Texas, Georgia, and Florida Wrestlers to Watch at Fargo 2026

The South is producing wrestling talent at a rate that rivals the traditional Midwest and East Coast powers, and the 2026 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals may be the year it becomes impossible to ignore. Texas has more than 13,000 rostered wrestlers, Georgia more than 12,000, and Florida adds depth from its own thriving programs. All three states are investing heavily in girls wrestling and freestyle development, and the results are showing up in the ratings. Here is who the data says to watch from the South heading into Fargo 2026.

Georgia has produced the highest-rated wrestler in our entire series. Ariah Mills of Buford carries a 2705 overall rating on a 113-1 record — one loss in her career — with a 2217 freestyle rating and a 1992 Greco-Roman rating. Rocklin Zinkin (2647, 76-3) is not far behind with a 2282 freestyle rating. Those two are in a class of their own nationally. On the boys side, Camden Rugg of Union Grove (2562, 141-9) leads with a 2176 freestyle rating, and Ryder Wilder of Camden County (2531, 58-0) is undefeated. Camden County is a pipeline: Wilder, Hunter Prosen (2317, 120-14), and Brock Weaver (2270, 118-20) all come from the same program. Social Circle contributes Cohen Hargrove (2357, 126-11), James Sievers (2331, 123-15), and Gable Hargrove (2270, 129-15). Ausome Guillermo (2449, 59-9) adds cross-style credentials with a 2013 freestyle and 2075 Greco-Roman rating.

Florida matches Georgia's top-end talent with its own elite pipeline schools. Charlie DeSena of Lake Highland Prep (2557, 61-3) carries a 2227 freestyle rating, and her school sends six wrestlers to this list including Lucas Layne (2425, 71-7), Lucas Boe (2295, 78-16), and Jackson Angelo (2240, 78-19). Jovani Solis of South Dade (2494, 151-6) has the most impressive cross-style profile in the South: a 2341 freestyle rating and a 2274 Greco-Roman rating. His South Dade teammate Willow White (2444, 98-8) leads the girls, and Tyree Graham (2381, 127-14) adds volume. Miami Southridge sends Jovanni Tovar (2505, 81-2) with a 2228 freestyle rating and Ryan Miret (2421, 26-0), who is undefeated. Peter Mocco of Cardinal Gibbons (2314, 17-1) carries the famous Mocco wrestling surname and freestyle and Greco ratings of 2314 and 2185 — both elite.

Texas brings a different kind of depth. Landri Von Gonten of Conroe Woodlands College Park (2511, 65-2) leads the state, and her program sends five wrestlers to this list including Caio Aron (2389, 35-0), who is undefeated. Pasquale Maurici of Austin Westlake (2427, 108-8) leads the boys with 108 wins. The Azle Yancey brothers — Chase (2337, 125-14) and Tyler (2332, 115-10) — have combined for 240 wins between them. Kailin Sebert of Allen Blue (2396, 126-15) is the state's second-highest-rated girls wrestler with a 2002 freestyle rating and 126 wins. Sean Perez of Humble (2397, 107-9) carries a 2008 freestyle rating, and Texas has multiple undefeated wrestlers including Aron, Darien Lewis of Amarillo Palo Duro (2306, 21-0), and Andrew Jurasek of Keller (2269, 28-0).

What stands out about the Southern wrestling landscape is how quickly the infrastructure has matured. Georgia's girls program has produced two of the highest-rated wrestlers in the country (Mills and Zinkin). Florida's prep school and club pipeline — Lake Highland Prep, South Dade, Miami Southridge — rivals anything on the East Coast. Texas has the volume and the geographic spread, from the Metroplex to the Panhandle to El Paso, to send a delegation that covers nearly every weight class. All three states have cross-style athletes (Solis, Mocco, Guillermo, Perez) who can compete in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, which is the profile that tends to produce Fargo medalists.

For the full profiles on any of these wrestlers — including WPR scores, archetype breakdowns, rating trajectories, and complete match histories — click through to their MatMetrics profile. The South is not just growing — it is producing nationally elite talent, and Fargo 2026 will be the stage where it proves it.