Head coach Tony Ersland has announced the 2023 Purdue wrestling signing class, inking six new Boilermakers to national letters of intent. He welcomes Joey Blaze, Greyson Clark, Orlando Cruz, Ashton Jackson, Delaney Ruhlman and Cole Solomey to the Boilermaker family to make up what will surely be Ersland's sixth top-25 recruiting class.
Blaze and Clark highlight the class as the No. 17 and No. 29 ranked prospects respectively with seven state titles between the two of them. Purdue is one of just seven schools to have at least two top-30 signees.
Cruz (No. 118), Jackson (No. 177), Ruhlman and Solomey are all Indiana kids who will stay home for their collegiate wrestling careers, emphasizing the Purdue staff's commitment to winning their home state. Three of the top eight Indiana prospects are in this class.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
I’m really happy with the class. We’ve not only got talented young men who have a passion for the sport, but they really fit our group. Culture is a very important thing for us and it is something we take very seriously. I think these men fit that culture very well. We’re excited to add them to the Boilermaker family.
- Head coach Tony Ersland
I love the group the Boilermakers have coming in. Blaze and Clark are top-50 recruits on an upward trajectory with their best national results coming recently. The staff did a great job at making sure many of Indiana's top seniors stayed at home.
- Earl Smith, Intermat
Purdue has a class of overachievers on its hands. On the whole, their value now is significantly greater now than their value when they committed. Blaze and Clark anchor the class of 2023, but the entire group has promise. Purdue is poised for a program-changing recruiting class.
- David Bray, FloWrestling
I believe that I can achieve my goals of becoming an NCAA champion here, and also I love how everyone has treated me like family since day one!
I chose Purdue because when I completed my college visits Purdue instantly felt like home. That feeling coupled with the reputation for great athletic and academic success made the decision easy for me.
I’ve had the pleasure to meet Purdue’s coaching staff and train with their wrestlers during their RTC practices in the summers and they really grew on me. Purdue has one of the best 2023 recruiting classes in the country and it’s something I wanted to be a part of.
Purdue has an at home feel that is unparalleled. I will have all the resources I could possibly need to better myself as an athlete and as a student. It is a family.
Purdue is a great fit for me because of the team atmosphere, the high expectations, the great coaching staff, and because I get to wrestle on the same team as my brother again.
Purdue has the exact major I planned to pursue, Purdue assistant coach AJ Schopp was the first coach to reach out to me last February after last high school season, I had an amazing visit and love all of the coaching staff and my future teammates.
CLASS OF 2023
JOEY BLAZE - 157/165 - PERRYSBURG, OHIO
Joey Blaze has been committed to the Boilermakers since Oct. 2021 and has only continued to grow since then, rocketing up to the No. 17 overall recruit in the country after winning a Super 32 title. The three-time Ohio state champion helped Perrysburg High School was named the OHSWCA Wrestler of the Year. He projects at either 157 or 165 for the Boilermakers.
A super talented kid who can wrestle from a lot of positions. I love who he is as a competitor because the moment never gets too big for him. He always stays calm and composed. He comes from a great program in Perrysburg and I think what he’s now doing from a leadership standpoint is awesome to see.
- Tony Ersland
HIGH SCHOOL
• Three-time Ohio state champion, claiming titles in 2021 (138), 2022 (145) and (165)
• Led Perrysburg High School to second-place team finishes at the 2022 and 2023 Ohio high school state championships
• Named the 2023 OHSWCA Wrestler of the Year
• Ohio's winner for the 2023 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award
• Took first place at the 2022 Super 32, downing the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds with third period comebacks
• Placed second at the 2022 USA Wrestling Central Regional Freestyle Championships, medically forfeiting in the finals
• Won the OHSAA D1 District championship each of the last three seasons
• Claimed first at the OHSAA D1 Sectional tournament four years in a row
• Placed in eighth at the 2021 Super 32
• Varsity Record: 184-7 (Perrysburg record)
NATIONAL RANKINGS
• Finished as the No. 15 pound-for-pound wrestler in the country via MatScouts
• Ranked as the No. 17 overall recruit by MatScouts
• The No. 1 recruit in his weight class according to both MatScouts and FloWrestling
• Tabbed No. 18 in the class on FloWrestling’s Big Board
• Named the best prospect in the class from Ohio by MatScouts and FloWrestling
PERSONAL
Burnett Trained Wrestling Club
• Hometown: Perrysburg, Ohio
• Parents: Joseph and Addie Blaze
• Siblings: Brother – Marcus, Sister - Payton
• Instagram: @_joey_blaze_
• Twitter: @joeyblaze18
GREYSON CLARK - 133/141 - WRIGHTSTOWN, WISCONSIN
A big get for Ersland's squad , the No. 29 overall recruit in the country Greyson Clark earned the ranking by winning a state title all four years of his high school career. He also helped the Kaukauna Ghosts to three straight WIAA Team State championships from 2021-23. He is likely to compete for the Boilermakers at either 133 or 141 pounds.
He comes from a very strong club system up there at Askren Wrestling Academy. He’s a kid who’s had success at the national level for a long time. Has a very strong top skillset which in the collegiate ranks is even more important. He really fills a big weight class need for us down low at 133/141. We are super excited to catch him because we think he is a great fit for us.
- Tony Ersland
HIGH SCHOOL
• Won a state title every year he was in high school, claiming championships at 106 (2020), 126 (2021), 138 (2022 and 2023)
• Finished his senior year with a perfect 50-0 record, marching to a fourth state title with two falls and two major decisions
• Helped his team to three straight WIAA Team State championships from 2021-23
• Named the Wisconsin representative for the 2023 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award
• Finished 4-0 in state title matches, outscoring opponents 43-6 with two falls and two major decisions
• Has won the WIAA D1 Sectional championship in his final three seasons and finished in second in 2020
• Two-time Super 32 All-American
• Earned junior Fargo Freestyle All-American honors in 2021
• Three-time team captain for Kaukauna High School
• Varsity Record: 170-7
NATIONAL RANKINGS
• Ranked at No. 29 on the MatScouts Big Board
• Finished third in the country at 138 pounds via MatScouts and FloWrestling
• Sits at No. 36 overall by FloWrestling
• Tabbed as the best prospect in the class from Wisconsin by MatScouts
• Named the No. 2 prospect from Wisconsin by FloWrestling
PERSONAL
Askren Wrestling Academy
• Intended Major: Actuarial Sciences
• Hometown: Wrightstown, Wisconsin
• Parents: Tom and Kelly Clark
• Siblings: Sister – Maddie
• Instagram: @Greysonclark48
• Twitter: @Greysonclark48
• Has been to 21 different countries
ORLANDO CRUZ - 184 - CROWN POINT, INDIANA
The latest addition to the class, Cruz signed a few weeks after the national signing day and added even more star power to this incredible group. Ranked as the No. 118 overall recruit and the No. 14 182-pounder, Cruz broke through for his first Indiana state title as a senior, helping Crown Point to back-to-back state tiles. He finishes with a 136-14 varsity record.
He's a kid that we know really well and we know he's about the right things. We are on the same page in how we want to train and compete. From one of the strongest high schools in the state Crown Point, you love to get those guys from your strongest in-state programs. He fills a huge need for us and we think he is a great addition to our culture.
- Tony Ersland
HIGH SCHOOL
• Won his first Indiana state title in 2023 at 182 pounds, rattling off three straight pins on his way to the final
• Picked up nine techs and five falls in total in the 2023 postseason
• Helped Crown Point to back-to-back state championships in 2022 and 2023 for the first time in school history
• Four-time state-qualifier, finishing as the runner-up at 182 in 2022
• Holds the Crown Point (IN) record for most takedowns in a single season (223)
• Swept his Semi-State, Regional and Sectional tournaments his final three seasons
• Won the DAC Wrestling Tournament in three straight seasons from 2021-23
• 2022 IndianaMat Hoosier Preseason Open Champion
• Varsity Record: 136-14
NATIONAL RANKINGS
• Ranked as the No. 118 overall recruit by MatScouts
• Earned the No. 17 spot in the FloWrestling 182-pound high school rankings
• Named the third best prospect from Indiana by MatScouts
• Slotted as the No. 14 overall 182-pound recruit via MatScouts
PERSONAL
Region Wrestling Academy
• Parents: Orlando and Gloria Cruz
• Siblings: Brother – Evan, Sister - Lauren
• Hometown: Crown Point, Indiana
• Major: Kinesiology
• Instagram: Orlandocru.z
ASHTON JACKSON - 125 - LAPORTE, INDIANA
Ersland keeps one of Indiana's top talents in-state, as Ashton "Action" Jackson chooses the Boilermakers. The two-time state champion and three-time state finalist racked up an impressive 120 match winning streak, a LaPorte school record, on his way to solidifying himself as one of the best in his school's history. He projects to slot in at 125 pounds for Purdue.
Very talented kid, you always want to keep your in-state talent here so to catch a kid who is going to be going for his third state title here in Indiana was important. You love those 125-pounders, he’s going to fill an important weight class need for us. He’s a mat rat. He’s a kid we’ve seen around a lot, but he is a real mat rat and loves the sport.
- Tony Ersland
HIGH SCHOOL
• Two-time Indiana state champion. In 2022 at 113 pounds, he only gave up two points the whole tournament to complete a perfect 50-0 season. In 2021 at 106 pounds, he went 35-2 to win the title
• Won 53 matches in a row as a senior before losing in the state title match
• Won his regional and semi-state tournaments the last two seasons
• Won his last four IHSAA sectional championships
• Won 120 matches in a row across his junior and senior years, a LaPorte school record
• Came in first at the 42nd annual Al Smith Wrestling Classic
• Took the title at the ISWA Freestyle State Finals in the Junior USA 1 divison
• Named a team captain for the LaPorte High School wrestling team
• Varsity Record: 173-11
NATIONAL RANKINGS
• Earned the No. 177 overall spot in the class of 2023 via MatScouts
• Ranked 12th in the country at 125 pounds by MatScouts
• Tabbed as the seventh best prospect from Indiana by MatScouts
PERSONAL
Elite Athletic Club
• Nickname: “Action”
• Hometown: Laporte, Indiana
• Parents: Adam and Nacole Jackson
• Siblings: Brothers – Damen and Brayden, Sister – Bailey
• Instagram: ajackson944
• Member of the American Sign Language Honors Society
DELANEY RUHLMAN - 174 - SOLSBERRY, INDIANA
The younger brother of current Boilermaker Tristan Ruhlman, Delaney officially joins the Purdue family himself. He comes in as a three-time Indiana state runner-up with a 153-10 varsity record. The Bloomington South product will likely wrestle at 174 pounds in college.
Got the Ruhlman brothers back together! Excited to keep it all in the family. Delaney, just like Tristan, is a hard wrestling, gritty, tough kid who fits we are. I think his best wrestling is definitely ahead of him as he gets in with good workout partners and gets really pushed every day. I think upside to his wrestling is big.
- Tony Ersland
HIGH SCHOOL
• Three-time IHSAA state runner-up at 138 (2021), 152 (2022) pounds and 170 pounds (2023). Only lost by one point in each of the last two state title matches
• First wrestler from Bloomington High South in 53 years to appear in three straight state finals and only the fifth all time
• Four-time IHSAA state qualifier
• Swept the titles at his sectional, regional and semi-state tournaments each of the last two seasons
• Claimed the title at the Conference Indiana tournament in four straight seasons from 2020-23
• Won the 170 pound division at the 44th Al Smith Classic
• Placed first at the 2022 IndianaMat Hoosier Preseason Open
• Took first at both the ISWA Greco and Freestyle State Finals in the Cadet 16U division
• Varsity Record: 153-10
NATIONAL RANKINGS
- Ranked as the No. 174 recruit nationally in the class of 2023 by Matscouts (11/4)
- Tabbed as the No. 18 174-pounder on the MatScouts Big Board (11/4)
- Sits seventh in the MatScouts rankings for prospects from Indiana
PERSONAL
• Brother of current Boilermaker Tristan Ruhlman
• Parents: Rob and Laura Ruhlman
• Hometown: Solsberry, Indiana
• Instagram: delaneyruhlman
• Enjoys hunting and fishing
COLE SOLOMEY - 141/149 - DEMOTTE, INDIANA
One of the later additions to Ersland's class, Cole Solomey is another great Indiana talent staying home. The Demotte product finally broke through for his first state championship in 2023 as a senior. He finishes as a four-time IHSAA placewinner with a 157-18 record. He projects to wrestle at 141 or 149 pounds for the Boilermakers.
An in-state talent, we are very familiar with Cole as he’s been coming down to our BRTC workouts. He’s somebody we feel very comfortable with because of who he is as a competitor and how that fits our group. We know a lot about his work ethic and his toughness which I think is a strong point for him. He’s another guy who is just coming in to his own, so we are happy to get him as he was under the radar a little bit.
- Tony Ersland
HIGH SCHOOL
• 2023 Indiana state title winner, picking up two major decisions on his way to the first championship of his career. Finished with a 48-1 record as a senior
• First wrestler from Kankakee Valley to win a state title, previous best finish was fifth
• Four-time IHSAA state placewinner, finishing as a runner-up in 2022
• Won titles at the NCC Round Robin Invite, Lake County Championships and IndianaMat Hoosier Preseason Open as a senior
• Three-time Northwest Crossroads Conference title winner
• 2022 IHPO & Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals Champion
• ISWA Folkstyle State Junior USA 1 division title winner
• Team captain last two seasons
• Varsity Record: 157-18
PERSONAL
Midwest RTC | Region Wrestling Academy
• Major: Construction Management
• Hometown: Demotte, Indiana
• Parents: Mike and Becky Solomey
• Siblings: Brother – Luke, Sister – Irelynn
• Instagram: colesolomey36