Nathan Desmond is a two-time Pennsylvania state champion and currently the #7 ranked recruit in the class of 2025. We recently spoke to Desmond to get an inside look at his opening week of recruitment, how he’s approaching the next few months, and his overall goals in the sport.

Desmond’s Opening Day Experience

June 15 was the opening day that college coaches were allowed to call recruits in the class of 2025. Rather than staying up until midnight, Desmond said he went to bed early and set his alarm for the morning. However, he woke up in the middle of the night as his phone was buzzing from coaches calling. At first, from the midnight fog, Desmond was worried that something might be wrong with a family member. Then he remembered it was June 15, listened to the messages from coaches, and decided to stay up for a bit to call those coaches back and field a few more calls before he went back to bed. 

Desmond shared he continued to talk to coaches throughout the day and that overall his experience was “exciting” because the numerous phone calls proved that his hard work is paying off. That first day, and since then, Desmond shared that he wants to make the most of his recruiting opportunity and is committed to getting to know all of the coaches/programs in order to make sure he’ll find the program that will help him reach his goals at the next level and beyond. 

Desmond On Making His College Decision And Moving To Wyoming Seminary

Achieving goals is a central part of Nathan Desmond’s approach to making a college decision and to life in general. So what are Desmond’s goals? Become an NCAA champion and Olympian. He knows some might think they’re “unrealistic” but he’s serious about them. Those goals, along with becoming the best person he can be outside the wrestling room, are his guiding principles today and moving forward in the recruiting process. Desmond shared he’s trying to stay open to all of his opportunities but will ultimately choose the school that will best help him achieve his goals. 

Desmond shared that his goals have been the major catalyst for his decision to leave Bethlehem Catholic and transfer to Wyoming Seminary next year. Despite the success he’s had in his first two years of high school, Desmond knows he has room for improvement and views Wyoming Seminary as the best place to help him get to the next level. 

Desmond’s Approach To His College Visits

We also spoke with Desmond about his approach to the new rule that allows recruits to take as many official visits as they’d like. From Desmond’s perspective, he would like to take at least 5 official visits but doesn’t want to take many more than that. He feels that visiting too many campuses might muddy the waters and make things more confusing than needed. He also said he’d like to take his official visits when school is in session so he can get the best “feel” for what life will be like at each prospective school. 

What Weight Will Desmond Wrestle In College?

At this point, Desmond views himself as a 125-pounder in college but knows things could change depending on a variety of factors. First, he was adamant that his weight class will ultimately depend on what his college coaches want and what fits best with the program. After that, he knows he’s still 2 years from stepping foot on a college campus and he could potentially grow into a 133 or 141-pounder. Because of that, Desmond isn’t worried about his weight right now but instead is focused on becoming the best version of himself on and off the mat. Because of that mindset, it’s easy to see why Nathan Desmond is a top-ranked recruit and a coveted light weight for any program in the country. 

Desmond's win in the 2023 PIAA state finals:

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