The Magic Man David Taylor is a connoisseur of talent. You don’t have to take our word for it, just look at their undefeated record! The OSU Cowboys wrestling program recruits list for the class of 2026 is a testament to Taylor’s coaching prowess. He may have lost the No.1 prospect Bo Bassett because of Spencer Lee, but he has gained a lot more than what he has lost to the Hawkeyes. You see, David Taylor made up for the loss of the 17-year-old with the nation’s top #2 Jax Forrest and #3 Dreshaun Ross. And the news of Jax Forrest committing to the OSU Cowboys is already a day old.

The Bishop McCort student made his decision known through Flowrestling Radio Live, and we aren’t surprised. While there was contention surrounding Forrest’s choice and whether he would follow in the footsteps of his teammate from Bishop McCort was the rage, we had our faith in David Taylor and his persuasion skills. But the whole situation pivoted from aspirational to comical pretty quickly. Forrest got called out on social media by an anonymous user for allegedly accepting $6M in return for his commitment to the OSU Cowboys wrestling program.

The post by the user also went on to say that if they were a current wrestler at OSU, they would be pissed, referring to the disparity in the lucrative benefits offered to the prospects who chose to commit to the Cowboys wrestling program. Soon after, the digital gossip was re-shared by a handle named TheGOATfollower.

Forrest took to his X handle to repost this accusation, adding some jest of his own to the current scenario. He wrote, “Best news I’ve seen all day.” In the wake of his announcement to sign with the OSU Cowboys, when all wrestling pundits are scurrying to predict and analyze the current standings of each team along with promises for the future, the accusation that Jax Forrest had accepted money in exchange for his career in the able hands of David Taylor is a truly laugh worthy cause, not to mention the most bizarre figment of imagination.

And it is not exactly a surprise that the rumor mills are churning out such high figures. Just look at the figures that surfaced for Bo Bassett! Per the wrestling insiders, the figures offered were around $5 million for his time with the Hawkeyes, but if we look at the digits floated by the fans, then it was close to $10 million.

While Jax’s day was jam-packed, answering media houses and sports enthusiasts about his choice of OSU and his future, he still took the time out to express his shock and exhilaration on receiving an imaginary pay to join the OSU Cowboys wrestling program.

What made Jax Forrest choose the OSU Cowboys?

The reasons are one and many. That’s because their head coach is David Taylor. And it would be a great start to answering the question. After Bo Bassett chose to commit with the Hawkeyes, all eyes were on Jax Forrest, watching his every move with detailed scrutiny. Jax’s narrowed-down list had almost all the universities that were on Bo’s list as well. Oklahoma State, Iowa, Penn State, and Ohio State made it to the top 4 for Jax.

But what or rather who sealed the deal for Jax Forrest? It’s none other than David Taylor himself. Taylor pulled all possible strings to ensure that OSU’s class of 2026 was nothing short of an artisan’s collection. David Taylor was spotted in Bishop McCort High School and it’s not rocket science to know why. Just prior to Jax’s announcement, the sight of Taylor at the No.2 Jax Forrest’s territory mat left no one guessing his intentions for the high schooler.

Reflecting on the same, he said, “He’s an Olympic gold medalist, an NCAA champ, he’s done all the things that I want to achieve. Just the fact that we’re similar in a lot of ways in how we wrestle, how we are on and off the mat, I think he’s somebody who can get me to achieve those goals. Sitting down with my parents, I think that’s been the real game changer.”

Besides, Dreshaun Ross and Jax Forrest will now be teammates under Taylor’s coaching. Forrest mentioned in an interview just post his committing decision that while he has met Ross in a couple of meets and official visits to other universities, it is ultimately the likeness that he sees in himself and in Taylor’s demeanor that has been the cause of gravitational pull towards the OSU Cowboys.

These recruitments and Taylor’s persistence have given the OSU Cowboys wrestling program a new lease of grandeur existence. With such talent committed to their respective choices, the landscape of intercollegiate wrestling may just witness a paradigm shift in the coming days.

Whatever your thoughts are, please let us know in the comments below.