John Smith Talks Signing Top Wrestler and Big-Time Class as well as Culture Correction

STILLWATER – John Smith was meeting with the media to discuss his team’s season opening trip to Pennsylvania to wrestler both Lehigh and Bucknell on Saturday, but the first questions asked had to do with a more immediate topic, national signing day for NCAA sports other than football. Oklahoma State, according to Smith were set to sign six athletes including Sam Smith as John Smith will coach yet another son and that will make what has to be an NCAA record, not to mention an Oklahoma State record with the ninth member of the family to join the Cowboys wrestling program. Amazing, and John Smith has coached six of the Smith family members that have worn the orange and black singlet. Smith also was more than willing to discuss another signee in Indiana heavyweight Christian Carroll.

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CHristian Carroll

An unbeaten State Champ last season at New Castle (Ind.) he has transferred to Jimtown and after being committed to Illinois and then Penn, Smith explained his staff stayed on top of the nation’s number one wrestling recruit, a 220-pound wrestler in high school and a veteran of wrestling for USA wrestling teams, will be a heavyweight wrestler in college.

“He’s committed and he has signed, Smith said laughing. “He has a big frame, won a lot of matches. Everything you see about him is really good. He is stable, very mature, from a standpoint of who he is and what he wants to accomplish. I think our staff did their homework and in the end had a second opportunity to get him and we did that.”

Heavyweight is tough to find, those top tier athletes at that position. As Smith has pointed out, those jumbo athletes like that often play college football.

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Smith listens to a question on Wednesday.

“It’s a good thing,” Smith said. “He will give us some real depth and he will come in this fall. You get so many commitments from juniors and you don’t see them for awhile. He will be here next fall and should be ready to move in and help us out.”

As for the other wrestlers we know have signed with Oklahoma State, Smith rushed out of his press gathering to Stillwater High School where both Cael Hughes and the younger Smith were in a signing ceremony. The younger Smith was a state runner-up last season and the year before that was an Oklahoma State Champ in the high school ranks.   

Hughes is a two-time Oklahoma State Champion in high school, a Fargo Champion, and multiple All-American honoree. Hughes ranks as the number 18 prospect on several wrestling recruiting lists and is projected for the 141-149 pound range in college.

Smith won the 106-pound championship in 2021 as Stillwater captured its ninth state tournament crown in school history. He wrestled 120 pounds last season and is set to compete at 133 pounds as a senior.

Stillwater also signed several other Oklahomans with Edmond’s AJ Heeg (184/197); number 63-ranked Jersey Robb (197) from Bixby, OK; and Jayce Caviness (133-141) also out of Bixby, OK.