Michigan
While we haven’t seen as much of Brian as I’d like, I think it’s fair to assume he’s going to be a good one. From pushing James Green to the absolute brink and now beating Dylan Ness in OT, I think it’s pretty clear the Wolverines got a good one.

He is great in scrambles and keeps the pressure on his oppenents from neutral.   He can work both sides of the body and has a nice single leg. He may not be ready just yet to make a run at an All American finish, but he’s going to be a tough out for whoever he faces at NCAA’s. With 2 guys on this list, the future sure is bright in Ann Arbor.


#9 Mitch Minotti-Lehigh
IlluMinotti! I’m going to try like heck to coin that as his nickname from here on out. Some may be surprised to see him on here, and if you told me a few months ago he was the 8th best Freshman, I’d call you crazy. But here I am, putting him 8th. Had a great run at Midlands beating Habat and Grajales, but has also beaten Racciato a few times, Zach Beitz and Ian Paddock as well.

He’s steadily climbed the rankings and has been a relatively consistent guy in the scheme of 149. He had one bad loss, but as time has gone by that looks more and more like an outlier than anything. He’s got a unique style. Great leg attacks, but can be hesitant to let them fly. He’s serviceable on top and is beginning to find his identity on the mat, able to excel at getting key ride outs and other situational rides. Doesn’t quite have the turns yet, but he seems committed to working for them. So I think as he matures, his turns will improve.

Watch more video of Midlands 2013 on flowrestling.org


#8 Dylan Peters-Northern Iowa
The Panther Train is rollin’ and that’s in part due to the success of their 125 pound Freshman Dylan Peters. He was certainly on the radar coming into this year. He had a solid RS season, and looked to be a top 10-15 guy. I didn’t realize the dynamism he brought to the table with his pinning ability. He’s been sticking guys, good guys, with regularity this year.

Combine that with him notching his biggest career win last week (a 4-1 decision over Jarrod Patterson) and I’d say he’s well on his way to a fine career for Coach Schwab. With 13 falls in 19 matches he’s going to be a real asset down the line and especially at NCAA’s where bonus points are at a premium.


#7 Brian Realbuto-Cornell
The first of two Big Red wrestlers on this list, it should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed Cornell wrestling through the years.  Freshman success is an expectation for the Big Red and they've been contributing consistently for Coach Koll and company for some time now.  NY native Brian Realbuto has been doing a great job so far.  He had one mis-step when he lost to Anthony Perriotti of Rutgers.  He later avenged that loss and never looked back.

Since then Realbuto has beaten Joey Napoli, RJ Pena, Blaise Butler, Cody Pack, Justin DeAngelis and Zach Brunson.  He's got a relentless style and looks to get to legs early and often.  Very comfortable in scrambles (As you'd expect from any Askren Wrestling Academy member) and is great on top as well.

He pushed Alex Dieringer to the brink at the Scuffle and was RT point away from pulling the upset off.  Realbuto is going to be a thrill to watch for years to come. 

Watch more videos on Flowrestling


#6 Jason Tsirtsis-Northwestern
Jason had a fantastic start to his season, and managed to climb all the way to the 2 spot at one point in the year at 149. He won his first 14 matches, beating Jake Sueflohn, Curt Delia, Dylan Cottrell and Bryce Busler. From neutral he is rock solid positionally. He picks his spots and prefers to shoot a high crotch which he finishes a very high percentage of the time. He is great on top with riding and getting turns with turks.

He’s since fallen on harder times, losing to Eric Grajales, Brody Grothus, and Nick Dardanes. Not that there is any shame in those defeats as all of them are in the top 10. Earlier in the year I thought Jason was a potential title contender. I’m not so sure now, but at 149 if you got a tough guy and a prayer, I think you have a shot to win! It’s been that crazy this year.

Watch more videos on Flowrestling


#5 J’Den Cox-Missouri
Cox made some noise earlier this year when he said his goal was to be a 4 time undefeated champion. While the undefeated part is no longer in play, I think he could be right in the mix for a title. I didn’t see his loss to Phil Wellington, but when he fell to Gadson, he was much more offensive and made one positional error that cost him the match. As he improves his finishing, I think he can evolve into a title contender.

J’den is absolutely smothering on top, and his cradle puts his brute strength on full display. If he can’t turn you, J’den is more than capable of keeping you on the mat all period long. On his feet he does a nice job of working angles to get to his single leg. He’ll need to develop multiple attacks to both sides of the body to get into the upper echelon at 197.

Watch more videos on Flowrestling


#4 Thomas Gilman-Iowa
Well I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t think there’d be too much Gilman talk at this point in the season. I went hard in the paint for Cory Clark all preseason long and pretty much dismissed Thomas’ chances at starting. Well, it seems like he is the guy after his midlands title where he beat National Champion Jesse Delgado as well as Midlands monster Jarrod Garnett!

He’s in the midst of an excellent season. His losses are only to Nico Megaludis and teammate Cory Clark. He is a positional wunderkind, able to control ties and battle with the nations premier handfighters. His top wrestling, while it can be lacking in turns and overall excitement is quite savvy and effective. He controls the hips, and understands how to bridge the gap between riding and stalling. This shows a strategical know-how that is unique for a Freshman. I’m not sure his ceiling is quite on par with the other Freshman, but with a win over Delgado, you almost have to say the sky is the limit for his first season.


Watch more videos on Flowrestling

Watch more videos on Flowrestling


#3 Gabe Dean-Cornell
Hard to believe someone who knocks off a two time champ who hadn’t lost in around 3 years would be 3rd, but that’s just the state of things right now. Dean wins the “Last Guy I’d Ever Want To Wrestle” award. He is an absolute brawler. I saw (and heard) his physicality at Vegas and watched his pressure, pace and strength wear on guys. I’ve never seen someone move Ruth around and keep Ed’s head down the way Gabe did.

He does a great job on top and loves to control the hips with an ankle scooped. He put his riding talents on full display getting some key riding time to help put him in position to beat Ed Ruth. I’m inclined to think that Ed will leave little doubt next time they wrestle, but the fact that Dean did what so little thought was possible puts him in very rarified air. Coach Hahn explained to us what a great athletic pedigree Gabe had: All State QB in Michigan, could have played in college. The more he focuses his full time efforts on wrestling, the better he’ll become. He’s going to be a force for years to come.

Watch more videos on Flowrestling

Watch more videos on Flowrestling


#2 Zain Retherford-Penn State
I think success for Zain was definitely expected, even this early. He came in with a great reputation as a hard worker and had a sterling high school career capped by a Cadet World Championship. I think almost everyone knew he was good on top, but I don’t think we saw him being able to ride out Logan Stieber. I never really thought he was on that level. Well, he was.

A few successful True Freshman come to mind when I think about 141. A few years ago we had Kyle Dake, and before that we had Kellen Russell. So his success is not quite as unprecedented as Coon’s, but even Dake had a few losses by this point in time his Freshman year, and certainly didn’t have a win as good as Zain.

Zain is gifted in all 3 phases of wrestling. On his feet he is so good at keeping good position and uses great head position to get his attacks off. If you get on his legs, you’ve still got a lot of work to do as Zain is great with his scrambles and counters. To this point he’s not really been ridden either. Port and Logan will be tough customers, and I am not picking Zain in the rematch, but the fact that he beat someone his first try that Tony Ramos couldn’t beat in 5 tries is amazing.


Watch more videos on Flowrestling

Watch more videos on Flowrestling



#1-Adam Coon-Michigan
I think I’ve got this right. I think the top two are obvious, but the order is not. To see a True Freshman dominate heavyweight, the ultimate man’s weight, is so unprecedented and impressive. Coon has been battle tested, but the tests won’t stop coming any time soon. Adam announced he was a contender in Las Vegas when he knocked off Nick Gwiazdowski, followed up by a comeback against JT Felix.

Coon is enormous: Tall, thick, long arms, but more than anything a tremendous athlete. He moves so well, it honestly looks strange. Seeing someone with that kind of size glide around the mat and move so fluidly perhaps has created a perfect storm for a successful heavyweight. The typical Freshman struggles are typically a difficult adjustment to the strength of wrestling men and difficulty getting out on bottom. He moved Tony Nelson, one of the most physically imposing heavyweights in some time, all around the mat on his feet. Additionally, he got away. Twice. With little issue. I was a match late to the Adam Coon party. I won’t be fooled again. 


Watch more video of Monday Match of The Week on flowrestling.org

Watch more videos on Flowrestling

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