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Beard vs Hoffman: You can pick just one.

Sportfan2017

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Jun 28, 2017
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You can only choose one for your team.....who will it be? The Flo guys were split on which has a higher upside. They were split on who would win at WNO. How can you not love Gavin? He will wrestle anyone. "Your teams are out of the running....would you like to bump up 25 lbs and take on Mason Parris? Sure! Fun match. Two great wrestlers & two great kids. Gavin was a huge PSU fan since young. That said.... If I am Cael my pick is very simple....Michael Beard. Why? They are both great but PSU needs a 197 for 4 years. Gavin has wrestled on more than one occasion at 220lbs. as a Sophomore...and again as a Jr. Will he be able to stay at 197? Remember PSU brought in A.J. Nevills as a 197. I saw him on the mat last year.....definitely a heavyweight. I wouldn't want to see that happen again after 1 or 2 years. You don't want two scholarships at heavyweight and still need a 197. So if I can't really see much difference between the two......give me the one most likely to be a 197 for his career. Your thoughts?
 
You can only choose one for your team.....who will it be? The Flo guys were split on which has a higher upside. They were split on who would win at WNO. How can you not love Gavin? He will wrestle anyone. "Your teams are out of the running....would you like to bump up 25 lbs and take on Mason Parris? Sure! Fun match. Two great wrestlers & two great kids. Gavin was a huge PSU fan since young. That said.... If I am Cael my pick is very simple....Michael Beard. Why? They are both great but PSU needs a 197 for 4 years. Gavin has wrestled on more than one occasion at 220lbs. as a Sophomore...and again as a Jr. Will he be able to stay at 197? Remember PSU brought in A.J. Nevills as a 197. I saw him on the mat last year.....definitely a heavyweight. I wouldn't want to see that happen again after 1 or 2 years. You don't want two scholarships at heavyweight and still need a 197. So if I can't really see much difference between the two......give me the one most likely to be a 197 for his career. Your thoughts?
Beard by far.....He will be working out with Cael and David Taylor and other ELITES everyday....That's an easy one....
 
You can only choose one for your team.....who will it be? The Flo guys were split on which has a higher upside. They were split on who would win at WNO. How can you not love Gavin? He will wrestle anyone. "Your teams are out of the running....would you like to bump up 25 lbs and take on Mason Parris? Sure! Fun match. Two great wrestlers & two great kids. Gavin was a huge PSU fan since young. That said.... If I am Cael my pick is very simple....Michael Beard. Why? They are both great but PSU needs a 197 for 4 years. Gavin has wrestled on more than one occasion at 220lbs. as a Sophomore...and again as a Jr. Will he be able to stay at 197? Remember PSU brought in A.J. Nevills as a 197. I saw him on the mat last year.....definitely a heavyweight. I wouldn't want to see that happen again after 1 or 2 years. You don't want two scholarships at heavyweight and still need a 197. So if I can't really see much difference between the two......give me the one most likely to be a 197 for his career. Your thoughts?
Can't lose with either one it seems. I'm happy with our choice and I'm sure Buckeye fans are happy with theirs.
 
You can only choose one for your team.....who will it be? The Flo guys were split on which has a higher upside. They were split on who would win at WNO. How can you not love Gavin? He will wrestle anyone. "Your teams are out of the running....would you like to bump up 25 lbs and take on Mason Parris? Sure! Fun match. Two great wrestlers & two great kids. Gavin was a huge PSU fan since young. That said.... If I am Cael my pick is very simple....Michael Beard. Why? They are both great but PSU needs a 197 for 4 years. Gavin has wrestled on more than one occasion at 220lbs. as a Sophomore...and again as a Jr. Will he be able to stay at 197? Remember PSU brought in A.J. Nevills as a 197. I saw him on the mat last year.....definitely a heavyweight. I wouldn't want to see that happen again after 1 or 2 years. You don't want two scholarships at heavyweight and still need a 197. So if I can't really see much difference between the two......give me the one most likely to be a 197 for his career. Your thoughts?
Hoffman's weight is a non-issue. He just won World bronze at 85 kg / 187.0 lb. It was a trial run to see if he could go 184 in college. He'll likely do that for his RS FR year after Martin graduates, before moving up to 197 to replace Moore.

The only reason he went 195 two years ago was because he outgrew 170 and his brother was a senior at 182. Then he won states, so why go back down to 182? He also has said he felt sluggish at 220.

Chickenman had it right -- they're both fantastic prospects, hard to go wrong either way. I'll trust Cael.
 
I won't pick one. I'll say this though, I can't help but feel bad for a kid that has his heart set on a school he loves but it's just not in the cards for him. Seems like a really great kid that loved PSU. He'll have a new love now and I'm sure will be perfectly fine but I still would have enjoyed seeing him represent the school he dreamt about his entire life.

I'll always be a fan of his for sure.
 
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Too many unknown tangibles for me to make an educated pick, but off of my very limited exposure I would take Beard. Beard seems a little longer in build and more prone toward initiating leg attacks. I think both of these traits work well with PSU bigger guys. Hoffman is a stud and will do very well at tOSU. I would want to know way more (stuff the PSU staff knows) GPA of both,SAT scores of both,Goals,etc. There is much more to nailing the correct recruit than simply looking at current results. It would also matter which young man the staff felt most connected with.
 
Too many unknown tangibles for me to make an educated pick, but off of my very limited exposure I would take Beard. Beard seems a little longer in build and more prone toward initiating leg attacks. I think both of these traits work well with PSU bigger guys. Hoffman is a stud and will do very well at tOSU. I would want to know way more (stuff the PSU staff knows) GPA of both,SAT scores of both,Goals,etc. There is much more to nailing the correct recruit than simply looking at current results. It would also matter which young man the staff felt most connected with.

Well said. You bring up many points about recruiting that most don't even consider, but I'm certain our coaching staff does. It is no where near as simple as just picking out the highest ranked recruit(s).
 
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Too many unknown tangibles for me to make an educated pick, but off of my very limited exposure I would take Beard. Beard seems a little longer in build and more prone toward initiating leg attacks. I think both of these traits work well with PSU bigger guys. Hoffman is a stud and will do very well at tOSU. I would want to know way more (stuff the PSU staff knows) GPA of both,SAT scores of both,Goals,etc. There is much more to nailing the correct recruit than simply looking at current results. It would also matter which young man the staff felt most connected with.
Too many unknown tangibles for me to make an educated pick, but off of my very limited exposure I would take Beard. Beard seems a little longer in build and more prone toward initiating leg attacks. I think both of these traits work well with PSU bigger guys. Hoffman is a stud and will do very well at tOSU. I would want to know way more (stuff the PSU staff knows) GPA of both,SAT scores of both,Goals,etc. There is much more to nailing the correct recruit than simply looking at current results. It would also matter which young man the staff felt most connected with.
Projecting forward. I would love to hear the coaches talk to that.
 
Cael picked Beard......taking in all the factors, and more, that the OP raised. That is the only data point I need to make a decision
 
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No need to worry about the hvys if you got and self promote the best light weight room in Merica.

7 < 3 in HR math


I read HR the other day ...

HR read as if Spencer Lee is their only wrestler and they forgot the other 35 kids exist.
 
I read HR the other day ...

HR read as if Spencer Lee is their only wrestler and they forgot the other 35 kids exist.

You would think he is the messiah.

A messiah w 3 surgeries before his first college match.

A lot of pressure for sure and I'm not sure it's fair. But at least they have given up on this year.

#2020isthenextchance
 
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The future is bright in Iowa City dunkej01! There is a lot more in the room than Spencer.. You know it. I know it. Life is good!
 
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Those 2 could wrestle that WNO match 10 times and probably be 5-5. That's now. Me thinks that Cael sees something extra in Beard that we may not. Can't argue with PSU's recruiting, development and results in the upper weights. For those reasons, I'm going with Beard.
 
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Those 2 could wrestle that WNO match 10 times and probably be 5-5. That's now. Me thinks that Cael sees something extra in Beard that we may not. Can't argue with PSU's recruiting, development and results in the upper weights. For those reasons, I'm going with Beard.
i don't agree, I think Beard wins 7 at least. I like what I saw at WNO
 
i don't agree, I think Beard wins 7 at least. I like what I saw at WNO
Well, then he'd have to win 7 of the next nine. Ha! I liked what I saw at WNO also, saw some good things from Hoffman also. That opening ankle pick off a re-shot was pretty slick.
 
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The future is bright in Iowa City dunkej01! There is a lot more in the room than Spencer.. You know it. I know it. Life is good!
The future does indeed look bright and I believe with strong efforts in the future the Hawks can maintain their position as a solid number 3 in the BIG10.
With the way Cornell is recruiting they are going to make a run for top 3 at nationals, so again with good tournaments the Hawks could challenge the Cowboys and hold off Cornell for number 3 overall.
 
Can't lose with either one it seems. I'm happy with our choice and I'm sure Buckeye fans are happy with theirs.
Not sure it was our "choice", as Hoffman ended up at tOSU only after Cael made a choice between two absolute great prospects for the same weight. But, I am very happy he will be in Columbus.
I think both can and will succeed. Beard will be training with DT and Cael daily. Hoffman will be training with Kyle Snyder, Tervel, and Kollin Moore daily. Both will be in a great situation to progress to elite status and be NCAA finalists. Add Warner at Iowa, and there will be some very fun B1G matches for us to watch over the next few years.
 
There isn't a coach anywhere that wouldn't love to have Warner. That young man has a motor that doesn't quit. Very impressive.

If he gets better on the mat, he could very well be elite in a hurry. Very excited to see his results on the open circuit this year.
 
I've seen Beard wrestle quite a few times. He's smart and aggressive and economical in his moves. And I've seen marked improvement in the last couple of years. He's the kind of guy that Cael can mold into something special, I think.

And yet, Hoffman is a real talent. There's not room on the roster for both kids. At this point it's impossible to judge who has the greater long term upside. Both tOSU and PSU can be glad to get one of them. It's the rest of the country that's left out in the cold.
 
Well, then he'd have to win 7 of the next nine. Ha! I liked what I saw at WNO also, saw some good things from Hoffman also. That opening ankle pick off a re-shot was pretty slick.

We did have a pretty good view of that. :) Hoffman was top level on his counter shots that day. I thought Beard looked like he needs to work on that part of his game. He relaxed a bit when his shot was stopped and allowed Hoffman to get off good shots on a few occasions.
 
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I was hoping for Hoffman, but all in on Beard now that it's done. Tough pick either way.

Spencer was mentioned in this post. Selfishly, I'd love to see him go this year, but hope he shirts and heals up. Any update on that decision (@WildTurk and all others).
 
In their WNO match I liked that Hoffman seemed to take motivation from PSU opting for Beard, but even so, I liked more that Beard was the aggressor and came back; if the match was a minute longer I think Beard wins. Big caveat that it's an exhibition match and unless one guy clearly dominates there's probably not a lot worth taking away from a WNO result, since the conditions differ from how they'll prepare in college. But both have similar skill sets, both a lot quicker than most 197s (a trend which Snyder already set in motion), both good finishers, both seem polished enough to step right in and AA.
 
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In their WNO match I liked that Hoffman seemed to take motivation from PSU opting for Beard, but even so, I liked more that Beard was the aggressor and came back; if the match was a minute longer I think Beard wins. Big caveat that it's an exhibition match and unless one guy clearly dominates there's probably not a lot worth taking away from a WNO result, since the conditions differ from how they'll prepare in college. But both have similar skill sets, both a lot quicker than most 197s (a trend which Snyder already set in motion), both good finishers, both seem polished enough to step right in and AA.
Looked, just for giggles...197 is heavily senior-laden, with about 13 of the top 20, depending on ranking service, departing after this season. That's a lot. Granted, Warner, Woodley, Borst, and Brucki are on rosters, and will benefit from all the guys leaving, but looks to me like even 2019-20 is a good year to enter this weight class.

Seems a better situation for Beard, as he can go after a RS. Hoffman will have to go 184 for a year, while Moore finishes his Senior year.
 
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I've seen Beard wrestle quite a few times. He's smart and aggressive and economical in his moves. And I've seen marked improvement in the last couple of years. He's the kind of guy that Cael can mold into something special, I think.

And yet, Hoffman is a real talent. There's not room on the roster for both kids. At this point it's impossible to judge who has the greater long term upside. Both tOSU and PSU can be glad to get one of them. It's the rest of the country that's left out in the cold.
If the names were switched, this post would be equally true.

If there's a difference in their careers, it's that Hoffman has lost to a couple guys I don't think Beard would. Guys like Woodley, hardly bad losses, but guys you have to beat to make the podium in college.

That could be spun multiple ways. One could argue Hoffman has a lower floor. Or that Hoffman has developed more in the past year. Will be fun to see how this plays out over the next 5-6 years.
 
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The future does indeed look bright and I believe with strong efforts in the future the Hawks can maintain their position as a solid number 3 in the BIG10.
With the way Cornell is recruiting they are going to make a run for top 3 at nationals, so again with good tournaments the Hawks could challenge the Cowboys and hold off Cornell for number 3 overall.

Wait, wut? I just spent 10mins on Wrestlestat looking to support this, but came up empty. Can you educate my dumb ass please?
 
Wait, wut? I just spent 10mins on Wrestlestat looking to support this, but came up empty. Can you educate my dumb ass please?
Waiting for nitlion's response...though here's some recruiting info...

2017
03-29-15 Cornell Vitali Arujau Syosset NY 141/149
11-09-16 Cornell Seth Janney Malvern Prep PA 285
06-29-16 Cornell Jake Brindley Lake Highland Prep FL 157/165
09-26-16 Cornell Brendan Furman Canon-McMillan PA 285
04-20-17 Cornell Sammy Cokeley St. James Academy KS 165/174
04-20-16 Cornell Andrew Berreyesa Reno NV 174/184
06-13-16 Cornell Hunter Richard Holland Patent NY 149/157
11-10-14 Cornell Yianni Diakomihalis Hilton NY 133/141
09-26-16 Cornell Dominic LaJoie Gaylord MI 125
10-25-16 Cornell John Stawinski Essex VT 165


2018
10-03-17 Cornell Jonathan Loew Wantagh HS NY 184/197
07-10-17 Cornell Gerard Angelo Bergen Catholic NJ 149/157
07-15-17 Cornell Andrew Merola Blair Academy NJ 174
07-06-17 Cornell Ryan Moore Walton-Verona KY 125/133
 
Waiting for nitlion's response...though here's some recruiting info...

2017
03-29-15 Cornell Vitali Arujau Syosset NY 141/149
11-09-16 Cornell Seth Janney Malvern Prep PA 285
06-29-16 Cornell Jake Brindley Lake Highland Prep FL 157/165
09-26-16 Cornell Brendan Furman Canon-McMillan PA 285
04-20-17 Cornell Sammy Cokeley St. James Academy KS 165/174
04-20-16 Cornell Andrew Berreyesa Reno NV 174/184
06-13-16 Cornell Hunter Richard Holland Patent NY 149/157
11-10-14 Cornell Yianni Diakomihalis Hilton NY 133/141
09-26-16 Cornell Dominic LaJoie Gaylord MI 125
10-25-16 Cornell John Stawinski Essex VT 165


2018
10-03-17 Cornell Jonathan Loew Wantagh HS NY 184/197
07-10-17 Cornell Gerard Angelo Bergen Catholic NJ 149/157
07-15-17 Cornell Andrew Merola Blair Academy NJ 174
07-06-17 Cornell Ryan Moore Walton-Verona KY 125/133

Thanks. I need to update my knowledge base; where is this info from?
 
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