PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers wrestling signed the No. 4 overall recruiting class in the country, according to Intermat's final rankings released earlier this summer. It marks the highest-rated rookie class under head coach Scott Goodale since he and his staff inked the No. 4 overall class during the 2007-08 cycle.
 
Andrew Barbosa, Nate Blanchette, Donovan DeStefano, Ryan Ford, Mason Gibson, Conner Harer, Alex Nini, Ayden Smith, Brandon Toranzo, Nick Villani, and Kurt Wehner make up the stellar group of incoming student-athletes who will arrive "On the Banks" this fall. Smith (No. 2), Harer (No. 3), Barbosa (No. 7), Blanchette (No. 9), Gibson (No. 14), Nini (No. 23) and Ford (No. 23) are all ranked within the top 25 of their respective weight classes.
 
The class includes six student-athletes from New Jersey, three from Pennsylvania and one each from California and Massachusetts.
 
"This class is filled with talent and guys who can have an immediate impact on our already talented roster," Goodale said. "All of the credit goes to my staff for identifying these guys who have the tools to succeed both on and off the mat and have already proven themselves nationally."
 
The newcomers join a program that finished No. 14 in the final NWCA Coaches Poll last season and produced multiple All-Americans for the eighth time in nine seasons under Goodale. Dylan Shawver (133) and Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT) finished seventh in their respective weight classes at the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships – the 10th time in 11 years Rutgers has produced at least one All-American. Eight Scarlet Knights qualified for nationals, the most since all 10 starters qualified in 2016. RU also finished sixth at the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, which included an individual title from Shawver, seven conference place winners and 87.5 team points - its best team result since 2016.
 
Rutgers finished 12-5 during the dual season and earned a final No. 14 ranking in the NWCA Coaches Poll - its 12th top-25 finish in the poll under Goodale. The Scarlet Knights once again finished in the top six in national home attendance as it averaged more than 4,000 per home dual in 2023-24. Twelve student-athletes earned Winter Academic All-Big Ten recognition, while three individuals - Slavikouski, John Poznanski and Anthony White - were named NWCA Scholar All-Americans.
 
Andrew Barbosa
Hometown: Riverside, California
High School: Palm Desert
Projected Collegiate Weight: 157
 
Prior to Rutgers: Standout scholastic wrestler at Palm Desert … two-time California state medalist … 2024 CIF finalist at 157 pounds … two-time CIF SS Boys Ford Masters champion at 157 and 145 pounds … helped Palm Desert to back-to-back top-10 team finishes in 2023 and 2024 … finished sixth in California at 145 pounds as a junior in 2023 … also finished first at the CIF SS Boys Individual Eastern Division tournament … the No. 7 157-pound signee in the country and the No. 40 overall recruit nationally by MatScouts.
 

 
Nate Blanchette
Hometown: Methuen, Massachusetts
High School: Central Catholic
Projected Collegiate Weight: 165/174
 
Prior to Rutgers: Three-time New England champion and three-time state champion at Central Catholic … closed his amateur career with 98 consecutive wins ahead of his arrival at Rutgers … went 35-0 as a senior en route to New England and Massachusetts titles at 175 pounds … third New England title automatically secure him a spot in the New England Wrestling Hall of Fame … 47-0 as a junior … 2023 Massachusetts 182-pound state champion … 2023 NHSCA Junior 170-pound title winner … the No. 9 174-pound signee in the country and the No. 32 overall recruit nationally by MatScouts … the No. 53 overall signee in the country and No. 4 high school wrestling at his weight class nationally by FloWrestling … NHSCA national champion.
 
Donovan DiStefano
Hometown: Wall, New Jersey
High School: Wall
Projected Collegiate Weight: 149
 
Prior to Rutgers: Four-time state qualifier, three-time district and region champion and 2024 state place winner at Wall … produced 91 career wins during scholastic career … became just the fourth wrestler in Wall history to win three region titles … finished sixth in the state at 144 pounds as a senior in 2024 … closed senior season with a 29-3 record en route to district and region titles … finished second at the Shore Conference Tournament … ShoreConferenceWrestling.com Wrestler of the Year in 2024 … went 24-2 as a junior with district and region championships … closed sophomore season with a 25-2 record and district and region titles.
 
Ryan Ford
Hometown: Mahwah, New Jersey
High School: Bergen Catholic
Projected Collegiate Weight: 157
 
Prior to Rutgers: Four-time NJSIAA medal winner and three-time top four finisher in the state for Bergen Catholic … also produced three district and region titles during scholastic career … went 21-2 en route to district and region titles  and a fourth-place finish in the state at 157 pounds as a senior in 2024 … finished fourth in the state at 144 pounds in 2023 … also placed seventh at 132 pounds in 2022 and third at 113 in 2021 … two-time region and district champion … owns 60 career victories … helped Bergen Catholic to finish as the consensus No. 1 ranked team in the state in 2022 … the No. 23 157-pound signee in the country and the No. 183 overall recruit nationally by MatScouts.
 
Mason Gibson
Hometown: Johnstown, Pennsylvania
High School: Bishop McCort Catholic
Projected Collegiate Weight: 125/133
 
Prior to Rutgers: Two-time Pennsylvania Class AA All-American, finishing fourth in the state at 133 pounds as a senior in 2024 … a two-time AA district and regional champion … closed scholastic career with 72 victories … finished senior season with 47 wins, district and regional titles and a fourth-place finish in the state … also placed second as a freshman in 2021 in Pennsylvania competing at 120 pounds … Super 32 champion … three-time Super 32 finalist … Fargo U16 Freestyle champion … 2021 Fargo Greco champion … Powerade individual title … NHSCA champion … the No. 14 125-pound signee in the country and the No. 53 overall recruit nationally by MatScouts.
 
Conner Harer
Hometown: Montgomery, Pennsylvania
High School: Montgomery
Projected Collegiate Weight: 165
 
Prior to Rutgers: One of the top middleweight signees in the country out of Montgomery … three-time PIAA Class AA champion … 2023 NHSCA Junior National Champion … has posted a scholastic record of 136-5, with four of those losses coming as a freshman … No. 24 overall recruit in the country and No. 8 wrestler at 160 pounds by FloWrestling … went 49-1 as a junior en route to his second PIAA Class AA state title … is 96-1 in his past two high school seasons … won the 152-pound title at the National High School Coaches Association Junior Nationals in Virginia Beach. … the No. 3 165-pound signee in the country and the No. 26 overall recruit nationally by MatScouts … represented Pennsylvania in the prestigious Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic along with fellow signee Ayden Smith.
 
Alex Nini
Hometown: Allentown, New Jersey
High School: Christian Brothers Academy
Projected Collegiate Weight: 141
 
Prior to Rutgers: Four-time NJSIAA medal winner and three-time top four finisher in the state at CBA … state runner-up at 144 pounds as a senior in 2024 …  two-time district and region champion … went 21-2 en route to district and region titles at 138 pounds, finishing third in the state in 2023 … collected 25 wins, district and region titles and finished fourth in the state at 120 pounds in 2022 … finished eighth in the state at 113 pounds during freshman season in 2021 … finished fifth at the Cadet World Championships in 2022 … competed for Team Italy at the Cadet World Championships … … the No. 23 141-pound signee in the country and the No. 117 overall recruit nationally by MatScouts … No. 45 overall prospect in the country and No. 9 in his weight class by FloWrestling … brother of current Rutgers wrestler Sebastiano Nini.
 
Ayden Smith
Hometown: Allentown, Pennsylvania
High School: Notre Dame-Green Pond
Projected Collegiate Weight: 125
 
Prior to Rutgers: Two-time PIAA state champion and four-time state place winner at Notre Dame-Green Pond … produced 152 wins during scholastic career … four-time district champion and three-time regional champion … finished 49-2 as a senior en route to second PIAA state title in 2024 at 114 pounds … also won a state title in 2023 with a 47-3 record … picked up 41 wins during sophomore season, finishing third in the state at 106 pounds in 2022 … produced 15 wins during freshman campaign to finish fourth in the state … Beast of the East champion … second place at the 2023 Ironman and bronze medalist in 2022 … the No. 2 125-pound signee in the country and the No. 34 overall recruit nationally by MatScouts … represented Pennsylvania in the prestigious Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic along with fellow signee Conner Harer.
 
Brandon Toranzo
Hometown: Nutley, New Jersey
High School: Nutley
Projected Collegiate Weight: Heavyweight
 
Prior to Rutgers: NJSIAA bronze medalist at Nutley … went 51-2 as a senior in 2024 en route to district and regional titles … wrestled back to a third-place finish in the state at heavyweight … produced Nutley's first-ever regional title with win over Bergen Catholic Benjamin Shue … two-time district champion … NHSCA All-American … produced 26 wins as a junior before missing state championships after tearing ACL at regionals … brother, Michael, is also on the wrestling team.
 
Nick Villani
Hometown: Far Hills, New Jersey
High School: Bernards
Projected Collegiate Weight: 149
 
Prior to Rutgers: Two-time NJSIAA state qualifier and 2024 place winner at Bernards … finished eighth in the state at 144 pounds as a senior in 2024 … finished senior season with 44 wins and district and region titles … won individual Somerset County title with 29-second pin in the final round … also a district champion in 2023 with 34 wins as a junior.
 
Kurt Wehner
Hometown: Toms River, New Jersey
High School: Donovan Catholic
Projected Collegiate Weight: 125
 
Prior to Rutgers: Three-time NJSIAA place winner and 2024 state runner-up at Donovan Catholic … produced 102 career victories during three seasons at Donovan Catholic … three-time district and region champion … went 36-5 as a senior in 2024 en route to a second-place finish in the state at 120 pounds … also finished fifth in the state in 2023 at 113 pounds and seventh in 2022 at 106 pounds … went 40-8 as a junior and 26-4 as a sophomore … NJSIAA state qualifier as a freshman at Toms River East in 2021 … the No. 206 overall wrestling signee by MatScouts.