Bo Bassett has continued to enthrall fans on the mat. But lately, he’s grabbed their attention off the mat too. Earlier this year, the 17-year-old garnered attention for his unconventional recruitment process. The wrestler embarked on a journey that started with 80 potential collegiate programs. That’s quite a shocking number, you say? Not for him. Bassett would eliminate a few of his options over the weeks. And he is now down to approximately 16 colleges. 

The NCAA wrestling recruiting class 2026 commenced in June, and the #1 was on a mission. He wanted to find the perfect program for himself. But how does he document his findings? For starters, the wrestler keeps his fans informed with updates on X. And his update from October 1 has caused quite a stir. Even though he visited Michigan on September 22, the wunderkind posted an exciting update days later for fans.

“The Power was out, with bad storms in the area, but I had my home visit with Coach Bormet and Coach KJ! It was definitely different with not having power but great to hear about the vision of Michigan and the Cliff Keen RTC. #SprintTheMile @umichwrestling @CliffKeenWC,” Bo Bassett posted on X. His Bishop McCort High School teammate, Jax Forrest, accompanied him on the field trip. However, the wrestler has another connection with the university. 

The 17-year-old clinched a gold in the 45kg freestyle competition at the 2021 Budapest Cadet World Championships. “Coach KJ was with my das in the corner, in Budapest, when I won my first title.” It must have been such a surreal experience to see him all these years later during an official college visit. “As the weeks go by the graphic is getting harder and harder to eliminate teams,” he stated. However, the wrestler doesn’t seem to be in any rush for now. 

What colleges will Bo Bassett visit next? In his weekly recruiting update, he shared dates for a few official campus visits:

• October 25 to 27 – Iowa
• November 1 to 3 – Penn State
• November 8 to 10 – Ohio State
• November 15 to 17 – Virginia Tech
• November 22 to 24 – Oklahoma State
• January 24 to 26 – Rutgers

The wrestler will visit the Air Force, Arizona State, Cornell, Iowa State, Missouri, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, Pitt-Johnstown, Princeton, and others. But while we wait for a final verdict from the 17-year-old, what made this visit possible?

Bo Bassett locked horns with Daniel Zepeda at Who’s Number 1

The 12th annual Who’s Number One? took place in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The best high schoolers in the country stepped onto the mat, and the 2024 U20 world team member was among them. In fact, he was ranked number 1 in the 144kg category. However, his #1 spot was in grave danger at one point. 

After collecting several W’s, his streak ended against Japan’s Makoto Hosokawa. Hungry to come back to the top, Bo Bassett’s rematch against Daniel Zepeda was essential. He had previously lost to a California native before. But things were different this time around. However, Zepeda’s Instagram story showed how confident he was before the match. As the wrestler stepped into the 17-year-old’s hometown, his story said two words: “Daddy’s home.“

Unfortunately, he was no match for Bo Bassett this time. Hoping to redeem himself from the U20 loss, the wrestler effortlessly defeated his foe 12-6 in the most anticipated event of the evening. He led with an early takedown, building his lead to 3-0. Even though Zepeda gained a point with an escape, Bassett raised the ante with a 6-1 lead in the first period. However, he continued this momentum in the second half with a 10-2 lead. By the end of the second period, he had officially held on to his #1 position.

After his successful stint at the event, the wrestler headed to Michigan for his official campus visit. It might be surprising to see the 17-year-old have an exceedingly long list of programs. However, he feels otherwise. “My view is, I only get to do the recruiting process once, so I am going to enjoy it and have fun with it. I sometimes like to do things differently and hope everyone likes these updates.” So, what’s the verdict? Which college program do you think Bo Bassett will go for?