Georgia Freshmen to Watch
I’m not big on picking a top 10 (or a top whatever) freshmen to watch … (honestly I’m not really big on rankings, big boards, or anything … but we do them because it can help fan’s, coaches, etc. identify those kids to keep an eye on).
but yes we are always paying close attention to the next group coming up.
The names below will impact their high school teams this season, but the vast majority of rising freshmen have not wrestled a great deal. Those new freshmen will be learning the ropes for the first time this fall. That’s not the group below (and sometimes I think we have a tendency to forget that they are freshmen) … yes this group has spent many hours over the last several years traveling the U.S. looking for the best competition, but they are still freshmen.
Why am I not “big” on highlighting freshmen?
The names highlighted below have been around … they have competed in Greensboro or Tulsa or Fargo or somewhere in-between. But they have yet to take that next step onto the mat for their high school (and against much older competition - yes many of them wrestle “up” at events, but you get what I am trying to say). I’m a big believer in that wrestling should be fun and there can be negative consequences for highlighting young athletes … that is why we do not focus on athletes that are not in high school. You won’t see an article or results on SEWrestle about the Knockout Middle School Tournament, Tulsa Nationals, or anything else. But the school year has begun and these freshmen are now making that jump. And as a result we will begin talking about their wins (and losses) over the course of the season.
But I want you to know that I do so with caution … wrestling is the best sport in the world because of what it teaches young athletes (the importance of perseverance, discipline, hard work, etc. …). Some of the athletes I coached (many moons ago) that carried what they learned in our room into adulthood were not my best wrestlers. Being around the sport is what matters and I believe strongly that being in those situations helped develop them into some outstanding people. So we begin the conversation about who to watch from the Class of 2026, but please keep in mind that they are just beginning this journey … each will see ups and downs.
All of that to say - this group is super talented and don’t be surprised to see them do exceptionally well this season. Georgia Grappler also posted their freshmen to watch … not surprisingly, our two lists look very similar.
Like I said above - I don’t like to rank them or anything … so the first 15 names below are in alphabetical order. Below those 15 are another group that we fully expect to see make an impact this season as well (I had a bit of a challenge finding out where some of them are going to school). Putting them in two different groups wasn’t easy and I didn’t have a set number on how many to include … just like the Fan’s Guides we do at the end of the season … this is simply meant to highlight some young athletes that will likely make some noise this season.
The big question is … who did I miss?
Roman Belardo - Jefferson
Josiah Boyden - Grovetown
DJ Clarke - Buford
Bo Davis - Blessed Trinity
Rowdy Duck - Cass
David Jewell - Roswell
Paul Lanier - Woodland
Antonio Mills - Mill Creek
Ty Murray - Central Carroll
Dylan Reel - Woodward
Jake Rheaume - Walton
Dallas Russell - Jefferson
Chris “Gabe” Swann - Central Carroll
Brock Weaver - Camden
Ryder Wilder - Camden
Don’t know their name now? You will by the end of the season.
Brexton Bell
Eli Bowman - Rockmart
Steele Brown - Mt Pisgah
John Del Vecchio - Valwood
Laudon Ethride - Social Circle
Danny Kruteles - Central Carroll
Atticus Joseph - Collins Hill
Christian Lange - Mt Pisgah
Robert McCoy - Temple
Colt Mitchell - Central Carroll
Kanon Nelson - Buford
Nick Owens - North Gwinnett
Ethan Secoy - Columbus
Hagen Sharp - Rockmart
Connor Stephens - Carrollton
Cannon Voiles
Fisher West - Commerce