In six years with the Pack, wrestling coach Carter Jordan has never had any difficulty attracting top talent. But he’s never seen anything quite like this year’s class before.
“It’s like I just woke up in heaven,” Jordan said. “Even If we sign nobody else, this is already the best class I have brought in, hands down. These are really, really quality kids. They are the total package.”
Three of the five wrestlers who have committed to join the program in August of 2011 are among the nation’s top 100 wrestlers in the class of 2011, according to intermatwrestle.com.
The unquestioned star of the five-man 2011 freshman class signed Wednesday is Chris Phillips of Monroeville, Ohio. Phillips is already a three-time state champion in one of the nation’s top prep wrestling states, and chose the Pack over the likes of nationally prominent programs like Ohio State and Ohio.
Jordan said he was able to convince Phillips to head south to Raleigh even after two of his high school teammates committed to the Buckeyes’ powerhouse wrestling program.
Joining Phillips, the No. 3 overall 2011 prospect, are Josh DaSilveira, Henry Carlson, Harrison Honeycutt and Coltin Fought.
DaSilveira is the 2010 high school junior national champion out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 at 189 pounds. Carlson is a three-time All-American and 2008 national champion from Virginia Beach, Va. He is ranked No. 85 overall and will wrestle for the Pack at either 149 or 157 pounds. Honeycutt, from Lake Norman High School, is ranked No. 90 overall and projects to wrestle at 197 in college. Rounding out the class is Fought, a three-time state qualifier from Pennsylvania at the 125 pound weight class.
Two years after signing a 2009 freshman class featuring a pair of high school national champs in Dale Shull and Eloheim Palma, Jordan has brought in what he thinks will easily be the most heralded class of his tenure.
“The 2009 freshman class was 16th or 17th in the country,” Jordan said. “I don’t know what they will rank us, but I’d be shocked if it’s not in the top 5. But there’s a big difference between a top-10 class and one that is 17th or 18th.”
The fact that he considers this class the best of his coaching career becomes all the more noteworthy when one looks at athletes Jordan has signed. He has reeld in a number of former high school All-Americans, including the likes of Kody Hamrah, Ryan Goodman, Joe Caramanica and redshirt senior 149-pounder Darrion Caldwell, who won the national title at that weight in 2008.
Jordan said an influx of resources has had as much to do with the recruiting success this year as anything.
“That’s what happens when you have these kinds of resources,” Jordan said. “Everything falls into place. All we need is support and money, and we can get it done. We have had kind of a perfect storm because we have the money available.”
With the money there to finance the travel necessary to bring in top talents, Jordan just concluded easily the most hectic fall recruiting period of his career.
“We started getting verbals in mid to late October,” Jordan said. “I did 14 home visits this recruiting cycle. That is one more than I did in the previous six falls combined. We didn’t have the money before this year. I could only do one or two per fall.”
Jordan also said some credit for his prized class has to go to the 7-3 football team, which, with two games to play, still has a great chance at an ACC title.
“One of the things I have been meaning to do is shoot coach O’Brien a short note,” Jordan said. “That had an impact as well. We brought these kids in for football games, and I’m telling you, that has an impact. That stadium is a fantastic environment. The excitement everybody has, there’s electricity going around amongst all the coaches. Taking kids to football games when we’re on television and winning is very helpful.”
