The wait is almost over for those teams in the running for one of the best lightweights in the Class of 2017. Daton Fix, the No. 3 pound for pound high school wrestler in the country according to FloWrestling, will announce his college commitment at the end of the early commitment period for the Class of 2017 on Wednesday afternoon.
Daton is ranked as the best wrestler in the country at 132 lbs by all of the major rankings, but he projects as a 125 in college, a fact that has him as one of the top priorities for the Buckeyes in the current recruiting class. While the Buckeyes have unheralded Jose Rodriguez currently starting at 125, Fix is one of the few recruits that would instantly improve any program he joined.
Fix has won three Oklahoma 6A state titles and amassed a record of 119-0 heading into his senior season. Daton is more than just a local star in wrestling; he has competed at a ridiculous level all around the globe, making stops in China, Slovakia, Brazil, and Columbia along the way. Like Kyle Snyder, Fix excels at freestyle (as well as Greco Roman) and has his sights set on adding to his trophy case beyond college.
Happy birthday champ! pic.twitter.com/Z0JZGN2xYH
— Daton Fix (@_Greatest_Ever1) March 29, 2016
Fix is a senior from Sand Springs, Oklahoma, which is located just 56 miles from Stillwater, home of the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Proximity to home isn’t the only inside track for Oklahoma State as head coach John Smith was teammates with Fix’s father Derek at Oklahoma State. A major strike against the Cowboys is that they have Nick Piccininni in the lineup, who is just a redshirt freshman. Piccininni and fellow redshirt freshman Kaid Brock will create a bit of a logjam if Fix were to enter the mix.
North Carolina, Nebraska, and Penn State are also in consideration for Fix, along with the Buckeyes and Cowboys. Former Oklahoma State star Coleman Scott is turning North Carolina into a destination for some of the nation’s top wrestlers, while Cael Sanderson’s Penn State Nittany Lions don’t have enough spots in the lineup to start all of the elite talent in their wrestling room.
Nebraska has reestablished itself as a national power, bringing in elite recruits Chad Red and Beau Breske this year. Fix would slot in nicely at 125 for the Huskers and would have an opportunity to train under Mark Manning, who is well-known for developing freestylers (see Burroughs, Jordan and Green, James).
Ohio State seems to be in a good position to land Fix, who could be an asset to the Buckeyes and the Ohio Regional Training Center, which develops some of the top freestyle wrestlers in the country. Fix made his official visit to Columbus at the end of October
If Fix comes to Ohio State, Buckeye fans could potentially see a lineup of Jordan Decatur (huge recruit in the Class of 2019) at 125, Fix at 133, and Luke Pletcher at 141. Opposing teams would not be fond of that particular lineup, to say the least.
Fix is scheduled to make his collegiate commitment live on FloWrestling on Wednesday as a part of their ASICS Signing Day special. He is scheduled to commit at 3 PM EST (2 PM CT) from Sand Springs High School
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