Last AA to Next AA - The Pac 12 Version
A brief intro of what this is (and what it isn’t) before we get to our thoughts on who’s the next AA for each program in the Pac 12.
What this is … A light-hearted look at who could be the next All American for each program.
What is not … An overly serious discussion of the merits of every qualifier that could be considered. That doesn’t mean we didn’t take time to offer our reasons for why we picked who we picked … it just means we didn’t get into the weeds in dissecting the small details between two very similar candidates.
A few rules for our picks:
Only 1 All American for each team (yes, we realize that not every team will have an All American in 2024 (and many will have more than 1) … in fact just 33 schools had someone on the podium in 2023 - in case you are wondering that is out of 66 schools - so 50% of the schools left without an All American).
If a wrestler has been on the podium previously - he is not considered for the “next spot” on the graphic. We aren’t going to get into whether Carter Starocci or Aaron Brooks is most likely the be on the podium for Penn State - it would be a surprise if both weren’t on top of the podium much less on the podium. And this is designed to highlight someone that may have qualified previously, but has yet to break through and be an All American.
Let’s take a quick look at each school and our picks for who makes the podium in 2024:
Arizona State - The Sun Devils were 7th in 2023 and as a result had four that returned to Tempe with hardware. Cohlton Schultz and Kyle Parco both return and both will be looking to claim the title in 2024. The last Champ for ASU was Zahid Valencia in 2019 and both Parco and Schultz have the ability to etch their name above Valencia’s as the most recent champ. But this article is focused on who will be the next All American … well given our rules - Schultz and Parco are out of consideration. That leaves 6 others that could make a run for the podium … and we expect all 6 will be in the hunt. But our pick is Richie Figueroa. Yeah we know that most would pick Jacori Teemer (also a fantastic pick), but let me give you a few reasons to consider Figueroa. He beat Nico Provo in sudden vicory and then downed #1 seed Brian Kaylor to claim the Pac 12 title. Given the uncertainty of 125 … Figueroa has all the tools to make a run to a top 8 finish.
Cal Poly - Cal Poly has 5 in the field - several with a solid shot at making a run for the podium. Zeth Romney came in as the 2 seed and lost a close semi to Chelbove at 133. Chance Lamer made a run to the 149 lb finals before losing to returning All American Kyle Parco. But our pick is your 174 lb. Pac 12 Champion Adam Kemp. Kemp beat Valencia 4-3, Brennan 3-2, and knows how to win close matches … which will be key to making the podium in Kansas City.
CSU Bakersfield - No Qualifier
Little Rock - Tough to pick between Stephen Little and Nasir Bailey. Both are ranked in the top 10 (or close to the top 10) and both looked outstanding on their way to a Pac 12 title last weekend. Bailey beat Whisenhunt and Chlebove at 133, Little beat Priest and Rademacher at 197. This is the first trip to the big show for each … so really it comes down to their draw. This is another instance where the majority might pick Bailey and with good reason. He’s been a hammer for Little Rock all season. But Little has quietly been the man at 197 and depending on where he lands in the bracket - he could make a run. Don’t be surprised if Little Rock has two All Americans when we depart KC on Sunday.
Oregon State - OSU has several names that standout as those that can make a run for a spot on the podium. The first is Trey Munoz at 184. Munoz took care of business against Wills and Negron to win the Pac 12 … but he’s not eligible for our selection because he made the podium a year ago (taking 6th). Brandon Kaylor came in as the top seed at 125, but lost to Figueroa 2-1 in the finals (and to Provo for True 2nd) … given the uncertainty at 125 he is certainly one to watch. But we went with Justin Rademacher who was the 3 seed, but beat Stemmet to make the finals at 197. So why go with Rademacher over Kaylor or McDermott or someone else? The easy pick here is Kaylor, but Rademacher has wrestled some good matches and avenged an earlier loss to Stemmet. He wrestled Surber to sudden victory in mid-January and has faced the best 197’s in the field in Brooks and Hidlay. Rademacher probably won’t jump onto many radar’s, but we think he could have a good weekend and make a run for a spot on the podium.
Stanford - Nico Provo. Given the chaos of 125 … we could really go with a number of different wrestlers to make a run at the podium. Like everyone else at 125 … Provo has some outstanding wins (8-1 over Volk, 8-1 over Ramos, etc.) as well as a few losses (the 12-3 major to Noah Surtin is one that stands out). But make no mistake … Provo, if he wrestles to his potential, has the ability to climb onto the podium (how high is anyone’s guess).