De Soto ? Neil Erisman needed a travel agent to keep track of all the cities he planned to visit this fall.

In his quest to find the right spot to continue his wrestling career, the De Soto senior planned on checking out just about every school in the Big 12 Conference, with a look-see at Virginia Tech on the docket just for good measure.

Then Oklahoma State came calling.

“When coach Smith called me, I didn’t know what to say. I was just all excited,” said Erisman of a July 4 conversation with legendary Cowboys coach John Smith.

“I took an unofficial visit down there, and I just loved it. I committed to them before I even took my official visit and canceled the visits to all my other schools.”

On Friday, before a gathering of family friends inside the De Soto High library, Erisman made it official, signing a letter-of-intent with the three-time defending national champs.

“Oklahoma State is the premier wrestling school in the country,” De Soto coach Matt Jones said. “The opportunity that lays ahead of Neil is tremendous.

“He will be practicing and working out with some of the best wrestlers in the country and the world.”

The journey to Stillwater, Okla., took root last June, when Erisman caught the eye of an Oklahoma State assistant coach during the Junior National Duals in Enid, Okla. Less than a month later, he found himself on the receiving end of Smith’s phone call.

“I didn’t even expect them to contact me,” Erisman said. “That school, they’re just held up on a pedestal. They’re incredible.”

The Cowboys’ legacy includes junior Johny Hendricks, the defending champ at 165 pounds who will serve as a mentor and practice partner for Erisman next fall. The plan is for the understudy to take a red-shirt season in 2006-07 before taking his shot at that weight.

But first things first. His future secured, Erisman now can channel his focus into winning an elusive state title.

Last season, he finished 41-1 as a 152-pounder, his lone setback coming in the Class 4A state championship match against Nick Zahm of Columbus. It marked the second runner-up finish for Erisman in three seasons.

This winter, he’ll bump up to the 171-pound weight class, and look forward to seeing how things will shake out now that the weight of a college search has been lifted off his shoulders.

“Luckily, he’s got it all taken care of, so he can just have fun and enjoy his senior season,” Jones said.