College Commitments

[coachsmithwick]

Where are NC's senior wrestlers that plan to wrestle in college going? Did anyone sign a NLI(National Letter of Intent) on signing day?

Silas Shaw(Mooresville)- NCSU
Nathan Dugan(Lake Norman)- Princeton
Tyler Moore(St. Stephens)- Mount Olive
Allen Payette(FT Foard)- Mount Olive
Parker Howell(Bunker Hill)- Mount Olive
Easton Griffon(West Caldwell)- Mount Olive
Donald Cates (Northern Durham)  -  NCSU
Timothy Decatur (Rosewood) -  UNC-CH
Will Edmiston (Lake Norman)- Gardner-Webb
Chris Garrison (NW Guilford)- NC State
Spencer Leonhardt (Freedom)- Campbell
Noah Wilson (Rockingham County)- Mount Olive
Landon Shuford (West Iredell)- Campbell
Noah Hall (West Stokes)-Presbyterian
Caleb Smith(SW Guilford)- App State
Heath Gonye(N. Guilford)r- App State
Carson Smith(SE Guilford)- App State
Luis Mena(Asheboro)- Belmont Abbey
Michael Smith(Asheboro)- Belmont Abbey
Josh Blatt (Piedmont) - Belmont Abbey
Torrence Franklin (CB Aycock) - Mount Olive
Yakemeian Johnson(Lumberton) - Pratt CC
Edward Brock Lumberton) - Pratt CC
Hayden Waddell Uwharrie Charter Academy) -  Mount Olive
Issac Toe (High Point Central) - Belmont Abbey
Cameron Blizard (Ragsdale) - Washington and Lee
Loki Ryan (RS Central) - Spoartanburg Methodist
Nkosi Barnes Lexington) - Ferrum
 Abraham Vargas-Perez (Lexington) - Spartanburg Methodist
Alberto Vargas-Perez(Lexington) - Spartanburg Methodist
Nigel Freeman - UNC Pembroke
Ike Byers(Mooresvile) - App. St
Jared Barbour(Cape Fear) - App St
Tristan Chapman(Cape Fear) Gardner Webb
Gabriel Guess(Bunker Hill) - Mount Olive
Tyler Vinson(Franklin) - Mount Olive
Frederick Lewis(Western Harnett) - Ohio Valley
Jared Dorsey(Jordan) - NCSU

[Fatdog]

Donald Cates (Northern Durham)  -  NCSU
Timothy Decatur (Rosewood) -  UNC-CH

[coachyaro]

Will Edmiston (Lake Norman)- Gardner-Webb

[coachyaro]

Caleb Smith- App State
Heath Gonyer- App State
Carson Smith- App State

[Ironman152]

App does this very often and i'll never understand the thought process behind 3 125 pounders, especially 3 125 pounders from the SAME CLUB all going to the same school to compete for the same spot. Mind Boggling.  Couple years ago they pulled heath gleaton, which ever grigg brother was last and then the older shufford brother all at the same time. And those are just the names I can remember. It still happens pretty frequently. What is the appeal for app? Kids go there and very rarely pan out because theyre stock piled.

[Fwrogers]

My guess would be 1 of a handful of things. 1 being keeping a kid at 125 for 4 years is hard. the bookends are the two toughest weights to fill for various reasons. 2. there is a ton of attrition at the collegiate level, especially D 1 but college wrestling at any division is hard. 3. due to said attrition and difficulty of keeping a kid at 125 for 4 years you have a safety valve, and can/possibly cover 2 weights if one can't hold the weight and can then go up to 133 should the need arise. Just a handful of thoughts off the top of my head.

[coachyaro]

Chris Garrison (NW Guilford)- NC State
Spencer Leonhardt (Freedom)- Campbell

[Ironman152]

Oh I get it on the coaching end. If kids are going to keep coming why not stock pile them, outside of the fact that those kids could have gone somewhere else and been successful instead of sitting and wasting away eligibility.  However as an athlete it still doesn't make any sense to me. 

[Fwrogers]

I hear ya. From the Athletes perspective its the nobody is going to beat me out for the spot mentality. Thats at least how I would have thought about the situation. All of the kids you mentioned (Grigg, Shuford etc....) think that way.

[Coach Atwood]

Always bring in quality talent regardless of weight.  App sees something in them.  Good for them and good for App.  Hope all three are AAs.

[dewilson211]

Noah Wilson from Rockingham County has signed with Mount Olive.

[The_Rev]

Same reason why football teams may recruit 2-3 QB's for competition, attrition like Rogers stated, and they may miss on one or two and he not develop like they hoped, surely 1 of the 3 will have a successful career and hopefully all 3 will. I love that App has a commitment to NC kids.

[Ironman152]

I hear ya. From the Athletes perspective its the nobody is going to beat me out for the spot mentality. Thats at least how I would have thought about the situation. All of the kids you mentioned (Grigg, Shuford etc....) think that way.

did either of those guys ever make the starting line up and did they finish their college careers wrestling?

[Ironman152]

Irvin Enriquez is the only lightweight from NC that came into app in that couple year span that ended up lasting. No one else made it past their sophomore year. 

[coachyaro]

Landon Shuford (West Iredell)- Campbell