Pyles: 2014 Penn State wrestling sets bar for ‘greatest recruiting class ever’

Cael Sanderson has built one of the most dominant dynasties in all of college sports. Penn State wrestling maintained a vice grip on college wrestling for the last 15 years, with no signs of slowing down. Some of the most talented wrestlers in NCAA history have come through Happy Valley during the Sanderson era, but FloWrestling media personality Christian Pyles argues that the Nittany Lions’ 2014 recruiting class still stands above the rest.

In a recent post on X, Pyles explained why, even a decade later, he still considers Penn State’s 2014 class the gold standard for the greatest recruiting class of all time.

“I believe the bar for greatest recruiting class ever starts in 2014 for Penn State. Bo Nickal, Jason Nolf, Anthony Cassar, Nick Nevills, and Shakur Rasheed,” Pyles wrote in part. “You will be hard-pressed to find a class that has not one, but two three-time NCAA Champs/four-time finalists (Nolf and Nickal)…This group was part of a core nucleus for Penn State that won four team titles as well.”

I believe the bar for greatest recruiting class ever starts at 2014 for Penn State.

Bo Nickal, Jason Nolf, Anthony Cassar, Nick Nevills and Shakur Rasheed.

You will be hard pressed to find a class that has not one but TWO, three-time NCAA Champs/four-time finalists (Nolf and… pic.twitter.com/x4t9wTk4lU

— Christian Pyles (@CPyles8) July 4, 2024

Was the 2014 Penn State wrestling recruiting class the greatest in NCAA history?

Undoubtedly, Cael Sanderson had two of the greatest college wrestlers in the sport’s history in the 2014 recruiting class.

Bo Nickal and Jason Nolf were both three-time National Champions and four-time NCAA finalists. Nickal finished his Nittany Lions career with 59 pins and 12 techs on his way to a 120-3 record. Nolf went 133-4 with an insane 85.78% bonus percentage.

Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

However, what likely makes 2014 the greatest recruiting class ever are the other wrestlers from the cycle.

Anthony Cassar went from an underrecruited wrestler out of New Jersey to an NCAA Champion. He finished with a 49-3 record and was looking to defend his title before covid canceled the 2020 NCAA Championships.

California heavyweight Nick Nevills also had a solid career for the Nittany Lions. He finished with an 80-18 record and was a two-time All-American in 2017 and 2018.

Shakur Rasheed followed a similar path. Rasheed went 71-21 in his career, was a three-time NCAA Qualifier, and finished as an All-American in 2018.

Beyond their individual accolades, all five Nittany Lions were vital contributors to Penn State’s four consecutive team National Championships between 2016 and 2019.

How will the Nittany Lions’ 2024 recruiting class match up?

Mandatory Credit: Allyse Pulliam/ Times Herald-Record

A decade removed from that loaded 2014 class, Cael Sanderson continues to recruit at an extremely high level.

The 2024 recruiting class that will step on campus this fall semester is similarly loaded with talent. The class is the nation’s best and features the No. 1 overall recruit in Luke Lilledahl, and four total wrestlers inside the top seven of the 2024 cycle’s pound-for-pound rankings.

It will take a lot to unseat the 2014 class, given how dominant Bo Nickal and Jason Nolf alone were throughout their careers.

However, Penn State wrestling seems to have only strengthened in the last decade. So, leave it to Cael Sanderson to assemble another class that has a chance to compete for the title of greatest of all time.

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