Elyria junior Nate Burnett commits to Clarion University, the school where his father wrestled

Just months after his father, Erik Burnett, was inducted into the Clarion University Hall of Fame, Elyria junior Nate Burnett orally committed to continue his wrestling career at the Pennsylvania school. "My dad went there and that school did a lot for him," Nate said. "I already know, I have somebody built-in telling me that this is a good place, somebody reliable, so I'm just excited to carry on the legacy there and hopefully do some big stuff." Stuff like Erik did during a stellar collegiate career that culminated in a podium finish — and All-America status — at the NCAA Tournament during his senior year. Erik's career stats — 219 takedowns (third all-time at the school), 198 dual meet points (11th) and 47 dual meet victories (12th) — have all become benchmarks for Nate. "I'll pass him up in everything … that's the goal," Nate said with a laugh. The Pioneers coach is pleased professionally and personally with the decision. "That was just thrilling for me, a little bit selfishly as his father and going to Clarion, but I just felt like, 'Wow, it's cool that he felt the same way about that place that I do,'" Erik said. "I just love being there. I tried to be careful not to impart that on Nate. I didn't want to be like, 'Isn't this place great?' For him to see that for himself was really cool." Nate made his decision without taking an official visit to any school due to recruiting restrictions placed upon NCAA coaches during the coronavirus pandemic. "We were in quarantine when I was allowed to be officially recruited," Nate said. "It's different times. I have a little bit of experience with (the recruiting process) because of (older brother) Mick, so I kind of know a little bit about it, but this is not the same." The decision was cemented during a family trip last week. "(Nate's mother) Janet had a few days off last week, so we decided to visit Lake Erie College and then we left from there and drove to Clarion," Erik said. "We got into town and we couldn't do anything. The coaches couldn't meet with us because Division I can't do any recruiting on campus right now. So I just told Nate, 'Hey, man, we'll just walk around.' "I still know, even though it's been a thousand years since I've been there, some of the buildings and what kind of classes they offer, I know the student union and the gym has been refurbished, even though we couldn't get in." The Burnetts stayed downtown, spent time walking around town and went to nearby Cook Forest State Park and did some canoeing. "It just seemed to me like he seemed really happy," Erik said. "We didn't talk about it a whole lot before, but he shared with me when we left Clarion that this is the place that has been at the top of his list for awhile." "I've been there multiple times since I was a kid so I already knew a lot about the place," Nate said. "I've always liked the place. I think me and my dad are a lot alike in what we want out of a school, so going there I knew already how I wanted my college to be — smaller classrooms and things like that — and what I needed was a little different from my brother." The Burnetts stopped at Pitt to visit with Mick, who is beginning his freshman year, and then returned home, and Erik immediately contacted the Clarion wrestling coaches and set up a Zoom meeting. "I saw a video of what the place is like on the Zoom call and I just pretty much had my mind made up that this is where I wanted to spend my college years," Nate said. "The culture's good, it's good people, the whole town is into wrestling there so I think that was a big part of (my decision)." Beside Lake Erie College, Nate's blossoming recruitment list also included George Mason in Virginia and West Point, the U.S. Army academy in New York. "I didn't get into it as deep as Mick, so I didn't build as many deep relationships," Nate said. "There were a couple places that I had to make a couple of tough phone calls because I did talk to them quite a bit. That wasn't easy, but it all worked out." Nate placed fifth during his freshman season at Elyria and was a legitimate state title contender last year when the Division I state wrestling tournament was canceled due to the pandemic. He now has two high school seasons remaining that will be unbothered by recruitment worry. "I saw a place, I knew about a place that I really liked and I guarantee that even after a bunch of visits that it would have been the place that I wanted to go … so why wait?" he said.