Wrestling Prodigy Bo Bassett Takes First Step to Entering NCAA, Months Ahead of First Worlds Competition

“Wrestling has always been my passion, and I’m excited about the journey ahead,” said Bo Bassett, reflecting his dedication to the future. Wrestling prodigy Bo Bassett is making headlines yet again as he takes a significant step towards entering the NCAA months ahead of his much-anticipated first World Championship competition. Earlier this month, Pennsylvania’s favorite wrestling star booked a spot to represent the US in the U20 Wrestling Championship team that will compete in Spain. Alongside Marcus Blaze and Luke Lilledahl, Bassett was ready to make his international mark.

Amidst his preparations for the world stage, Bassett is also focusing on his educational future, aiming to join a wrestling team that will support his NCAA ambitions. To stop speculations about his college preferences, he released a list of potential programs he was interested in. With a track record of impressive victories and relentless training, Bo Bassett is set to become a major force in wrestling, promising an exciting athletic career ahead.

Bo Bassett releases a list of potential colleges while prepping for U20 Worlds in Spain

In a recent Twitter post, wrestler Bo Bassett has announced he’s ready to enroll in a collegiate program. “Tonight at Midnight officially college recruiting starts! This is still my list going in and can’t wait to talk, meet and get to know so many great coaches & programs. I have Been waiting a long, long time for this. Always grateful and Blessed.” 

Alongside it was a collage picture displaying logos of the universities he was considering joining. Across a wide range of options, there was also OSU, where David Taylor is head coach. As well as Harvard, Northwestern, Penn State, and Columbia. The picture featured the most popular colleges in the nation. Given that he is the 2nd ranked recruit for the class of 2026, colleges are clamoring to invite him into their programs.

He came into prominence in 2021 when he earned a spot in both the Freestyle and Greco-Roman 2021 Cadet World Team in the 45kg event. Bassett subsequently secured a gold in the freestyle category. He has previously mentioned, how sometimes, due to rumors, coaches from a program did not attempt to recruit a wrestler because they thought the wrestler was aiming for some other college, “I really like so many schools, coaches, and wrestlers already in colleges. I am excited for this process.”

The high school prodigy from Bishop McCort Catholic had previously expanded his list of colleges in December 2023. He tweeted, “Not the list most expected-  I am keeping my options wide open. I am very excited for the process and to see where I fit into programs when the time comes. There are so many great coaches and colleges. #DreamBig #SprintTheMile. #MachineGunMindset  God’s plan Proverbs 3:5-6.”

The accompanying picture was similar to the latest one, only featuring more logos. Including nearly all Division 1 colleges as well as some from Division 2 and 3. Bo Bassett released the list after hearing multiple people speculate about his future destination. He said, “I had so many people tell me at Ironman, “I heard you are going here or there.’ I want this list to let everyone know that I am keeping my options wide open.” Hopefully, we’ll know his choice soon enough as he enters the recruitment cycle this June. 

Rising wrestling star’s college choice still shrouded in mystery

Bo Bassett’s accomplishments speak for themselves: he’s the U17 world champion and has won the Super 32 Championship. Recently, he also made the U20 team, solidifying his status as a dream recruit. He has also won 8 Pennsylvania’s Junior Wrestling state championships. Sports Illustrated Kids named him Sports Kid of the Year, and he maintains a 4.0 grade average.

This year he has been training with elite wrestlers such as Kyle Dake and they recently worked on “Quad pod offense” together. He has also been training with NCAA champion Frank Molinaro, focusing on trap arms, alongside edge wrestling and finishes. His focus on training with elite wrestlers speaks volumes about his career aspirations. 

While his college choice remains uncertain, he has named Penn State and the University of Iowa as top contenders. Some more schools to consider for their wrestling program are Cornell and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. But Bassett has made it clear that he’s looking forward to gelling with the staff and the coaches before committing.

Keeping this in mind, one college with an incredible staff team comes to mind, which is Oklahoma State. They’ve recruited legendary wrestler David Taylor, who used to belong to Penn State himself. If it works out, we may as well be watching Bo Bassett move to OSU for his NCAA championships.