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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 28, ISSUE 2 104 what he's counting on. "Those are all indicators," Ersland said. "Obviously they don't guarantee final success at the college level, but … anybody who has kids coming in with those cre- dentials and that number of significant wins is going to feel really good about those guys and what their team is going to be in the future." Welch, whose 57-kg (125 pounds) freestyle title came at USA Wrestling University Nationals, is one of two se- niors on this year's roster. Although he admits he was known for much of his life as "just the Welch twins' lit- tle brother" — Chad and Doug both wrestled at Purdue from 2013-2016) — he would love to be remembered as the best wrestler in the family. For proof, look no further than his new social media handle: @THE_Welch_125 (with 'THE' in all caps, of course). And although Luke had never been to NCAA nationals or even won a state tournament in high school, he now has championship momentum propelling him into his senior year, and he can't wait to build on that accomplishment. "It shows that we're doing all the right things and that we're ready to take our step to the next level," Welch said. Said Ersland, "For him, it's got to be a huge confidence booster. There were NCAA All-Americans in his bracket (this summer) that he beat, so those are the same kids we're going to face to get on the podium for an NCAA championship in March." No matter what Welch and fellow senior Jacob Mor- rissey do in their final campaigns, for a young Purdue squad to have the success it plans on this season, first- year wrestlers will undoubtedly have to play a major role. That's just fine with Parriott, who coasted to a UWW Ju- nior Freestyle title at 70-kg (155 pounds) in April by out- scoring his competition 58-6. The dominant performance showed Parriott how much progress he made during his redshirt year at college, and he expects that to translate and continue in his freshman season. "I watched NCAAs this year and a lot of guys my age and a year above, they're All-Americans," Parriott said. "I learned that you don't have to be old to be placed on a podium. You can go right away. You don't have to wait around to be a senior to try to (become an) All-Ameri- can." Purdue has not had an NCAA All-American since 2013, but the Boilermakers are confident that can change with the way their coaching staff is developing the young tal- ent on the roster. Lyon, a true freshman and now a 182-pound Junior Freestyle champion, is soaking up every bit of instruc- tion he can. "When Ersland talks, you listen, and I figured that out Purdue Fourth-year coach Tony Ersland's program is progressing in the rough-and-tumble Big Ten. Recruiting Prowess Inside Ersland's 2016 and '17 classes 23 state titles | 34 All-America honors | 7 national titles UWW Griffin Parriott is one of four national champs on the roster.