CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• 2025 NCAA Runner-Up (157 lbs.)
• 62nd All-American in program history
• Purdue’s youngest NCAA finalist since at least 1950
• 2025 Big Ten bronze medalist
• Two-time NCAA qualifier (2024, 2025)
• Two-time Big Ten placewinner (sixth in 2024, third in 2025)
• Holds a 20-0 collegiate record in bonus point matches entering 2025-26
• Overall record of 41-18 (.695) entering 2025-26
• Two-time NWCA Scholar All-American (2024, 2025)
• 2025 Academic All-Big Ten
• Team award winner: Outstanding Wrestler (2025), Freshman of the Year (2024), Most Dedicated (2024)
2024-25 / AS A SOPHOMORE
• Stats
• Finished as NCAA Runner-Up (157 lbs.) in his breakout season, Purdue’s youngest national finalist since at least 1950 (Charles Moreno)
• Became Purdue’s 62nd All-American and the school’s first true sophomore All-American since 1995 (Frank Laccone)
• Key contributor to Purdue’s best finish (13th/66) at the NCAA Championships since 1992
• Won the bronze medal at Big Ten Championships, Purdue’s first true sophomore to finish top-three in the conference since 2004 (Doug Withstandley)
• Led the team in Big Ten wins (13), top-10 wins (5), decisions (13), overtime wins (3), third-period points (82), overtime points (7) and riding time points (14)
• Defeated consensus No. 1 and top-seeded Tyler Kasak (Penn State) for a massive upset in the NCAA quarterfinals, a 5-4 decision
• His win was Purdue’s first over a No. 1 seed since Matt Ramos famously pinned three-time national champion Spencer Lee in the 2023 NCAA semifinals
• Recorded 14 ranked wins over then-No. 1, No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, No. 8, No. 16, No. 17, No. 19, No. 24, No. 25, No. 28, No. 30 and No. 31 (twice), highlighted by victories over top-ranked Kasak and the eventual NCAA champion, Antrell Taylor (Nebraska)
• Was the lowest-seeded NCAA finalist (No. 8) and one of just two finalists outside the top four seeds
• Purdue's first true sophomore seeded in the top 10 at NCAAs since 1992 (Larock Benford, No. 8, HWT)
• Posted an 11-0 record in bonus point matches
• Surrendered a team-low 2.7 opponent points per match
• Forced a team-best 30 opponent stall warnings and scored a team-high 12 penalty points
• Finished second on the team behind Ramos in wins (24), ranked wins (14), Big Ten dual wins (5) and point differential (+167)
• Took sixth place at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite, Purdue’s first true sophomore to climb the podium in Vegas since Gerrit Nijenhuis in 2021
• Placed second at the Tiger Style Invite
• Picked up his first top-10 win of the season over No. 5 Peyten Kellar (Ohio), shutting him out 2-0 in an upset at CKLV
• Registered a 57-8 takedown ratio
• Outscored opponents 247-80
• Began the season ranked No. 18 by InterMat and finished No. 4 in the final coaches’ rankings
• Recorded seven takedowns against Kevin Schork in the dual vs. Maryland, the most by a Boilermaker in a single match since Feb. 5, 2023
• Matched the highest point total (21) by a Boilermaker all season in his match against Schork
• Earned NWCA Scholar All-American status for the second time
• Named Academic All-Big Ten as part of a program record tally of 15 Boilermakers to receive the honor in 2025
• Won the Purdue Athletics Golden Pete Award for Male Groundbreaking Performance
• Won Purdue's Outstanding Wrestler award at the team awards banquet
2023-24 / AS A FRESHMAN
• Stats
• Racked up a 17-12 record in his true freshman season, earning nine bonus point wins without surrendering one himself. He also won six matches against ranked opposition
• Earned an auto-bid to the NCAA Championships as the No. 23 seed, the fourth highest ever for a Purdue true freshman. Went 0-2 with both matches going to overtime
• In qualifying alongside teammate Greyson Clark, the duo became only the third pair of true freshmen Boilermakers to make the NCAA tournament. Previously happened in 2021 and 1947. The duo were 2-of-9 Big Ten true freshman to qualify for the national tournament
• Took sixth place in his first Big Ten tournament appearance. He is just the 16th Boilermaker true freshman to earn a spot on the conference podium
• Made a big splash early by knocking off No. 5 Ed Scott of N.C. State in sudden victory in just his second collegiate competition. He was the first unranked Boiler to beat a top-5 opponent since Griffin Parriott in 2018
• Also the first true freshman under Ersland to earn three top-five upsets, pinning Nebraska’s No. 3 Peyton Robb and receiving a victory via injury default over Minnesota’s No. 4 Michael Blockhus
• Finished the regular season tied for the most dual wins of any true freshman in the Big Ten with nine
• Led the team in a number of categories by the end of the year including non-conference dual wins (6), tech falls (4), overtime wins (3), and overtime points (10)
• Ranked as high as No. 15 by Intermat
• Earned two Purdue Wrestling team awards as he was named Freshman of the Year and Most Dedicated
• Named an NWCA Scholar All-American
HIGH SCHOOL
• Three-time Ohio state champion, claiming titles in 2021 (138), 2022 (145) and 2023 (165)
• Led Perrysburg High School to second-place team finishes at the 2022 and 2023 Ohio high school state championships
• Named the 2023 OHSWCA Wrestler of the Year
• Ohio's winner for the 2023 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award
• Took first place at the 2022 Super 32, downing the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds with third period comebacks
• Placed second at the 2022 USA Wrestling Central Regional Freestyle Championships, medically forfeiting in the finals
• Won the OHSAA D1 District championship each of the last three seasons
• Claimed first at the OHSAA D1 Sectional tournament four years in a row
• Placed eighth at the 2021 Super 32
• Varsity Record: 184-7 (Perrysburg record)
NATIONAL RANKINGS
• Finished as the No. 15 pound-for-pound wrestler in the country via MatScouts
• Ranked as the No. 17 overall recruit by MatScouts
• The No. 1 recruit in his weight class according to both MatScouts and FloWrestling
• Tabbed No. 18 in the class on FloWrestling’s Big Board
• Named the best prospect in the class from Ohio by MatScouts and FloWrestling
PERSONAL
• Burnett Trained Wrestling Club
• Major: Selling & Sales Management
• Birthday: June 5, 2005
• Hometown: Perrysburg, Ohio
• Parents: Joseph and Addie Blaze
• Siblings: Brother – Marcus, Sister – Payton
• Instagram: @_joey_blaze_
• X/Twitter: @joeyblaze18
• Manages his own apparel brand, Blaze Apparel
• 2025 NCAA Runner-Up (157 lbs.)
• 62nd All-American in program history
• Purdue’s youngest NCAA finalist since at least 1950
• 2025 Big Ten bronze medalist
• Two-time NCAA qualifier (2024, 2025)
• Two-time Big Ten placewinner (sixth in 2024, third in 2025)
• Holds a 20-0 collegiate record in bonus point matches entering 2025-26
• Overall record of 41-18 (.695) entering 2025-26
• Two-time NWCA Scholar All-American (2024, 2025)
• 2025 Academic All-Big Ten
• Team award winner: Outstanding Wrestler (2025), Freshman of the Year (2024), Most Dedicated (2024)
2024-25 / AS A SOPHOMORE
• Stats
• Finished as NCAA Runner-Up (157 lbs.) in his breakout season, Purdue’s youngest national finalist since at least 1950 (Charles Moreno)
• Became Purdue’s 62nd All-American and the school’s first true sophomore All-American since 1995 (Frank Laccone)
• Key contributor to Purdue’s best finish (13th/66) at the NCAA Championships since 1992
• Won the bronze medal at Big Ten Championships, Purdue’s first true sophomore to finish top-three in the conference since 2004 (Doug Withstandley)
• Led the team in Big Ten wins (13), top-10 wins (5), decisions (13), overtime wins (3), third-period points (82), overtime points (7) and riding time points (14)
• Defeated consensus No. 1 and top-seeded Tyler Kasak (Penn State) for a massive upset in the NCAA quarterfinals, a 5-4 decision
• His win was Purdue’s first over a No. 1 seed since Matt Ramos famously pinned three-time national champion Spencer Lee in the 2023 NCAA semifinals
• Recorded 14 ranked wins over then-No. 1, No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, No. 8, No. 16, No. 17, No. 19, No. 24, No. 25, No. 28, No. 30 and No. 31 (twice), highlighted by victories over top-ranked Kasak and the eventual NCAA champion, Antrell Taylor (Nebraska)
• Was the lowest-seeded NCAA finalist (No. 8) and one of just two finalists outside the top four seeds
• Purdue's first true sophomore seeded in the top 10 at NCAAs since 1992 (Larock Benford, No. 8, HWT)
• Posted an 11-0 record in bonus point matches
• Surrendered a team-low 2.7 opponent points per match
• Forced a team-best 30 opponent stall warnings and scored a team-high 12 penalty points
• Finished second on the team behind Ramos in wins (24), ranked wins (14), Big Ten dual wins (5) and point differential (+167)
• Took sixth place at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite, Purdue’s first true sophomore to climb the podium in Vegas since Gerrit Nijenhuis in 2021
• Placed second at the Tiger Style Invite
• Picked up his first top-10 win of the season over No. 5 Peyten Kellar (Ohio), shutting him out 2-0 in an upset at CKLV
• Registered a 57-8 takedown ratio
• Outscored opponents 247-80
• Began the season ranked No. 18 by InterMat and finished No. 4 in the final coaches’ rankings
• Recorded seven takedowns against Kevin Schork in the dual vs. Maryland, the most by a Boilermaker in a single match since Feb. 5, 2023
• Matched the highest point total (21) by a Boilermaker all season in his match against Schork
• Earned NWCA Scholar All-American status for the second time
• Named Academic All-Big Ten as part of a program record tally of 15 Boilermakers to receive the honor in 2025
• Won the Purdue Athletics Golden Pete Award for Male Groundbreaking Performance
• Won Purdue's Outstanding Wrestler award at the team awards banquet
2023-24 / AS A FRESHMAN
• Stats
• Racked up a 17-12 record in his true freshman season, earning nine bonus point wins without surrendering one himself. He also won six matches against ranked opposition
• Earned an auto-bid to the NCAA Championships as the No. 23 seed, the fourth highest ever for a Purdue true freshman. Went 0-2 with both matches going to overtime
• In qualifying alongside teammate Greyson Clark, the duo became only the third pair of true freshmen Boilermakers to make the NCAA tournament. Previously happened in 2021 and 1947. The duo were 2-of-9 Big Ten true freshman to qualify for the national tournament
• Took sixth place in his first Big Ten tournament appearance. He is just the 16th Boilermaker true freshman to earn a spot on the conference podium
• Made a big splash early by knocking off No. 5 Ed Scott of N.C. State in sudden victory in just his second collegiate competition. He was the first unranked Boiler to beat a top-5 opponent since Griffin Parriott in 2018
• Also the first true freshman under Ersland to earn three top-five upsets, pinning Nebraska’s No. 3 Peyton Robb and receiving a victory via injury default over Minnesota’s No. 4 Michael Blockhus
• Finished the regular season tied for the most dual wins of any true freshman in the Big Ten with nine
• Led the team in a number of categories by the end of the year including non-conference dual wins (6), tech falls (4), overtime wins (3), and overtime points (10)
• Ranked as high as No. 15 by Intermat
• Earned two Purdue Wrestling team awards as he was named Freshman of the Year and Most Dedicated
• Named an NWCA Scholar All-American
HIGH SCHOOL
• Three-time Ohio state champion, claiming titles in 2021 (138), 2022 (145) and 2023 (165)
• Led Perrysburg High School to second-place team finishes at the 2022 and 2023 Ohio high school state championships
• Named the 2023 OHSWCA Wrestler of the Year
• Ohio's winner for the 2023 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award
• Took first place at the 2022 Super 32, downing the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds with third period comebacks
• Placed second at the 2022 USA Wrestling Central Regional Freestyle Championships, medically forfeiting in the finals
• Won the OHSAA D1 District championship each of the last three seasons
• Claimed first at the OHSAA D1 Sectional tournament four years in a row
• Placed eighth at the 2021 Super 32
• Varsity Record: 184-7 (Perrysburg record)
NATIONAL RANKINGS
• Finished as the No. 15 pound-for-pound wrestler in the country via MatScouts
• Ranked as the No. 17 overall recruit by MatScouts
• The No. 1 recruit in his weight class according to both MatScouts and FloWrestling
• Tabbed No. 18 in the class on FloWrestling’s Big Board
• Named the best prospect in the class from Ohio by MatScouts and FloWrestling
PERSONAL
• Burnett Trained Wrestling Club
• Major: Selling & Sales Management
• Birthday: June 5, 2005
• Hometown: Perrysburg, Ohio
• Parents: Joseph and Addie Blaze
• Siblings: Brother – Marcus, Sister – Payton
• Instagram: @_joey_blaze_
• X/Twitter: @joeyblaze18
• Manages his own apparel brand, Blaze Apparel