Poll: Prediction for DT at OkSt
- Thread starter mcpat
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I voted for “equal”. Hopefully location still matters because DT will capitalize on this buzz . If Pegula and Penn State’s army of CEOs it brags about all the time decide to lend a hand to Ira, then all bets are off.
Mano y Mano - Cael and staff vs DT and staff - Cael kills him. Gravitas matters
Mano y Mano - Cael and staff vs DT and staff - Cael kills him. Gravitas matters
I raised an eyebrow, Spock style, seeing your vote.
I didn’t see an answer choice that matches my prediction so I went with about the same as Smith. I think he does have success on a similar timeline as Smith, though never stringing together 4 in a row as long as Cael is in the game.
I see PSU winning 50+ percent of the team titles while Cael is here and Okie State, tOSU, Iowa and MAYBE Michigan splitting the rest. If he sticks around, DT will break and never duplicate the ~20 year title drought in Stillwater IMO.
I see PSU winning 50+ percent of the team titles while Cael is here and Okie State, tOSU, Iowa and MAYBE Michigan splitting the rest. If he sticks around, DT will break and never duplicate the ~20 year title drought in Stillwater IMO.
That’s why I provided some reasons. Big money and buzz will help DT land some of the unicorns you need to win NCAAs routinely, but then things will settle down I think. Cael is a great strategist so I think the next several months will be fascinating - particularly who takes over for Kennedy and what non-PSU guys are retained/attracted to the NLWC. I think it’s really important to retain the 2 Kyles as they help keep the NLWC as the top club.
Im not real worried about the current roster and recruits leaving. There may be 2 or so, but the crazy depth now softens that blow. Giddy homers thinking a year or 2 at M2 (really for closeness to NLWC) is enough to sway kids to OSU is lazy thinking. Worrying about a stalwart like Haines is even sillier.
I have a feeling we’ll lose a few starry-eyed “local” kids who will love the glitz (I’ve got 1 or 2 in mind now), but there are still lots of killers residing with an easy drive of Penn State who - all things considered and being fairly equal $$$ wise - will prefer to be at a place where their crew can watch them.
This move REALLY hurts Iowa and Ohio State in my opinion.
Good points. I think location will also continue to present challenges for DT. Those of us who have been to Oklahoma will understand this.
But there will also be 1 or 2 studs who will pass on PSU because they like being in the underdog role vs the Deathstar. And because they think they can be a bigger fish in that smaller Stillwater pond.
Spot on. And if folks don't think DT isn't shi&&ing his pants right now, they're crazy. He just stepped into big boy world with zero experience. Massive expectations, and massive money. Deliver or else.
Coaching is now a much smaller part of what a head coach does. Obviously, much easier than Franklin's job because of the number of athletes, but what coaches have to do today vs just 5 years ago is insane. I think David will do well, but it won't happen overnight. The only way it does is if OSU is buying athletes with crazy NIL money.
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Agreed on nearly all, if not all of it. Especially about Iowa and anOSU being hardest hit. Not sure I quite conclude that OKST will become our equal though.
Taylor will need to kill it in the 2026 recruiting class. Potential to just do that, with the guys who were interested in Smith and those he has worked with. But he's probably not going to get anyone in 2025 other than Lockett (who might be good enough for a one-man class). I don't see him flipping any of the PSU guys -- they committed for Cael. M2 was a bonus.
Maybe some portal help, but that's a crapshoot, never know who's gonna become available, at what weights, and why. And if they'll help more than at some other schools.
He also needs to figure out if Carroll is a 197 or a HWT. Carroll would be a 197 under Smith, but this might be another Snyder situation where he can't stay there as a 97 kg freestyle guy. If he can't, then there's a conflict with Merrill at HWT, plus recruting impacts for both 197 and HWT. (Plus whatever other guys grow when allowed to eat.)
Can I ask how much money this Billionaire is going to keep pouring into their program?
I voted for the 3rd option - PSUs biggest rival. Ok State has always attracted good talent and they have still had their share of NCAA champions even with the drought in team titles. I think the recent regime change will attract more good talent and it seems that DT does know a little bit about developing guys due to his record at M2.
However, that being said, PSU already has everything going for it that the New Regime MIGHT bring to the table at OSU. Next year’s Penn State team looks like it could be even better than this year’s team so I don’t think OSU or anyone else is going to stop the momentum for a while.
This is a very interesting poll. It might be interesting to post the same poll at the end of the next season after we’ve had some time to see what kind of changes happen at OSU. Don’t forget that everyone had stratospheric expectations for Cael when he first hired on at Penn State. Nobody expected a national team title in his first season, but by the end of the year, there were some very clear improvements. I think we placed 6th that year with one NCAA finalist. That was clearly an improvement over the previous season.
At the beginning of the next season, I still don’t think we were expecting a national team title, but by the end of the dual meet season, everyone felt we had a decent chance. Then the train started rolling.
By the end of February next year, let’s see if OSU starts looking like PSU in 2010.
However, that being said, PSU already has everything going for it that the New Regime MIGHT bring to the table at OSU. Next year’s Penn State team looks like it could be even better than this year’s team so I don’t think OSU or anyone else is going to stop the momentum for a while.
This is a very interesting poll. It might be interesting to post the same poll at the end of the next season after we’ve had some time to see what kind of changes happen at OSU. Don’t forget that everyone had stratospheric expectations for Cael when he first hired on at Penn State. Nobody expected a national team title in his first season, but by the end of the year, there were some very clear improvements. I think we placed 6th that year with one NCAA finalist. That was clearly an improvement over the previous season.
At the beginning of the next season, I still don’t think we were expecting a national team title, but by the end of the dual meet season, everyone felt we had a decent chance. Then the train started rolling.
By the end of February next year, let’s see if OSU starts looking like PSU in 2010.
Carroll has got to reshape a lot of his body to drop 16 pounds and be effective
I'm not sure this is true. Smith was always able to pull in guys from other parts of the country. Including PA/NJ/OH.
Offhand, non-OK recruits currently on the roster: Jamison (TX), Heeg (IL), Haas (KS), Carroll (IN), Merrill (CA). And none of the imports are from OK: Spratley (TX), Fish (MI), Hamiti (IL).
He'll get to each more than 1 stalk of celery per week now.
For anyone who looks at the Intermat forums this “Interviewed_at_Weehawken” cat has taken the chief hater title from Jammen.
It would be funny if Pegula decides to look through his couch cushions to support Cael Phase II
It would be funny if Pegula decides to look through his couch cushions to support Cael Phase II
So what have you guys heard about a business deal between Dake and DT going sour? It was alluded to on 247
I voted five. I think he gets some studs but will still be behind big ten schools and Cornell. Once the big 12 gets to nationals their individual stand outs run into better studs from a better conference and lose. Not to say that can't happen to us but we have Cael and like I said last week DT ain't Cael.
Don’t forget that Smith pulled in some good PA guys. Oliver and Marstellar for sure, and there were some others who I don’t remember off the top of my head.
The dimension of time plays a serious role in this. How long is as important as how much.
My guess is 25-26, they expect a top 5 at NCAAs.
The key for DT is get off to a great start on the mat and in recruiting. His current roster will contend for #2 in 24/25. In recruiting it will be interesting to see if he can grab Blaze, Forrest, and or Bo. If he gets 2 out of three he’ll have it rolling.
DT will be relying on Kennedy to navigate all the HC responsibilities that he is not even aware of. The easy part for DT will be the recruiting and developing. The hard part will be implementing his culture which sounds like it will be much different that what is currently at Okie State. Reading OSU message boards, Smith was quite hands off on the off the mat stuff. If DT trys to bring a culture similar to PSU to OSU, there will be plenty of personality clashes.
Also as HC, he has to deal with the conversations regarding $$$$ which are always difficult.
One thing going for him in recruiting, academics are not an issue at OSU, write your name as an athlete, you are accepted.
For the money he is being paid, results will be expected. For the money he is being paid, that would have been very difficult to turn down at his age.
For the money he is being paid, he could also pull a Jamarcus Russell and just take it easy for a few years and then laugh all the way to the bank. 😁
DT will be a factor with the big recruits. Stillwater is a great wrestling town and OSU wrestling tradition is second to none. PSU will remain the top dog, but OSU won't be getting beat by 120 pts. anytime soon. Dt will try and pull a stud of two from PA or Ohio nearly every year. He will get on the Askren train quickly. He will try to keep CA recruiting as it is now for OSU, and steal more of the top kids from Illinois,Minnesota, and Indiana. He will keep Oklahoma locked down. He will have a very talented roster to work with 4 years from now. Results are to be determined but the horses will be in the stable if he can develop them to potential. That is the area where Cael,Casey, and Cody have separated from everyone I have watched build a program. How in the hell do you win semi final matches at the percentage they do? We will find out if the Magic Man has the same Magic as his mentor.
Don't know the answer but from reports, he's in it to the tune of ~$35M as of now. That's for an assist to build a new room, endow the RTC, and fund a significant portion of coaches salaries for a period of time. Seems like that would be a five year commitment. More to come if success follows I'd imagine.
We shouldn't sleep on TX. The sport is growing in that state. Get a couple good clubs down there and that state will start producing more Bo Nickals.
That's what they made EXIT signs for.
Their recruiting has been strong the last couple years, and they have a great shot to land Alirez and Hendrickson from the portal. I won't be shocked if they place second next year, and north of 100 points if they land those portal guys.
If they can do that, then recruiting is helped and OSU will be sitting on the runway ready for takeoff as the new, shiny program. Doesn't mean they pass or even equal PSU but Iowa is in trouble. Spencer Lee needs to be named asst coach within the next year or I could see Iowa imploding.
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Possible, but 2026 is a likely step back even with new portal guys then. They lose a lot next March including Plott, Hamiti, and any new rentals. Some talent waiting in the wings, but still more open spots.
Getting Alirez and/or Hendrickson may be bigger risk than reward -- there's a possible 1-year team score spike, but Alirez cannot finish higher, and Hendrickson likely can't with Kerk returning. If they finish the same, they were already trained. If they finish lower, then the negative recruiters in Columbus and elsewhere will have a lot to say about Taylor's coaching ability.
True, there is risk in that likely plan. It's rare that 4th year transfers meet or exceed program/fan expectations. I agree if they splash next year, 2026 is a pullback year. The reward for the risk is that it may pull a couple recruits toward Stillwater.
Cael was lucky enough to be able to clean house and work toward year two, and was rewarded. It will be interesting to see which direction DT takes his program.
Don’t underestimate Caels competitive drive.
You don’t think Cael planned for this? Come on man. Cael plays chess while others are at the checkers board. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if he didn’t initiate and even encourage it. It’s part of the plan to change wrestling in his eyes. His impact over the last 15 yrs has been unprecedented. Just think what it will be over the next 15 yrs while his tree is growing. His first wave of wrestlers are done competing. They will be flooding the coaching ranks now. Fans want close and suspenseful competition and not blowouts!
Totally agree. I want all PSU wrestling events to be competitive and close, exactly like this most recent NCAAs.
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