National Signing Day is one of the most exciting days in college sports. For the student-athletes it’s a chance to make official the years of hard work exhausted in order to take the next step in their athletic and academic careers. For fans, it’s a peek into the future. 

I remember when I was a freshman at the University of Georgia, my classmates and I were packed into the bars and restaurants in downtown Athens anxiously awaiting Isaiah Crowell’s announcement, live on ESPN, that he was “gonna be a Dawg.” As soon as he reached for the red and black Georgia hat and placed it on his head, every bar on Broad Street erupted. Underage frat bros high-fived police officers on the street, DJs blasted the Georgia fight song — the whole town was flush with excitement and unbridled hope for the future of their beloved Bulldogs. 

In college wrestling, of course, the response and coverage of NSD is not nearly as dramatic as it was in Athens, GA, that day. In most cases, athletes have already made verbal commitments to their respective schools, but it doesn’t make official signing day any less exciting for fans of their favorite college wrestling programs — especially when you consider the rate at which athletes are switching commitments and requesting transfer waivers nowadays. Nothing is official until it's official (e.g. the Anthony Echemendia saga). 

We are just a week removed from National Signing Day and we’ve had some time to step back and evaluate the commitments that were made thus far. Sure, it may not be quite on the crazed-level of Georgia football fans, but very few states love wrestling like New Jersey. And as loyal college sports fans always do, the NJ wrestling community eagerly anticipated the official commitments of the state’s best wrestlers. 

Below are my biggest takeaways from National Signing Day in New Jersey.

1. “The Hokies gotta be feeling pretty good about that . . .”

It’s been a big week for Hokie fans.

When it comes to New Jersey’s Class of 2020, Virginia Tech looks to be the big winner here. 

Most of us knew VT was off to a good start on the recruiting front when Eddie Ventresca gave his verbal commitment months ago, but it wasn’t finished in New Jersey. On Thursday, Brandon Green made it official when he signed on the dotted line; he would also be a Hokie. 

Both wrestlers claimed their first state titles last year and hope to repeat in 2020, but both guys have some tough challengers standing in the way of title #2. If Ventresca and Green can find their way to the top of the podium this year, it will make their NCAA prospects even more intriguing. 

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Head coach Tony Robie seems to have quite the green thumb when it comes to plucking talent from the Garden State. Currently, the two best wrestlers on the Hokies’ squad hail from New Jersey. Bound Brook’s Mekhi Lewis just became the school’s first-ever national champion in 2019 and David McFadden of DePaul is a three-time All-American who will contend for a title this year. McFadden is a senior and will be gone next year, leaving Green as his potential replacement. He was featured previously in my unsigned recruits article where I suggested Nebraska as an ideal landing spot for the state champ out of Paulsboro. As it is, he chose Blacksburg, and I think it’s a tremendous fit. 

Green has successfully flown under the radar throughout his high school career and was by no means a blue-chipper from the start. However, in just three years he’s jumped levels drastically. His ability to get so good so fast gives me serious optimism for his future. I can just picture Robie & Company rubbing their hands together, anticipating Green’s arrival on campus. Paulsboro wrestlers don’t often compete in the country’s biggest events, like Fargo or Super 32, so that part of his ledger is blank. But as I’ve mentioned before, his potential is undeniable. Not to mention, he’ll be training every day in the room with Mekhi Lewis. If Green continues to improve at the clip he has in high school, he and Mekhi could be a deadly 165/174 combo for the Hokies moving forward.

As for Ventresca, he looks like the future in the 125/133 range where VT graduates Korbin Meyers after this season. Like Green, I’ve discussed ad nauseum that I’m really high on Ventresca when it comes to both ability and attitude. In last year’s state final, he took out the two-time defending champ. This year, he’s faced with another tall task in the form of Penn State commit and #1 in the country, Robert Howard. As both wrestlers get closer to the next phase of their careers, his feels like it has the potential to be a rivalry for years to come. Could Ventresca be the Hokies’ next great lightweight since Joey Dance? I think he can. 

2. The Ivy Continues to Grow

Every year, Ivy League schools scour the nation for the best and brightest minds, and they clearly know where to find the best wrestlers, too, because on National Signing Day a number of New Jersey’s top recruits joined Ivy League programs. Very, very few wrestlers have multi-million-dollar contracts or endorsement deals waiting for them after college. Despite the appeal of schools like Iowa or Penn State, it’s difficult to deny the opportunities an Ivy League school brings. It’s nice to see NJ’s best wrestlers taking advantage of those opportunities.

As New Jersey’s Ivy representative, Princeton has been able to keep some of the state’s top talent at home with past recruits like Matt Kolodzik and Pat Glory. This year, it kept the ball rolling with the class of 2020 by signing Delbarton’s Anthony Clark (#62 on the Big Board) and St. John Vianney’s Dean Peterson (#9 in the country), who have a combined three state titles between them. Clark will join his former teammate, Glory, for the first time since they both took home state titles in Atlantic City back in 2017. With these two holding down 125 and 133, and Peterson likely in as Glory’s replacement when he graduates, the Tigers look to be set in the lightweights for years to come.

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To further bolster the lower half of its lineup, Princeton also signed three-time state placer Nick Kayal of Bergen Catholic. Kayal was ever-present near the top of the national rankings early on in his career and since then, has been nothing if not consistent. He’s notched wins over a number of high-level guys in the past three years and has never placed lower than fourth at the state tournament. Kayal is a savvy wrestler who I think has the potential for a really solid NCAA career. If Princeton continues to bring in recruiting classes of this quality, the future will be a bright one. 

Right on Princeton’s heels is Penn, who followed up a terrific 2019 recruiting class with three tough NJ recruits this year. The Quakers covered all their bases by signing a lightweight in CJ Composto (Westfield), middleweight Kaya Sement (Pope John), and upperweight Dante Stefanelli (Delbarton). The three have combined for a total of four state podium finishes and all will contend for titles this season. 

As the NJ and Pennsylvania RTCs grow and keep bringing in high-quality freestylers, these programs will continue to intrigue some of the nation’s top recruits. Princeton and Penn won’t just be schools where you can get the best education, but also places where you can contend for a national title.

In other Ivy League news, returning state finalist Nick Babin of Emerson Park Ridge is headed to Columbia University, and Colt’s Neck’s Luke Rada signed with Harvard. As a famous blonde law student once said, “What? Like it’s hard?”

3. Rutgers: New Jersey’s Team

At first glance, I wasn’t sure I was crazy about this year’s Rutgers recruiting class. But after further review, I’ve grown more optimistic. Scott Goodale and his staff look to have addressed their needs; they’re focused on creating a team built for long-term success. 

For Rutgers, it’s difficult to top a year like it had in 2019 when it brought in super-star transfer Nick Suriano, crowned two national champions, and signed two blue-chip recruits in Sammy Alvarez and JoJo Aragona. Now, satisfied with the layout of the bottom half of its lineup, Rutgers has turned its focus to the upperweights where it landed NJ’s #1-ranked wrestlers at 170 and 182 in Connor O’Neil and John Poznanski. Throughout the years, Rutgers has struggled a bit to get major production from the big guys, but the future looks promising with the addition of these two. 

O’Neil (DePaul) had a great summer where he impressed at Fargo but will certainly be tested at 170 where he is ranked #11 in the country. O’Neil’s work is cut out for him this season, because both 170lb finalists from last year return in Brandon Green and Shane Reitsma. If O’Neil has a dominant season and can deny Green his title defense, Rutgers could prove they had an eye for the right guy. Reitsma, it’s worth noting, will also be staying in New Jersey after committing to Rider.

Poznanski's stock also rose big-time this summer. A two-time placer from Colonia who took eighth at Fargo and second at Super 32, Poznanski is a superb athlete with a variety of leg attacks and stingy defense. The more I watch him, the more I am confident that he is someone who could make waves at the next level. He enters this season ranked #4 in the country and a heavy favorite to win his first state title.

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To round out its incoming group of big guys, Rutgers also added NJ’s #3-ranked wrestler at 195 in Kyle Epperly of Jackson Memorial, and Nico Collucci who graduated from St. Peter’s Prep in 2019, but will join the program in 2020. 

Rutgers is currently rolling out a very young team, but if the lightweights on the roster can continue to show out and this group of upperweights lives up to expectations, NJ fans can expect future Scarlet Knights’ lineups to be super solid from top to bottom.

As usual, New Jersey has no shortage of talented wrestlers. Though a number of individuals made commitments last week, there are still plenty of guys available. Check out the list below.

Best Still Available in Class of 2020

McKenzie Bell, Kingsway Regional – #4 in NJ at 126, two-time state placer

Justin Bierdumpfel, St. Joe’s Montvale – #3 in NJ at 132, two-time state placer

Andrew Clark, Collingswood – #3 in NJ at 138, #167 on Big Board, two-time placer

Will Grater, Bergen Catholic – #5 in NJ at 138, two-time placer

Jacob Perez-Eli, Paulsboro – #3 in NJ at 145, state finalist

Cody Walsh, Camden Catholic – #4 in NJ at 145, two-time state qualifier

Brandon Mooney, Camden Catholic - #1 in NJ at 152, state placer

Kyle Jacob, Paramus – #16 in the nation at 195, #1 in NJ at 195, state placer

Gage Armijo, West Morris Mendham – #1 in NJ at 220, state placer

Bardhyl Gashi, West Essex - #1 in NJ at 285, state finalist