Bo Bassett has been creating ripples with his unconventional take on the recruitment process. First, he had a list of 80 programs as potential destinations rather than the conventional five or ten. Then he narrowed it down to 73 and continued the cutting down process and now it has come down to 18 colleges. But we might yet be some time away from hearing a final decision from the number one overall wrestling prospect in the class of 2026.

A 2021 U17 gold medalist, his bronze-winning achievement at the World U20 Championship have made every college sit up and take notice of his impeccable talent. Other than that, Bassett has also clinched the 2024 PIAA Class 2A title and boasts of a Super 32 Championship title as well. 

As expected colleges have rushed in to get their dream recruit on board. Initially, Penn State wrestling was expected to be Bassett’s next destination. However, David Taylor also showed significant interest in bringing Bassett to the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Bassett also visited Colorado Springs to make things even more interesting. However, he is not ready to commit easily.

Every week since June 19, Bassett has been narrowing his college list and such a prolonged procedure has made certain fans and critics annoyed, but Bassett does not seem to be bothered. In his recent newsletter on Wednesday, Bassett explained why he was so keen on taking so much time for his college selection. The teen titan stated, “When it’s all said and done, I want to know I made the right choice for my future and don’t ever have to second guess.” But there is another reason behind Bassett’s methodical and meticulous approach.

Bo is the elder brother to Keegan Basset and Melvin Miller, both of whom are following in Bo’s footsteps. In fact, in May this year, the Bishop McCort became the first trio from one family to earn spots on Team USA after winning the U.S. Open. So, it would make sense for Bassett to have a thorough recruiting process which will come in handy for his brothers down the line.

“Some wrestlers only look at a few schools and that’s all they need to make a good choice. I like to learn as much as I can about the programs I think could be a great fit for myself and maybe my brothers,” he added in his newsletter.

Making an entry into the NCAA realm, Bassett is making sure that he gets enrolled in the best college program that will help him get established as a dominant force in the future. Bassett has also started to build an ‘inner circle’ to help and ideate with him in his recruiting journey.

Speaking further on his approach the emerging wrestler added, “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 different and hope everyone likes these updates.”

Apart from becoming the youngest U17 World Champion at 14, Bassett is also a two-time Super 32 champion and two-time Ironman champion. The Pennsylvania native reached the final of the Olympic Last Chance Qualifier at 65 kg by beating Anthony Ashnault in the semis but fell at the final hurdle to Matt Kolodzik. However, Bassett quickly bounced back to win the U20 US Open title.

Bassett also mentioned that back in elementary school he was inspired by the likes of Zain Retherford, Spencer Lee, and Jason Nolf and their recruitment process. He wrote, “When I was in elementary school, I would have done anything to follow along with Spencer Lee, Jason Nolf or Zain Retherford recruiting process.”

Retherford committed to Penn State in September 2013 while he also considered Ohio State University, University of Virginia, and Lehigh University, but he made his decision shortly after starting his senior year of high school.

On the other hand, Spencer Lee’s recruitment process was more extensive. He took around six months to make his commitment to Penn State in April 2016. Lee spent several months evaluating his options before settling with Penn State. However, a year later he decided to move away from the program and committed to Iowa in October 2017.

Thus Bassett has decided to take home visits and learn in detail about all the college programs available in the NCAA at the moment. 

Pointing it out, he wrote, “What a week. I finally started my home visits and they were amazing. I want to take my time and get to learn as much as I can about the programs, their coaching staff, support staff, education majors, traditions, visions, culture, RTC, etc.”

The extensive research on the colleges has made Bassett’s task quite hard. Reflecting on his findings, the young wrestler pointed out that he was thrilled with the prospects of all the top college programs. They all had experienced staff, ambitious goals, and a good reputation. 

Bassett decided to eliminate one institution per week to reach his desired choice. This week, Bassett decided to eliminate Stanford from his list, as it has now been trimmed down to 18 institutions. Bassett had said that once he was down to the Top 20, there would be one elimination every week.

At the start, he used to eliminate seven programs every week, before deciding on removing three from July 31. With Bassett following one elimination per week rule, there is still some time to go before his final decision is revealed. 

Bassett’s remaining options for commitment.

• Air Force
• Arizona State
• Cornell
• Iowa
• Iowa State
• Lehigh
• Michigan
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Northern Iowa
• Ohio State
• Oklahoma State
• Penn State
• Pitt
• Pitt-Johnstown
• Princeton
• Rutgers
• Virginia Tech

The 17-year-old has completed home visits this month with only Penn State left on his list. Meanwhile, the extensive search has drawn negative attention from the fans who have been constantly bashing the 17-year-old. But he found support in Allyson Schwab. 

Allyson Schwabb defends Bo Bassett’s recruitment process

Allyson Schwab, the wife of the UNI Panthers’ ninth head coach, Doug Schwab, said she was surprised at some of the criticism Bassett is facing. On September 12, she took to X to address the situation and wrote, “I was reading comments under @FloWrestling post about Bo and wow I didn’t realize how many grown men could be triggered by a teenager enjoying the recruiting process and doing it how he wants.”

She reiterated that just because Bassett’s approach is different doesn’t mean he has to face the backlash from people who think otherwise. She also noted, “For those that are gonna hop on here and say well I can give my opinion,.. You’re talking about a child. Get a life.”

As a matter of fact, Bo Bassett’s eagerness to find the best college is quite normal. He has turned heads at the U20 World Championships, winning a bronze medal. Despite failing to secure a gold medal, Bassett is still an enticing prospect. In the coming days, we will have more clarity about his future, till then we will keep you updated about his next move.