“I am excited about our incoming class as it features a very geographically diverse group of young man coming to Fargo with the goal of building something special together,” said Blanc. “I believe this group has multiple NCAA podium contenders. Our staff is looking forward to developing these stellar young men on and off the wrestling mat.”
The class features 18 newcomers, including 12 freshmen and six transfers, with more than 20 state championships and over a dozen junior national and NHSCA All-American honors. The signee class comes from 15 different states.
“This group is very balanced across the weight classes, as well as with freshman and college transfers,” added Blanc. “We are looking for a bit of leadership from our college transfers, who will bring in some much-needed experience and provide an opportunity to potentially redshirt some freshman to aid in their development as we prepare for them for the future. This freshman group has had lot of success on the state and national level and we believe they will do the same representing the green and yellow.”
Michael Baker | 197 | Senior | Beavercreek, Ohio | La Salle HS | Columbia
COLLEGE: Wrestled four seasons at Columbia, wrapping up in 2022-23 … Posted a 13-20 record, including a 2-2 mark in EIWA duals … Posted seven wins at 184 pounds in his junior season, including a pin in his only dual appearance against Long Island …
HIGH SCHOOL: Four-time letterwinner in wrestling and football at La Salle in Cincinnati, Ohio … Went 170-38 in high school … Two-time state placer and four-time state qualifier … Finished sixth (jr.) and second (sr.) at the Ohio State Championships at 195 pounds … 2019 USA Wrestling Junior Nationals All-American (8th) … Third all-time in wins at La Salle … Three-time All-Ohio Academic Team … Member of back-to-back (2016-17) State Championship football squads … Member of wrestling squad that finished in the final four of the State Championships in 2017-18 and finished second in 2018-19 …
PERSONAL: Son of Rex and Lisa … Has one sibling; Thomas, who wrestled and played football collegiately at Urbana … Majoring in Psychology and Economics …
Drew Blackburn-Forst | 285 | Sophomore | Lockport, Ill. | Lockport Township HS | Northern Colorado
COLLEGE: Wrestled two seasons at Northern Colorado, including a 7-5 campaign last year in his redshirt freshman campaign … Six of his seven wins came by fall, with his lone other win by tech fall … Finished 2-1 in duals … As a redshirt in 2022-23, posted a 4-0 record with three pins and one tech fall …
HIGH SCHOOL: No. 135 overall recruit in the class of 2022 and No. 11 nationally in weight class … U15 World Team Member in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman … Lettered in wrestling and football … Two-time Illinois wrestling state champion … Earned all-conference honors twice … Was a two-time all-state and all-area football player … Illinois Defensive Player of the Year … Helped his teams to place third at state wrestling championships and an 8A Football State Championship …
PERSONAL: Son of Shawn and Kelly … Has one sibling; Paul … Shawn wrestled collegiately at Millikin … Majoring in Marketing …
Kyle Burwick | 133 | Senior | Hettinger, N.D. | Hettinger HS | Nebraska, Wisconsin
COLLEGE: The five-time North Dakota state champion returns to his home state for his final year … Wrestled last two seasons at Nebraska after being a two-time NCAA qualifier at Wisconsin … Fifth-place finish at 2021 Big Ten Championships … 40-38 career record with seven pins, six tech falls and six major decisions … NWCA Scholar All-American (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) … Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2023, 2024) … Academic All-Big Ten (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) …
HIGH SCHOOL: 293-18 high school career record … Five-time North Dakota state champion … Three-time member of the Academic Honor Roll … National Honor Society President and member of the student council …
PERSONAL: Son of Randy and Connie … Has three siblings; Nathan, Sienna and Taylor … Majoring in Child, Youth and Family Studies …
Peyton Moore | 133/141 | Sophomore | Nixa, Mo. | Nixa HS | Missouri
COLLEGE: Wrestled two seasons at Missouri, posting an 15-12 record with three pins, two tech falls and a major decision … 6-6 in redshirt campaign in 2022-23, which included a 1-1 record in dual competition … Dual victory came by pin at 125 pounds against West Virginia … Finished 9-6 overall in redshirt freshman campaign …
HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year letterwinner and captain at Nixa under coach Dustin Martin … Finished his senior year 38-4 … Earned three conference titles … Three-year Junior Dual Team member … Competed for seven years at Terminator Wrestling Academy under coach Rueben Wait … High School career record of 167-24 with 120 pins … Four-time state placer … 2019 Missouri state runner-up … Also placed third in 2021 and 2022 at the state competition, and sixth in 2020 … Nixa career pins leader and most pins in a single season record holder …
PERSONAL: Son of Danny and Lisa … Has three siblings; Jorden, Kelsi and Kendi … Majoring in Sport Management …
Devin Wasley | 174 | Sophomore | Hammond, Wis. | St. Croix Central HS | Minnesota
COLLEGE: Wrestled two seasons at Minnesota, posting a 16-11 record with one pin, four tech falls and three major decisions … 9-7 in redshirt campaign in 2022-23, with a 7-4 record in 2023-24 that includes a dual victory at 184 pounds over NDSU’s Adam Cherne … Placed eighth at the Soldier Salute last season and won the 174-pound title at the Jim Koch Open … 2023 Minnesota Freshman Academic Award winner … 2024 Academic All-Big Ten honors …
HIGH SCHOOL: A 2022 graduate of St. Croix Central High School under coach Brad Holzer … Two-time WIAA state finalist and three-time Wisconsin state placewinner (2nd, 3rd, 2nd) … Finished his prep career with a 146-15 record … Placed 2nd at the USAW Northern Plains freestyle regionals at 182 pounds … Was a member of the 2021 Wisconsin national team …
PERSONAL: Son of Dennis and Sara … Has two siblings; Olivia and Owen … Owen is a collegiate wrestler at Augustana … Majoring in Business Management …
Bradley Whitright | 197 | Junior | Cheyenne, Wyo. | Cheyenne East HS | North Idaho College
COLLEGE: Wrestled two seasons at North Idaho College, earning back-to-back trips to the NJCAA national championships … Placed fourth at the NJCAA national championships last season, posting a 42-10 record overall, with 23 bonus-point decisions, en route to a Region 18 championship before securing All-American honors …
HIGH SCHOOL: Posted a 148-36 career record at Cheyenne East under Thad Trujillo … Two-time Wyoming all-state performer in 2020 and 2021 … Helped East to a team state championship title in 2018 … Also lettered in football, track and golf … Team captain in football in 2020, earning all-state honors on defense and helping program to state championship …
PERSONAL: Son of Brandon and Tiffany … Has one sibling; Ben … Majoring in University Studies …
Tayshaun Glover | 184 | Freshman | Greensboro, N.C. | Dudley HS
HIGH SCHOOL: Three-year letter winner and state qualifier for Lewis Walker at Dudley High School … Posted a 117-17 career record, including a 56-1 state runner up finish as a senior that included over 30 pins and four tech falls … Became first Dudley wrestler to earn All-American honors at NHSCA, taking fourth as a senior … Also earned All-American honors at Journeyman … Three-time academic all-state honoree and NWCA High School Scholar All-American …
PERSONAL: Son of Shandalyn … Has two siblings; Nehemiah and Jeremiah … Majoring in Engineering …
Aiden Hight | 197 | Freshman | Fayetteville, Pa. | Chambersburg Area Senior HS
HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year letterwinner and starter at Chambersburg for Matt Mentzer … Multiple time state qualifier, including a third-place finish as a senior, posting a 36-4 record … Recorded an overall career record of 108-33, earning first team all-conference honors as a junior and senior, along with second team honors as a sophomore … Member of the National Honors Society …
PERSONAL: Son of Craig and Sheena … Dad Craig wrestled collegiately for Pitt-Johnstown … Has three siblings; Abram, Abel, and Archer … Major is undecided …
Schey Huff | 285 | Freshman | Virginia Beach, Va. | First Colonial HS
HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year starter at First Colonial, posting a 103-22 career record, including an undefeated 40-0 season as a senior on his way to the Virginia state championship … Three-time state placer overall, including a pair of runner-up finishes as a sophomore and junior … Earned academic honor roll recognition all four years of high school …
PERSONAL: Son of Shannon … Has two siblings; Madison and Kennedi … Majoring in Psychology …
Dante Hutchings | 165 | Freshman | Pomona, Colo. | Pomona HS
HIGH SCHOOL: Wrapped up career at Pomona as a four-time state qualifier, three-time state placer, closing with a record of 137-38 … Recorded a state championship runner-up finish as a junior at 165 pounds … Took third at the state championships as a sophomore at 160 and as a senior at 165 … In July of 2024, claimed Fargo nationals All-American honors … Member of the Pomona Bass Fishing team as well as the Pomona Student Council …
PERSONAL: Son of Heather and Devon … Majoring in Business …
Shilo Jones | 285 | Freshman | Boise, Idaho | Mountain View HS
HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year starter at Mountain View, posting a 162-34 career record, including a 45-3 season as a senior on his way to the Idaho state championship … In the spring of 2024, claimed the U.S.A. Wrestling Folkstyle National Championship … Helped lead Team Idaho to the 2023 Greco National Championships in Fargo … In 2024, claimed an individual Greco National Championship in Fargo … Also lettered in football, earning all-state honors and east-west all-star game accolades …
PERSONAL: Son of TJ and Toni … Has two siblings; Sammie and Seth … Majoring in Mechanical Engineering …
Max Magayna | 174 | Freshman | Waterloo, Iowa | Waterloo East HS
HIGH SCHOOL: Three-time Iowa state champion and a third-place finish in four season, posting a 185-4 career record, including 151 pins at an average time of 64.7 seconds … Wrestled first three seasons at Columbus Catholic, compiling a 145-3 record, earning state titles at 152, 160 and 170 pounds … Wrestled final season at 175 pounds for Waterloo East, holding an undefeated season until an upset in the semis … Claimed he Iowa junior 175 titles in Freestyle and Greco in May of 2024 … Took fifth at the USA Wrestling Junior Folkstyle Nationals in March of 2024 … Also lettered in football …
PERSONAL: Son of Dan and Angel … Has one sibling; Maddox … Majoring in Electrical Engineering …
Andrew McMonagle | 184 | Freshman | Williamsburg, Pa. | Williamsburg HS
HIGH SCHOOL: Wrestled three seasons, qualifying for states all three years, posting a 93-17 career record, including a 47-3 state championship campaign as a senior … Recorded a Pennsylvania high 37 pins during his senior season, setting school record … As a junior, posted a 38-7 campaign with 30 pins, totaling out 71 falls for his prep career, boasting a pin rate of over 64 percent in his career … Also lettered in football, earning all-state honors as a 1,000-year rusher …
PERSONAL: Son of Tracy and Dan … Has three siblings; Alexi, Austin and Aden … Austin played baseball at Penn State … Majoring in Business …
Sean O’Brien | 125 | Freshman | White Bear Lake, Minn. | Totino-Grace HS
HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year starter and two-year captain at Totino-Grace, posting a 113-57 career record, Four-time state qualifier, including a 42-11 senior season … Helped Totino-Grace to a third-place finish in state as a senior, with T-G going 27-1 in duals … Also lettered in football …
PERSONAL: Son of Barbara and Jeffery… Has one sibling; Rhys … Majoring in Construction Management …
Michael Olson | 133 | Freshman | Albert Lea, Minn. | Albert Lea HS
HIGH SCHOOL: Three-year starter and state qualifier, posting a 149-12 career record, including a Minnesota state championship in 2022 and a pair of state runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2024 … Finished 49-3 as a senior, setting Albert Lea’s record for most takedowns in a season with 237 … Also set school record for wins in a season with 51 in 2022 … 81 career pins … Also lettered in baseball and soccer … Named to all-section baseball team and all-conference soccer team …
PERSONAL: Son of Sarah and Reid … Has two siblings; Maggie and Alex … Majoring in Business Administration …
Tyler Secoy | 165/174 | Freshman | Columbus, Ga. | Columbus HS
HIGH SCHOOL: Three-time Georgia state champion and four-time placer for Columbus, posting a 168-12 overall record … Named Georgia’s Most Outstanding 3A wrestler in 2024, leading Columbus to the team title and the dual championship runner-up … Two-time Fargo All-American, placing in freestyle in 2021 and finishing as runner-up in Greco in 2023 … Four-time state champion in Greco and three-time state champion in Freestyle … Two-time NHSCA High School Nationals All-American …
PERSONAL: Son of Sarah and Joey … Has one sibling; Ethan … Majoring in Business …
Kody Tanimoto | 125 | Freshman | Fort Worth, Texas | All Saints’ Episcopal School
HIGH SCHOOL: Two-time Texas state champion, earning back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024 … Four-year starter and state qualifier, posting a 118-18 career record, including a 34-8 campaign in hi senior season … Became the school’s first two-time prep nation All-American, placing twice … In 2024, claimed an individual Greco National Championship in Fargo … Also earned Fargo All-American honors in 2022 at 16U and was a 17U U.S. Open All-American …
PERSONAL: Son of Kerri and Michael … Has one sibling; Kaycie … Majoring in Business Administration …
Ezekiel Witt | 125 | Freshman | Manhattan, Kan. | Manhattan HS
HIGH SCHOOL: Two-time Kansas state champion and four-time state placer … Posted a 150-17 career record, including a perfect 48-0 title winning season as a senior in 2024, helping Manhattan claim the team 6A state title … Also claimed an individual state title in 2022, with a runner up finish in 2023 and a fourth-place finish in 2021 … Set the career takedown record for Manhattan … 2024 Junior Greco-Roman runner-up finish at Fargo Nationals … Also lettered in soccer …
PERSONAL: Son of Miriam and Uriah… Has two siblings; Zemirah and Malinah … Majoring in Veterinarian Technology …
The 2024 signee class is the second under head coach Obenson Blanc and his first full recruiting cycle since taking over the program in the summer of 2023.