Meet the Larkins: Arizona's "first family" of wrestling
By Jonah Broos, Cronkite PR Lab
Kaleb and Kyler Larkin’s connection to Sun Devil Wrestling goes back to before they were born. Before they grew up watching duals in Desert Financial Arena and before they both launched their own wrestling careers at Valiant Prep, their paths to Tempe began with their father, Eric Larkin, a dominant Sun Devil Wrestler in the early 2000s.
Eric was a four-time All-American, 2003 national champion and a three-time conference wrestler of the year. The Tucson native remains the only Sun Devil to win a Dan Hodge award, given to the NCAA’s most outstanding wrestler. He won the award in his senior year, capping off an undefeated season.
“It was awesome,” said Eric of his dominant senior year. “To me, it was more of a relief. I know it's crazy, but I felt like I should have always been. I was always competing for a national championship, but to end on a year like that, it was pretty nice.”
Throughout Eric’s life, wrestling has always been a positive force.
“Ever since I started wrestling in seventh grade, I just fell in love with the sport,” he recalled.
“Everything that comes along with it, the life lessons, just the hard work. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it.”
“Everything that comes along with it, the life lessons, just the hard work. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it.”
Eric has passed his love of the sport down to his sons. Growing up, the Larkin boys were
constantly around the sport, as Eric was an assistant Sun Devil Wrestling coach from 2004 to 2008. In 2018, he opened Valiant College Preparatory, a school focused on building Arizona’s next generation of wrestlers.
constantly around the sport, as Eric was an assistant Sun Devil Wrestling coach from 2004 to 2008. In 2018, he opened Valiant College Preparatory, a school focused on building Arizona’s next generation of wrestlers.
“When I was done competing myself, I have five boys, so I wanted to create something for
them,” Eric explained. “I knew that they were going to enjoy the sport because they were always kind of around it as little kids running around on the mat when I was coaching at ASU. So, I wanted to create something for them and make sure that they were getting what they needed to be as successful as they could.”
them,” Eric explained. “I knew that they were going to enjoy the sport because they were always kind of around it as little kids running around on the mat when I was coaching at ASU. So, I wanted to create something for them and make sure that they were getting what they needed to be as successful as they could.”
Eric’s work at Valiant has helped push his sons and many other local youth and high school
wrestlers to the next level. The key is consistency throughout the year and a focus on
developing wrestlers, citizens, and scholars.
wrestlers to the next level. The key is consistency throughout the year and a focus on
developing wrestlers, citizens, and scholars.
“We get our kids all year long, that's very beneficial,” Eric said. “We can track them a lot better, work on stuff that we feel needs to change, or build on. They push each other in the classroom. All of our kids do really well in the classroom. There's not much time to go and get in trouble.”
Eric’s measures paid off over his sons’ high school careers. Kaleb, now a sophomore after
redshirting last year, was an NHSCA runner-up and Greco Nationals fourth-place finisher in Fargo, the largest annual tournament in the world. He earned a sixth-place finish at the 2021 Junior World Team Trials Freestyle. Kyler was the 2023 Fargo champion and also won the college division at the Reno Tournament of Champions at 133 lbs.
redshirting last year, was an NHSCA runner-up and Greco Nationals fourth-place finisher in Fargo, the largest annual tournament in the world. He earned a sixth-place finish at the 2021 Junior World Team Trials Freestyle. Kyler was the 2023 Fargo champion and also won the college division at the Reno Tournament of Champions at 133 lbs.
“Watching them progress and actually learn the sport and each position with the people that we've surrounded them with, they just really understand the sport,” Eric explained. “That's been a lot of fun. I didn't understand it that much, certain positions, when I was younger.”
Both Kaleb and Kyler see the opportunity to grow in Tempe. For Kyler, the difference is in the volume of competition compared to his high school career.
“It's definitely a lot different because, at Valiant, we didn't really compete too much, because we were a private school, and it was just a little bit different,” Kyler elaborated. “I'm going to be able to compete a lot more often here.”
From his perspective, Kaleb has only recently scratched the surface of his potential, and he’s started to hit his stride.
“I didn't have a whole lot of success in high school, and even less so when I was younger,”
Kaleb said. “My success started to come last year, maybe two years ago, and still I haven't done a lot - nothing like what I want to do.”
Kaleb said. “My success started to come last year, maybe two years ago, and still I haven't done a lot - nothing like what I want to do.”
It means the world to the Larkins to have Kaleb and Kyler join the Sun Devil wrestling family.
“It's just really exciting,” noted Kaleb. “I'm just super excited to be here with my brother, and
we're both wrestling at the same time. We're going to be here every year with each other, and then just being able to have my whole family come out to watch.”
we're both wrestling at the same time. We're going to be here every year with each other, and then just being able to have my whole family come out to watch.”
“It's just surreal,” said Kyler. “This was always like a second home, but now it is home. [I’ve
been] watching it ever since I was six years old, my moment has come.”
been] watching it ever since I was six years old, my moment has come.”
“I love it,” Eric noted. “I didn't want them to go anywhere else. Not because I wanted them to follow in my footsteps, but I just knew what we had really worked, them staying together and not having them go to different schools.”
Both brothers have high hopes for their careers as Sun Devils and beyond.
“My paper goal is to win the Olympics,” said Kyler. “I want to win worlds, I want to be a four-time national champ. Realistically, I just want to change the sport of wrestling and show people this is something that a lot of people can do.”
“What we're all working towards is probably that NCAA championship at the end of the year,” explained Kaleb.
The Larkins may have the same last name, but there are both similarities and differences
between them on the mat.
between them on the mat.
“They can scramble unorthodox,” said Eric when comparing his style to that of his sons. “I think our styles are very similar. They have a bit more knowledge and technique in certain positions than I did at the time. I think I won a lot off of grit and just being a little unconventional, but they're like that too. They all wrestle differently, each one of my boys.”
“I guess, not really trying to avoid any positions,” said Kaleb. “I'm not really going to be too
worried about people getting in positions where they might score. I'm just looking to advance every position for what it is. I'm not going to try to avoid anything.”
worried about people getting in positions where they might score. I'm just looking to advance every position for what it is. I'm not going to try to avoid anything.”
“My dad was a little more slick, and he'd play from the outside,” observed Kyler. “I like to get my hands on, be a little bit grimy. I think I still have his funk in me. I think that definitely carried over, but I'm more of a hands-on wrestler. He was kind of from the outside. My style is more similar to my brother's because we both wrestled under (elite former wrestler and current coach) Angel Cejudo.”
“It's a great story,” said Jones. “The Larkin family is the first family of Arizona wrestling. Eric
obviously winning a national title, a Sun Devil great, and now you have sons that want to forge their own path but understand the family's history and tradition, and they not only feel it, but they love it and embrace it.”
obviously winning a national title, a Sun Devil great, and now you have sons that want to forge their own path but understand the family's history and tradition, and they not only feel it, but they love it and embrace it.”
“They love the fact that they are a family, and they want to do this together,” said Jones. “It's fun to be a part of the journey, to watch them do what they do.”
Kaleb and Kyler are ready for their moment. They’ve been preparing for it their entire lives. For Arizona’s “first family of wrestling,” the time is now, and the potential is sky high.