Rankings Look for Big 12 Teams
With the official preseason rankings dropping thanks to Earl, I wanted to take a look at who’s in the ones from the Big 12 so far and some names to look out for this season.
Air Force: No Ranked Wrestlers
After graduating three NCAA qualifiers last season, the Falcons are looking to reload with some returning starters and new faces. Look out for Tucker Owens at 125lbs, a 2023 qualifier who struggled in the chaotic weight class, and could be primed for a bounceback year. A new face in the lineup could be Brian Burburija, who went 16-1 while redshirting at their prep academy at 197lbs. #127 on the 2023 Big Board, Burburija could become a staple upperweight in the lineup.
Arizona State: #1 Richie Figueroa (125), #21 Julian Chlebove (133), #10 Jesse Vasquez (141), #28 Kaleb Larkin (157), #30 Nicco Ruiz (165), #30 Cael Valencia (174), #4 Cohlton Schultz (285)
The Sun Devils are new to the Big 12 this season and as usual, are bringing in a stacked team. Led by returning champ Richie Figueroa, they have a veteran team with three seniors (Chlebove, Vasquez, Schultz). Vasquez is one to look out for after a Round-of-16 finish because when healthy, he has a high ceiling.
An exciting prospect, Nicco Ruiz had flashes against high-level competition and went 8-2 while redshirting. Similarly, Kaleb Larkin turned heads with a 48-second fall against multiple-time qualifier Zach Redding in a dual, but truly broke out in freestyle with a Bill Farrell title and a tech fall over Matthew Kolodzik at Olympic Trials.
Additionally, Pierson Manville was the #31 overall recruit of 2024, and projects at 149 lbs which happens to be a question mark after the transfer of Kyle Parco. If Manville impresses early, he may end up in the lineup sooner than later.
Also, Azizbek Fayzullaev, a native of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, has won two titles at Northwest College in Wyoming. He also won the Asian U23 Championships in 2022. If he is healthy and the transition to D1 goes well he could be a factor for this team at 184.
California Baptist: #27 Nathan Haas (184)
After getting their first-ever qualifiers for NCAA’s, the expectation is only climbing for head coach Derek Moore. The Lancers recently announced the addition of assistant coaches Mark Munoz and Nathan Tomasello, locking down coaches across the weight spectrum.
They actually return their two qualifiers with Hunter Leake and Eli Griffin. Leake had an inconsistent regular season last year and could find himself in the rankings sooner than later. Griffin was one of the most dangerous wrestlers at 125 last year, but is making a jump to 141 for this upcoming season. Haas didn’t qualify, but had some solid wins last year and will be looking to be CBU’s first upperweight qualifier this season.
Iowa State: #16 Kysen Terukina (125), #5 Evan Frost (133), #7 Anthony Echemendia (149), #11 Paniro Johnson (157), #26 Connor Euton (165), #10 MJ Gaitan (174), #17 Evan Bockman (184), #33 Christian Carroll (197), #6 Yonger Bastida (285)
After winning their first Big 12 title since 2009 the Cyclones were active in the transfer portal and will feature some familiar faces for 2025. Christian Carroll was one of the biggest recruits in the 2023 class, but came to Ames from OK State after the coaching changes. He’s projected as a 197, leading fellow transfer Evan Bockman to likely make the move to 184.
Echemendia is moving up after a fifth-place finish and Big 12 title at 141 last year. Paniro Johnson is back after a redshirt season, and the former Big 12 champ at 149 is also moving up to 157. Connor Euton will look to step into the large hole left by David Carr, and Euton had solid wins over multiple qualifiers last season. MJ Gaitan returns after a bloodround finish, and is always a must-watch with his exciting style.
The only question mark weight for this team is at 141, where Jacob Frost could enter the lineup. Frost beat Josh Edmond in 2023, so if he can match wins like that as a starter the Cyclones are likely to have all ten in the rankings.
Missouri: #18 Noah Surtin (125), #32 Kade Moore (133), #12 Josh Edmond (141), #27 Logan Gioffre (149), #32 J Conway (157), #23 Cam Steed (165), #1 Keegan O’Toole (174), #15 Colton Hawks (184), #4 Rocky Elam (197), #24 Seth Nitzel (285)
The only Big 12 team with all ten in the rankings, the Tigers are looking to restart a conference title streak after finishing 4th. They return seven qualifiers and two All-Americans in O’Toole and Elam. It is an experienced team as well, with three seniors and four juniors in the lineup.
Noah Surtin has wins over both of the conference’s All-Americans at 125, but injuries derailed his postseason in 2024. Kade Moore and Logan Gioffre were in similar boats, with big wins in the regular season but significant injuries led to much reduced mat time before March. Josh Edmond and Colton Hawks made the bloodround but have stacked weight classes to break through this year. Keegan O’Toole is bumping up to 174 for some new challenges and will have his fair share throughout the year.
J Conway and Seth Nitzel both have had solid wins in their career, but will need to make a jump to climb the rankings this season. Cam Steed may be a familiar name to fans after he broke out at the 2023 Southern Scuffle with six consecutive wins. 165 is always one of the toughest weight classes, but he could be one to watch after spending the past two years training with Keegan O’Toole.
North Dakota State: #33 Kyle Burwick (133), #29 Kellyn March (141), #33 Maxwell Petersen (149)
The Bison have lost a number of wrestlers to the transfer portal the past two years, but still have a solid core of ranked wrestlers. Burwick enters his final season at his third school. He went to Nebraska after being a two-time qualifier for Wisconsin but missed out on qualifying the past two years.
Kellyn March had a breakout in 2023 at 149lbs, but was injured early last season. With the emergence of Maxwell Petersen at 149, March is making a descent to 141. He spent the first two years of his career at 133, so 141 could be an even better weight for him.
The Bison have a young team overall with potentially six freshmen/sophomores in the lineup. Wrestlers like Adam Cherne (184) and Boeden Greenley (157) could be two to look out for after a challenging freshman year.
Northern Colorado: #9 Stevo Poulin (125), #24 Dominick Serrano (133), #1 Andrew Alirez (141), #17 Vince Zerban (157), #32 Clayton Ulrey (165)
Missing national champ Andrew Alirez wasn’t easy for the Bears, but Alirez is back in the lineup with a more experienced core around him. Stevo Poulin struggled in the regular season last year, but rebounded at NCAA’s to finish in the bloodround for the second consecutive year.
Vinny Zerban had one of the best regular seasons at the weight, going 19-0 headed into the conference tournament. He ended up finishing 4-4 between the two tournaments, with all four losses actually coming to conference opponents. Clayton Ulrey was a staple for Virginia Tech for four years, starting in 2022 and then spot-starting as needed between 157 and 165. If he can qualify in his final season then he could add valuable points in March.
AJ Heeg is the #48 overall recruit of 2023 was 12-1 at 174 while redshirting at OK State and could find himself in the rankings this season at 174 or 184.
Northern Iowa: #28 Trever Anderson (125), #29 Julian Farber (133), #7 Cael Happel (141), #18 Colin Realbuto (149), #7 Ryder Downey (157), #28 Jack Thomsen (165), #14 Jared Simma (174), #2 Parker Keckeisen (184), #16 Wyatt Voelker (197)
An always-tough UNI team returns one of their best yet, with returning national champ Parker Keckeisen attempting to repeat. Cael Happel and Ryder Downey were Big 12 finalists and in the top ten last season with bloodround finishes. Downey was one of the most unexpected breakouts last season and with a year in the lineup could make a large jump.
Trever Anderson didn’t qualify last year but had a big win over Jakob Camacho and Big 12 wrestlers. Julian Farber and Jack Thomsen will be looking to repeat as qualifiers in their final seasons. U23 Greco World Team member Wyatt Voelker entered the lineup for the first time and finished in the round of 16.
An unexpected bloodround wrestler was Jared Simma, who had a solid regular season but went on a run at NCAA’s. Colin Realbuto returns after an Olympic redshirt, and the last time we saw him he had a solid 20-8 record. For sleepers look out for Lance Runyon, now listed as a heavyweight. The now senior made the round of 16 in 2022, but has struggled with injuries the past two seasons.
Oklahoma: #33 Antonio Lorenzo (125), #17 Cleveland Belton (133), #18 Mosha Schwartz (141), #23 Wille McDougald (149), #29 Tate Picklo (165), #9 Gaven Sax (174), #29 DJ Parker (184), #24 Bradley Hill (197)
The Sooners took a big hit recently with #9 Josh Heindselman hitting the transfer portal. They still have a strong team with eight wrestlers in the rankings. Willie McDougald is a former Big 12 finalist and has the ability to compete with anyone. Mosha Schwartz was a strong All-American contender for the Sooners but an early injury derailed him.
Tate Picklo has been in the OU lineup for the past two years at 174, but with Gaven Sax coming in it sounds like he is making a move down in what could be a risky but valuable move. Gaven Sax and DJ Parker were both with Coach Kish at NDSU but reunited this offseason. Sax made the bloodround and the Big 12 finals in a breakout season last year. Parker redshirted but showed a lot of upside in the lineup at NDSU.
Antonio Lorenzo was a two-time qualifier for Cal Poly, but didn’t wrestle any matches in 2024. Cleveland Belton is making a drop to 133 after a bloodround finish in 2024 for Oregon State. Bradley Hill qualified for Iowa at heavyweight and could potentially start at 197 or 285. If Hill goes 197, then another NDSU transfer in Juan Mora is a name to look out for at heavyweight.
Oklahoma State: #7 Troy Spratley (125), #13 Tagen Jamison (141), #9 Teague Travis (157), #6 Cam Amine (165), #6 Dean Hamiti (174), #3 Dustin Plott (184), #21 Luke Surber (197), #2 Wyatt Hendrickson (285)
Few had more shakeups this offseason than OK State with a new coaching staff and bringing in four massive transfers. They return a strong team as well, with Dustin Plott being their highest finisher returning. Troy Spratley is a popular pick to see in the finals after a Big 12 final appearance and bloodround finish. Tagen Jamison and Teague Travis both had strong regular seasons but missed out on the podium. Luke Surber struggled with injury, but historically, has a win over Rocky Elam.
Cam Amine, Dean Hamiti, and Wyatt Hendrickson are all household names who transferred this offseason. Hamiti is moving up to 174, an intriguing move that could pay off after a bloodround finish. Caleb Fish also transferred in and has potential at 157 or 165 but has a redshirt to use that could make sense based on the current lineup.
The lineup could change even more with potential weight changes. With Jordan Williams' recent dismissal, 149 could feature Carter Young, a two-time qualifier at 141. At 133 many expect to see Cael Hughes, a blue-chip prospect who redshirted last year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see all ten wrestlers in the rankings sooner than later.
South Dakota State: #6 Tanner Jordan (125), #26 Derrick Cardinal (133), #28 Alek Martin (149), #14 Cobe Siebrecht (157), #4 Cade DeVos (174), #5 Bennett Berge (184), #8 Zach Glazier (197), #28 Luke Rasmussen (285)
A stacked SDSU team not only returns most of their starters, but replaces Tanner Sloan with another contender. Zach Glazier and Cobe Siebrecht come in after spending time at Iowa. Glazier slots in perfectly, and Siebrecht has a good opportunity after a Cael Swensen injury.
Tanner Jordan, Bennett Berge, and Cade DeVos lead returning starters as All-Americans with the potential to repeat. 184lbs is the definition of top heavy, but Berge in his second year could be an intriguing challenger. Derrick Cardinal and Alek Martin both qualified and could be sleepers at their weights. Cardinal went from 11-15 in his first year as a starter to 20-12 last season.
Luke Rasmussen had solid moments in his first season. Drake Rhodes is another Iowa transfer coming in at 165, and beat Iowa State’s Connor Euton. If he can step into the lineup as a ranked wrestler this Jackrabbits team could make a play for a top-ten finish.
Utah Valley: #31 Haiden Drury (141), #7 Terrell Barraclough (165)
With new Head Coach Adam Hall at the helm, the Wolverines are looking to take a step forward starting in 2025. They’ve got two strong starters in the lineup, starting with senior Haiden Drury. Drury qualified in 2022 at 133 but missed 2023 with an injury. He started the year at 133 and made the move up to 141 in mid-December. He didn’t qualify but had solid wins over young contenders.
Barraclough comes back to his home state after spending five years at Penn State. While he hasn’t been in the postseason for the Lions, he has racked up wins at 157-174. Last season he pinned Caleb Fish, a three-time qualifier who made the round of 16. If Barraclough can be a podium contender he’ll have a chance to be the first All-American for UVU since 2021.
West Virginia: #15 Jett Strickenberger (125), #11 Jordan Titus (141), #3 Ty Watters (149), #4 Peyton Hall (165), #23 Brody Conley (174), #24 Dennis Robin (184), #25 Michael Wolfgram (285)
Going into 2024 I had WVU pegged as a wildcard pick to make some noise with a much-improved team. They doubled their finish from 2023, going from 34th to 17th. They may have an even better team this season with improved health and some prospects on the bubble.
As a true freshman Ty Watters not only finished fourth he had a 69% bonus rate. Peyton Hall finished seventh in 2024, but with weight changes and graduation, he comes into his senior year as a title threat. Jett Strickenberger and Jordan Titus could both contend for a podium spot. Both had strong wins last season, with an injury at Big 12’s hampering Titus at NCAA’s.
Michael Wolfgram and Dennis Robin have both qualified before and will battle to do so again. Brody Conley is coming off a solid qualifier season. Caleb Dowling at 157 and Austin Cooley at 197 are two wrestlers who have hovered around the rankings before and could be valuable pieces for the Mountaineers.
Wyoming: #3 Jore Volk (125), #16 Gabe Willochell (149), #25 Jared Hill (157), #17 Joey Novak (197), #26 Sam Mitchell (285)
Last season Jore Volk broke through with a 7th place finish and Big 12 title and leads the way for a young Cowboy core with some key transfer additions. Joey Novak had a strong season as a true freshman, making the round of 16 at NCAA’s. Wrestlers typically make a big jump after that first year, and Novak’s ceiling is high.
Gabe Willochell, Jared Hill, and Sam Mitchell are all transfers who were qualifiers at their previous school. Willochell was a Cowboy last season and took an exciting style to the round of 16, where he actually majored eventual All-American Quinn Kinner. Hill and Mitchell both came in this offseason, with Hill being a two-time qualifier and Mitchell doing so for the first time in 2024.
Look out for Cole Brooks at 141 who was a true freshman in the lineup last year and had a 14-8 record with solid wins. Ethan Ducca was looking to have a promising season after transferring in with Willochell in 2023, but suffered an injury in November. We didn’t see him again until February where he missed out on qualifying but could make an impact at 184.
