It took less than 60 seconds for coaches to start calling Zack Ryder, the #6 overall recruit in the class of 2024. 

“Right at 12 o’clock the phone just rang with texts and phone calls. It was amazing. I wasn’t expecting it to be honest, but I had my phone on me just to make sure.”

It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. A 3X New York state champion, Fargo champion, and now U17 World Team member, Ryder is currently ranked #6 overall in his class and #4 at one of the toughest high school weights in the country - 170 lbs. He will be #3 at 170 when senior Danny Wask comes out after Fargo.

Ryder burst onto the scene as a middle schooler when he won his first New York state title in just 8th grade at 126 lbs. A product of KD Training Center, Ryder’s trajectory has only continued to climb. In April he defeated the likes of Gabe Arnold, Connor Mirasola, Aeoden Sinclair, and others to make the U17 World Team at 80 kgs. He will represent Team USA in Rome on Friday, July 29 live on FloWrestling.

Watch the full interview above to hear Ryder discuss things such as what he’s looking for in a college, what he’s learned so far during the recruiting process, and advice to those who will go through it after him.