Penn State wrestling’s top-ranked recruiting class starting to become official
For the past year, Penn State wrestling’s 2018 recruiting class has been hyped as one of the top in the nation. Now, it’s starting to become official.
Three highly coveted recruits signed their official National Letters of Intent to wrestle at Penn State, representatives of the wrestlers confirmed Wednesday. The trio includes No. 3-ranked 125-pounder Gavin Teasdale, a three-time state champ out of Jefferson-Morgan High School near Pittsburgh; two-time Arizona state champ Roman Bravo-Young and top-ranked heavyweight Seth Nevills, of Clovis, Calif.
The early period for Division I wrestlers to sign their National Letters of Intent started Wednesday and will last through Nov. 15.
Teasdale, who had once verbally committed to Iowa along with Franklin Regional’s Spencer Lee, flipped his verbal commitment to Penn State in March.
“I think a lot of it is that he felt he jumped the gun too early,” Teasdale’s coach Mike Lesko said about the flip in March. “Finally, he matured. I think that this was in his heart the whole time.”
Teasdale is projected to wrestle at 125/133. His father confirmed his son’s signing to the CDT on Wednesday.
Bravo-Young made his verbal commitment to the Nittany Lions last October with fellow top recruit Travis Wittlake, who flipped his commitment to Oklahoma State on Tuesday.
Bravo-Young, out of Sunnyside High School in Tuscon, Ariz., told the CDT last year he chose Penn State because of its “prestigious background” and coach Cael Sanderson.
“If Cael Sanderson tells you he wants you to wrestle for him and wants to take care of you, why say no?” Bravo-Young said.
Bravo-Young, who is projected to wrestle at 133/141, confirmed his official signing to the CDT on Wednesday.
“It’s an awesome feeling,” he said. “Just the beginning.”
The three-time undefeated California state champ Nevills, the brother of Penn State’s junior heavyweight Nick Nevills, verbally committed to Penn State in April.
“I’m excited to begin my academic and wrestling career at Penn State and I can’t think of a better team, coaches and place to do it than State College,” he said Wednesday.
Penn State’s highly ranked recruiting class of 2018 also includes verbal commitments from Brody Teske, ranked No. 6 at 120 pounds, and top-ranked Michael Beard at 195.
This story was originally published November 8, 2017 at 3:44 PM with the headline "Penn State wrestling’s top-ranked recruiting class starting to become official."