Ohio State then-redshirt sophomore Gavin Hoffman ties up with Rutgers then-sophomore Billy Janzer during the Ohio State-Rutgers match on Jan. 24, 2021. Ohio State won 19-14. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
When a wrestler shakes their opponent’s hand, puts their foot on the line and the referee blows the whistle, the pressure is on.
As a three-time Pennsylvania state champion and heralded recruit, Gavin Hoffman felt that pressure as soon as he arrived in Columbus. For four years, Hoffman felt that pressure every time he put on a scarlet and gray singlet — until recently.
Hoffman entered the 2022 NCAA tournament as the No. 21 seed in the 197-pound weight class. He then went on to upset the No. 5, 12 and 15 seeds on his way to finishing sixth in the bracket March 17-19.
Just like that, the pressure went away.
“I wouldn’t call it a sigh of relief because I always knew I was capable of this, but this does solidify on paper that I belong,” Hoffman said. “In my head, I always believed I was a top guy, but now that I made the NCAA semis, it’s a good feeling that I’m a threat to be a contender next year.”
However, that feeling and sense of belonging did not come easy for Hoffman. There were times just last year when he said he felt like quitting wrestling and going back home, which made the feeling of being an All-American that much sweeter after he advanced to the semifinals of the tournament.
“Ending last year with a losing record of 5-7 and not qualifying for the NCAA Tournament put me in a really dark place,” Hoffman said. “I just wanted to quit a lot. I thought I wasn’t meant for college wrestling. Calling my parents a lot telling them that I think this is it for me. I don’t know if I want to go through it, but looking back, all those hardships really made me the man I am today.”
His parents never let him quit, the Ohio State coaching staff never stopped believing in him and his teammates never stopped pushing him.
Hoffman said one teammate in particular, redshirt junior Sammy Sasso, always told him that it was going to click — and it finally did in Detroit.
“It was really just my family telling me, ‘You’re too good to quit. You’re too great at this sport to give it up,’ and my coaches never stopped believing in me,” Hoffman said. “I owe Sammy so much credit. Living together for four years and he’s had hundreds of talks with me, that just set my mind straight and allowed me to keep going.”
Even though Sasso had his own matches to worry about in Detroit, he said he still took some time to enjoy what his roommate and teammate had accomplished once Hoffman advanced into the semifinals.
“Oh man, it’s awesome. It’s hard to put into words because I’ve been living with Hoffman since I got here at Ohio State. That’s my dude,” Sasso said. “I know how he works day in and day out. He earned that. It doesn’t just happen, he earned that.”
As a fellow Pennsylvania native, Sasso has known Hoffman since they were kids and said he always knew he had the talent in him.
When it all came together and Hoffman earned All-American status, Sasso said it made him even more proud.
“He’s always had that ability, and it was just a matter of time when it was going to pour out, and it happened at the right time,” Sasso said. “He’s kept putting in the work and it paid off. I’m so proud of him.”
Much like Sasso, head coach Tom Ryan has known Hoffman dating back to his high school days and said he always had this kind of potential in him. That is why he never stopped believing in him through the ups and downs of last season.
“You just keep believing in him. Obviously his belief in himself matters more than our belief in him, but when you do things right all the time he’s easy to believe in,” Ryan said. “Belief to me takes some facts behind it. It’s hard to believe someone is going to progress when they are late for practice, they’re tired and not doing extra work. That’s not an easy thing to believe in. Gavin does things right so it was constantly believing in him.”
While the coaching staff never stopped believing in Hoffman, they did see his confidence fade during his first few years in the lineup at Ohio State. But that all changed this season, and that boost in confidence is what Ryan credits for Hoffman advancing all the way to the NCAA semifinals.
“His belief in himself has wandered a bit during his time here. When you start to lose close matches, you start to second-guess yourself, and it was really nice to see him come out of that,” Ryan said. “I think that gave him a lot of confidence; the confidence he needed to find the way to fight into a semifinal bout.”
With his confidence back to where it needs to be, Hoffman has one goal in mind for the NCAA tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma, next March.
“In my mind, I always knew that I was right up there, that I could be the No. 1 guy,” Hoffman said. “Going into next season, that’s the goal. I’m going to work all offseason to give myself the best chance to end up on top of the podium in March in Tulsa.”
