NEWS: 2027 pledge Sonny Amato announces decommitment

Tanner Lafever

All-American
Jan 4, 2024
2,201
8,805
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Amato just announced the news on Instagram:



The 2x New Jersey State champ had been committed to the Hawkeyes since last October and now reenters the recruiting pool as Flo's #27 overall Class of 2027 prospect (#5 at 150lbs).

His original top four schools included Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Iowa State - so we'll see if one of those winds up becoming his new destination.

With the decommitment, Iowa still has four 2027 recruits ranked in the top 20 of Flo's latest Big Board:

- Paul Kenny (#9)
- Joe Bachmann (#11)
- Israel Borge (#16)
- Shamus Regan (#19)

Plus, #52 Dawson Youngblut - a recent Fargo finalist.
 

IndianaHawk98

All-Conference
Jul 2, 2025
472
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At this point, if we lose him to VTech, it will be comical.

His family were tight with the Ferrari’s, he’s the last recruit I thought that would de-commit from Iowa. Especially with how many times he visited and came.

Disappointed, but this is a story all so familiar with our program these past years. Don’t know what to say at this point.

Wish the kid the best and hope he ends up at Rutgers and not ISU, Nebraska, or VTech…
 

Mattski

All-Conference
Apr 21, 2022
1,169
3,203
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And so it begins. Remember when we were told we couldn't move on from the current staff bc we'd likely lose all the future commits?
The fact is when the program is stale and underperforming the recruits are going to bail anyway. The longer Beth waits the deeper the hole is going to get.
 

dtripp26

Heisman
Oct 29, 2003
10,831
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GIF by Giphy QA
 

blusballz

Redshirt
Dec 18, 2017
4
31
13
Let’s hope others don’t follow him

Amato just announced the news on Instagram:



The 2x New Jersey State champ had been committed to the Hawkeyes since last October and now reenters the recruiting pool as Flo's #27 overall Class of 2027 prospect (#5 at 150lbs).

His original top four schools included Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Iowa State - so we'll see if one of those winds up becoming his new destination.

With the decommitment, Iowa still has four 2027 recruits ranked in the top 20 of Flo's latest Big Board:

- Paul Kenny (#9)
- Joe Bachmann (#11)
- Israel Borge (#16)
- Shamus Regan (#19)

Plus, #52 Dawson Youngblut - a recent Fargo finalist.


This is pretty “meh” news. Sonny Amato wasn’t going to be a high impact guy. That’s all.
 

Nashville_Hawk

All-Conference
Dec 31, 2015
787
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This is pretty “meh” news. Sonny Amato wasn’t going to be a high impact guy. That’s all.
Concur. Don’t like losing guys but this didn’t sting like others in the past have. Who knows, it could be good for both him and our program. For all we know he might never have started for the Hawks and this is his chance to be a big fish in a smaller pond…
 

Sabula

All-Conference
Oct 24, 2001
1,675
1,904
113
Concur. Don’t like losing guys but this didn’t sting like others in the past have. Who knows, it could be good for both him and our program. For all we know he might never have started for the Hawks and this is his chance to be a big fish in a smaller pond…
I get an uneasy feeling that Iowa is kind of moving towards being in that smaller pond.
 

Nashville_Hawk

All-Conference
Dec 31, 2015
787
2,090
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I get an uneasy feeling that Iowa is kind of moving towards being in that smaller pond.
Can’t argue with your point of view given the last few years…hope tnt can turn the corner and get back to competing for championships but it looks like top 4-6 for at least a couple years. :( Can’t believe Nebraska is out recruiting us!! I can see Carl and DT but not Nebraska or any of the other programs.
 

UNIHawk

All-Conference
May 2, 2025
373
1,078
93
Not very PSUish. PSU keeps guys like this as depth on their roster and doesn’t burn bridges over dumb stuff. They don’t call them out of the blue to tell them there’s no longer a spot for them.
IDK if I'd assume this to be true. Mineo, based on his history, NEVER misses and opportunity to take a dump on Tom. Wasn't it Borge, who said the staff (mainly Terry) is in contact with him after every match at a tourney going over things?

Also, Tom doesn't strike me as a wilting flower, if he wanted Amato to come to Iowa to work out I think he'd just tell him that vs seeing if he shows up on his own and dumping him if he doesn't.
 

AS17380

Sophomore
Mar 24, 2026
36
100
13
IDK if I'd assume this to be true. Mineo, based on his history, NEVER misses and opportunity to take a dump on Tom. Wasn't it Borge, who said the staff (mainly Terry) is in contact with him after every match at a tourney going over things?

Also, Tom doesn't strike me as a wilting flower, if he wanted Amato to come to Iowa to work out I think he'd just tell him that vs seeing if he shows up on his own and dumping him if he doesn't.
Mineo likes to mess with Iowa fans for sure, but he doesn’t strike me as a guy that just makes stuff up. Amato is a New Jersey guy and I’d be surprised if he wasn’t his source for this information. If you don’t believe it simply because it’s mineo you have your head in the sand.
 

UNIHawk

All-Conference
May 2, 2025
373
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Mineo likes to mess with Iowa fans for sure, but he doesn’t strike me as a guy that just makes stuff up. Amato is a New Jersey guy and I’d be surprised if he wasn’t his source for this information. If you don’t believe it simply because it’s mineo you have your head in the sand.
You think Mineo has a good track record? IDK, not saying he's never right but his history not so good. You also think he doesn't have an agenda to make the Iowa program look bad??? I mean every recruit Iowa gets is because of these huge bags but every recruit that goes to PSU is cleaning Cael's toilet just for the privilege of it. Dude has an agenda....doesn't mean I dismiss it out of hand but when he's the source for anything concerning Iowa, I'm skeptical.

Dean Peterson didn't think much of his NJ connection.
 

AS17380

Sophomore
Mar 24, 2026
36
100
13
Tom gets paid to make tough decisions and this one probably wasn't easy . I have always liked Sonny he will move on and find another school. My early guesses would be Iowa St Mizzu Rutgers
But why did it need to be made in the first place? It’s not like we have otherworldly depth at the middle weights. If there’s some other big recruit that needed more money and whatever was promised to Amato needed to become available that’s one thing, but Amato seemed all the way in on Iowa and it’s a shame if he was just told he isn’t needed anymore.
 
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blcoach80

All-Conference
Feb 24, 2018
362
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Mineo likes to mess with Iowa fans for sure, but he doesn’t strike me as a guy that just makes stuff up. Amato is a New Jersey guy and I’d be surprised if he wasn’t his source for this information. If you don’t believe it simply because it’s mineo you have your head in the sand.
The asshat twists everything he says to make Iowa look bad. Name one positive thing he has ever said about Iowa or any wrestlers from or going to Iowa. He is a douchebag with an agenda and always will be.
 

IndianaHawk98

All-Conference
Jul 2, 2025
472
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Tom gets paid to make tough decisions and this one probably wasn't easy . I have always liked Sonny he will move on and find another school. My early guesses would be Iowa St Mizzu Rutgers
Would you say the door is closed then? No chance of him coming to Iowa?

I’m sure Iowa St. will pick him up… really hoping it’s Rutgers though if it’s not us.
 

Corby2

Heisman
Jul 14, 2025
4,631
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Would you say the door is closed then? No chance of him coming to Iowa?

I’m sure Iowa St. will pick him up… really hoping it’s Rutgers though if it’s not us.
He's funky and good on top. He's probably a 157 maybe a 165 eventually. Mizzu and O'toole would be a good fit. Rath and him know each other he would be a good partner for him as well.
 

TheREALSpooner

All-Conference
Dec 16, 2022
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Mineo likes to mess with Iowa fans for sure, but he doesn’t strike me as a guy that just makes stuff up. Amato is a New Jersey guy and I’d be surprised if he wasn’t his source for this information. If you don’t believe it simply because it’s mineo you have your head in the sand.

😂 He’s done it more than once. He famously got caught using a burner account to **** with Pederson last year.

Never put stock in what he says. Ever.
 

mcpat

All-American
Mar 12, 2021
2,210
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What’s the count of team members and recruits that Tom has kicked off the team over the past couple of years at?
 
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sdvike

All-Conference
Feb 23, 2016
1,151
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What’s the count of team members and recruits that Tom has kicked off the team over the past couple of years at?
As far as I know, only Gabe before last season. Is there others I'm forgetting?
 

Hawx224

All-Conference
Jun 30, 2025
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Stories like this are so tiresome because all the people who want to **** on TnT take the opportunity to run with it, even though they know none of the facts. Anyone believing Mineo has any insight is an idiot
 
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McUSA

Junior
Mar 10, 2022
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Also, Tom doesn't strike me as a wilting flower, if he wanted Amato to come to Iowa to work out I think he'd just tell him that vs seeing if he shows up on his own and dumping him if he doesn't.
I’m going to guess he never had to call the Kennys, Bachmans, and Mocco.
 
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