Wadsworth grad Solomon Callaghan takes on new challenge at Utah State

From Wadsworth to Dayton to Logan, Utah, Solomon Callaghan has taken the phrase "Go west, young man" to another level. After spending three seasons at Wright State, which included a redshirt, the former Grizzly hit the NCAA transfer portal and committed to Utah State with two years of eligibility remaining. "(The portal) is a little hectic," said Callaghan, who is taking time to relax with family in Wadsworth before heading to Logan. "It is just a lot of calls and talking and stuff, and it's just different, because all the schools that are showing interest really, really want you, so you just have to filter out what situation you feel is best." One of the differences between being recruited out of high school and putting two seasons worth of college games on tape is just that — teams know what players can do at the college level and are no longer projecting success. What Callaghan showed seasons for the Raiders was the ability to play Division I basketball, averaging 10.2 points as a redshirt sophomore when Wright State won the Horizon League championship and played in the NCAA Tournament. "Coming out of high school, they're recruiting you more for your potential," Callaghan said. "In the portal, they're basically recruiting you on what results you've produced already. They want people who have had experience winning championships and having winning seasons. I feel like that's what helped me out when I went in the portal having been in March Madness this past year." While No. 14 Wright State might have lost its opening-round game 82-73 to third-seeded Virginia at Philadelphia's Xfinity Mobile Arena, Callaghan took full advantage, knocking down four 3-pointers and scoring 16 first-half points as the Raiders took a 43-38 lead. He finished the game with 18 points. "I was just feeling confident," Callaghan said. "It was one of those games where you go out there, you really don't have anything to lose, you're on the biggest stage, playing in the moments that you prepared for your entire career. I was just able to go out there and play free, play loose, just play my game, and I got as confident as possible." Having a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament again was one of the reasons Callaghan chose Utah State, which has earned a tournament bid 26 times. "I feel like I'm in a position to come in and be a leader in that way, just because I've been there and had the experience of it and the hunger and the dedication that I'll have to want to get back," Callaghan said. "With the history that Utah State has of making it to the tournament, it's super exciting for me, because that's one of my biggest goals is to get back, and one of their biggest goals is going to be to get there again, too." When Callaghan begins his run at Utah State, it will also be the beginning for a new coach Ben Jacobson, who spent the last 20 seasons at Northern Iowa. Jacobson took the Panthers to the tournament four times, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2010 that included knocking off top-seeded Kansas. "I just felt super comfortable with the coaching staff and the environment that they have going on out there," Callaghan said. "The coaching staff that they're bringing in from UNI in Coach Jacobson, he really knows what he's doing and is a proven winner. It's a veteran coaching staff. I trust them, and they have a lot of faith in me to come in and do what they know that I can do. I really appreciate that from them, and just the fit that I felt in terms of being with the guys that are returning and kind of starting to build that bond was pretty special. Even though it is so far away, I felt like I was at home." Another part of the environment that drew in Callaghan was the support Aggie fans show their team. "I want to create as good of a relationship with the fan base as possible," Callaghan said. "One of my favorite parts of basketball is just having that encouragement and support behind you from the people that are watching the games and the people that are outside of the actual practice building." The Aggies, along with Callaghan and the coaching staff, will all be making a jump up in competition for the upcoming season, with Utah State joining the Pac-12 Conference along with Oregon State, Washington State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Texas State and Gonzaga. Utah State leaves the Mountain West Conference, Callaghan the Horizon League and Jacobson the Missouri Valley Conference. "I feel like all the guys and the coaches are bought into taking that step and want to be the most competitive in the league," Callaghan said. "That was one of my biggest things going into the portal was playing at the highest level and taking that bet on myself and being able to play in the highest league that I can. The Pac-12 is a great fit for me, and playing at Utah State is a great fit for me. It was just a great situation that aligned." Another difference from when Callaghan was at Wadsworth, where he graduated in 2023 after averaging 21.7 points and 5.3 rebounds as a senior, is the influx of money teams have at their disposal with the boom of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rights. "It's an interesting time to be in college basketball, because you never really know what's going to happen next in terms of the rules that might change or anything," Callaghan said. "But, at the same time, it's one of the most exciting times because of being able to have this earning power at such a young age and set yourself up for the rest of your life based on the work that you've put in the past 17 or 18 years of your life in basketball is pretty cool to see." In terms of NIL spending, former Utah State coach Jerrod Calhoun said in a press conference during the NCAA Tournament that the Aggies went from a budget of $880,000 in the 2024-25 season to $2.4 million. "(NIL) definitely has a big impact on a lot of kids' decisions," Callaghan said. "It gets to a point where you can't pass up a life-changing opportunity financially, so that can definitely waver a couple of people's thoughts and opinions on what they should do with the next couple years of their college career." The ability for players to make money through NIL has made navigating the portal more complicated, as players must now weigh not only their fit with a team but also what they stand to gain financially. "Me personally, I'm more like a relationship-based person and I want to make sure that I have that strong foundation with the players that are going to be around me and the staff," Callaghan said. "But at the end of the day, it's turning more and more into a business, so you do have to factor in that money aspect. "It definitely has to change, because it's kind of getting to a point where you're swimming in the waters of going to where there's the most money, and whether or not you want to stay one year or two years, and then try and go get more money somewhere else. But I feel like something's going to be coming up here saying about like a contract, or like signing multiple years or something, because it is kind of getting out of hand a little bit." Callaghan hopes this isn't the final stop of his basketball career, as he aspires to play professionally. He is ready to do whatever it takes to make that dream come true. "I am just doing the best that I can to set myself up for that, whatever that looks like," Callaghan said. "I'm willing to take on any role that I'm asked of, and I feel like I've proven that in the last couple of years. It's a real thing being able to adapt, to take on new roles and being just one with the team. I feel like that's where I'm at. Whatever that calls of me, that's what I'm willing to do." Contact Ryan Isley at sports@medina-gazette.com.