3x NCAA All-American Chad Red (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Nebraska Cornhuskers
It's been 12 years since Nebraska's last top-five finish at the NCAA Championships.
Back in 2009, the Huskers took fourth, behind Iowa, Ohio State and Iowa State. It was their second-straight top-four finish at the national tournament, a welcomed resurgence after finishing 16th, 16th and 19th in the three years before.
But since that 2009 season, Nebraska hasn't finished any better than eighth at the NCAA Championships, a jarring fact given that Husker wrestlers have combined for 28 All-American finishes between 2010-21.
Nebraska has always had the pieces to be among the best teams in the country. The same can be said as the Huskers begin the '21-22 season. This squad has all kinds of talent and will absolutely be considered a top-tier team once again.
TOP RETURNERS
Nebraska begins the '21-22 season with three All-Americans and 10 previous NCAA qualifiers. Everybody that contributed to last year's third-place team finish at the Big Ten Championships is back again, plus some depth as well.
Chad Red (141), Mikey Labriola (174) and Taylor Venz (184) are the three returning All-Americans. Red is a three-time All-American. Labs is a two-time All-American, and Venz finished fourth in 2018 and has made the bloodround two other times.
Those are the heavy-hitters, but Nebraska's lineup will be full of talent this season. Ridge Lovett (149) and Eric Schultz (197) both made the Big Ten finals last year. Peyton Robb (165) is a two-time NCAA qualifier. There's also Liam Cronin (125), Alex Thomsen (133), Tucker Sjomeling (133), Christian Lance (285) and Caleb Licking (157).
KEY DEPARTURES
There were no big-name departures from the Nebraska program this offseason. Tyler Deen is now at Cal-State Bakersfield. He went 9-3 for Nebraska as a redshirt in 2019-20. That was really it.
TOP NEWCOMERS
Boo Dryden joined the program after two seasons at Minnesota, during which he went 19-16 at 133 pounds and qualified for the 2020 NCAA Championships. Dryden is now listed at 125 and could be in the mix with Cronin to start there this season.
WRESTLERS TO WATCH
We're rolling with Chad Red, who has a chance to make some program history this season. If he can earn All-American honors again come March, he'd become just the third wrestler in Nebraska history to become a four-time NCAA All-American, joining Brian Snyder and James Green. That's some elite company.
Red has long been both exciting and consistent, a rare combination in wrestling. He begins the '21-22 season with an 84-38 career record, and always brings a spark to Nebraska's lineup - of his 84 career wins, 37 have come with bonus points.
POTENTIAL LINEUP
125: Liam Cronin/Boo Dryden
133: Alex Thomsen/Tucker Sjomeling/Dom Serrano
141: Chad Red
149: Ridge Lovett, Brock Hardy, Jevon Parrish
157: Peyton Robb/Kevon Davenport
165: Bubba Wilson
174: Mikey Labriola
184: Taylor Venz
197: Eric Schultz
285: Christian Lance
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