Jax Forrest: From High School to an NCAA Title as a True Freshman

Jax Forrest's move to Oklahoma State, undefeated 2026 NCAA title season, and what coaches can learn from his early enrollment and wrestling background.

By Eric Lundgren · 2026-11-10T22:25:19.918Z · 5 min read

Jax Forrest left high school during his senior year, joined Oklahoma State for the spring semester, and won an NCAA title within months.

He finished his freshman season undefeated. He beat Ohio State's Ben Davino 5–2 in the 133-pound national final, adding a college championship to an already accomplished wrestling background. Oklahoma State's official biography.

The story is a striking example of readiness meeting opportunity, rather than a timetable every young wrestler should follow.

TL;DR

Jax Forrest moved from Bishop McCort in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, to Oklahoma State during the second semester of his senior year.
His freshman dual results included a 19–3 technical fall over Drake Ayala, a two-time NCAA runner-up.
He finished undefeated and won the 133-pound NCAA title in Cleveland, beating Ohio State's Ben Davino 5–2 in the final.
Oklahoma State says Forrest and teammate Sergio Vega became the first undefeated true freshman national champions since 1947.
Early enrollment worked for an athlete who was already ready for elite competition. It is not a universal recruiting or development prescription.

How the early enrollment worked

A mid-year jump from high school to college wrestling is rare. In general terms, it works like this:

The wrestler meets high school graduation requirements ahead of the usual schedule
The college program brings the wrestler in for the spring semester instead of the following fall
The wrestler moves into a college training environment earlier, with admission and eligibility handled through the institution.

The trade-off is significant. The wrestler gives up the comfort of finishing senior year with friends and a known team. In exchange, they get a head start in a college training environment — in Forrest's case, David Taylor's room in Stillwater.

His championship season shows what followed that transition; the decision still depended on his individual readiness.

The Drake Ayala tech-fall

The Ayala match is the inflection point of the story.

Oklahoma State's biography records a 47-second fall over Oklahoma's Carter Schmidt in Forrest's college debut and a 19–3 technical fall over Iowa's Drake Ayala later in his freshman dual season. Those are separate milestones, rather than results that all occurred in his first month.

The Ayala result showed Forrest could beat an established college contender.

He followed those dual results with an undefeated run through the national championships.

The NCAA title run

Forrest entered the NCAA Championships unbeaten, as Oklahoma State's pre-tournament report records. His 5–2 win over Ben Davino secured the 133-pound title and completed an undefeated freshman season. The university's finals recap and season biography both confirm that outcome.

Teammate Sergio Vega also finished as an undefeated true freshman champion. The university describes the pair as the first undefeated true freshman national champions since 1947.

What this means for recruiting

Forrest's experience gives coaches a concrete example of early enrollment succeeding. It does not prove that the same plan is right for every recruit.

An athlete and family considering that route need to weigh academic readiness, the college training environment, eligibility, and the athlete's own goals. The coaching staff's ability to support the transition matters alongside talent.

The Bishop McCort connection

Forrest and Bo Bassett both attended Bishop McCort in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Their 2026 paths were different: Forrest, a 2025 Senior World Team member, competed for Oklahoma State in the spring and lost the 61 kg Final X series to Marcus Blaze in June; Bassett entered Virginia Tech and made his first U.S. Senior World Team in September.

Bassett's path is covered in our wrestling style profile. Neither athlete's outcome should be treated as a required timeline for a developing wrestler.

What this teaches every wrestler

The useful lesson is preparation. Forrest's rapid college success followed an extensive competitive background, rather than beginning with his enrollment date.

For a coach, evaluate what an athlete is ready to learn and compete against. For an athlete, choose a training environment that supports growth without assuming the fastest possible timeline is automatically the best one.

Where to learn from him directly

Forrest's Slide-Bys and Fireman's Carry on Athletes Ocean covers slide-bys, shucks, throw-bys, fireman's carries, and setups.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Jax Forrest?

Jax Forrest is Oklahoma State's 2026 NCAA champion at 133 pounds. He moved to college during the second semester of his high school senior year and finished his freshman college season undefeated.

How did Jax Forrest skip a semester of high school?

Oklahoma State's biography describes him making the jump during the second semester of his senior year. Early enrollment depends on academic, admission, and eligibility requirements specific to the athlete and institution.

What weight class did Jax Forrest win at?

133 pounds. He beat Ohio State's Ben Davino 5–2 in the final in Cleveland.

Who is Drake Ayala?

Drake Ayala was a two-time NCAA runner-up for Iowa (2024 and 2025) and joined Iowa State's coaching staff in May 2026. Forrest beat him by a 19–3 technical fall during the 2025–26 college season.

Is early enrollment common in college wrestling?

Forrest's midyear transition stands out. Athletes considering a similar route should ask their school and college program about academic and eligibility requirements.

Did Bo Bassett do the same thing?

No. Bassett entered Virginia Tech for the fall season and earned the Senior World Team place at 65 kg in September 2026.

Eric Lundgren writes about wrestling, grappling, and the systems behind elite-level technique.

Explore the Athletes Ocean library to find instructionals for your training goals.