#BOOM. Again.
Ohio State's wrestling program has been on a recruiting tear lately. On the heels of earning the commitments of the Top 3 wrestling prospects in the Class of 2022, Tom Ryan and company got the pledge of the No. 17 recruit in the Class of 2023 Friday as Greater Latrobe, Penn., junior Vinny Kilkeary announced via Instagram that he would wrestle in the scarlet and gray.
Kilkeary, one of the top lightweight prospects in the country, was a Pennsylvania high school state champion as a freshman, and placed third at the 16U Nationals in Fargo this summer. The former Super 32 champion seems a likely successor to Malik Heinselman at 125 pounds.
The Buckeyes have had no shortage of success recruiting the Keystone State in recent years. From recent graduates like Luke Pletcher to current team leaders Sammy Sasso and Ethan Smith, Ryan and his recruiting consigliere Anthony Ralph have been able to pluck the best and brightest from one of the most fertile recruiting grounds with increasing frequency.
Two of Ohio State's top recruits in the Class of 2022 – Nic Bouzakis and Nick Feldman – are Pennsylvania products, and now two of the major pieces of the Class of 2023 – Kilkeary and No. 3 Rocco Welsh – hail from the state as well. Recruiting against the likes of Penn State and Pitt for Pennsylvania kids is no mean feat, and the Buckeye staff is doing it as well as they've done it at any point in Tom Ryan's tenure in Columbus.
Can Ohio State sign the top recruiting class in the country two years in a row? The 2022 haul certainly looks like the best in the country, perhaps the best in history. With Kilkeary joining Welsh in the class, the Class of 2023 is certainly shaping up to be another good one for the Buckeyes.
