Ohio State just landed the top wrester in the country.
Daniel Kerkvliet, the No. 1 wrestler on FloWrestling's 2019 big board, announced his commitment to the Buckeyes via Instagram two days after his visit to Ohio State.
"When I took my visit there it felt like the perfect fit," he said in the post announcing his commitment to Tom Ryan's program.
A senior from Simley, Minnesota, Kerkvliet originally committed to wrestle at home-state Minnesota back in 2016, and at one point was slated to wrestle for Oklahoma State. He reopened his commitment to the Cowboys in July, and the Buckeyes put on a full-court press to earn the blue-chipper's pledge.
"I am looking for the best environment where I can make a long-term commitment, much longer than just the five years I will be wrestling in college," Kerkvliet told FloWrestling in July. That last comment was foreshadowing his eventual decision, as the heavyweight prospect will have the opportunity to train alongside Kyle Snyder, who continues to train at the Ohio Regional Training Center in preparation for defending his World and Olympic titles.
Kerkvliet won the Cadet World Championship in freestyle last year, and was a finalist again this summer. He was slated to wrestle for the 97 kg title at the Junior World Championships later this month, but USA Wrestling announced Monday that a recent injury would keep him from competing at the tournament.
The Buckeyes seem to have their 285-pound roster set for the foreseeable future, with former top-heavyweight prospect Chase Singletary set to take over for Snyder this fall, and the top recruit in the country now added to the mix. Kerkvliet was slated to wrestle at 220-pounds for his senior season, so it's possible that he – like Snyder before him – sees time at 197 pounds following Kollin Moore.
Kerkvliet spent part of the summer training alongside Snyder as part of Team USA.
Kerkvliet marks the fifth commitment of the Class of 2019, and the fourth Top 100 recruit in the class to name Ohio State as their college of choice.
| Name | High School | Projected Weight | InterMat | FloWrestling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Decatur | Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy | 133/141 | No. 4 | No. 5 |
| Jacob Decatur | Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy | 125 | No. 52 | No. 62 |
| Dylan D'Emilio | Genoa | 141 | No. 21 | No. 35 |
| Tyler Stein | Canfield | HWT | ||
| Daniel Kerkvliet | Simley (Minnesota) | HWT | No. 1 | No. 1 |
