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Indiana native Jesse Mendez came into college with high expectations. As the No. 1 recruit in the country, Mendez had proven himself on the high school scene, and he had the potential to make a serious contribution as a rookie at Ohio State.

Mendez had no reservations about this new challenge. He was ready. 

Joining the lineup as a true freshman at 133 pounds, Mendez raced his way to a sixth-place finish at the national tournament, posting a 19-9 overall record for the season. 

𝓋𝑒𝒾𝓃𝓈 = 𝒾𝒸𝓎🥶

Jesse Mendez, All-American.

— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks)

Mendez recognizes that not all standout high school athletes can translate their success to the next level. The stories of top-tier recruits struggling to find their way in Division I wrestling are plentiful, but Mendez was not going to become one of those stories. 

“I live a really healthy lifestyle,” Mendez said, acknowledging that the freedom of college can sometimes lead others to make choices that don’t align with their wrestling goals. “I’m hungry to learn, and I’m always getting in extra workouts.”  

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Mendez is one of four athletes who earned All-American honors as a true freshman and is returning this year for a sophomore season — an elite club. He’s joined by Caleb Henson of Virginia Tech and Levi Haines of Penn State, as well as CJ Composto of Penn, who earned All-American honors as a true freshman in 2022 before taking a gap year. 

The All-American honor is already significant, but Mendez and his peers have their eyes on the next step: they want to win a national championship. 

Translating world-level success to college goals with the help of teammate mentors

The confidence to chase such big goals for Mendez naturally comes from his previous accomplishments, both on the college level and on the world stage. His recent silver medal at the U20 World Championships specifically gave Mendez even more self-belief as he gears up for another successful college season. 

But Mendez said the bigger factor in inspiring him to chase big goals is his teammates, specifically two-time ��ݮ��վ���߿� finalist Sammy Sasso. 

booom . straight from the hospital to practice. love these guys.

— sasso chamberlain (@sammysasso)

“You see him come into the room, and he’s never dropping or dragging his shoes,” Mendez said. “He wants to be there every day, he wants to bring it.” 

While Sasso is not expected to compete for the Bucks this year after suffering a gunshot wound to the stomach, his leadership and his impact on the team is still felt in the wrestling room by the young athletes like Mendez who will be looking to emulate the Ohio State legend. 

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“Over this last summer, I’ve stepped up as a leader and that comes from a lot of what Sasso has told me and taught me,” Mendez said. “I look to him as a mentor.” 

Mendez will wrestle up a weight class this year, at 141 pounds, as he looks to add more hardware to his collection. He’s joining a deep weight, particularly in the Big Ten, as he’ll now compete against 2023 ��ݮ��վ���߿� finalist Real Woods and third-place finisher Beau Bartlett during the regular season as well as potentially in the Big Ten tournament and at the national tournament, meetings that Mendez is particularly excited about this year. 

Also at 141 pounds is Penn’s Composto, the second of four returning athletes who earned All-American honors as a true freshman. Composto, like Mendez, is looking to build on his All-American finish, and, like his Buckeye peer, he’s chasing this goal alongside teammates and mentors who want to compete and help elevate their program. 

A holistic approach to wrestling improvement and personal development

Composto’s in a unique situation, as he spent the last season training with the Penn Regional Training Center, one of the most developed RTCs in the country and a team that boasts a roster of athletes that include Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs and ��ݮ��վ���߿� finalist Joey McKenna. Working with the RTC allowed Composto the time he needed to develop on the mat while giving back to the Philly community through service with Beat the Streets Philadelphia. 

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The experience, Composto said, has given him a new perspective on wrestling, leadership and his goals for the upcoming season. 

“My mindset heading into this season [is] really just trying to make it simple and using wrestling to enhance all of the other aspects of my life,” Composto said. “If you get good results on the mat but you’re becoming a worse person because of it, you’re not going to be able to enjoy those good results. I’m really just trying to use wrestling as a way to make me a better person and just someone that people like to be around.”

Composto’s humble, but his results speak for themselves. The Penn All-American finished eighth in 2022 after beating Olympian and now 2023 senior world champion Stevan Micic in his Blood Round match, and he also has a career win over 2023 ��ݮ��վ���߿� champion Andrew Alirez, who will be taking an Olympic redshirt this season. 

Composto comes into the season ranked No. 7, one spot below Mendez, but he’s less focused on the ranking or the end result. 

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For Composto, as cliche as it sounds, it’s about the process. He’s coaching himself, and his younger teammates, to break down goals into smaller, controllable elements of the journey. 

“If you are A+ with your training, if you’re A+ with your recovery, A+ with your lifestyle, you’re going to notice that doing that alone is going to make your life way better than if you did miserable in all of those things but then got the result of All-American or national champion,” Composto said. “Focusing on what you can control is ultimately going to bring you more joy than the result, which you can’t necessarily control.” 

Young talent is widespread across the country

In addition to Mendez and Composto, the other two returning athletes who earned All-American honors as true freshmen are also both in contention for more accolades and national titles. In fact, Penn State’s Levi Haines comes into the year ranked No. 1 at 157 pounds after racing to the national finals as a true freshman, while Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson is also in the mix at 149 pounds and ranked No. 4 following his fifth-place performance last year. 

Such success can bring added pressure, but Henson, in an interview with , said he’s not bothered by this added expectation. 

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— USA Wrestling (@USAWrestling)

"Pressure makes diamonds," Henson said. "I embrace it... Having that pressure and those expectations, it's something I already have for myself."

Henson’s season will start with a bang on Nov. 10 when the Hokies take on Ohio State in a dual where Henson could meet All-American Dylan D’Emilio at 149 pounds in his first match of the season. Mendez will also be expected to wrestle in this match, potentially against another young athlete in freshman Mac Church. 

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The Virginia Tech-Ohio State dual served as a breakout moment for Henson last year when he beat Ohio State ��ݮ��վ���߿� finalist Sammy Sasso in sudden victory, putting his name on the radar as someone to watch at the weight. The dual did not go as well for Mendez last year, as he lost to Virginia Tech’s Sam Latona, a wrestler Mendez then beat at the ��ݮ��վ���߿� tournament and someone Mendez said he has particular respect for and enjoys competing against because of the “war”-like quality of their matches.

Talking about this dual with Mendez in particular brought out a contagious confidence and energy in the young Buckeye. His enthusiasm, fierceness, self-belief and intensity thus promoted a natural question as he heads into his second season with a full slate of high-profile duals and national tournaments: Does anything scare him? 

“On the wrestling mat, no,” Mendez said. 

This mentality is what helped turn him into a freshman All-American, and it’s the mindset that he’ll use on his quest for a national title this year. 

As the calendar turns to November, pay special attention to Mendez and his three peers —  Composto, Haines and Henson — who will all be looking to make even bigger jumps in the season following their first season back after earning All-American honors as true freshman.