According to FloWrestling.org, NC State's 2016 recruiting class is the best in the country. The website ranked five of the team's signees among the top 66 seniors in the country regardless of weight and another who is taking a post-graduate year was listed in the outlet's top 100 last year.
"This class brings lots of energy and excitement to our program," head coach Pat Popolizio said in a statement released by the school. "This group is filled with winners on the mat and in the classroom.
"We are looking forward to getting them here to start training towards their goal of becoming ACC and NCAA champions, along with their post college aspirations. Our staff did an outstanding job putting this exceptional class together."
It marks the third time in the last four years that FloWrestling has Popolizio's incoming group among the 20 best classes in the country, and it is the ACC's only representation among the 2016 top 10. Although NCSU did not make the top-20 cut last year, the Wolfpack's 2014 class was ranked 19th in the land and 14th in 2013.
The 2016 crew is headlined by recent commitment Nick Reenan, the nation's No. 4 senior, and Hayden Hidlay, who checks in at No. 6. Reenan is also listed as the No. 4 pound-for-pound prep wrestler nationally, regardless of age or weight.
Twins Daniel and Thomas Bullard are ranked No. 42 and 43, respectively, in the senior class while Tariq Wilson rounds out the ranked recruits at No. 66. Mike Rogers, who is doing a post-graduate year, was ranked 60th in last year's class by the outlet.
Six other grapplers are included in the class, including Senior National champions Tommy Cox and Codi Russell.
NC State had the best regular season in program history this year, finishing with more wins than anybody in the country at 23-1 and ranked No. 2 in the final coaches' poll. In the postseason, they won the ACC Championship and then placed 11th at NCAAs, the squad's best performance since finishing an all-time best seventh in 1993. A school record-tying trio of All-Americans — redshirt senior heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski (second in his weight class), junior 184-pounder Pete Renda (third) and redshirt senior 157-pounder Tommy Gantt (eighth) — led the squad this year, but Gwiazdowski and Gantt were the only two seniors on the roster.
After such an outstanding campaign, Popolizio was named the National Coach of the Year by FloWrestling and TheOpenMat.com.
"The Wolfpack had its most successful campaign in history and this class will keep the optimism high," Willie Saylor wrote. "I’ve long referenced [associate head coach] Frank Beasley as being one of the elite recruiters in college wrestling. No matter what school he’s been at, Beasley has recruited above expectations. This No. 1 class should put a bow on that distinction."
Saylor also opined that the Pack may have inked seven eventual starters in the class — incredibly high praise because college wrestling only has 10 weight classes.
