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Oklahoma State University head coach David Taylor will be coaching two of the most exciting wrestling prospects in the nation in Jordyn and Jayden Raney. The twin brothers are the No. 5 and No. 6 recruits in the Class of 2026. The Raney brothers will be joining several other top prospects at Oklahoma, including Jax Forrest and Dreshaun Ross, who are the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked prospects in the nation.
David Taylor, who has been head coach of the Oklahoma State Wrestling team since 2024, led the team to a third-place finish at the 2025 NCAA Championships. He has also produced two individual champions in Wyatt Hendrickson and Dean Hamiti Jr.. Before kick-starting his coaching career, Taylor was regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the nation. He has an Olympic gold medal to his name as well as three World Championship titles.
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David Taylor will be coaching Jordyn and Jayden Raney, who picked OSU out of a top five of Oklahoma State, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio State, and Nebraska. The brothers have won a total of nine Kentucky high school state titles combined, making their addition to Taylor's squad an impressive one. The Raneys also expressed their excitement about joining the university, and even texted Forrest about how they would fit into the team.
David Taylor discusses the mental and physical factors that go into wrestling
Oklahoma head coach David Taylor recently expressed his thoughts on how much mental and physical factors influence wrestling. Taylor, who is one of the most accomplished wrestlers from the United States, coached the Cowboys to a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2025 and also brought home two individual titles with the help of Wyatt Hendrickson and Dean Hamiti.
In an interview with Flo Wrestling on the eve of the NCAA tournament, Taylor was asked how much the physical and mental factors affect a wrestling match, to which he replied (0:25 onwards):
"I think it's a combination of both. When we talk, we lay out a plan for the guys and it's going backwards from the National Tournament you know, everything up into that is preparation. Every step along the way you want to wrestle, but you're never going to feel your best till the National Tournament.
"With that being said I don't know that anyone necessarily feels their best at the National Tournament, but I think that's where the belief kind of element comes in just believing that you're ready to go."
David Taylor will look to build upon his team's performances in his first year in charge, and with the top prospects he's already recruited to the university, few would doubt that he can bring home a national title for Oklahoma.
