PSU National Champs High School Recruiting Ranking

[mvattivo]

So, someone posted the following on "The Wrestling Room" on Facebook. He is obviously fishing, but, I was curious if anyone had previously run the data.

"What former Penn State National Champs weren’t ranked top 3 in the nation when they were in high school? Let’s just say last 15 years?"

 

[Corby2]

So, someone posted the following on "The Wrestling Room" on Facebook. He is obviously fishing, but, I was curious if anyone had previously run the data.

"What former Penn State National Champs weren’t ranked top 3 in the nation when they were in high school? Let’s just say last 15 years?"

Probably 80% or so is my guess

 

[Corby2]

95% Brown and Cassar the only two I believe. 44 NCAA titles since 2011. That's figuring top 3 at the weight not top 3 in the class overall

 

[Coastal2]

Probably 70% or so is my guess

Probably 80% or so is my guess

Nice way to change your answer....

It is a tough question depending on the recruiting service. Nolf was the #4 recruit but I'm sure one can find someone who had him in the top three for example.

 

[Corby2]

Nice way to change your answer....

It is a tough question depending on the recruiting service. Nolf was the #4 recruit but I'm sure one can find someone who had him in the top three for example.

Yep I posted and after I hit send I was like that's LOW.
I was way off 95% . Top 3 in nation at the weight is what I figured not top 3 overall. That # is probably closer to 70

 

[mvattivo]

@WillieTheBrain

A little help here

 

[Coastal2]

Yep I posted and after I hit send I was like that's LOW.
I was way off 95% . Top 3 in nation at the weight is what I figured not top 3 overall. That # is probably closer to 70

Even at a weight, your numbers are off. No one that I'm aware of had Mesenbrink in the top 3.

Plus there's cases where people are #8 overall but 4th at a projected weight.

 

[Tryingtodoitright]

Even at a weight, your numbers are off. No one that I'm aware of had Mesenbrink in the top 3.

Plus there's cases where people are #8 overall but 4th at a projected weight.

I can’t believe this discussion is happening. The answer is 83%

 

[PSU Mike]

Where was Max?

 

[mvattivo]

• Quentin Wright — 2011, 2013
• Frank Molinaro — 2012
• Ed Ruth — 2012, 2013, 2014
• David Taylor — 2012, 2014
• Matt Brown — 2015
• Nico Megaludis — 2016
• Zain Retherford — 2016, 2017, 2018
• Jason Nolf — 2017, 2018, 2019
• Vincenzo Joseph — 2017, 2018
• Mark Hall — 2017
• Bo Nickal — 2017, 2018, 2019
• Anthony Cassar — 2019
• Nick Lee — 2021, 2022
• Roman Bravo-Young — 2021, 2022
• Aaron Brooks — 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• Carter Starocci — 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• Max Dean — 2022
• Greg Kerkvliet — 2024
• Levi Haines — 2024
• Mitchell Mesenbrink — 2025

That's the list. Now, we need the rankings.

 

[Corby2]

Even at a weight, your numbers are off. No one that I'm aware of had Mesenbrink in the top 3.

Plus there's cases where people are #8 overall but 4th at a projected weight.

Mitchell was #1 at 152. Tell me who else wasn't top 3? I also did that off the top of my head so could be a few mistakes but probably not many

 

[Corby2]

• Quentin Wright — 2011, 2013
• Frank Molinaro — 2012
• Ed Ruth — 2012, 2013, 2014
• David Taylor — 2012, 2014
• Matt Brown — 2015
• Nico Megaludis — 2016
• Zain Retherford — 2016, 2017, 2018
• Jason Nolf — 2017, 2018, 2019
• Vincenzo Joseph — 2017, 2018
• Mark Hall — 2017
• Bo Nickal — 2017, 2018, 2019
• Anthony Cassar — 2019
• Nick Lee — 2021, 2022
• Roman Bravo-Young — 2021, 2022
• Aaron Brooks — 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• Carter Starocci — 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• Max Dean — 2022
• Greg Kerkvliet — 2024
• Levi Haines — 2024
• Mitchell Mesenbrink — 2025

That's the list. Now, we need the rankings.

Off the top of my head Nico (1) Zain (3) Nolf (3) Hall (1) Brooks (4) Kerk (1) would be the guys top 3 . So 29.5%. Zain not sure about his class was loaded

 

[mrh1645]

Looking at top 3 at a HS weight is an odd way to look at it, but I am not sure the purpose of this exercise. For example, using Flo's Final 2023 Big Board (May 8, 2023), Jim Mullen was ranked #11 overall, but was #5 at 285 (I assume there were a few underclassmen ahead of him) while Greyson Clark was #3 at his weight (138), but #36 overall.

 

[Corby2]

Looking at top 3 at a HS weight is an odd way to look at it, but I am not sure the purpose of this exercise. For example, using Flo's Final 2023 Big Board (May 8, 2023), Jim Mullen was ranked #11 overall, but was #5 at 285 (I assume there were a few underclassmen ahead of him) while Greyson Clark was #3 at his weight (138), but #36 overall.

Top guy at the weight would be the best way. If you graduated #1 at the weight you should win at least one title

 

[Headlock]

Is the implication that we (PSU) don't really develop NCAA champs, but just recruit the best?

 

[Corby2]

Is the implication that we (PSU) don't really develop NCAA champs, but just recruit the best?

Not sure what is being implied either but the answer is Penn st recruits the best and they develop guys the best. People can hate them but that doesn't change the facts .

 

[HOA242n!]

Not sure what is being implied either but the answer is Penn st recruits the best and they develop guys the best. People can hate them but that doesn't change the facts .

+1 Also, wrestling may have the strongest association between recruiting rankings and college success of any NCAA sport. You don't see a lot of high level wrestlers that just picked it up in high school; the vast majority of these young men have been competing against each other, all over the country, since they were young. Doesn't hurt that it is generally accepted that Pennsylvania has the strongest youth wrestling in the country.

 

[Corby2]

+1 Also, wrestling may have the strongest association between recruiting rankings and college success of any NCAA sport. You don't see a lot of high level wrestlers that just picked it up in high school; the vast majority of these young men have been competing against each other, all over the country, since they were young. Doesn't hurt that it is generally accepted that Pennsylvania has the strongest youth wrestling in the country.

Agree not many kids come out of nowhere. Agree PA is the best HS wrestling state which definitely doesn't hurt.

 

[Wrestleknownothing]

When my power comes back I can give you based on Willie's rankings. He had Mesenbrink at like 40 or 50.

 

[amattaro]

When my power comes back I can give you based on Willie's rankings. He had Mesenbrink at like 40 or 50.

@willieshitforbrains

 

[vhsalum]

@willieshitforbrains

Come on man. MM didn't even place at Super 32 his senior year. Had one great run at the time - US Open at the tail end of the year.

 

[Wrestleknownothing]

I have Willie's data from 2013 to 2024, and Flo for 2025.

Of the 13 #1 overall ranked 9 have won a total of 15 titles (Kyle Snyder 3, Zahid Valencia 2, Mark Hall 1, Spencer Lee 3, Gable Steveson 2, Greg Kerkvliet 1, AJ Ferrari 1, Luke Lilledahl 1, Jax Forrest 1).

Four have never won a title though some still have eligibility (Bo Jordan, Paddy Gallagher, Nick Feldman, Meyer Shapiro).

So PSU has 3 #1 overall ranked who won titles.

Among # 2 ranked there were 3 titlists with 9 total titles (Zain Retherford 3, Aaron Brooks 4, Nick Suriano 2). Ten have not, or have not yet, won a title (Chance Marsteller, Anthony Valencia, Daton Fix, Cohlton Schultz, Dustin Plott, Alex Facundo, Daniel Cardenas, Christian Carroll, Cody Merrill, PJ Duke).

Among #3 ranked there have been 5 titlists with 9 total titles (Vincenzo Joseph 2, Yiannia Diakomihalis 4, Mason Parris 1, Andrew Alirez 1, Richie Fgueroa 1). Eight have not, or have not yet, won a title (Ben Whitford, Bryce Brill, Alex Marinelli, Braxton Amos, Casey Swiderski, Rocco Welsh, Aeoden Sinclair, Ladarion Lockett).

To partially answer the original question, among PSU's 40 individual titles from 21 unique wrestlers in the past 13 tournaments, 12 of the titles came from 6 unique wrestlers. The other 28 titles came from 15 wrestlers ranked #4 or lower.

And Willie had Mitchell Mesenbrink ranked #59 overall.

 

[Corby2]

I have Willie's data from 2013 to 2024, and Flo for 2025.

Of the 13 #1 overall ranked 9 have won a total of 15 titles (Kyle Snyder 3, Zahid Valencia 2, Mark Hall 1, Spencer Lee 3, Gable Steveson 2, Greg Kerkvliet 1, AJ Ferrari 1, Luke Lilledahl 1, Jax Forrest 1).

Four have never won a title though some still have eligibility (Bo Jordan, Paddy Gallagher, Nick Feldman, Meyer Shapiro).

So PSU has 3 #1 overall ranked who won titles.

Among # 2 ranked there were 3 titlists with 9 total titles (Zain Retherford 3, Aaron Brooks 4, Nick Suriano 2). Ten have not, or have not yet, won a title (Chance Marsteller, Anthony Valencia, Daton Fix, Cohlton Schultz, Dustin Plott, Alex Facundo, Daniel Cardenas, Christian Carroll, Cody Merrill, PJ Duke).

Among #3 ranked there have been 5 titlists with 9 total titles (Vincenzo Joseph 2, Yiannia Diakomihalis 4, Mason Parris 1, Andrew Alirez 1, Richie Fgueroa 1). Eight have not, or have not yet, won a title (Ben Whitford, Bryce Brill, Alex Marinelli, Braxton Amos, Casey Swiderski, Rocco Welsh, Aeoden Sinclair, Ladarion Lockett).

To partially answer the original question, among PSU's 40 individual titles from 21 unique wrestlers in the past 13 tournaments, 12 of the titles came from 6 unique wrestlers. The other 28 titles came from 15 wrestlers ranked #4 or lower.

And Willie had Mitchell Mesenbrink ranked #59 overall.

Good to know my didn't fail me @Coastal2 said my top 3 weight #s were wrong but he's now disappeared .

 

[Wrestleknownothing]

Good to know my didn't fail me @Coastal2 said my top 3 weight #s were wrong but he's now disappeared .

It is hard to say what the rank at weight numbers are because the weight data is a mess. Some years he had it, some years he didn't. Some years he had each wrestler assigned to a single weight, some years he had many wrestlers assigned to two weights. That just means you can make almost any claim about the weight ranks and no one can prove you wrong.

 

[Corby2]

It is hard to say what the rank at weight numbers are because the weight data is a mess. Some years he had it, some years he didn't. Some years he had each wrestler assigned to a single weight, some years he had many wrestlers assigned to two weights. That just means you can make almost any claim about the weight ranks and no one can prove you wrong.

I just went back and looked at the flo rankings and things were about how I remembered them . Mitchell had a great summer and ended #1 at 152 on Flo

 

[mvattivo]

Not sure what is being implied either but the answer is Penn st recruits the best and they develop guys the best. People can hate them but that doesn't change the facts .