Bo Bassett and Jax Forrest Rally Around a Teammate After Sudden Recruiting Setback

The junior standout announced he is reopening his recruitment after learning his Division I program was being discontinued, drawing immediate support from two of the nation’s top wrestlers

Bishop McCort wrestler Jackson Butler has reopened his recruitment after California Baptist, the school to which he was committed, announced, on Friday, that it was dropping its wrestling program. / Jackson Butler/AMP Photography

Top-ranked high school wrestling stars Bo Bassett and Jax Forrest came out publicly in support of a Bishop McCort teammate after a sudden recruiting setback forced the junior standout to reopen his recruitment.

That wrestler is Jackson Butler, who announced via Instagram that the Division I program he had recently committed to, California Baptist, is being discontinued, prompting him to reenter the transfer portal.

“I just received some news that the D1 program that I was committed to is cutting their program,” Butler wrote. “This came out of nowhere. I am reopening my commitment and open to talking to all schools. This is hard but has to be a part of God’s Plan. Isaiah 41:10.”

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Butler, who competes at 144 pounds, is currently listed as an Honorable Mention in the latest 2025–26 High School On SI Boys Wrestling National Rankings.

Support From Elite Teammates

Bassett, one of the nation’s top-ranked high school wrestlers, was quick to voice his support in the comment section of Butler’s post.

“Go get this guy,” Bassett wrote. “Hard worker, huge upside, and a comedian. Part of the plan!!! 🙏”

Jax Forrest also chimed in with a brief message of encouragement, writing, “You got this bro.”

Forrest, currently ranked No. 1 nationally at 138, recently wrestled his final high school event, winning his fourth consecutive PowerAde Invitational. He now plans to graduate early and enroll at Oklahoma State to prepare for his college career.

Bassett missed PowerAde, which he has won three times, due to an illness, but he recently won his fourth consecutive Walsh Jesuit Ironman and captured a title at Beast of the East. He is ranked No. 1 in the country at 150. After de-committing from Iowa, earlier this year, Bassett committed to wrestle for Virginia Tech next year.

Looking Ahead

While Butler did not identify the Division I program involved in his social media post, it was widely reported that he had committed to California Baptist in Riverside, California. On Friday, the school announced in a post on its website that it was restructuring its athletic program and cutting three sports, wrestling, men's golf and men's swimming and diving.

"In response to the evolving intercollegiate athletic landscape, California Baptist University announced today the discontinuation of three Lancer Athletic programs–wrestling, men's golf, and men's swim and dive. The changes will take effect at the conclusion of the 2025-26 competitive season," the post opened.

Butler made it clear he plans to reopen conversations with colleges as he navigates the next step in his recruiting journey.

While the current landscape of college athletics have created financial windfalls for the most elite athletes, there is fallout when colleges and universities, similar to California Baptist, determine that they cannot commit the resources to their athletic programs to remain competitive in the current environment. Although Butler is likely to find a new college home, the loss of programs creates a loss of college athletic opportunities for high school athletes.

“We have closely monitored the shifting landscape of intercollegiate athletics that has affected institutions across the nation," said California Baptist vice president for athletics Micah Parker, in the school's release. "While we had hoped to continue offering our full slate of athletic programs in this new environment, it has become clear that changes are required to realize the university's goal of achieving greater competitive excellence that the new Division I era demands."

In addition to growing number of college programs shutting down, across the country rosters and funding are also being cut. The situation also underscores the unpredictability of the recruiting process as high school athletes are facing new and unexpected turns.