Rocco Welsh’s departure for Penn State left a big hole in the Ohio State wrestling program. However, a great opportunity has emerged to replace him with a talented athlete from an elite school.
The Ohio State wrestling program had a big year in 2023-24. They won 15 matches and finished with a 7-1 record in a stacked Big Ten. However, after a fifth-place finish in the conference tourney and being seventh in the NCAA Tournament, the hope was that Tom Ryan and his program could take another step forward in 2024-25.
Unfortunately, that was not the case. This past season, they finished 13-3 overall (5-3 in the conference) and didn’t make much progress in the year-end tournaments. Making matters worse this month was that NCAA Finals 184-pound runner-up Rocco Welsh entered the transfer portal and decided to take his talents to hated rival Penn State.
Welsh is an elite talent who will be very hard to replace. However, the transfer portal may have given the Buckeyes a great chance to do that with an impact wrestler.
Could Ohio State target Brayden Thompson in the transfer portal?
According to Pistols Firing, Oklahoma State veteran Brayden Thompson has entered the transfer portal. He competed at 174 pounds as a true freshman last season and finished third at the Big 12 Championships. Securing a spot in the 2024 nationals. However, he redshirted this past season at 184 pounds.
Thompson was FloWrestling’s No. 3 pound-for-pound wrestler in the 2023 recruiting class. However, he struggled at 174 pounds, going 12-11 two years ago for the Cowboys. However, he went 9-0 at 184 pounds last season and won the Bob Smith Open and the Reno Tournament of Champions.
If he wants to get a starting spot at a strong program next season, Ohio State would be a great option. It would be surprising if coach Ryan did not inquire about his potential interest in the days ahead. Brayden Thompson went 152-11 as a high schooler, with his only losses as a freshman. He won the Ironman in 2022
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