James Hackney
Well into the offseason, it’s time to take a look at some upcoming recruits for the Sooners. A small but stacked class, it starts with California phenom Joey Cruz. He improved upon his placement at state every year, placing 3rd as a freshman and runner-up in 2020 at 113lbs. California did not have a state championship in 2020-2021, but Cruz did win in 2022 at 113lbs while going undefeated.
Through his career Cruz has also won the 2020 Grappler Fall Classic and placed 3rd at the 2019 Cadet World Team Trials. He’s ranked #52 on MatScouts 2022 Big Board and is the top ranked 113lb wrestler.
He also has big wins over ASU commit Richard Figueroa, 2022 senior #48 Dominic Mendez, and 4x Oklahoma state champ Elijah Griffin. Cruz projects at 125lbs and will have an opportunity to redshirt with Joey Prata returning for one more year with the Sooners.
