Recruiting is the lifeblood of NCAA wrestling, and there are a few dates in particular that stand out for college coaches. One of those is June 15th, when they can legally begin contacting rising juniors.

The process of becoming a national champion begins years before their hand gets raised after the finals, and part of that comes with being a highly sought after prospect. For the Class of 2022, this coming Monday becomes all-important on their journey to finding a future home.

We do this article every year, with various changes depending on the recruiting rules at the time. The current bylaws stipulate that electronic contact can begin on June 15th, so very simply, who should your favorite team’s coach be calling on that day?

Class of 2022 Big Board

The long and short of it is that every top program should be contacting every top recruit, and every top recruit is likely fielding calls from dozens of programs. But for the sake of this article, the exercise is to hone in on one recruit for each school, though I will likely discuss more recruits than just the ones I attach to that school.

There is some predictiveness to this, and I’ve fared decently well in the past. Last year’s “Where Should Your Coach Be On August 5th?” correctly associated Travis Mastrogiovanni with Oklahoma State, Lenny Pinto with Nebraska, Peyton Craft with Princeton, Tate Picklo with Oklahoma and Brock McMillen with Pitt. The year before that, I linked Cullan Schriever with Iowa, Julian Tagg with North Carolina, Sammy Hillegas with Virginia Tech, Josh Saunders with Cornell, and Anthony Clark with Princeton.

However, while I am doing some speculating as to where I think recruits will end up, there is also an element of need or focus for the schools. If you follow my opinions on recruiting, you know that I value keeping in-state talent close to home. Hence why I listed Dustin Plott for Oklahoma, Alex Facundo for Michigan, Dom Serrano for Northern Colorado, and Iowa State for Drake Ayala. None of them committed to those schools, but I think it is important for coaches to make the effort.

Lastly, I want to reiterate that I am not rooting for a kid to go to the school I list them for, nor am I pigeonholing them as that school being their favorite right now, or saying a team needs to put a full-court press on that prospective student-athlete. But I do my best to focus on predicting correctly and/or addressing an area of need or focus for that particular college.

Now that the long-winded introduction is over, let’s get to what you all came here for: the recruiting. This list may be updated as I get new information, some kids in particular I may not have the best read on or some teams may seem to be limited in their scholarship money for this class, but I try my best to include all the best kids and programs.

Penn State: #1 Nic Bouzakis, FL

Recruiting and development go hand-in-hand, and PSU does a great job of both. How much Bouzakis will need to be developed is a matter of debate that still has 2+ years to play out, but as the bluest of blue-chips he has to be on the Nittany Lions’ radar. Whether you feel he is the best prospect in this class or simply one of them, he certainly is the biggest star with the most name recognition thanks to the national competition we saw him face since eighth grade. I don’t think Nic has a favorite school right now, nor do I think he will make a decision for at least a year. But I would find it hard to believe that Cael Sanderson and his staff won’t build a relationship with the Bouzakis family. I’m not sure if he’ll end up in Happy Valley, especially with Robbie Howard and Beau Bartlett coming in right behind Roman Bravo-Young and Nick Lee, but I believe there will at least be strong interest on both sides. Virginia Tech assistant Jared Frayer also has an extensive history with his father Tory, so I believe the Hokies will be in the mix early on.

Iowa: #3 Jesse Mendez, IN

I went back and forth on Iowa and Ohio State for Mendez, both of whom I feel will come at him early and often. Which pursues him more aggressively we’ll have to wait and see, but I think both of those programs make a ton of sense. I think Mendez won’t commit until at least after the state tournament his junior year, perhaps later, but I do imagine his school list will be formulated shortly after June 15th so they can focus on the 4-8 schools that show the most interest and make for the best fit. And don’t forget, one of Jesse’s club coaches is former Hawkeye Alex Tsirtsis. There's a whole host of great Indiana kids scattered throughout the country, all of whom he has some level of relationship with: Stevan Micic (and Mason Parris) at Michigan, Brayton Lee at Minnesota, and Silas Allred at Nebraska.

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

Ohio State: #4 Seth Shumate, OH

I normally exclude already committed athletes from these articles, but Shumate is the only one from the Class of 2022 who has announced his verbal. While I don’t believe he’ll sway, it is important to show loyalty to the ones who jump on board early, and the Buckeyes surely feel that having Shumate in line will help with a few guys who will be on the fence. There was a time when tOSU scored almost 90 percent of their team points at NCAAs just with guys from Ohio, and I see them approaching that number once again with guys like Paddy Gallagher and Shumate staying home.

Oklahoma State: #5 Jordan Williams, OK

Does any team put a fence around their state quite like the Cowboys? Perhaps Missouri, but they don’t have any in-state rivals like OKST does with Oklahoma. John Smith and his staff have been winning recruiting battles in Oklahoma for nearly three decades, and the tradition goes back much further than that. He even wrestles like a Cowboy: slick as can be, with elite elbow control already, and mentally tough as they come. All three were on display time and time again in comeback wins en route to Fargo and Super 32 titles, not to mention the fact that he took a match from Richie Figs in the Akron finals. The Cowboys will also likely be after #15 Anthony Ferrari, younger brother of AJ.

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

Lehigh: #2 Ryan Crookham, PA

If keeping talent in-state is important, magnify that even more for the Lehigh Valley and the WPIAL. Not that there won’t be competition for the kid who won Super 32 as an eighth-grader and has lived up to expectations ever since. Just look at his Instagram and the list of coaches liking his posts: Zack Esposito, Kellen Russell, Jon Reader, Ryan Morningstar, Anthony Ralph, and the list goes on. But Pat Santoro and his assistants absolutely need to put a ton of energy and focus into Crookham, where his friends and family from District XI can watch him wrestle in the Snake Pit every weekend. He already goes to a private school and has the grades for it, but does he want to leave the 610? Let's also not forget the success Bryan Snyder has had in plucking kids out of his native Lehigh Valley to come to Lincoln.

Cornell: #7 Rylan Rogers, WA

One look through the Cornell roster and you'll see a guy like Rogers should be very, very high on the Big Red's wish list. I think he's right at the top for them along with Crookham, but Rogers is at a weight they need more immediately. Max Dean is a junior, and the Jonathans (Loew and Fagen) are sophomores. There is, of course, the possibility Chris Foca grows into a 184, especially if one of Andrew Merola or Julian Ramirez eventually bumps to 174, but until then I think Rob Koll and his staff try to continue the Blair to Ivy (and Cornell, specifically) pipeline. His cousins of course wrestled for Oklahoma State and he's originally from an area right near where Adam Hall grew up. He follows coaches from 17 different programs on twitter, though notably Oklahoma is the only program-specific account that he follows.

NC State: #9 Matt Singleton, GA

Georgia isn't even an up-and-comer anymore, they're a legit sleeping giant, and everybody's woke to them, especially the ACC. Along with Singleton, expect the Wolfpack to go after Caleb Henson heavy. Especially considering their level of focus on the lightweights in 2021 with Stevo Poulin committed and both Cooper Flynn and Braxton Brown still in their sights, it would make sense to shift their attention to the middle and upperweights for 2022. That means Singleton and Caleb Henson, who pretty much everyone in Georgia has seen coming for years now.

Virginia Tech: #11 Nick Feldman, PA

Legacy works in one of two ways. You can either desire to follow in the footsteps of your family, or try to carve out your own path. Both are great options, but in the case of Nick Feldman, I'm betting on the former. His father Josh was seventh at heavyweight in 1994, just the second All-American in Hokie history. Not that this is something you should put too much stock in, but I've seen Feldman wear VT gear more than any other college's. It will of course be up to Coach Robie and his staff to prove Blacksburg is a good fit for Feldman, but they've got a massive head start on a premier upper weight.

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

Fresno State: #6 Joey Cruz, CA

If you’ve followed Joey Cruz since middle school as he was winning Tulsa and every other major national tournament, you know he’s been wearing a Fresno State singlet forever. They are one of those schools that could have a potentially transformative impact on college wrestling if they can keep kids from the Central Valley home, as it is one of wrestling hotbeds, a highly recruited area since before Cruz was even born. But that hasn’t quite happened yet, and it may be time for Cruz to leave home. However, he’s one of the few guys that has a win over Figueroa, and when a kid grows up wearing your singlet, much like Adam Busiello with Penn State, you gotta think you have the inside track. I think the Nittany Lions are also going to be high on his list, and I believe Oklahoma State is a consideration as well.

North Carolina: #8 Caleb Henson, GA

Everyone in the ACC is after Caleb Henson, and they've all got legitimate connections to him. Tony Ramos has put his time in Georgia, and over the past two years they've had Chip Ness, Devin Kane, and Elijah Kerr-Brown on the team from the Peach State, along with Devin Kane coming in this year. Then there's NC State, who has had previous kids from Terry Allison's club and is looking to add another in Henson. Jared Frayer and the Tech also have ties to Henson, so I think it will come down to the ACC group for Henson, which keeps him close to the Southeast.

Oklahoma: #13 Troy Spratley, NY

I was VERY impressed with Spratley at the recent Green Country personal at coach Eric Guerrero's private facility in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Now, Spratley is originally an east coast kid (Bainbridge, NY to be exact), but he goes to Collinsville now. His allegiance is probably more to Guerrero specifically than the Sooners right now, but I think the Oklahoma pride is starting to grow. However, after a perusal of his social media and some conversations with him at that camp, they're very open-minded and will be fielding offers and keeping an open mind for a while. One thing to note though, UNC might have the most inside track due to Gary Wayne Harding's dad being the coach at Collinsville.

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

Pitt: #10 Mac Stout, PA

There were two options here for Stout, who had one brother go to Pitt and has another going to Princeton. But between Luke Stout this year and Peyton Craft next year, I'm not sure there will be much room in the inn for Mac on the Tigers. And in case you haven't gotten the hint yet, I value keeping talent at home. It's why Gary Steen is their headliner from 2021, and why they brought Luke Pletcher back to town. Keith Gavin believes in the program his alma mater can be, and part of that is making sure every blue-chipper from Western PA feels like they have a home at the Fitzgerald Field House.

Rutgers: #12 Brian Soldano, NJ

Soldano likes to put people on their backs, and he projects at a weight that's perfect for Donny Pritzlaff. A pinner staying in-state and training with Donny P, what's not to love? I'll admit, I don't have as good a read on Soldano as a lot of other kids in this class, but Rutgers was built on the backs of Jersey legends. From Rodney Van Ness pre-Goodale, to Scott Winston building the bridge, to Anthony "Machine Gun" Perrotti making the podium to Anthony Ashnault mobbin' his way to an NCAA title and putting the program on his back. It's a Jersey team through and through, and that might be a huge pull for Soldano.

Purdue: #14 Zeke Seltzer, IN

The undefeated Indiana state champ goes to school less than 90 minutes from the Purdue campus. The entire Purdue staff follows Seltzer and/or his family on twitter. The Boilermakers will need a lightweight once they see how the weights for Jake Rundell and Travis Ford-Melton shakeout. I imagine Seltzer will also be fielding calls from Army, Oklahoma State, Michigan, and Brown, but I'm thinking it will be Purdue chasing him the hardest.

Northern Colorado: #17 Daniel Cardenas, CO

In terms of who they're targeting, Troy Nickerson and his Northern Colorado staff are some of the biggest believers out there in terms of putting a fence around the state. Of course some guys have left, and that's part of the growing pains of taking the reigns of a mid-major and making them a real player in recruiting battles, but once you get a guy like Andrew Alirez on campus, the Daniel Cardenas types don't seem so far fetched. Expect Oklahoma State to be on Cardenas heavy though.

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

Princeton: #16 Kolby Franklin, PA

This one makes a ton of sense if he's a heavyweight in college, which I think he will be. They'd be adding Luke Stout, Peyton Craft, and Franklin to solidify their upperweights, pulling from a Sem team that they've never tapped before but that has sent a number of kids to the Ivy League. One of Franklin's main guys on staff is Greg Hagel, who went to Northwestern, so the Wildcats may be an option for him as well. PJ Casale is a 220 in state that the Tigers should also pursue.

Northwestern: #23 Joey Martin, CA

This is one I identified right away. As the only private school in the Big Ten, Northwestern is forced to have a national recruiting base. Matt Storniolo is sharp, he and his staff no doubt want a pipeline established to California, and that happens when you sign Joey's older brother Jadon, both of whom wrestle for one of the top programs in the nation in Buchahan. As long as he and David Ferrante don't wind up the same weight, it's a pretty natural fit for Martin in Evanston.

Nebraska: #18 Antrell Taylor, NE

The two I went back and forth between for Taylor were Iowa State and Nebraska, both of which are programs whose head coaches he follows on Twitter. Taylor was a 145 this past year but is young for his grade, so this one makes sense if he grows into a 165. He battled injuries and didn't get the freestyle season he wanted to make a big splash so some may have forgotten about him, but Taylor has massive upside. He's trained by Zac Dominguez and Todd Meneely, so the pull to stay in-state will be strong.

Oregon State: #48 Gabe Whisenhunt, OR

The new phrase around Corvallis is "Build the Dam" and I know damn sure that Nate Engel will take the lead in recruiting within both the state specifically and Pacific Northwest generally. As the highest-ranked guy in both the state and region, he could be a catalyst for the Beavers to keep guys home in a grade that they're still able to get their claws in as most of the 2021 group is already committed.

Wisconsin: #20 Nicolar Rivera, WI

One of the most creative wrestlers I've seen at his age, he'd be an interesting fit with Bono and Reader, two guys who are defined as more baseline. Perhaps it could be good for the Badgers, to take a local kid (his high school Stoughton is one of the closest to Madison) and have him be the catalyst for the team to open their eyes to a few different ways of doing things, because it is clear Rivera's mind works a little differently on the mat than most guys. It might have a similar effect to what the Askren brothers had on Missouri a decade-plus ago.

Iowa State: #21 Noah Pettigrew, GA

This one felt like a bit of a reach, but Kevin Dresser very clearly understands the value of tapping into Georgia as a state and Blair Academy as a program. There will be an opening for a heavyweight as Gannon Gremmel graduates.

Michigan: #32 Manny Rojas, MI

With Nick Simmons coming on to the Cliff Keen WC, it very clearly gives the Wolverines access to his SAW kids. Rojas is among the best of them, from the Michigan powerhouse DCC, which has sent at least five guys recently to the U of M. The bigger question is where he fits in lineup wise to a team that just brought in Jaden Bullock, Joseph Walker, and Gaige Garcia from the Class of 2020.

As you can see, there are many more tremendous programs than the ones I've mentioned here. That includes Missouri, Minnesota, and Stanford, as well as programs with new head coaches in Navy and Campbell, not to mention those continuing to build their teams up like Army and George Mason. There's the programs they'd call "Mid-Majors" in college football like Wyoming and Northern Iowa, plus Power 5 bluebloods like Illinois and Virginia hoping to get back into the Top-10.

There are also 100 kids on the Big Board, and thousands of kids in this class, so it would be a bit cumbersome to assign all of them their collegiate home a few days before any of them can take a call. I'm also going to reiterate that colleges will be reaching out to many, many kids this month, and prospects will be fielding calls from many different coaches.

Hopefully I can get some more information before June 15th to expand this list a little further, be it more kids and teams or more information about the ones already mentioned. But consider this your primer for the rising junior class, along with our forthcoming articles on some team's depth charts and recruiting targets.