“The ambitions we have for ourselves led us to the hiring of David Taylor, someone of equally high goals and ambitions,” said OSU in a statement last year when the “Magic Man” was appointed the head coach of the wrestling program. While his new job role stirred up a storm in the country’s collegiate wrestling community, David Taylor‘s first year as the Cowboys boss could have been better, many would argue. However, thankfully, the 2020 Olympic champ has many believers on his side as well.
On the other hand, the storied wrestling star starting his job at Oklahoma created a lot of tension between him and Taylor’s alma mater. But David once again got a taste of Cael Sanderson’s supremacy when Penn State bagged its fourth straight NCAA title earlier this year, while the Cowboys finished in third place. And now, as David Taylor’s second season as a coach waits to commence, it looks like his cause has many believing that results will eventually start showing.
David Taylor gets wrestling pundit’s vote of confidence
Bashcmania’s Justin Basch posted on X on April 10, claiming that the ex-NLWC star would need some time before his methods start yielding a quantifiable outcome. The journalist’s opinion comes as a reply to a fan’s potshot at Taylor. Upon learning that another OSU wrestler has hopped onto the transfer portal, the fan grumbled that David was walking the same dangerous road as Iowa, where the program primarily depends upon “hired g*ns” instead of homegrown talent. But Basch could only urge the fan to have patience.
There’s a monster difference between David doing this in his first year there and in 5-10 years. Gotta give him a few years to get his recruits in there. https://t.co/oYGoMJ8wdY
— Justin Basch (@JustinJBasch) April 10, 2025
“There’s a monster difference between David doing this in his first year there and in 5-10 years. Gotta give him a few years to get his recruits in there,” the social media update stated without meandering around the accusation that David Taylor isn’t looking to make Oklahoma a place where wrestling stars are created.
Ahead of the 2025 season, the transfer portal is already exploding. With a long list of stars from multiple programs getting their names on the transfer market, the collegiate wrestling scene will undergo tectonic shifts before the next NCAAs. Naturally, like everyone else trying to beef up their rosters, David Taylor isn’t lagging behind either.
The Cowboys’ roster is shaping up nicely
Under Cael Sander, David Taylor flourished as a top wrestler. But maybe that’s exactly why the Olympian knows that it would need something out of the ordinary to usurp Penn State’s top spot. And David is willing to go all in for his battle against the NLWC’s supremacy in every way possible. Just a week ago, the Cowboys received a commitment from Zack Ryder, a former Penn State star who redshirted the 2024 season.
However, the 184-pounder isn’t the only wrestler who stepped out of Sanderson’s camp to join the veteran coach’s former student’s team. In the past few days, Alex Facundo and Gary Steen have both announced that they will be stepping on the mat in the Cowboys’ orange singlet this season, news that would undoubtedly make Cael Sanderson get back on the drawing board.
However, anyone who knows Sanderson, an Olympic gold medalist who also boasts a perfect 169-0 NCAA record, knows that the coach has multiple aces up his sleeves, which can change the game at any time. Moreover, the Penn State HC also claims that what David Taylor does at Stillwater isn’t something he’s bothered with.
“I don’t really keep tabs on other programs a whole lot. I don’t… that’s just not something I’ve ever done. I don’t really enjoy doing that.” Sanderson’s calmness could make anyone nervous. But being one of his best students, surely David Taylor knows his former coach’s methods? How do you think the drama would unfold should the Cowboys and the Nittany Lions cross path this time around?
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