Arizona State coach Zeke Jones has coached nine sets of brothers, including three this season, and the process is simple — one brother recruits the other.

And it might be a bit easier in Arizona.

“You tell them it’s sunny 365 days a year and it's the most beautiful campus in the world. And then when they come, they realize everything about the program, the good things, the challenges,” Jones said.

“And so when the little brother comes along, he looks to the older brother, and the older brother says, ‘Hey, this program isn't what I thought and you probably should look somewhere else.’ Or they say, ‘Little brother, this is everything you're looking for. This is where you want to be. You can win here. You've got coaches who are fair. They're good. And this is the kind of place that you can be a World and Olympic champion, a national champion.’”

This season, brothers Kaleb and Kyler Larkin of Gilbert, California; Ben and David Szuba of Brick Township, New Jersey, and Aidan and Emilio Ysaguirre of Eloy, Arizona, are on the roster. 

The Larkins knew a bit about ASU because their father, Eric, won an NCAA title in 2003 for the Sun Devils. Both had impeccable scholastic credentials.

“Certainly, Kyler could have gone anywhere in the country — anywhere — and still chose to come here, I would say, just because of ASU,” Jones said. “It's because of their family and community first, but they also know that ASU has history and tradition of being successful. Dad did it here. They know they can do it here.” 

Sets of brothers are important, according to Jones, because it tells the truth. “And so I think it's great. I love the sets of brothers,” he said. “And this is my ninth set of brothers, where the older one has come and the younger one has come because we treat the kids with respect and fairly and obviously guide them in the ways that you know they want to be guided and coached. So, yeah, it's pretty cool.”

Brothers In The Rankings

Kyler Larkin is #5 at 133 pounds and Kaleb is #3 at 149, although neither one wrestled over the weekend during a 26-15 loss to Wisconsin. Each has four years of eligibility.

“The Larkins are everything that you would expect and more,” Jones said. “First, they're outstanding young men, high character, driven, passionate, dedicated, even-keeled, relaxed. They don't get caught up in the energy. They stay focused, and they have high character, great wrestling skills.

“Community and their family are the driving forces of their success. They stay together. They stick together. Kaleb and Kyler are excited to be on their own pathway, but the external energy from the community is, ‘Hey, that's Eric's sons,’ and they recognize that and they're proud of it. But they're just really good kids, and everyone's about to find out how good.”

Another Youngster Off To Good Start

Pierson Manville is #25 at 141 with an 8-3 record. He dropped an 8-3 decision to #2 Sergio Vega of Oklahoma State but had defeated Vega in the U20 freestyle trials. Manville, a redshirt freshman from State College, Pennsylvania, also is accomplished in the Greco-Roman style.

“I've learned a lot about him. He's tenacious, he's passionate, he's well-organized. He knows his wheelhouse,” Jones said. “He knows how to stay within himself. He knows how to venture out from himself. He's a great competitor and just has to continue to work on his leg attacks. He's tough on top and rides well.”

Busy Schedule Ahead

Arizona State placed fifth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, its highest finish since 2019. Kyler Larkin (133) and Nicco Ruiz (165) placed second, Kaleb Larkin (149) third, #16 Chance McClane (157) fourth and #19 David Szuba (285) fifth.

The Sun Devils are 0-4 after Saturday’s loss in Madison without a handful of starters, including the Larkins, and a busy January looms.

They’re back at it on Jan. 2 at South Dakota State, have consecutive home matches with Iowa State, West Virginia and Missouri and then travel to Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa and Cornell.