Pitt Wrestling Signs Elite Recruit Anthony Santaniello
5/25/2023 12:00:00 PM | Wrestling
PITTSBURGH—On the 25th, Santa arrived in Pittsburgh as the Pitt wrestling program received a wonderful present with a signed National Letter of Intent (NLI) from top recruit Anthony Santaniello.
Santaniello, brother of current Pitt redshirt freshman Vinnie Santaniello, committed to Pitt this week after previously signing with Oklahoma before reconsidering after the Sooners made a coaching change.
Anthony signs with Keith Gavin's program as a two-time New Jersey state champion and four-time state finalist. In March, Santaniello was named NJSIAA Most Outstanding Wrestler after his dominant performance in winning the 132-pound state title; he also won New Jersey's 120-pound title in 2021.
The younger Santaniello is ranked as a consensus top-50 recruit and one of the top wrestlers in his weight class nationally and projects as Pitt's possible successor to Cole Matthews at 141 pounds.
Santaniello joins three other future Panthers in the Class of 2023 who have signed NLIs with Pitt during this recruiting cycle, including two-time Pennsylvania state champions Dylan Evans and Grant MacKay and two-time PIAA medalist Tyler Chappell.
For Gavin's team, it marks another stellar recruiting class after Dayton Pitzer and Mac Stout headlined Pitt wrestling's signees in 2022. The Panthers also added brothers Holden Heller and Reece Heller as transfers ahead of last season. All four of those 2022 additions are expected to be starters in 2023-24.
Pitt is coming off another season of achievement under Coach Gavin, who is entering his seventh season at his alma mater.
In 2022-23, the Panthers recorded a third straight top-25 finish at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, highlighted by Nino Bonaccorsi becoming the program's 17th national champion.
Bonaccorsi and Matthews repeated as ACC champions as well and led Pitt to the ACC dual title, the program's first team conference championship since 2013-14.
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Santaniello, brother of current Pitt redshirt freshman Vinnie Santaniello, committed to Pitt this week after previously signing with Oklahoma before reconsidering after the Sooners made a coaching change.
Anthony signs with Keith Gavin's program as a two-time New Jersey state champion and four-time state finalist. In March, Santaniello was named NJSIAA Most Outstanding Wrestler after his dominant performance in winning the 132-pound state title; he also won New Jersey's 120-pound title in 2021.
The younger Santaniello is ranked as a consensus top-50 recruit and one of the top wrestlers in his weight class nationally and projects as Pitt's possible successor to Cole Matthews at 141 pounds.
Santaniello joins three other future Panthers in the Class of 2023 who have signed NLIs with Pitt during this recruiting cycle, including two-time Pennsylvania state champions Dylan Evans and Grant MacKay and two-time PIAA medalist Tyler Chappell.
For Gavin's team, it marks another stellar recruiting class after Dayton Pitzer and Mac Stout headlined Pitt wrestling's signees in 2022. The Panthers also added brothers Holden Heller and Reece Heller as transfers ahead of last season. All four of those 2022 additions are expected to be starters in 2023-24.
Pitt is coming off another season of achievement under Coach Gavin, who is entering his seventh season at his alma mater.
In 2022-23, the Panthers recorded a third straight top-25 finish at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, highlighted by Nino Bonaccorsi becoming the program's 17th national champion.
Bonaccorsi and Matthews repeated as ACC champions as well and led Pitt to the ACC dual title, the program's first team conference championship since 2013-14.
#pinzburgh | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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