Princeton Open
- Thread starter obrats_rivals
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You can probably make a case that if Dean Peterson doesn’t exist that Vin Santaniello is a 3x state champ. Still wish we nabbed him especially after the Navy transfer
Regardless, very few of those top kids end up here. All the just-missed and second-choice ones, I tend to believe, are kids that take advantage of the training facilities and coaching while in high school, then blow smoke up Goodale's arse so they don't feel as bad about it. Mullen supposedly chose VT because Casale came here for heavyweight. Yeah, that's working out well.
How is Mullen working out with VT? Yara will destroy him
Mullen went to VTech because he was allowed to play football and wrestle. Rutgers recruited Casale at 197 and Mullen at 285.
Mullen was offered a football scholarship at Rutgers before VT.
Doesn't mean much getting an early Football offer these days....Rutgers Football offered very early in his career probably thinking he will grow to 6-3/6-5 and can be a High level D1 Football Recruit...By his Senior year Mullen was still a tad over 6' and wasn't looking like or Ranked like a Big 10 lineman on the field and Schiano lost interest and didn't want him... that's why he didn't come here
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New guys Hermes and Packer did pretty well. Hermes and Britton both made it to the uncontested 5th place match. Packer finished fourth after making it to the semis, where he got run over by Beard, the eventual winner, and starter at Lehigh.
Keep in mind that he also graduated high school in 2018 and is only a junior in his 6th year post high school. Deferred his college eligibility start by not enrolling at Penn State after graduating to essentially train with the NLWC for a year. Then red shirted in 2020 as well as took his free year in 2021 so he is giving Steve Micic's career a run for it's money. He is a previous AA, R12 last year, and is ranked in the top 10 this year so I would have expected such a performance given the competition.
Yes, clearly. That aside, I think Packer did pretty well. I'm hopeful he will be developed and will be a worthy successor or backup to Poz. There is no one else in the queue. And it's nice to have a good heavyweight, but next year? We're shallow behind some other weights too.
Poz has this season, plus the following two years. So hopefully RU can land a big recruit in the class of 2025 or 2026 to fill Poz's spot. They also have Nate Blanchett coming in the class of 2024(although I think he is projected to be a 184) but if he grows, he is a much higher ranked recruit than Packer.
Yara has another year after this season(I do not know if he will use it, but he does have it.)
Unless Casale continues to develop and adapts to being a heavyweight, the next starter at 285 is more than likely coming from the portal again.
Also successful seasons from Rivera who previously AA’d and Heilmann. Suriano won a national title after transferring in, and Dean Peterson has done well as well. Butler and Moore can contribute to the cause too.
Mullen did not have a commitable offer from Rutgers for football.