The History of #1 Overall Recruits
All photos (excluding Craig) courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com
MatScouts recently released the final Senior Big Board for the high school Class of 2024 and lightweight sensation Luke Lilledahl led the way as the top recruit. As Willie Saylor said on his recap show, these wrestlers will now carry those rankings with them throughout their collegiate careers.
Whether Lilledahl is a four-time national champion or doesn’t ever qualify for NCAA’s he’ll be known as the top recruit from this crop of wrestlers.
How will Lilledahl fare at Penn State? I think most observers familiar with his game and Cael Sanderson’s staff’s reputation for hitting on blue-chipper’s agree that he’ll have a great career in State College.
One way to predict the future is to look at the past. How have #1 overall recruits fared in college? Surprisingly well. Especially as there are more national tournaments to compare wrestlers against each other and more video to study.
With that being said, we’ve looked at 20 years of #1 overall wrestlers to see how they did at the next level and beyond. 20 is our number (one because it's a nice round number, plus 2004-05 is around the time when these types of lists were starting to get regularly made).
As you’ll find out, if history is an indicator, he’ll turn out just fine….probably better than fine.
Before reviewing each of the 20 wrestlers, here are some facts about #1 overall recruits.
- Every #1 between 2014 and 2020 won at least one national title.
- 15 of the 20 made at least one NCAA final
- 11 of the 20 have won national championships (Three non-champions are still active, AJ Ferrari and Gable Steveson potentially are active too).
- 6 of the 20 have won multiple titles.
- 6 of the 20 won NCAA titles as freshmen
- 4 of the 20 have won the Hodge Trophy
- 3 of the 20 have won Olympic Gold Medals
- 5 of the 20 have won Senior World medals
- Only 3 of the 20 did not achieve All-American status at least once (Gallagher - still active)
- Ohio State signed 6 of the 20 #1’s.
- Counting Ferrari, four of the 20 transferred away from the school they originally signed with
- 6 of the 20 went to college in their home state
2023: Meyer Shapiro (Cornell)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 2023 U20 World Champion, 2021 U17 World Champion, 2023 National Prep Champion
Year one (of competition): Shapiro entered college with the label of being Cornell’s next great freshman picking up where Kyle Dake and Yianni Diakomihalis left off, winning a national title less than a year removed from high school. Despite such lofty expectations, Shapiro managed to have an excellent freshman campaign that included an EIWA title and a third-place finish at NCAA’s. Shapiro avenged a quarterfinal loss to Daniel Cardenas (Stanford) in the third-place bout. His 29-3 record came in a weight class that was extremely deep and filled with returning All-American and talented youngsters, alike.
Collegiate Career: TBD
2022: Nick Feldman (Ohio State)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 2022 Junior World Team member, Ironman/Beast of the East/Powerade winner as a senior, 3x National Prep champion
Year one (of competition): Because an injury sidelined Feldman for his entire redshirt season, we weren't sure what to make of Feldman coming into the 2023-24 season. Feldman jumped into the Buckeye lineup and did what was expected of him, which was to score points in bunches at the heavyweight class. In Ohio State’s dual with Michigan, Feldman showed that merely “getting on the podium” in year one wasn’t going to be an issue, it was more of a matter of “how high.” In that match, he used a late takedown to knock off returning multi-time All-American Lucas Davison. At the Big Ten Championships, he posted a more decisive win over his foe from Michigan. Unfortunately, at nationals, Davison was on the bottom half of the bracket and advanced to the NCAA finals. Feldman lost to the eventual champion, Greg Kerkvliet, and third-place finisher Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) and settled for fifth.
Two wrestlers that finished above Feldman on the NCAA podium are gone, so expect him to start the year ranked top-three in the nation and close the gap between the two wrestlers that defeated him at NCAA’s.
Collegiate Career. TBD
2021: Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 2019 Fargo Junior National Champion, 2019 Walsh Ironman Champion, 2x Ohio State champion
Year one (of competition): After a promising 16-2 redshirt campaign, Gallagher found a spot in the Ohio State lineup at 157 lbs. He had a decent year; however, not one that you may expect from a wrestler who carries the #1 overall ranking. A 0-3 showing at the 2023 Big Ten Championships led Gallagher to rely on an at-large berth for his first NCAA Tournament and he was saddled with the #28 seed. To his credit, Gallagher picked up a pair of wins over higher-seeded opponents before bowing out at 2-2. Gallagher’s final record as a redshirt freshman was 12-11.
Collegiate Career: Gallagher’s sophomore year was much more consistent than his first year in the lineup and he appeared to be on the way to establishing himself as an All-American threat at the loaded 157 lb weight class; however, he suffered a season-ending injury in early-January. He finished the year with a 16-5 record.
A healthy Gallagher could be an x-factor needed to boost the Buckeyes into team trophy contention in 2024-25.
2020: AJ Ferrari (Oklahoma State)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 2018 Cadet World bronze medalist, 2x Ironman Champion, 2017 Fargo Cadet Freestyle Champion
Year one (of competition): The 2021 season was an unusual one as it took place with the aftereffects of COVID still impacting the sport. Since student-athletes active in that season were given a “free year” of eligibility there was no harm in throwing out a true freshman like AJ Ferrari. Maybe the free year wouldn’t have made a difference because Ferrari ended up winning the whole thing at 197 lbs on the strength of his physicality and stout defense. Ferrari suffered only one loss in his 21 matches on the year. His NCAA title came after back-to-back-to-back wins over Jacob Warner, Myles Amine, and Nino Bonaccorsi. Each would go on to make an NCAA final. Ferrari’s title made him only the third true freshman in the illustrious history of Oklahoma State wrestling to win a national title and the first since Pat Smith in 1990.
Collegiate Career: In Ferrari’s second year, he appeared to be headed to a second straight national title; however, that was derailed by a severe automobile accident in late January. Following the 2021-22 season, Ferrari was dismissed from the Oklahoma State team and had legal issues that followed. In late 2023, Ferrari followed his younger brother, Anthony, to Iowa City in an attempt to enroll at the University of Iowa. He competed at the Soldier Salute and was disqualified in the championship finals and then did the infamous “split and double birds.” Ferrari was not granted admission to Iowa and his status as a collegiate wrestler is questionable, at best.
2019: Greg Kerkvliet (Ohio State)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 2018 Cadet World silver medalist, 2017 Cadet World champion, 4x Minnesota state champion
Year one (of competition): Kerkvliet actually signed with Ohio State but didn’t make it through a full year with the Buckeyes. He left for Penn State shortly after Kyle Snyder signed with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club.
Kerkvliet officially got started with Penn State during the abridged 2021 season. He finished the year fourth in the Big Ten and seventh in the nation, which is very solid for freshmen heavyweights. However, he was dealing with an injury and only saw action in one event prior to the postseason. There are plenty of people who claim their favorite wrestlers were injured, but in this instance, after seeing him compete in the ensuing years, it probably did hamper him.
Collegiate Career: Kerkvliet still has another year of eligibility and recently announced that he intends to use it. Despite competing in a weight class that featured the eventual Hodge Trophy winner on three occasions, Kerkvliet has still managed to put together some incredible numbers. He has improved his Big Ten and NCAA placement in each of his four seasons, capped off by titles in both in 2024. Kerkvliet will head into his final year in State College with a 71-10 record and a 20-match winning streak.
2018: Gable Steveson (Minnesota)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 2x Cadet World Champion, 2017 Junior World Champion, 2015 Fargo Cadet Freestyle Champion, 4x Minnesota state champion
Year one (of competition): Not only was Steveson deemed the top recruit in the Class of 2018, but some argued he may be the top wrestling recruit EVER! A good compromise would be saying the best since Steve Mocco (2001).
Steveson took the collegiate wrestling world by storm with his blend of technique and physicality. He won his first 30 matches in a Gopher singlet, a streak that stretched into the Big Ten finals. There he’d lose to Anthony Cassar, the same opponent that would edge him in the NCAA semifinals. Steveson would rebound and took third and those remain his only collegiate losses.
Collegiate Career: A few months after winning his first NCAA title, Steveson went on to capture an Olympic Gold Medal at the 2020(1) Games in Tokyo. He would capture the Hodge Trophy in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Over those two years, he amassed bonus points in 30 of 35 matches, a staggering number for a heavyweight. After the loss to Cassar in the NCAA semifinals, he’s reeled off 52 straight wins.
In a recent interview, Steveson has hinted at returning to the college wrestling world to use a final year of eligibility. Following the 2021-22 season, he had turned his attention to a career with the WWE.
2017: Spencer Lee (Iowa)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 2x Junior World Champion, 2014 Cadet World Champion, 3x Ironman Champion, 2x Super 32 Champion, 3x Pennsylvania state champion
Year one (of competition): A knee injury suffered late in his senior year of high school put some doubts as to whether or not Lee would be able to wrestle in year one for the Hawkeyes or perhaps, he’d just redshirt. After a semifinal appearance at the Midlands, Lee was pulled out of redshirt and inserted into the Hawkeye lineup. From there, he’d win his first 11 matches in the Iowa singlet before losing to 2015 champion Nate Tomasello (Ohio State) in the Big Ten finals. Lee would get his revenge with a fall over Tomasello in the NCAA semis before downing longtime rival, Nick Suriano (Rutgers), for national title number one.
Collegiate Career: Lee had an unusual collegiate career that could be deemed as injury-plagued, while at the same time, he collected three national titles and was favored to win in 2020 when the national tournament was canceled. He would receive a share of the Hodge Trophy in 2020 and 2021, both seasons where Lee finished undefeated. Other notable collegiate achievements include three Big Ten titles, three Big Ten Wrestler of the Year awards, and a 98-6 career record. 40 of those bouts ended in the first period and he held a 58-match winning streak that spanned from 2019 to the 2023 NCAA semifinals.
Lee has re-emerged on the freestyle scene and won the 2024 Olympic Trials. He was also a dominating force at the World OG Qualifier and locked up a spot for the United States (and himself) at 57 kg for the 2024 Olympic Games.
2016: Mark Hall (Penn State)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 2016 Junior World Champion, 2014 Cadet World Champion, 2012 Super 32 Champion, 6x Minnesota state champion
Year one (of competition): The Penn State brass was undecided on whether to let Mark Hall compete or redshirt for the first half of the season. A title at the Southern Scuffle (unattached) with wins over a pair of returning All-Americans helped make that decision. Though he lost his official debut in Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Hall still managed to have an excellent season that resulted in a Big Ten finals appearance and an NCAA title. In the national finals, Hall defeated Bo Jordan (Ohio State), the opponent who beat him for a Big Ten crown.
Collegiate Career: Although that 2017 national title was the only of Hall’s career, he still lived up to the immense hype with three Big Ten championships and three losses for the remainder of his career. During each of his last two seasons, Hall was seeded #1 at the national tournament. He is another victim of the canceled 2020 tournament - that occurred during his senior season. Hall finished his career with a 115-6 record and three NCAA finals appearances - including the 2017 win.
2015: Zahid Valencia (Arizona State)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 2015 Junior World Team member, 4x Ironman Champion, 2014 Super 32 Champion
Year one (of competition): Valencia’s redshirt freshman year was remarkable as he captured titles at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and Midlands, which propelled him to the top seed at his first NCAA Tournament. In their first collegiate meeting, Valencia suffered a controversial loss to Mark Hall in the NCAA semifinals, with the deciding point coming via a headgear pull. Valencia bounced back to take third and finished the year with a nearly perfect 35-1 record.
Collegiate Career: Valencia got a measure of revenge in 2018 and 2019 as he would beat Hall in the NCAA finals in both seasons. The 2017-18 campaign saw him finish with a perfect 31-0 record. Valencia was on the brink of winning a third national championship; however, he was subjected to a late-season suspension right before the Covid pandemic. At the time, he was 18-0. Valencia’s final collegiate record came to 115-3 with four Pac-12 titles and three All-American finishes.
In 2023, Valencia made his first Senior World Team at 92 kg and came away with a World bronze medal. While at ASU, Valencia earned a Junior World silver medal in 2017 and made another team the previous season.
2014: Kyle Snyder (Ohio State)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 2013 Junior World Champion, 2014 Junior World Bronze Medalist, 2x Ironman Champion, 3x Beast of the East Champion, 3x National Prep Champion
Year one (of competition): Snyder competed right away for Ohio State at 197 lbs and was an integral part of the school’s only national team title. During the regular season, Snyder dropped a pair of bouts and then was beaten in the Big Ten finals by fellow #1 recruit Morgan McIntosh (Penn State). That resulted in a #4 seed at his first national tournament. To make the national finals, Snyder defeated his high school rival, J’den Cox, who had won the weight class the previous year. On the big stage, Snyder was stunned and pinned by Iowa State senior Kyven Gadson.
During his first year at Ohio State, Snyder made the Senior World team and claimed a world championship at 97 kg.
Collegiate Career: Snyder intended on redshirting in 2015-16, but was pulled out after New Year’s and wrestled an abbreviated season up at 285 lbs that saw him defeat two-time returning champion Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) in an instant classic. Snyder would split the rest of his career between Senior-level freestyle and collegiate folkstyle and suffered only one more loss. In 2018, he capped his career with a third consecutive national title at 285 lbs. In doing so, he became the first wrestler since Carlton Haselrig (1987-89) to win three DI titles at heavyweight. Snyder’s final collegiate record was 75-5.
While mixing styles in college, Snyder managed to win an Olympic gold medal (2016) and a second world title (97 kg) and clinched a team title for the United States with his remarkable win over the legendary Abdulrashid Sadulaev.
2013: Bo Jordan (Ohio State)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: Two-time Ironman Champion, Four-time Ohio state champion
Year one (of competition): After a perfect redshirt season, Bo Jordan stepped into the Buckeye lineup and went unbeaten until losing to his cousin, Isaac, in the Big Ten finals. Since he took a redshirt, Jordan was synced up with Sndyer and another important freshman on the Buckeyes national championship-winning 2015 team. That loss gave Jordan the fifth seed and he was on the top side of his first NCAA bracket. He would lose to the returning champion, Alex Dieringer, but ended up taking third.
Collegiate Career: Once again, Jordan took third as a sophomore and all three of his losses came via his cousin. He would break through and make the finals as a junior; however, Mark Hall overturned their Big Ten result. Jordan dealt with injuries throughout his final year of competition, but still managed to take fifth in the nation. All told, Jordan made three Big Ten finals (winning one) and was top-three at the NCAA Championships on three occasions. He would finish with an 87-14 career record.
2012: Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 2011 Fargo Junior Freestyle Champion, 2010 Super 32 Runner-Up, 4x Indiana state champion
Year one (of competition): After a strong redshirt season, Jason Tsirtsis continued to roll while officially in the Northwestern lineup and didn’t lose a bout until the 2011 Midlands, where he took fifth place. At his first Big Ten tournament, Tsirtsis avenged one of his regular-season losses and grabbed the title. Despite being the fifth seed, Tsirtsis became the first Northwestern freshman to win a national title. He did so in what would become his trademark style, a low-scoring, marathon affair. Three of his five NCAA wins were gained in extra time and his largest margin of victory was 4-1.
Collegiate Career: After climbing to the top of the mountain as a freshman, Tsirtsis was unable to recreate that magic during his final three years. He did go 36-2 as a sophomore and was third at nationals. Tsirtsis ended up transferring to Arizona State for his final year of eligibility after he missed the podium in 2016. He would cap his career with another podium finish and was seventh. Tsirtsis finished with a 102-22 career record, three conference titles (2 B1G, 1 Pac-12), and three All-American finishes.
2011: Morgan McIntosh (Penn State)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 2011 Fargo Junior National Champion, 3x California state champion
Year one (of competition): Morgan McIntosh stepped into the Penn State lineup without redshirting and did battle at 197 lbs in the Big Ten. McIntosh finished fifth in the Big Ten and was 1-2 at his first national tournament. One of his best regular season wins came in Penn State’s dual against Iowa, where he topped returning All-American Grant Gambrall in sudden victory.
Collegiate Career: After redshirting the 2012-13 season, McIntosh returned to the lineup as a title contender and earned All-American honors in each of his final three seasons. Every year during that span, McIntosh earned a top-three seed at nationals. He was second in the Big Ten as a sophomore and then won it in his last two seasons. McIntosh finished his career with an NCAA finals appearance in 2016 and a sparkling 114-19 record, along with three NCAA team titles as a starter.
2010: Logan Stieber (Ohio State)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: FILA Junior freestyle champion, World Team Trials 4th Place, 4x National Champion in Fargo, 4x Ohio state champion
Year one (of competition): Stieber had the opposite first-year experience from many wrestlers on this list. Initially, Ohio State planned to wrestle Stieber; however, he was injured in Vegas at the Cliff Keen and was able to use the 2010-11 season as a redshirt. In 2011-12, Stieber went 33-2 and took out the returning national champion, Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State), to win his first national title.
Collegiate Career: Stieber had one of the most storied careers in college wrestling history becoming the the fourth wrestler to win four national titles and the first B1G wrestler to do so. He also claimed four Big Ten and CKLV championships. After leading Ohio State to a 2015 national title, Stieber was named the Hodge Trophy winner. He finished both his sophomore and senior seasons undefeated.
2009: David Taylor (Penn State)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 4x Ironman champion, 5x National Champion in Fargo, 4x Ohio state champion
Year one (of competition): After a redshirt, David Taylor took the college wrestling world by storm with a bonus-point-filled season that saw him go undefeated up until the NCAA finals. There he was shocked and pinned by former teammate Bubba Jenkins, who had transferred to Arizona State. Taylor would go on to win every major National Freshman of the Year Award. That year also saw Penn State win their first team title under Cael Sanderson.
Collegiate Career: As a sophomore, Taylor moved up from 157 lbs to 165 and was even more dominant. He was able to notch 15 falls in his 32 wins - to go along with 9 tech falls. Taylor captured his first national title with a tech in the NCAA finals. For his troubles, he was awarded the first of two Hodge Trophy’s. Taylor went on to become a four-time national finalist and two-time champion and finished with a career record of 134-3. At the time, he was only the third wrestler to win the Hodge Trophy on multiple occasions. Penn State went on to win team titles in each of the four years in which Taylor started.
2008: Jason Welch (Northwestern)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 3x California state champion, 2006 Ironman Champion
Year one (of competition): Northwestern was coming off a top-15 finish in 2008 and had a pair of All-Americans returning so it made sense for Jason Welch to go right away. Welch had a solid 26-10 record and made it to the Big Ten finals where he lost to fellow #1 overall recruit, Mike Poeta. At nationals, Welch went 2-2 with a win over the wrestler who was ranked directly behind him #2 Scott Winston - someone who had beaten him earlier in the season.
Collegiate Career: After his freshman year, Welch took a redshirt and came back to turn in three straight All-American performances. He made two more Big Ten finals - winning as a senior. During that senior campaign, Welch advanced to the NCAA finals and lost a close, possibly controversial match to Derek St. John (Iowa). Welch finished his career with a 116-22 career record and was, at the time, Northwestern’s sixth three-time All-American.
2007: Cody Gardner (Virginia Tech)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: Fargo Junior Freestyle Champion, 3x Beast of the East Champion, 2006 Ironman Champion, 4x Virginia state champion
Right after taking over at Virginia Tech, Kevin Dresser got his prized pupil from Christiansburg High School to stay home and wrestle for the Hokies. Cody Gardner’s career never really got off the ground at Virginia Tech and he transferred to Ohio State where he went 14-11. After one year, Gardner left Ohio State and resurfaced at DIII Delaware Valley.
Gardner passed away in December of 2016.
2006: David Craig (Lehigh)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 2006 NHSCA Senior National Champion, Beast of the East Champion, Ironman Champion, 3x Fargo National Champion, 4x Florida state champion
Year one (of competition): Craig was Lehigh’s starter at 184 lbs from day one and compiled a 27-6 record as a true freshman. He was fourth in a deep EIWA weight class and advanced to the NCAA Round of 12 before falling to Edinboro’s Alex Clemsen.
Collegiate Career: Craig would never advance to the Round of 12 again. He was unable to finish his sophomore season due to academic issues, but came back and won the EIWA in 2009. In both of his final two seasons with Lehigh, Craig earned a top-12 seed at nationals. Craig finished up with an 87-28 career record.
In the middle of his senior season, there was a controversial article on InterMat in which Craig described his feelings for the sport of wrestling.
2005: Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 2005 NHSCA Senior National Champion, 6x Fargo National Champion, 4x Ohio state champion
Year one (of competition): The high school recruiting class of 2005 remains one of the best of this “recruiting rankings” era and the wrestler that was deemed the best of the bunch was Dustin Schlatter. His high school battles with Brent Metcalf instantly found their way into wrestling lore.
Schlatter wrestled right away for Minnesota and showed he would live up to the hype with a win over returning national champion Zack Esposito at the National Duals. Schlatter put on a show in a dominating 2006 Big Ten finals win over Troy Tirapelle (Illinois). At nationals, he downed #3 Ty Eustice (Iowa) to claim his national title.
Collegiate Career: Schlatter only lost once, early in his true freshman season, and carried a 65-match winning streak into the 2007 NCAA semifinals. There he was stunned by Gregor Gillespie, the wrestler ranked third at 145 lbs in high school, behind Schlatter/Metcalf. He would come back to get third.
During his final two years with Minnesota, Schlatter battled injuries, finishing seventh in 2008 before defaulting out of the 2010 tournament. Schlatter did sit out in 2009 and redshirted while making the Senior World Team.
2004: Mike Poeta (Illinois)
Pre-Collegiate Credentials: 5x Fargo National Champion, 2004 NHSCA National Champion, 2x Illinois state champion
Year one (of competition): The 2004-05 Illinois team was a special one, as they went on to capture their first Big Ten Championship since the 1952 season. The Illini staff must have sensed this possibility as they needed their best wrestlers in the lineup and had true freshman Mike Poeta wrestle 165, because of the presence of returning national finalist Alex Tirapelle at his ideal weight (157 lbs). Despite being undersized, Poeta finished third in the Big Ten and came up a match shy of the NCAA podium.
Collegiate Career: For the next three years, Poeta would compete at 157 lbs. He’d finish in the top three at the NCAA Tournament on all three occasions with two NCAA finals appearances. In both of his final two seasons, Poeta was awarded the #2 seed at nationals. As a junior, he was an upset victim at the hands of Jordan Leen - his senior year he fell to Jordan Burroughs. Poeta’s career mark at Illinois was 105-14 which is good enough for third all-time on the Fighting Illini list of winning percentage.
Poeta is considered one of the best wrestlers of his era without an NCAA title. He recently wrapped up his third year as the head coach at his alma mater.
