We got our first glimpse of the 2024-25 Pitt wrestling team on Friday night with the Blue-Gold match at Fitzgerald Field House, and the 13 bouts gave us some insight into what we’ll see in the season ahead.
Kade Brown looks better than advertised
The freshman from Ohio introduced himself to Pitt fans in a big way, beating Jack Pletcher 15-4 in his first bout, then defeating Finn Solomon 4-2 in the last – and best – match of the night.
Brown, a state champion from the St. Edward powerhouse program, didn’t make FloWrestling’s Top 100 for the Class of 2024, but if Friday was any indication, he could be a recruiting steal.
“He’s impressive,” coach Keith Gavin said of Brown. “He’s just getting better and better. He came and did a summer class. From the time he was with us then to now, he’s improved by leaps and bounds.”
Brown showed great scramble ability – as did Solomon – to avoid being taken down in the first period, then scored a takedown in the second. He escaped in the third, then finished off a very solid win over Solomon, who was an NCAA qualifier last season.
Dayton Pitzer is healthy
Pitzer’s talent has been evident since he burst onto the scene with a run to the Midlands final as a true freshman, but he’s struggled with injuries at times. A knee injury helped influence the decision to redshirt him that first season. Last year, he dislocated his shoulder against Arizona State’s Cohlton Schultz and, while he returned for the postseason, he wasn’t completely healthy before undergoing surgery in the offseason.
Pitzer did what he need to do in the Blue-Gold match, dominating Bryson Harrington, a true freshman from California. He didn’t wear a brace and didn’t show any reluctance to use the shoulder.
“I think he looks good,” Gavin said. “It was important for him to get out there and get a match. He hasn’t wrestled a real match in a while.”
The lineup still isn’t settled
Wrestle-offs don’t guarantee starters, especially beyond the beginning of the season. Gavin said there are factors that go into who is in the lineup each week, especially with the 2022-23 rule change that allows true freshmen to wrestle up to five dates with the team and still take a redshirt.
That rule could play a role in how Gavin handle’s Brown. Despite his impressive win over Solomon, he could end up redshirting.
Nick Babin, a graduate transfer who made the NCAA round of 16 at Columbia in 2023, scored major decisions over Colyn Limbert and Matt Marlow on Friday night, but that doesn’t mean he’s the starter at 125 pounds beyond the season opener vs. Navy on Nov. 2.
The long and lean Babin will still have to battle Navy transfer Evan Tallmadge for the starting spot. Gavin said Tallmadge missed the Blue-Gold match with an injury, but he expects him to be ready for the Journeyman Classic on Nov. 10.
Kelin Laffey beat Jared Keslar in what could be viewed as a mild surprise at 165, but this has the look of a matchup that could go either way on a given day. Keslar has starting experience, which could lead to him getting into the lineup during the season. Once Grant MacKay returns from a knee injury, the picture could become even murkier. Unless one piles up quality wins early, it wouldn’t surprise me to see all three suit up for the Panthers this season.
The good, the bad and the MIA
Not surprisingly, there are weights where Pitt has very good depth, some where it’s thin and one where it’s non-existent.
Chase Kranitz, a Norwin grad who transferred in from Buffalo, battled Reece Heller in a very close bout at 184 pounds. Heller needed a third-period takedown on a counter for a 4-1 victory. Kranitz went 23-14 as a redshirt freshman last season and provides a very solid backup to Heller.
The 125, 141, 149 and 165 weight classes also show little dropoff from the starter to the backup.
Gavin has All-American candidates at 197 (Mac Stout) and 285 (Dayton Pitzer) but there is a huge gap from them to their backups. Stout pinned redshirt freshman Daniel Gurovich, who went winless against D-I competition last year, and Pitzer scored a fall over true freshman Bryson Harrington.
There were no matches at 184 and 157. Gavin said starter Luca Augustine sat out the Blue-Gold Match due to illness but that he should be fine for the Navy dual. More concerning is the fact that Dylan Evans, who went 0-1 in duals and 15-10 in open tournaments while taking a redshirt last year, doesn’t have a backup at 157 pounds. So, unless one of the wrestlers drops from 165 – Gavin said several are certified for 157 – the Panthers will need Evans to be effective and remain healthy all season.
Recruits were watching
Three high school juniors had front-row seats for the Blue-Gold Match as part of official visits. They are:
- C.J. Huerta, a two-time state medalist from California, who went 5-2 at 126 in the Super 32 tournament, including a 6-1 loss to Bethlehem Catholic’s Nathan Desmond.
- Michael Turi, a two-time Class AAA state medalist from West Scranton, who went 5-2 at 144 in the Super 32.
- Nadav Nafshi, an eighth-place finisher in AAA last season who transferred to Germantown Academy. He went 2-2 at 157 in the Super 32.
