2024 NCAA Championships Watch Party

Transfer Trends At The 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships

Transfer Trends At The 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships

A deep dive into how transfers performed at the 2024 NCAA Championships. Some results might surprise you.

Mar 26, 2024
Transfer Trends At The 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships

The transfer portal has changed the landscape of NCAA wrestling. Not only does it give us more to talk about in the off season, but coaches have had to alter their recruiting methods. This was on full display at the 2024 NCAA Championships.

This article is not an attack on any individual or program, just interesting data. I will never condemn any individual for transferring or program for picking up transfers!

I would like to remind everyone there are many reasons for an athlete to transfer such as graduating and their current institution not offering their desired graduate degree of study or their wrestling program getting cut. It's not always just about wrestling and/or money. And even if it is, that's alright too.

Quick Facts

  • 57 of 330 qualifiers were transfers (17.9%)
  • 20 of the 80 2024 All-Americans were transfers (25%)
  • 319.5 of the total 1,441 NCAA team points scored by transfers (22.17%)
  • 33 of the 68 teams at NCAAs had at least one transfer competing (48.5%)
  • Of the 57 transfers, 41 had their best NCAA finish with their current institution (71.9%), 11 did not (19.2%), and 5 had the same (8.7%)
    • This stat is very surface-level and should be taken with a grain of salt. For example, Bernie Truax counts as no but 4th to 5th is basically the same. Brayton Lee counts as no because he finished in 6th place in 2021, but he was better this year at Indiana than his last year at Minnesota. Many guys spent 1 redshirt year and then transferred. I could go on, but you get the point.

2024 All-Americans Who Transferred 

125

3rd place - Anthony Noto, NC State --> Lock Haven

6th place - Caleb Smith, App State --> Nebraska


141

4th place - Real Woods, Stanford --> Iowa

5th place - Anthony Echemendia, Ohio State --> Iowa State


149

2nd place - Austin Gomez, Iowa State --> Wisconsin --> Michigan

5th place - Kyle Parco, Fresno State --> Arizona State

8th place - Quinn Kinner, Ohio State --> Rider


157

8th place - Jared Franek, NDSU --> Iowa


165

2nd place - Mitchell Mesenbrink, California Baptist --> Penn State

4th place - Michael Caliendo, NDSU --> Iowa

5th place - Izzak Olejnik, Northern Illinois --> Oklahoma State


174

3rd place - Shane Griffith, Stanford --> Michigan

7th place - Edmond Ruth, Lehigh --> Illinois


184

3rd place - Trey Munoz, Arizona State --> Oregon State

5th place - Bernie Truax, Cal Poly --> Penn State


197

3rd place - Stephen Buchanan, Wyoming --> Oklahoma

8th place - Michael Beard, Penn State --> Lehigh


285

1st place - Greg Kerkvliet, Ohio State --> Penn State

2nd place - Lucas Davison, Northwestern --> Michigan

7th place - Yaraslau Slavikouski, Harvard --> Rutgers


Wrestlers Who Went From A "Big" School To A "Small" School & Out Scored Where They Left

125: Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) outscored Jakob Camacho (NC State) 13.5 to 3.5

149: Quinn Kinner (Rider) outscored Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio State) 6.5 to 2

184: Anthony D'Alesio (LIU) outscored Dennis Robin (West Virginia) 1 to DNQ

141: Wyatt Henson (Lock Haven) scored 0 points, but qualified while Kaden Smith (Oklahoma) DNQ


Team Points From From Transfers

The following 33 teams had at least one transfer competing in Kansas City.

RankTeamTransfer
Points
Total
Points
% Of Points
Coming From
Transfers
1Penn State58.5172.534%
2Michigan52.57174%
3Iowa40.56760%
4Oregon State19.52098%
5Iowa State1868.526%
6Oklahoma172085%
7Lock Haven13.51496%
8Oklahoma State125621%
9Arizona State1164.517%
10Rutgers1022.544%
11Nebraska960.515%
11Lehigh936.525%
13Illinois7.57.5100%
14Rider6.59.568%
15Pittsburgh5.51342%
16Maryland48.547%
17Central Michigan3.5570%
17Cal Poly3.5488%
19Wyoming2.51025%
19Wisconsin2.524.510%
19Indiana2.51319%
22Purdue22.580%
22Northern Iowa239.55%
22Northern Colorado22.580%
25Minnesota1.5217%
26North Carolina112.58%
26Long Island11100%
26Campbell112.58%
29Chattanooga0.51.533%
30West Virginia031.50%
30Missouri049.50%
30Hofstra000%
30Clarion000%


If You Rescored The Tournament And Took Away Transfer Points

PlaceTeamNon Transfer
Points
Total
Points
1Penn State114172.5
2Cornell72.572.5
3Virginia Tech6464
4Ohio State6262
5Arizona State53.564.5
6Nebraska51.560.5
7Iowa State50.568.5
8Missouri49.549.5
8NC State49.549.5
10South Dakota State48.548.5
11Oklahoma State4456
12Northern Iowa37.539.5
13Stanford3434
14West Virginia31.531.5
15Lehigh27.536.5
16Iowa26.567
17Little Rock2424
18Wisconsin2224.5
19Air Force21.521.5
20Minnesota19.521
21Michigan18.571
22Ohio1616
23Navy1313
24Rutgers12.522.5
24Columbia12.512.5
26Campbell11.512.5
26North Carolina11.512.5
28Indiana10.513
29Army West Point9.59.5
30Pennsylvania88
31Pittsburgh7.513
31Wyoming7.510
33Appalachian State77
34Binghamton6.56.5
34Bucknell6.56.5
36Virginia55
37Maryland4.58.5
38Michigan State44
38North Dakota State44
40Princeton3.53.5
41Oklahoma320
41Rider39.5
41George Mason33
41California Baptist33
45Northwestern2.52.5
46Central Michigan1.55
46Buffalo1.51.5
46Harvard1.51.5
49Chattanooga11.5
49Franklin and Marshall11
49Gardner-Webb11
49Utah Valley11
49VMI11
55Oregon State0.520
55Lock Haven0.514
55Cal Poly0.54
55Northern Colorado0.52.5
55Purdue0.52.5
55Cleveland State0.50.5
55SIU Edwardsville0.50.5
49LIU01
62Illinois07.5
62American00
62Brown00
62The Citadel00
62Clarion00
62Hofstra00
62Northern Illinois00


Who Plays The Portal The Best?

The table below shows how teams performed in terms of points scored by transfers minus those scored by wrestlers who left. Interestingly, smaller programs Lock Haven and Rider are in the top 10 when it comes to benefitting from the portal.

PlaceTeamDifferenceTransfer
Points
NCAA Points
Scored By
Former Athletes
1Michigan5052.52.5
2Penn State41.558.517
3Iowa40.540.50
4Oregon State19.519.50
5Oklahoma13.5173.5
6Lock Haven13.513.50
7Oklahoma State12120
8Rutgers10100
9Nebraska990
10Rider6.56.50
10Illinois6.57.51
12Pittsburgh5.55.50
13Maryland440
14Central Michigan3.53.50
15Indiana2.52.50
16Northern Colorado220
16Purdue220
18Lehigh1.597.5
19Campbell110
19North Carolina110
19LIU110
22Chattanooga0.50.50
23Cornell000
23Iowa State01818
23Missouri000
23Little Rock000
23Air Force000
23Ohio000
23Navy000
23Army West Point000
23Pennsylvania000
23Binghamton000
23Bucknell000
23Virginia000
23Michigan State000
23Princeton000
23George Mason000
23Buffalo000
23Franklin and Marshall000
23Gardner-Webb000
23Utah Valley000
23VMI000
23Cleveland State000
23SIU Edwardsville000
23American000
23Brown000
23The Citadel000
48West Virginia-101
48Columbia-101
50South Dakota State-202
51Virginia Tech-3.503.5
51Northern Iowa-3.525.5
53Clarion-505
53Hofstra-505
55Harvard-6.506.5
56Minnesota-71.58.5
57Arizona State-8.51119.5
58Appalachian State-909
58Cal Poly-93.512.5
60Wyoming-14.52.517
60Northern Illinois-14.5014.5
62Wisconsin-15.52.518
63NC State-16016
64California Baptist-19.5019.5
64Northwestern-19.5019.5
66North Dakota State-20.5020.5
67Stanford-32032
68Ohio State-43.5043.5


Did Transfer Improve At Their Current Insitition?

As I mentioned above, the data below is very surface-level. Also, an athlete's NCAA performance is not the only way to gauge their value to a program. For instance, Will Feldkamp All-Americaned last year at Clarion, but failed to do so this year at Iowa State. However, without him, the Cyclones don't win CKLV, they don't win Big 12s, and they don't finish in the top four at NCAAs. So, even though he didn't repeat his NCAA performance at his new institution, I'd say Iowa State "got their money's worth". 

If you're viewing the following chart on a cell phone, I recommend you turn it sideways for a better view.

Current TeamWrestlerWeightFormer SchoolPerformance At Prior Team
By Year
2023
NCAA Points
Was this their best NCAA finish
at their current institution?
Arizona StateKyle Parco149Fresno Stateredshirt, 6th11Yes
Arizona StateTony Negron184Penn Statedidn't start0Yes
Cal PolyChance Lamer149Michiganredshirt, R122Same
Cal PolyAdam Kemp174Fresno Stateredshirt, DNQ1.5Yes
CampbellDom Zaccone133Illinoisredshirt1Yes
Central MichiganAlex Cramer174Old DominionDNQ3.5Yes
ChattanoogaBrayden Palmer125ClarionDNQ, did not start, 0-00.5Yes
ClarionCam Pine184CampbellDNQ0Yes
HofstraKeaton Kluever285Minnesota/North Carolinadid not start, did not start0Yes
IllinoisEdmond Ruth174Lehighredshirt, 0-07.5Yes
IndianaDanny Fongaro141ColumbiaDNQ, 0-0, DNQ, DNQ1Yes
IndianaBrayton Lee157Minnesota2020, 6th, DNQ1.5No (but improved from last year)
IowaBrody Teske133Northern Iowa/Penn Statedid not start, R12, R16, NQ4Same
IowaReal Woods141Stanford2020, R12, 6th16Yes
IowaJared Franek157North Dakota State2020, R12, R12, 4th5.5No
IowaMike Caliendo165North Dakota State7th15Yes
Iowa StateAnthony Echemendia141Ohio Statedid not start13.5Yes
Iowa StateWill Feldkamp184ClarionDNQ, NQ, 7th4.5No
LehighMichael Beard197Penn State7th, did not start9No
Lock HavenAnthony Noto125NC Stateredshirt13.5Yes
Lock HavenWyatt Henson141Oklahoma/Iowaredshirt, NQ0No
Long IslandAnthony D'Alesio184West Virginiaredshirt, did not start1Yes
MarylandSeth Nevills285Penn StateDNQ, did not start4Yes
MichiganMichael DeAugustino125Northwestern2020, R12, 4th, NQ0.5No
MichiganAustin Gomez149Wisconsin/Iowa StateR12, 0-0, 0-0, 4th, R1618Yes
MichiganShane Griffith174Stanford2020, 1st, 2nd, 5th15No
MichiganLucas Davison285Northwestern2020, R16, 6th, 5th19Yes
MinnesotaMichael Blockhus157Northern Iowa20201.5Yes
MissouriLogan Gioffre149Cal Polyredshirt0Yes
NebraskaCaleb Smith125App Statedid not start, NQ, NQ9Yes
North CarolinaTyler Eischens174Stanford2020, did not start, NQ, NQ1Same
Northern ColoradoStevo Poulin125NC Stateredshirt2Yes
Northern ColoradoDom Serrano133Nebraskaredshirt, DNQ0Yes
Northern IowaJack Thomsen165South Dakota Stateredshirt, did not start, did not start2Yes
OklahomaJace Koelzer133Northern Coloradoredshirt, DNQ, DNQ, NQ0No
OklahomaStephen Buchanan197Wyoming2020, 8th, 3rd17Same
Oklahoma StateTroy Spratley125Minnesotaredshirt2Yes
Oklahoma StateTagen Jamison141Minnesotaredshirt0Yes
Oklahoma StateIzzak Olejnik165Northern Illinois2020, R16, R16, 8th10Yes
Oregon StateCleveland Belton141Arizona Stateredshirt, did not start, did not start2.5Yes
Oregon StateTrey Munoz184Arizona Stateredshirt, NQ17Yes
Oregon StateBoone McDermott285Rutgers/Iowa CentralNJCAA champion, did not start, NQ0Same
Penn StateAaron Nagao133Minnesotaredshirt, 5th3No
Penn StateMitchell Mesenbrink165California Baptistredshirt19.5Yes
Penn StateBernie Truax184Cal Polyredshirt, 2020, 4th, 4th, 4th12.5No
Penn StateGreg Kerkvliet285Ohio Stateredshirt23.5Yes
PittsburghFinn Solomon149NC Stateredshirt0.5Yes
PittsburghHolden Heller165HofstraDNQ, DNQ, NQ, redshirt2.5Yes
PittsburghReece Heller184HofstraDNQ, did not start, redshirt2.5Yes
PurdueMatt Ramos125Minnesotaredshirt2Yes
RiderQuinn Kinner149Ohio Stateredshirt, did not start6.5Yes
RutgersMitch Moore141Oklahoma/Virginia TechNQ, 2020, R12, injured3.5No
RutgersYaraslau Slavikouski285Harvard2020, 0-0, injured, R126.5Yes
West VirginiaJett Strickenberger125Northwest Kansas Tech/North Idaho CollegeNJCAA 3rd, NJCAA champion0Yes
WisconsinMax Maylor174Michiganredshirt, did not start X40.5Yes
WisconsinShane Liegel184Loras College2020, D3 1st, D3 4th, D3 2nd2Yes
WyomingGabe Willochell149EdinboroDNQ, NQ, 0-02.5Yes