A roster shakeup for UB wrestling is underway.
The team’s top competitor from last season, Giuseppe Hoose, was the first wrestler to transfer out. Another eight wrestlers remain in the transfer portal, according to FloWrestling.
Hoose finished last season with a 21-9 record. The 184-pounder was the only Bull to reach the NCAA Tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Hoose announced on social media April 19 that he will be transferring to North Dakota State University (NDSU) for the rest of his eligibility.
The move is a big jump for Hoose. NDSU — a member of the Big 12 Conference for wrestling — competes against powerhouses such as Oklahoma State, Missouri and Iowa State.
This past season, the NDSU Bisons finished 24th out of 67 teams at the NCAA Championships and produced two All-Americans.
Hoose is no stranger to NDSU. The past two seasons UB has wrestled NDSU in dual meets, with Hoose going 1-1. This past season he faced off against the current 184-pound starter for NDSU, sophomore DJ Parker. Hoose defeated Parker 12-8 in that matchup.
Parker also made it to the NCAA Championships this past season. He finished 0-2 while Hoose finished 1-2.
Hoose also wrestled at the 174-pound weight class in previous years at UB. NDSU had no NCAA qualifiers in that weight class, so Hoose could potentially fill that gap.
The other eight Bulls who entered the portal are redshirt freshman 125-pounder Mason Bush, freshman 197-pounder Braydon Vandenberg, sophomore 141-pounder Jack Marlow, redshirt sophomore 149-pounder Matt Ryan, freshman 125-pounder Patrick Adams, redshirt freshman 197-pounder Eli Sheeren, redshirt freshman 133-pounder Cole Minnick and redshirt freshman 133-pounder Jake Eckerle.
The sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
