Here are Willie Saylor’s pre-seeds … I believe he might be seeding the tournament this year - so they may not change significantly (although changes in weights or no-shows) will impact these. Willie likes to refer himself as the “brain” and to be fair - his knowledge of most things in this sport is spot on. But there are times when he misses by a long shot - you could say the brain had some major lapses at some weights as it relates to SE wrestlers. So below are the top 8 pre-seeds plus any SE wrestlers in the top 32 (top 16 when we get to the big boys) and then my thoughts regarding where he may have some form of dementia (and if any comments related to dementia are offensive - I’m sorry - it is not meant to be - simply a play on Willie’s characterization of being the brain).
Willie’s pre-seeded 32 can be found here
106 lbs
Beric Jordan, Graham High School, OH
Bo Bassett, Bishop McCort, PA
Nathan Desmond, Bethlehem Catholic, PA
Cooper Hilton, Wyoming Seminary, PA
Seth Mendoza, Mount Carmel, IL
Christian Castillo, Valiant College Prep, AZ
Louie Gill, hickory, PA
Canon Acklin, Collinsville High School, OK
Brodie Christmas (AL) #18
Sebastian Degennaro (FL) #24
Missing … Roman Lermer (FL), Tyler Washburn (FL) and Bryson Terrell (TN) - not sure how Degennaro (who is an outstanding freshman) gets pre-seeded in front of Lermer, Washburn, and Terrell.
The brain is slightly askew here - Washburn and Terrell (both listed at 106 in Flo) should be ahead of Degennaro.
113 lbs
Vinny Kilkeary, Greater Latrobe, PA
Anthony Knox, Saint John Vianney High School, NJ
Cole Hunt, Cass, GA
Luke Lilledahl, Christian Brothers College, MO
Tyler Knox, St. John's Prep, MA
Dominic Mendez, Righetti, CA
Jax Forrest, Bishop McCort, PA
Draegen Orine, Seckman, MO
Jake Crapps (GA) #11
Ethan Rivera (FL) #23
Missing … The top 3 from the SE are in the 32 and they are in the right order (in my opinion). Christian Guzman (FL), Daishun Powe (AL), Cam Stinson (NC), and JJ Peace (SC) could be added to the 32, but 113 looks good to me (I don’t know how Guzman and company compare to #32 Jason Torres of PA).
The brain looks to be spot on here at 113.
120 lbs
Nathanael Jesuroga, Southeast Polk, IA
Joey Cruz, Bullard, CA
Caden Horwath, Davison HS, MI
Brock Mantanona, Palm Desert High School, CA
Aden Valencia, Ann Sobrato High School, CA
Kael Lauridsen, Bennington HS, NE
Dillon Campbell, Legacy Christian Academy, OH
Kyle Montaperto, Central Academy of Technology and Arts, NC
Amantee Mills (GA) #24
Drew Gorman (GA) #25
Jackson Baglio (NC) #30
Missing … Alabama’s Yanni Vines and Isaiah Powe as well as North Carolina’s Matt Rowland. Mills could be a little higher in my opinion, but given that he didn’t place at GFC - I’m sure that hurt his pre-seeding here. Funny how Crapps is seeded lower at 113 than he might be at 120 - but sometimes that’s the way it works. Willie is big on Fargo and being a double All American certainly helps Gorman (and hurts Vines, Powe, and Rowland).
The brain might be a bit “off” here as it relates to Powe - in my opinion is definitely one that should be in the top 32.
126 lbs
Cory Land, Moody High School, AL
Sergio Lemley, Mount Carmel, IN
Gabe Whisenhunt, Crescent Valley High School, OR
Vincent Robinson, Homewood Flossmoor, IL
Kannon Webster, Washington, IL
PJ Duke, Minisink Valley, NY
Adrian Meza, Valiant College Prep, AZ
Kyler Larkin, Valiant College Preparatory, AZ
Kai Owen (FL) #12
Keyveon Roller (TN) #20
Cooper Haase (FL) #22
Missing … I have no clue how Andrew Austin isn’t in the top 32. That makes no sense. Zero. Other than that I don’t know how deep it is and whether Mark Samuel (NC), Jackson Bond (GA/TN), Jacob Silka (GA), etc. should or shouldn’t be in. Roller is pre-seeded too low in my opinion, but maybe that is my SE bias coming through. The top 8 looks about right except that PJ Duke should be higher in my opinion.
The brain either simply looked over Austin or had some type of episode. Not including Austin in the top 32 is a mistake.
132 lbs
Nic Bouzakis, Wyoming Seminary, PA
Brock Bobzien, Poway High School, CA
Emilio Ysaguirre, Valiant college prep, AZ
Zeke Seltzer, Indianapolis Cathedral High School, IN
Danny Nini, Lake Highland Prep, FL
Braden Basile, Jesuit- Tampa, FL
Greyson Clark, Kaukauna High School, WI
Ryder Block, Waverly Shell Rock, IA
Eligh Rivera (FL) #21
Missing … obviously our #1 in the SE Dylan Layton of SC. I have no idea why he isn’t in the 32. I can get the argument that he isn’t top 8 - maybe you believe Basile or Nini should be #1 at 132 (although I can’t see Nini making 132), but not in the top 32 is ridiculous. From there … NC’ Jacob Cox, Brandt Fajerman and Marcus Jackson - maybe they are - maybe they aren’t in the top 32. I can get the argument, but I don’t see how Layton isn’t.
Another brain fart … Dylan Layton should be in the top 32. Otherwise I’m good with it.
138 lbs
Richard Fedalen, McDonogh School, MD
Beau Mantanona, Palm Desert High School, CA
Joel Adams, Millard South High School, NE
Tyler Kasak, Bethlehem Catholic High School, PA
Michael Gioffre, Buchanan High School, CA
Tom Crook, Tampa Jesuit, FL
Dylan Gilcher, Detroit Catholic Central, MI
Kole Brower, Moline, IL
Brayden Ivy (TN) #17
Yannis Charles (SC) #30
Missing … Luke Belcher (TN), Jacob Woodburn (NC) and Ethan Shell (NC).
Crook at #6, Ivy at #17 … Willie even has Charles coming it at #30. Looks like the Brain is back on track at 138.
145 lbs
Cody Chittum, APEX homeschool, TN
Jackson Arrington, Forest HIlls, PA
Ty Whalen, Clearview Regional High School, NJ
Kaleb Larkin, Valiant College Preparatory, AZ
Jude Swisher, Bellefonte, PA
Pierson Manville, State College Area High School, PA
Kelvin Griffin, The Hill School, ME
Dylan Evans, Chartiers Valley, PA
Ethan Mojena (FL) # 21
Missing … Jeremiah Price (NC) and Thomas Snipes (SC). Melton Powe III, Latona, Schafer, Soto, etc. could all be seeded, but probably not in this very deep weight class. Am surprised that Price and Snipes are not.
Really deep weight … Chittum is #1 and Mojena is #21. Would expect Price and Snipes to be in the top 32 as well.
152 lbs.
Michael Kilic, Woodward Academy, GA
Mitchell Mesenbrink, Arrowhead High School, WI
Erik Gibson, Bishop McCort, PA
Nicco Ruiz, St John Bosco, CA
Zack Ryder, Minisink Valley, NY
Joseph Sealey, Wyoming Seminary, NC
Alex Poore, Caravel Academy, DE
Mark Takara, Temecula High School, CA
Jeremy Paradice (GA) #10
Aaron Sheffield (GA) #31
Missing … Brendon Abdon (FL), Seth Larson (GA), and Dominic Bambinelli (GA).
Kilic is #1 and Sealey is #6 … Paradice at 10 and Sheffield at 31. Would have thought Bambinelli and Abdon would be in the top 32 … Larson also (but he hasn’t wrestled much on the national-scene since NHSCA’s so I understand that).
160 lbs
Levi Haines, Biglerville High School, PA
Landen Johnson, Owatonna, MN
M.J. Gaitan, Temecula Valley HS, CA
Ceasar Garza, Oakdale, CA
Sergio Desiante, Jesuit High School, FL
Jared Keslar, Connellsville, PA
Hunter Mays, Howell, NJ
Jonathan Ley, Lake Highland Prep, FL
Gunner Filipowicz (GA) #9
Cole Cochran (GA) #12
Jake Swink (GA) #22
Missing … Keenan Wyatt (AL), Dominic Rodriguez (FL), David Hunsberger (SC), Tyler Secoy (GA), and Kodiak Cannedy (TN).
Desiante, Ley, Filipowicz, Cochran, and Swink in that order works for me, but incredibly surprised that the list doesn’t include Kodiak Cannedy and David Hunsberger. Wyatt, Rodriguez, and Secoy could be seeded in the top 32, but I don’t understand not having Cannedy (he’s not in the top 32 up at 170 either) and Hunsberger. Big miss by the brain at 160.
170 lbs
Matthew Singleton, Woodward Academy, GA
Rocco Welsh, Waynesburg Central High School, PA
Brayden Thompson, Lockport High School, IL
Tate Naaktgeboren, Linn-Mar High School, IA
Rune Lawrence, Frazier, PA
Cody Merrill, Gilroy High School, CA
Ceasar Garza, Oakdale, CA
Markell Rivera - Cain, Ironwood High School, AZ
Jonathan Conrad (FL) #10
Tre Wilfong (NC) #17
Daniel Williams (FL) #19
Missing … Aiden McCafferty (NC) or AJ Dickerson (SC) could be pre-seeded in the top 32. Not surprise with Singleton #1 and Conrad #10. Wilfong is a hammer, but given we haven’t seen him much - it is interesting to see him at #17
Garza must be tough - pre-seeded at both 160 and 170. I joke - look mistakes happen. We all miss things. Another reason to take all of these things with a grain of salt. No complaint about the pre-seeds here.
182 lbs
Brian Soldano, High Point, NJ
Hayden Walters, Crescent Valley High School, OR
Clayton Whiting, Oconto Falls, WI
Ryder Rogotzke, Stillwater, MN
Kole Mulhauser, Central Square HS, NY
Joseph Martin, Buchanan High School, CA
Andrew Donahue, Liberty, OH
Mickey Griffith, Des Moines Lincoln High School, IA
Brian Burburija (FL) #18
Dominic Joyce (FL) #20
Devon Bell (NC) #31
Missing … Hunter Adams (GA) and Nolan Pozzobon (GA) but the top 32 looks right to me.
Several names appeared on the list after I wrote the Fan’s Guides … Soldano being a big one and Burburija from Florida also being on the list. So good to see 182 really fill out with a very strong field. Devon Bell won’t be there so one of the pre-seeds places is gone. Adams could take that place, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it went to a large number of others in the field.
195 lbs
Seth Shumate, Dublin Coffman, OH
Rylan Rogers, Coeur D'Alene High School, ID
Kolby Franklin, Wyoming Seminary, PA
Martin Cosgrove, Camden Catholic, NJ
Wyatt Voelker, West Delaware High School, IA
Jacob Meissner, osseo, MN
Max Ramberg, Baldwin-Woodville, WI
Michael Tal-Shahar, American Heritage, FL
Luke Cochran (GA) #11
Missing … a little surprised that NC’s Caleb Beaty isn’t in the top 16 pre-seeds.
Really good weight class … Shumate, Rogers, Franklin, and Cosgrove highlight the top. Heard Voelker is out, but we will have to wait and see. Florida’s Mikey Tal-Shahar is the top pre-seed from the SE and that makes sense. In my opinion - the brain is spot on with the top 8.
220 lbs
Christian Carroll, New Prairie, IN
Jack Darrah, Wyoming Seminary, MO
Logan Shephard, Perry High School, OH
Parker Ferrell, Christiansburg High School, VA
Dylan Russo, Olentangy Liberty High School, OH
Evan Anderson, Western Reserve Acadamy, OH
Ronald Gunnar Garriques, Baylor, IL
Caden Ferris, Delton Kellogg, MI
Missing … Carson Floyd (NC), but in reality when only pre-seeding the top 16 - I can see where Floyd isn’t in that group.
Christian Carroll is an absolute beast and Darrah is certainly #2. SE’s Gunnar Garriques is a legit threat to make a run toward the top of the podium … don’t think he can beat Carroll, but he can certainly beat everyone else in the field. Being on the opposite side of Carroll gives him the best shot.
285 lbs
Chase Horne, West Laurens High School, GA
Keith Miley, Whitfield School, MO
Aidan Fockler, Massillon Perry High School, OH
Jamier Ferere, Southern Guilford High School, NC
Max Acciardi, Paramus Catholic, NJ
Matthew Cruise, Easton Area High School, PA
Matthew Moore, Mesa Ridge HS, CO
Alex Semenenko, Poly Prep, NY
Ethan Vergara (FL) #10
Matthew Jimenez (FL) #13
Adrian Sans (FL) #16
Missing … none. Good seeds for the SE and seems about right. Horne is definitely #1, Ferere is in the top 6, and then the 3 Florida 285’s are in the top 16. Excited to see Georgia’s Galloway either here or 220 and Cane Fernandez (FL) … see how our SE big biys matchup.