It’s no surprise that Bo Bassett is a wrestling prodigy. If there’s one thing on everyone’s mind, it’s this: What college the 17-year-old would go for? The wrestler has enthralled the world with his unconventional method, and we know it’s not slim pickings. The contact window for the NCAA wrestling recruiting class 2026 officially commenced in June. Seeing how the Bishop McCort Catholic junior has solidified himself as the #1 recruit for the season, he has nothing to worry about. Or does he?

The 12th annual Who’s Number One? will occur later this week in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Among the best high schoolers in the country, wrestling fans will get to watch Bassett step onto the mat once again. The teenager gave a shoutout to his fellow McCort wrestlers on X, captioned, “Blessed to be apart of McCort! #MachineGunMindset @JaxForrest6 @baschamania” The Super 32 Champion is currently ranked number 1 in his weight class.

But this position might as well be hanging by a thin thread. In the men’s bout order, 10 wrestlers, including Bassett, have held on to their number 1 spot:

• Domenic Munaretto (113)
• Nicholas Sahakian (285)
• Jude Correa (215)
• Sergio Vega (138)
• Harvey Ludington (190)
• Anthony Knox (126)
• Maddox Shaw (150)
• Ladarion Lockett (165)
• Ryan Burton (175)
• Bo Bassett (144)

Bassett will be wrestling 2x California state champion Daniel Zepeda on September 29. This comes hot on the heels of the latter’s Fargo title. But why is the #1 spot so essential for the 17-year-old? If any other wrestlers ranked the same as him, his chances of being recruited by a college of his choice could be in grave danger.

Not only is the wrestler looking to redeem himself from the Under-20 World Championships, but he will also be looking to redeem himself from his match against Zepeda in 2023, who secured a takedown 40 seconds in. He later pinned Bassett on his back, racking up an incredible 6-0 lead. Even though the 17-year-old tried to reign the match in, he eventually registered a fall at 6:57, settling for the #2 spot. However, holding on to his #1 spot this time will put the wrestler right back on top. With redemption in mind, Bassett’s college recruitment process has now become a focal point.

Bo Bassett’s unconventional college recruitment process

Many onlookers have been enamored by the 17-year-old’s recruitment process. He initially started out with 80 potential programs. But as the weeks went by, he kept cutting down on his options, eventually landing on 18 colleges for now. Even though the process can seem tiresome, the 2026 #1 prospect isn’t bothered in the least. 

Why is the wrestling prodigy taking so long? “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,” Bassett said. Even though many expected Penn State wrestling to be his first choice, the 17-year-old is keen on taking in as much information as possible. “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,” he stated.

With this process in mind, the 17-year-old will share updates from the remaining colleges on his list. He has visited Ohio State, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Iowa State, Arizona State, and Cornell. He will shortly stop by Penn State, the Air Force, Michigan, and more, among others. The wrestler’s primary goal is to ensure he sets himself up as a dominant force in the future. This is why he wants to find the best college program for himself.

When Bassett started this process, he eliminated seven programs per week. However, he strayed away from his usual process and only removed 3 on July 31. To ensure he finds his desired choice, the wrestler has worked towards reducing 1 program per week once he sorted out his Top 20. Seeing how Stanford didn’t seem to fit his checklist, it unfortunately was eliminated from his list. But with September 29 quickly approaching, will he come out on top?