Rutgers Wrestling 2026 U.S. Open Thread

Kiddagger311

Senior
Sep 17, 2025
731
448
63
Wrestlers are toughest m’fers. Tapes up knee and goes right back out there. Wouldn’t be surprised if his elbow is also messed up. The youth movement in wrestling is incredible. It’s the result of the youth club scene blowing up last 10 years and wrestling becoming a true year round sport.
Looks liked something happened too to Lee’s elbow as he was controlling the match w LL before it.

Speaking of youth movement noticed Coby Merrill beat M. Parris.. and Sealy beating Carr… anyone thinks Sealy will ever start at PSU?
 

SKWC

All-Conference
Jan 21, 2012
412
1,245
57
Results of wrestlers who wrestled high school in NJ and placed at the US Open.

Senior

74Kg Champion
James Green Willingboro H.S.
65 kg 2nd place Joey McKenna Blair
57kg 3rd place Anthony Knox SJV
79kg 5th place Wm. Henckel Blair
86kg 8th place Mehki Lewis Bound Brook H.S.
92kg 8th place Jacob Cardenas Berg, Cath.
125kg 8th place Jimmy Mullen SJ Montvale

U-20

74kg Champion
Jayden James Delbarton
79kg Champion Ryan Burton SJ Montvale
92kg 7th place Anthony Harris SPP
92kg 8th place Tanner Hodgins Howell

notable for not placing are Paul Kenny (CBA) @ 61kg and Cam Sontz (Delbarton) @ 57kg.

U-17

60 kg Champion JoJo Burke SJ Montvale
92kg Champion Salah Tsarni Blair
71kg 4th place Weston Borgers Blair
71kg 5th place Nick Schwartz Delbarton
60kg 5th place Finn O'Brien Blair
45kg 6th place John Ross CBA
45kg 7th place Steve Bagocious Cam. Cath.
51kg 7th place Shiloh Joyce CBA
 

Kiddagger311

Senior
Sep 17, 2025
731
448
63
Results of wrestlers who wrestled high school in NJ and placed at the US Open.

Senior

74Kg Champion
James Green Willingboro H.S.
65 kg 2nd place Joey McKenna Blair
57kg 3rd place Anthony Knox SJV
79kg 5th place Wm. Henckel Blair
86kg 8th place Mehki Lewis Bound Brook H.S.
92kg 8th place Jacob Cardenas Berg, Cath.
125kg 8th place Jimmy Mullen SJ Montvale

U-20

74kg Champion
Jayden James Delbarton
79kg Champion Ryan Burton SJ Montvale
92kg 7th place Anthony Harris SPP
92kg 8th place Tanner Hodgins Howell

notable for not placing are Paul Kenny (CBA) @ 61kg and Cam Sontz (Delbarton) @ 57kg.

U-17

60 kg Champion JoJo Burke SJ Montvale
92kg Champion Salah Tsarni Blair
71kg 4th place Weston Borgers Blair
71kg 5th place Nick Schwartz Delbarton
60kg 5th place Finn O'Brien Blair
45kg 6th place John Ross CBA
45kg 7th place Steve Bagocious Cam. Cath.
51kg 7th place Shiloh Joyce CBA
All this NJ talent and RU was only able to land one on this list—almost none.. hopefully we can land some of those U-17 talent 🤯
 

Leonard23

Heisman
Feb 2, 2006
30,122
12,343
113
All this NJ talent and RU was only able to land one on this list—almost none.. hopefully we can land some of those U-17 talent 🤯
Yeah we need to land more elite talent. The problem is most Blair and Delbarton think they're too good for us and are always anywhere but here. Heck, some of those kids trained at SKWC and with our coaches for years and barely gave us the time of day.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Anon1751330127
Feb 2, 2019
2,532
1,189
113
Hopefully we can land some of those CBA talent w Ash on staff… his brother Billy is the head coach of CBA…. Would have to imagine if Paul Kenny ever transfers out of Iowa he would come to RU.. especially now with Ash here..
I'm trying to put it all together. Ash was on staff before, and with Donny. The talent didn't come. Now he's on staff again without Donny. Getting Ash back is a big plus to partially fill a big deficit. As predicted, Rutgers fell short of hiring the big-name candidate needed. We didn't first hear that Ash was coming as the Associate head coach, but Im sure that means he will slip into the head position when Goodale finally leaves. I suspect it also means having Ashnault is an appeaser to allow Goodale more time. The coaching will improve with Ashnault there and Sasso helping out - and to whatever extent Mikey is helping the heavier guys (we didn't see it with Pinto, but maybe Cotton). What have I harped on for years? Rutgers will always miss the opportunities and always hire someone else's assistant on the cheap. I hope for the best, but believe this is only a partial step and not likely to generate interest from those top recruits.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SB1989

Kiddagger311

Senior
Sep 17, 2025
731
448
63
I'm trying to put it all together. Ash was on staff before, and with Donny. The talent didn't come. Now he's on staff again without Donny. Getting Ash back is a big plus to partially fill a big deficit. As predicted, Rutgers fell short of hiring the big-name candidate needed. We didn't first hear that Ash was coming as the Associate head coach, but Im sure that means he will slip into the head position when Goodale finally leaves. I suspect it also means having Ashnault is an appeaser to allow Goodale more time. The coaching will improve with Ashnault there and Sasso helping out - and to whatever extent Mikey is helping the heavier guys (we didn't see it with Pinto, but maybe Cotton). What have I harped on for years? Rutgers will always miss the opportunities and always hire someone else's assistant on the cheap. I hope for the best, but believe this is only a partial step and not likely to generate interest from those top recruits.
I hear ya.. but u saying talent didn’t come while Ash was on staff(21-2023) is no diff really from saying the talent didn’t come while Donny was on staff so why would more come if he became HC? Peterson, Poz, Soldano, and Olivieri were all pretty good prospects outa hs during Ash’s time. I’m just saying CBA has improved a lot recently and now w Ash back and his bro being HC at CBA I think that could help w recruiting there but yeah nothing is guaranteed… RU needs to make itself a place where the top NJ guys want to go..
 

Barrellroll

Freshman
Dec 9, 2025
108
90
28
I suspect recruiting will improve once we are lead by a new head coach. A lot of the top NJ kids trained at the SKWC and felt that they wouldn’t be developed into All Americans at Rutgers.

Ashnault will help. It will take him at least a year to develop relationships and convince NJ parents and wrestlers the Rutgers culture is changing. In a short two years both Pritzlaff and Ashnault developed kids who became All Americans at Ivy Leagues schools.
 
Feb 2, 2019
2,532
1,189
113
I hear ya.. but u saying talent didn’t come while Ash was on staff(21-2023) is no diff really from saying the talent didn’t come while Donny was on staff so why would more come if he became HC?
It's a good question. Was Goodale a deterrent? I think it's more that Donny's reputation was tainted by the program and not enough of a draw on his own. Now might be different for him.
Peterson, Poz, Soldano, and Olivieri were all pretty good prospects outa hs during Ash’s time.
Yes, and all four should have developed into AA-caliber wrestlers (during normal seasons). What does it say for the program when talent does come and not perform up to expectations? All were very good wrestlers out of the gate, but did they improve?
I’m just saying CBA has improved a lot recently and now w Ash back and his bro being HC at CBA I think that could help w recruiting there but yeah nothing is guaranteed… RU needs to make itself a place where the top NJ guys want to go..
It's nice to think so, but is Ashnault that much of a draw? Hahn might be, and Burroughs would be. Head coach opportunity missed. Let's watch and see if another accomplished coach gets added.
 

NJwrestling26

Senior
Oct 16, 2025
649
889
93
It's nice to think so, but is Ashnault that much of a draw? Hahn might be, and Burroughs would be. Head coach opportunity missed. Let's watch and see if another accomplished coach gets added.
if he really was the main reason behind Marc Anthony McGowan improvement then I’d say his stock is rising pretty fast plus he is a 4x AA and National Champ. Kids coming up now know who he is. CBA has also jumped a level now so hopefully he can lock us into that pipeline.
 
  • Like
Reactions: UnderHooks

Samson1975!!!

Junior
Nov 22, 2022
364
358
63
I think Burroughs would consider it if there was an opportunity and it compensated him well. Not sure that situation is realistic at the moment.

In the meantime, Rutgers has upgraded coaching staff, even if they evaluated it in a way that makes little sense to that outside. Many wanted a different assistant replaced and the one who was seemed to bring recruiting value, but the most successful wrestler in the history of the program is a big add regardless. Rutgers has done pretty well in portal. Still might get even better too.

Seems like a pretty good off-season. I understand some feel the head coach is the obstacle in the way of success but he isnt leaving and it isn't an all or nothing scenario. I think improvement was made. Next year should be a step up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FoxRU

Kiddagger311

Senior
Sep 17, 2025
731
448
63
It's a good question. Was Goodale a deterrent? I think it's more that Donny's reputation was tainted by the program and not enough of a draw on his own. Now might be different for him.

Yes, and all four should have developed into AA-caliber wrestlers (during normal seasons). What does it say for the program when talent does come and not perform up to expectations? All were very good wrestlers out of the gate, but did they improve?

It's nice to think so, but is Ashnault that much of a draw? Hahn might be, and Burroughs would be. Head coach opportunity missed. Let's watch and see if another accomplished coach gets added.
Why would Donny’s reputation was tainted and now might be diff for him but not for Ash? Don’t think you are giving Ash enough credit.. and for not drawing the top guys I think it has more to do with $$ raised/available and how $$ is spent on roster construction which falls more on the HC.

Out of those 4 I would only consider Soldano a 5 star recruit(top 10 p4p) Peterson and Poz 4 stars(like C. Harer as they were in teens and mid 20s recruit), Olivieri as a 3 star(he was in the 30-50s?). So as a group they slightly underperformed relative to generic recruiting rankings but having a loaded staff isn’t going to magically turn recruits into AA/NC. What’s your excuse why Soldano/Peterson didn’t AA at their new programs either?? The most important part of recruiting is getting the right guys relative to rankings imo and we haven’t been best at that.. I do agree with ya that’s it’s concerning how the staff couldn’t help w how Poz just burnt out mentally.

I’ve said it all along how a recruit does their freshman year is generally how their career goes.. I mean look at how people been saying Iowa “hasn’t been able to develop guys recently” and been needing to rely on portal.. it’s not that they haven’t been able to develop it’s they haven’t gotten the top p4p guys like Psu/OSU.

Burroughs and Hahn represents this big change and hope so no one should really be compared to them.. especially Burroughs imo. You question Ash but look at Okie State’s associate HC.. Jimmy Kennedy 3x AA. Caldwell on staff too there, few times AA.. Kevin Ward and Pearsall both NQs.
 
Last edited:

SCNJ

All-American
Oct 12, 2019
4,479
5,899
48
It's a good question. Was Goodale a deterrent? I think it's more that Donny's reputation was tainted by the program and not enough of a draw on his own. Now might be different for him.

Yes, and all four should have developed into AA-caliber wrestlers (during normal seasons). What does it say for the program when talent does come and not perform up to expectations? All were very good wrestlers out of the gate, but did they improve?

It's nice to think so, but is Ashnault that much of a draw? Hahn might be, and Burroughs would be. Head coach opportunity missed. Let's watch and see if another accomplished coach gets added.
What exactly makes Hahn a draw that doesn’t make Ashnault a draw? 4x AA and a national champ. You’re not going to get much better draw than that at Rutgers.
 

NJwrestling26

Senior
Oct 16, 2025
649
889
93
What exactly makes Hahn a draw that doesn’t make Ashnault a draw? 4x AA and a national champ. You’re not going to get much better draw than that at Rutgers.
Hahn has about 2 decades of success elevating guys and turning them guys into AAs and NCAA champs and alot of those guys were not p4p level recruits.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Leonard23

Barrellroll

Freshman
Dec 9, 2025
108
90
28
Hahn has about 2 decades of success elevating guys and turning them guys into AAs and NCAA champs and alot of those guys were not p4p level recruits.
Hahn coached at Cornell learned from Rob Koll who taught him fundraising. He used that knowledge to raise $ 4 million to build a new wrestling facility at South Dakota State. Among others, he recruited Cardenas and Foca from Bergen Catholic who became All Americans. Ashnault will be a great coach. Hahn has more experience giving him time to demonstrate his capabilities. He was the Associate Head Coach at Cornell when Cornell finished 2nd to Penn State at the National Championship. I believe Ashnault will be a great coach. At this time, Hahn is the better option,
 
Last edited:
Feb 2, 2019
2,532
1,189
113
Hahn has about 2 decades of success elevating guys and turning them guys into AAs and NCAA champs and alot of those guys were not p4p level recruits.
Two-time NCAA champ, and might have been more if he could have gone 197 sooner. Coaching experience at Cornell and doing it all himself at South Dakota. He's a mature man with a serious personality. I'm biased because Hahn has been my favorite N wrestler from the past. I was there when he was wrestling in kids states. We'll have to see if Ashnault can recruit. However, looking at the high school rankings, I don't see many blue-chips next year in NJ that haven't already committed. BTW, you got giggled. Wow, he showed you.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Leonard23