Nation's No. 1 Wrestler Bo Bassett Commits to Iowa
The Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestling team moved up to No. 2 in the most recent collegiate team rankings, but they had their sights set on a different No. 1 on Tuesday. 2026 No. 1 ranked wrestling prodigy, Bo Bassett was set to make his long awaited decision.
It was Iowa, not Penn State or Oklahoma State who earned a Tuesday night commitment from Bishop McCort High junior Bo Bassett, widely considered the nation's top recruit in the 2026 class.
It’s official! Bo Bassett makes his college wrestling commitment to the University of Iowa pic.twitter.com/0vjwRQWdr7
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) February 5, 2025
Bassett announced that he would be joining the Hawkeyes, his lifelong favorite program, during a presentation on FloWrestling after his team's latest victory in the PIAA Class 2A Team Championships.
Bassett stars at 144 pounds for arguably the top high school wrestling program in the nation in Johnstown, Pa. He was pursued by more than 80 college programs and picked the No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes over three other finalists: Penn State, Oklahoma State and Virginia Tech.
With the commitment from Bo Bassett, Iowa takes over the #1 spot in the 2026 recruiting class rankings! See the full ranking including recruits names’ at the link in bio #ncaawrestling pic.twitter.com/bf0pq6dcxZ
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) February 5, 2025
"Maybe it wasn't an easy decision, but it was the right decision," Bassett said during his commitment live stream. "You get what you earn, so I'm excited to be a Hawk.
"I know I'm from Pennsylvania, but I'm excited to feel that Iowa love. I know if you're from Iowa, you know Iowa wrestling. Pretty excited to come out in Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the first time and hopefully create a legacy that lasts forever."
Bassett won a gold medal at the U17 World Wrestling Championships in 2021 and a bronze at the U20 event last year. He's undefeated in his high school career and won a PIAA Class 2A championship at 139 pounds last year. On Tuesday, just before his commitment announcement, he delivered another pin, this one in mere seconds, in the Crimson Crushers' 58-12 win over Corry.
With the recent commitment of Bassett, Iowa jumped to the top of the 2026 recruiting list. Oklahoma State stands firm with the No. 2 recruiting class for both 2025 and 2026.
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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.