Where Does Mizzou’s Wrestling Talent Come From?

Coach Smith and his staff bring in recruits to help contend for a national title every year, but where does all his talent on the mat come from?

Every year, collegiate sports teams must find prospects to recruit and fill their rosters, creating competition within their team. Coaches and assistants may do this through recruiting kids out of high school or finding athletes via transfer portal.

I have gone back to look at the statistics behind Mizzou Wrestling on where they find their talent. While rosters only go back 14 years, it is still a good sample size of where the talent Head Coach Brian Smith has brought in comes from.

To begin, here is a GeoMap of the known wrestlers to commit to Mizzou since the 2007-08 season. From first glance at the map, it’s easy to see how well Coach Smith and his staff have recruited the state of Missouri.

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Over the span of 14 years, the state of Missouri has accounted for over 50% of the Missouri Wrestling team roster. The state of Missouri has been a very pivotal piece for the success within the Missouri wrestling program. The wrestling talent coming from within the state’s borders is second to none. The ability of Coach Smith and his staff to keep recruits from the Show-Me State has been incredible. If he continues to keep this trend going, which history has shown he will, Missouri will continue to be a top program in the nation.

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Digging a little deeper into Coach Smith’s time with Mizzou, I looked into the All-Americans during his tenure leading the Tiger Style program. With a little bit of research I was able to find where these medalists came from. To no one’s surprise, the state of Missouri once again reigned supreme with over 50% of the All-Americans attending Mizzou during the Smith Era. Another fun fact about these All-Americans, of the 9 National Champions (2 Multi) Mizzou Wrestling has had, it is an even 50/50 split between 2 states, Missouri and Wisconsin!

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And just for fun, over the entire history of the wrestling program, 50% of the All-Americans at the University of Missouri have come from within the border (with the exception of 2 unknowns).

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Crunching numbers is always fun but getting favorable results makes it that much better. Missouri is definitely a state full of talent on the wrestling mat and keeping that talent home is always top priority. Will some get away, absolutely but as history shows, Coach Smith and Co know how to keep home grown talent in the state of Missouri!