ADVERTISEMENT

Tidbit on a big 2023 target…

CSauertiegPSU

Well-Known Member
Staff
Oct 9, 2013
6,185
11,628
1
Hearing that a decision from 2023 Heavyweight Jim Mullen could come within the next couple weeks to a month and PSU is in pretty good standing. Sounds like it’ll either be PSU or Rutgers, and Mullen could be the reason why the second of Willie’s predicted commits has held off.
 
Hearing that a decision from 2023 Heavyweight Jim Mullen could come within the next couple weeks to a month and PSU is in pretty good standing. Sounds like it’ll either be PSU or Rutgers, and Mullen could be the reason why the second of Willie’s predicted commits has held off.
That’s what I like to hear. We need either him or Hopke and if Mullen sticks strictly to wrestling which I would think he will if PSU is the choice he is going to be a good one
 
Hearing that a decision from 2023 Heavyweight Jim Mullen could come within the next couple weeks to a month and PSU is in pretty good standing. Sounds like it’ll either be PSU or Rutgers, and Mullen could be the reason why the second of Willie’s predicted commits has held off.
So this is why Neves' announcement had been delayed? Cael is really stepping up his recruit-over game!!! 🙄
 
Last edited:
If all 3 of these guys were available at the same cost to the team, who would you ideally take?

Mullen just doesn't do it for me yet. But that's probably just a function of the beat downs Feldman has given him.

Maybe cael could coach him up......

If he goes to RU he's essentially saying he's cool w never winning gold.
 
If all 3 of these guys were available at the same cost to the team, who would you ideally take?

Mullen just doesn't do it for me yet. But that's probably just a function of the beat downs Feldman has given him.

Maybe cael could coach him up......

If he goes to RU he's essentially saying he's cool w never winning gold.
Hopke is the hot new prospect but I think we’re underrating how good Mullen is. He’s an elite prospect in his own right who put it on another top prospect in Robell 2x. Plus he’ll now be focusing on wrestling year round.
 
If it's down to PSU and Rutgers I think he's just weighing proximity to home, being the face of a program and maybe football (and obviously I imagine he was offered a full ride to Rutgers) vs the best training and development situation.

PSU I'm guessing Cael gave him a no nonsense answer in that he will be wrestling and wrestling only and knowing Cael, he probably didn't offer the full.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Str8DBLz
Hopke is the hot new prospect but I think we’re underrating how good Mullen is. He’s an elite prospect in his own right who put it on another top prospect in Robell 2x. Plus he’ll now be focusing on wrestling year round.
Feldman has made multiple top prospects look silly also. Harley Andrews was the 2nd best heavy in the 2022 class (and #17 PFP in 2022) and he got pinned by Feldman in the first period. Mullen has an extremely high ceiling and even if he never closes the gap enough on Feldman, he will be a big time point scorer at NCAAs IMO if he focuses on wrestling.
 
PSU is Neves' dream school but he also is realistic in knowing it might not be the right lineup fit. Willie said on his show PSU knows they can have him whenever (because he's kind of committed). Who knows, maybe the kid blows up in NJ and Cael really pushes later.
 
Why didn't Cael recruit Feldman??




rowan-atkinson-mr-bean.gif
 
If all 3 of these guys were available at the same cost to the team, who would you ideally take?

I all in on Hopke. A year behind which is a good thing. Admittedly I have only seen a few matches from each, but Hopke is still just a pup. None of us have seen him at full strength. I think by early spring everyone will be screaming Hopke.
 
If all 3 of these guys were available at the same cost to the team, who would you ideally take?

Mullen just doesn't do it for me yet. But that's probably just a function of the beat downs Feldman has given him.

Maybe cael could coach him up......

If he goes to RU he's essentially saying he's cool w never winning gold.
Mullen, then Hopke, then Neves.

We have not yet seen Hopke perform at Mullen's level (though that could change at cadet worlds).

Also Mullen will start college training a year earlier. This board has run out of hands to wring over Kerk's injury history and freestyle/MMA future.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ja1339
Mullen, then Hopke, then Neves.

We have not yet seen Hopke perform at Mullen's level (though that could change at cadet worlds).

Also Mullen will start college training a year earlier. This board has run out of hands to wring over Kerk's injury history and freestyle/MMA future.

Definitely agree.
Also, I’ll follow the ‘bird in the hand is worth two in the bush’ analogy. Meaning if you can lock up Mullen now you do it vs hoping you can get someone better later.
 
Did cael leak to clay just to take a little air out of the hawk/yuk recruiting talk.....
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Ja1339
Mullen, then Hopke, then Neves.

We have not yet seen Hopke perform at Mullen's level (though that could change at cadet worlds).

Also Mullen will start college training a year earlier. This board has run out of hands to wring over Kerk's injury history and freestyle/MMA future.
I agree completely. People seem to be sleeping a bit on Mullen probably because we haven’t seen him compete lately and because of his loss to Feldman. Kid is going to be an absolute stud though especially once he commits to wrestling full time. Not saying he will beat Feldman but being in the PSU room and committing strictly to wrestling I think he will improve at a faster rate. Sky is the limit for him. Hopke will be very good as well. Interesting to see how he does at U17 freestyle. At this point though I would rather have Mullen. If he goes to Rutgers is it because he could play football as well or is even that to high of a level of football for him?
 
If he goes to Rutgers is it because he could play football as well or is even that to high of a level of football for him?

According to the recruiting databases Rutgers is one of the handful of schools (and the only P5) that have offered him a football scholarship.
 
  • Like
Reactions: zzs006
If all 3 of these guys were available at the same cost to the team, who would you ideally take?

Mullen just doesn't do it for me yet. But that's probably just a function of the beat downs Feldman has given him.

Maybe cael could coach him up......

If he goes to RU he's essentially saying he's cool w never winning gold.
Or that a full scholarship to a high academic university while pursuing athletic dreams at the nation’s best wrestling conference is worth consideration.
 
If he goes to Rutgers is it because he could play football as well or is even that to high of a level of football for him?
Rutger offered Mullen a football scholarship long ago. Free college would certainly be a draw.

He's not a big football recruit and it's not a Spencer Myers situation of being too light. But starting isn't unreasonable at Rutger.

He's a much better wrestling than football prospect, especially if he picks one sport. If that's what he wants, the choice is obvious.
 
  • Like
Reactions: zzs006
Rutger offered Mullen a football scholarship long ago. Free college would certainly be a draw.

He's not a big football recruit and it's not a Spencer Myers situation of being too light. But starting isn't unreasonable at Rutger.

He's a much better wrestling than football prospect, especially if he picks one sport. If that's what he wants, the choice is obvious.
Don’t forget that both Carlton Haselrig and Stephan Neal were better wrestling prospects too. Their football careers turned out pretty well!
 
All three are great recruits. The one who does the best in College will be the one Who comes to Happy valley. That will be the difference in the long run. Who ever comes will be elite! Can’t go wrong with any of the three.
My order:
1. Hopke
2. Mullins
3. Neves
 
  • Like
Reactions: GogglesPaizano
Where would you guys put Sean Kinney in the HWT mix? Kids good and only getting better.

Other than Mathew Cruise all close matches and his 4 PIAA loses (Cruise, Schon (ot-State finals), butka, Feldman) the kid has dominated everyone.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: hlstone
Where would you guys put Sean Kinney in the HWT mix? Kids good and only getting better.

Other than Mathew Cruise all close matches and his 4 PIAA loses (Cruise, Schon (ot-State finals), butka, Feldman) the kid has dominated everyone.
As of right now I'd probably put him 3rd behind Mullen and Hopke, ahead of Neves. With the caveats that (1) it depends on what kind of HWT people want -- he's more of a Nevills than a Cassar or Kerk; (2) Neves isn't a HWT yet.

The problem with assessing him is that he doesn't have all that many good wins. Best wins are Cruise, Crews, and Moehring. Plus he has yet to compete at Fargo or Super 32 in high school. Mullen, Hopke, and Neves have all performed well at national events.

And that leads to the other concern: he's supposedly a football lean.

Cael is pursuing both Mullen and Hopke, with Neves in his back pocket. No word on him pursuing Kinney. That's a clue.
 
As of right now I'd probably put him 3rd behind Mullen and Hopke, ahead of Neves. With the caveats that (1) it depends on what kind of HWT people want -- he's more of a Nevills than a Cassar or Kerk; (2) Neves isn't a HWT yet.

The problem with assessing him is that he doesn't have all that many good wins. Best wins are Cruise, Crews, and Moehring. Plus he has yet to compete at Fargo or Super 32 in high school. Mullen, Hopke, and Neves have all performed well at national events.

And that leads to the other concern: he's supposedly a football lean.

Cael is pursuing both Mullen and Hopke, with Neves in his back pocket. No word on him pursuing Kinney. That's a clue.
Vance was another big win.
 
That kinda proves my point. The guys he has beaten are big wins for PA, not such big wins at the national level.
I agree not alot of national exposure wins but the kids a beast in folkstyle.
 
@dicemen99 Any chance you can slip Nazareth into Escape the Rock? McDevitt is in the field, so Robell will be there ...

Looks like Kinney and Mullen might meet at Beast of the East -- their teams are both registered.
Nazareth is firmly tied to their schedule, which includes going to the VA Duals. I don't see that happening, but they know they have an open invite. Our HC is a Naz alum.

Almost happened last year when VA duals had some bracketing issues which caused problems with the PA competition points. But then they made a slight change in their format when they found out they were going to lose most of their PA teams.

Blair is coming this year, so we'll have Mullen, Robell, and Neves in the bracket.
 
Any word on McGowan's recruitment. He said it would be 'soon" on twitter: a couple of months ago, but haven't heard anything since. Anyone have any news?
 
  • Like
Reactions: GogglesPaizano
I am starting to wonder if he ran into trouble with grades or something along those lines. Total speculation on my part, but he did 'announce' back in March that his decision was coming very soon. I wonder if he is in summer school right now which might provide an indication of a GPA repair job. Who knows, I still want him badly.
All due respect, kind of unfair to guess a kid has an academic issue just because he hasn't decided on a school yet. Kids just say "soon" all the time without really thinking about a legitimate timeline I feel.
 
ADVERTISEMENT