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David Taylor Lands Impressive Recruiting Class for Oklahoma State

The Cowboys' wrestling program has received commitments from some of the nation's best.

Taylor Skieens

Oklahoma State head wrestling coach David Taylor is introduced in the first half of the college football between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys and the Utah Utes at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Sept., 21, 2024.
Oklahoma State head wrestling coach David Taylor is introduced in the first half of the college football between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys and the Utah Utes at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Sept., 21, 2024. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There is reason they call Oklahoma State wrestling head coach David Taylor ‘The Magic Man’.  He earned the nickname from a career of dominating the mat as a collegiate and professional wrestler.  Taylor’s career speaks for itself and following his official retirement from the sport, he showed just how magical he could be on the college recruiting trail.

Taylor was coming off of a bronze medal at the 2024 World Championships and quickly made his mark on the sport of collegiate wrestling.  With only a few months to recruit his next batch of wrestlers, Taylor put together one of the best potential recruiting classes at Oklahoma State.

The Cowboys have landed seven wrestlers ranked in the top 100 and three wrestlers who are ranked in the top 10.  Throw in some monster names from around the state, as well as the son of an Oklahoma State legend, and the Cowboys wrestling program could be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come.

Let’s take a look at some of the massive signings made by the Oklahoma State Wrestling program.

Sergio Vega- Sunnyside HS

Sergio Vega is by far the biggest Cowboy commitment of the 2025 wrestling class.  He took notice of what Taylor was doing at Oklahoma State and flipped his commitment from Cornell to O-State.  Vega has won three straight Arizona state wrestling championships and closed out the year with a NHSCA national championship.  Vega is the fourth member of the Class of 2025 that Oklahoma State coach David Taylor has flipped this year.

Dee Lockett- Stillwater HS

Dee Lockett is currently listed as the sixth-ranked wrestling prospect in the nation.  He closed out his junior year as the second-ranked wrestler in the nation and entered his senior season as the No. 1 wrestler at 165 pounds.  He has Division I offers from all the major wrestling programs, and many felt Arizona State was the early front-runner.  Lockett spent his early career training at the Cowboys wrestling center, and in the end, he went with the David Taylor and the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Landon Robideau- St. Michael-Albertville HS

Landon Robideau was originally committed to the University of Minnesota but flipped his commitment in January to Oklahoma State.  He is a three-time Minnesota state champion and the No. 1 wrestler in the country at 150 pounds.  Robideau is currently the 19th-ranked recruit in the class of 2025.

Ishmael Guerrero- Stillwater HS

Ishmael Guerrero, the son of former Cowboy wrestling legend Eric Guerrero, recently announced his commitment to Oklahoma State.  Guerrero is ranked in the top 20 in his weight class and fell in the class 6A State finals last year when he met up with Dee Lockett.  In a recent social media post Guerrero said this, “I can’t be anything other than grateful. Thank you to God, my family and coaches. This dynasty can’t die. Loyal and true.”

Eric won three individual National Championships at Oklahoma State (’97, ’98, ’99).  He also represented the United States in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.

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Taylor Skieens
TAYLOR SKIEENS

Taylor Skieens has been an avid sports journalist with the McCurtain Gazette in Idabel, Oklahoma for seven years. He holds the title of Sports Editor for one of the oldest remaining print publications in the state of Oklahoma. Taylor grew up in the small lumber town of Wright City Oklahoma where he played baseball and basketball for the Lumberjax.

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