With nine of his 10 starters returning from last season, NIU wrestling coach Dave Grant said he wants to put his best team out next season. But with his high-profile list of new recruits, an incoming freshman just may sneak into the lineup.

“You never know until they come in,” Grant said. “You might have an outstanding freshman who wins a wrestle-off and you have to consider starting him.”

As of May 2, the NIU wrestling team has inked 13 recruits for next year’s squad, including five state champions.

Grant gave much of the credit to second-year assistant coach Ryan Ludwig, who Grant said did an outstanding job coordinating the recruiting effort.

“I think our biggest selling point is they can join a top-25 Division-I school on the rise,” Ludwig said. “Also, I think they like the fact that we can put them on a national podium as All-Americans, because we’ve done it before. They can look back as alumni and say they helped establish a tradition-rich program.”

One of the newcomers who has made headlines is Ohio’s Pat McLemore, a two-time state champion. With a career record of 148-13, McLemore is ranked No. 8 in the nation according to Intermatwrestle.com and is projected to wrestle at 141 pounds.

Dakota Greenhaw is another recruit Grant said will be an impact wrestler. Greenhaw was an undefeated Missouri state champion his senior year and a high school All-American ranked No. 12 in the nation by Intermatwrestle.com. With a 100-10 career record, he is projected to compete at 197 pounds.

Joe Clothier is another two-time state champion, after compiling a 130-18 record at Clinton High School in Wisconsin. Clothier told the Janesville Gazette he considered Missouri, William Penn, Augsburg and UW-Whitewater before deciding to sign with NIU.

Rounding out the state champion list is Mike Ryan, a two-time Illinois state champion and Bryan Deutsch, a four-time Indiana freestyle state champion.