After announcing his commitment to Virginia Tech in October, wrestling prospect Bo Bassett has been exploring his new home and taking it all in. Bassett currently competes at Bishop McCort High School and will be joining Virginia next year alongside Melvin Miller, another talented wrestler who competes at McCort.
On one of his more recent explorations at Virginia, Bassett happened upon James Franklin, who was just announced as Virginia Football’s new head coach, succeeding Brent Fry, who served as head coach from 2022 until his dismissal in September.
Bo Bassett Reacts To Meeting James Franklin
Bassett first pledged to the University of Iowa for the class of 2026, but after heartfelt talks with his family, he decided to seek a better fit. His talent drew attention from powerhouse programs like Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Penn State.
In a video shared on Instagram, Bassett met up with Franklin after he was announced as head coach, sharing a warm interaction. Franklin also mentioned that he’s been following Bassett’s career closely. “Something 𝑺𝑷𝑬𝑪𝑰𝑨𝑳 is happening in Blacksburg 🙌,” the post read.
Ahead of his move to Virginia, Bassett has been impressing by winning many competitions. His most recent victory was the 65 kg title at the Bill Farrell Memorial International freestyle. He also made history by winning his 4th Super 32 wrestling title, becoming the first male athlete to do so.
Bassett Addresses Joining Virginia Tech
Bassett is clearly pumped about joining Virginia Tech next year, where he will work under Tony Robie, who has led the Virginia Tech wrestling program since 2017.
Bassett is currently the top-ranked wrestler in the nation at 150 pounds; however, with his recent shift to 143.3 pounds in freestyle wrestling, he could compete at 141 or 149 pounds in collegiate wrestling.
In an interview on Tech Sideline, Bassett said, “I’m really excited to come down to Virginia Tech from Pennsylvania, start that pipeline.
“For me, I was six and wrestling every single weekend. I love the sport since the time I started. So, coming from a really awesome wrestling culture, I feel like I can use that to only just try to add to what we already have here and start that Pennsylvania pipeline and keep it strong.”
Bassett has clear ambitions to win Olympic, National, and World titles during his time in Blacksburg, and with the way his career has progressed so far, we could be seeing that come to fruition very soon.
