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2026 Cowboy Commit Jax Forrest is Setting the Wrestling World on Fire

Wrestling phenom Jax Forrest recently sat down with OK State on SI.
Taylor Skieens|
Bishop McCort junior Jax Forrest receives the Robert W. Craig Outstanding Wrestler Award during the PIAA state AA wrestling championships, Saturday, March 8, 2025, at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Bishop McCort junior Jax Forrest receives the Robert W. Craig Outstanding Wrestler Award during the PIAA state AA wrestling championships, Saturday, March 8, 2025, at the Giant Center in Hershey. | Harrison Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Most 17-year old high school athletes are taking a deep breath following a long junior season... not future Oklahoma State Cowboy wrestler Jax Forrest. Forrest is one of the most highly anticipated wrestling phenoms in the entire country and this past weekend he showed the world that he will be force of nature in the coming years.

Forrest could have easily entered the U-20 61 KG division of the 2025 US Open, but the Bishop McCort junior felt he was good enough to compete in the senior level division. He tackled arguably the toughest weight division in the entire tournament and came out the other end a US Open Champion.

His road to the championship featured victories over Northern Iowa’s Kyler Gollhofer (10-0), 2016 national champ from Cornell Nahshon Garrett (10-0) and Ohio State freshman Ben Davino (4-0). In the finals Forrest met up with 2018 national champion Seth Gross. After falling behind early, Forrest raced back for a 19-8 tech fall victory.

He recently chatted with OK State on SI about his recent Open win, Cowboy wrestling and his future plans.

You are one of the biggest names in wrestling at the moment. How do you balance this early stardom and competing at a high level?

"I think just staying present in the moment. Taking each day, practice, match one at a time, where I can just be present in the moment and focus on the task at hand."

What you did at the US Open is one of the biggest wrestling moments of the year. What led up to you deciding to compete in the senior division?

"So, originally I was planning on just doing U20 61 KG but I felt like I had been training really well. I talked to my parents and all of my coaches and told them how I thought I could win this weight."

Oklahoma State has the potential to be a wrestling force in the coming years. What do you hope to accomplish in Stillwater when you touch down?

"My team goal for the Cowboys is to win the national title. I want to help this team become the best individuals and then on top of that we are going to take over as the best team in the country for a long time to come."

The future is bright for Jax Forrest. What are your goals not only at OSU but for your career?

"First off, I will be going to the Pan American Championships in 2 weeks, so that is my main priority, and I'm looking forward to that. But then, directly after, I will be preparing for Vito at Final X on June 14!"

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Taylor Skieens
TAYLOR SKIEENS

Taylor Skieens has been an avid sports journalist with the McCurtain Gazette in Idabel, Oklahoma for seven years. He holds the title of Sports Editor for one of the oldest remaining print publications in the state of Oklahoma. Taylor grew up in the small lumber town of Wright City Oklahoma where he played baseball and basketball for the Lumberjax.

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