It is hard to believe, but the college wrestling regular season is halfway done. We are already on the second half of the dual meet schedule, with only one quad-meet, and a dual standing between now and the Big Ten Championships.
Rutgers wrestling has been off to a rocky start, going 0 – 4 during the first half of this season. Disappointingly, Rutgers was one bout away from winning three of the four matches they have wrestled. Meaning, minor adjustments are the difference between a very good season, and a very bad season. Unfortunately for Rutgers, they are experiencing the latter.
We have learned several things about the Scarlet Knights in the first four dual meets – some good and some bad. For one, there are some glaring holes throughout the lineup. On the flipside of the coin, weight classes filled with youth and inexperience have proven to be vital contributors thus far.
Five important takeaways have jumped out at TKR in our midseason evaluation of Rutgers wrestling. What are they, and what do they mean for Rutgers wrestling moving forward? Read below to see what has jumped out at us in the first half of this wrestling season.
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CHANGE IS NEEDED
After four matches, there is no doubt that some lineup changes are needed. Rutgers has started off three of four dual meets down 6 – 0, as Nic Aguilar has been pinned three times this season. Other weights, such as 165, 174, and heavyweight are also spots in the lineup where starters remain winless. Granted, there has only been four matches, and some guys just need some time to shake off some rust. However, time is running out, and head coach Scott Goodale has some decisions to make as we head into the second half of this season. Goodale has already indicated that some lineup changes are potentially on the horizon, and it is not unlikely that new faces enter the fold in next weekend’s quad meet.
CHANGE CAN BE GOOD
This weekend proved that change can be good. Jackson Turley got the opportunity to start both dual meets against Purdue and Minnesota, after Joe Grello was injured in an exhibition match earlier in the day. Was Turley going to get the nod if Grello did not get hurt? We do not know for sure. However, Turley was given an opportunity, and he made the most of it. The Virginia native went 2 – 0 on the day, which included a tech fall victory over No. 13 Jake Allar. Like Turley, there are young, talented back ups on this roster that have significant high school credentials. They certainly did not come to Rutgers to ride the pine for four or five years. Hungry and unproven talents like Turley may just need an opportunity to turn into a breakout star.
THE YOUTH MOVEMENT IS HERE TO STAY
The last two seasons, Rutgers has featured several freshmen in their lineup. Some of those young bucks have shown that they are not waiting until they are upperclassmen to make a name for themselves. Last season, Sammy Alvarez was a regular fixture in the top eight of 133 lbs. This season, Rob Kanniard and John Poznanski are consistently running into ranked wrestlers, and the two of them are not just competing, but even knocking off some ranked opponents. Poznanski has solidified himself as an All-American contender, and Kanniard has shown that he will have a tremendous career. Rutgers will be relying on newcomers such as Poznanski, Kanniard, and now Jackson Turley to get the team to that “5 – 5” split that Goodale talks about in dual meets. More importantly, when the newcomers are overmatched, they will be looked upon to minimize bonus points, as that has been a major factor in three of Rutgers’ losses.
GIVE BILLY JANZER SOME TIME
Patience is not exactly a word that exists in the state of New Jersey, and I am quite certain it is a foreign word to New Jersey wrestling fans. However, Billy Janzer just needs some patience from the Rutgers wrestling fan base. Janzer is undoubtedly the best option on the roster for 197-lbs, and has never been known as an aggressive scorer. Being at a new weight class, where Janzer is a bit undersized, he can no longer rely on his underhook offense, and his aggressive hand fight to wear opponents down. If Janzer wants to get back to his consistent winning ways, he will need to reinvent himself stylistically from his feet, relying on speed and angles for his offensive attacks. This is an adjustment that Janzer and the coaching staff will figure out, but it is going to require a little bit of time. Again, I know time is of the essence in this abbreviated season, but Janzer is not a complete disaster. He is simply no longer able to execute a game plan he has heavily relied on for several years.
THIS IS NOT A GREAT DUAL TEAM, BUT IT CAN BE A GREAT TOURNAMENT TEAM
This team is very similar to the 2019 Rutgers wrestling squad, and I made the same point after the disappointing loss to Utah Valley that year. This is not a great dual meet team, and they will break some hearts throughout the regular season. However, a great post season can magically erase the trauma of a down regular season. Sebastian Rivera and Sammy Alvarez are both capable of finishing high on the podium, with Rivera having a legitimate shot at a national title. Alvarez and Rivera, for lack of a better term, will be the Nick Suriano and Anthony Ashnault of this group. Now, the chances of Alvarez winning a national tournament are not impossible, but certainly are not overwhelmingly high. So, Rutgers will likely need Alvarez to land somewhere within the top 5 of 133-lbs. John Poznanski is undoubtedly in the All-American hunt, as well. If Poz can at least make the blood round, along with Mike Van Brill ending up somewhere within the top 16, and guys like Rob Kanniard and Billy Janzer can provided two or three wins each, that could be the recipe for a top 10 finish. Of course, that is easier said than done. However, that roadmap is not impossible, and parallels that of the 2019 team that earned Rutgers their first ever top 10 finish.
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