Beyond the Rankings (Preseason 2024)

Preseason rankings are finally here! We’re just over a month from the start of the 2024-25 season and are able to use rankings for all other preseason content. With 33 wrestlers across ten weights, plus two sets of team rankings, there can be plenty to digest and overlook in a new set of rankings. Below are some notes related to the rankings, either reminding you or informing you of potential redshirts for key wrestlers not in the rankings. In some cases, a team may have multiple rankable wrestlers and we’ve highlighted those as battles to watch in the preseason. 125 lbs Pay attention to early-season results from Brendan McCrone and Vinny Kilkeary. We’ve stuck with McCrone who is the incumbent and a national qualifier. Rider national qualifier Tyler Klinsky is planning on taking a redshirt - look for Will Betancourt to replace him at this weight. It’s not “new” news, but 2024 All-American Luke Stanich (Lehigh) is planning to redshirt and potentially move up a weight (or two). 133 lbs This might be the deepest weight class in terms of wrestlers that were considered for the top 33. Since four of the top-ten and seven of the top-25 were not at this weight at nationals, a lot of quality guys got bumped down. Four past national qualifiers aren’t in the top-33. It might be surprising to see Lucas Byrd up that high, but he is three-for-four in his career against Dylan Ragusin and has a great record against the rest of the field. One of those moves that hasn’t gotten publicized much has been Oklahoma’s Cleveland Belton, a 2024 NCAA Round of 12 finisher at 141 lbs, moving down to 133. For Penn State, we’ve gone with Braeden Davis over Aaron Nagao. American will have a pair of national qualifiers at this weight with Jack Maida and Max Leete. Expect Maida to get the call and a potential redshirt for Leete. 141 lbs With Sam Latona moving up for Virginia Tech, Tom Crook should get the opportunity to redshirt. The team attempted to do it last season. Lots of moving parts for Oklahoma State between 133 and 149, so this could change in our next update. Kellyn March, who was very good for NDSU in 2022-23, is back and down a weight class. Eli Griffin, a 2024 national qualifier for California Baptist, is up at this weight. For now, we have him outside of the top-33. 149 lbs Don’t forget about veterans Ty Whalen and Colin Realbuto who did not compete attached for their respective schools in 2023-24. Ryan Burgos only wrestled in one event last year before getting injured. He’s back and is a bright spot for Edinboro. Down at #33 you have Maxwell Petersen of NDSU. He should get a tough challenge from Gavin Drexler at this weight. Two-time national qualifier for SIUE, Caleb Tyus, is expected to redshirt. Kelly Dunnigan had a very solid year for Penn in 2023-24 and will push Cross Wasilewski for the starting role. 157 There’s a very notable name omitted from the top of the 157 lb rankings. Daniel Cardenas would have been #3 here. We’ve excluded him. Cardenas has a redshirt available. At the beginning of the season, look for the youngsters (redshirt freshman Zach Hanson and freshman Grigor Cholakyan, Jason Mara, and EJ Parco) to all see time at the weight. Apparently, no decisions have been made final about Cardenas’, so he could be used if needed. We’re going with Tyler Kasak for Penn State. They might also have the option of Alex Facundo here. If so, Kasak has a redshirt year available. Also, we have Caleb Fish at this weight for Oklahoma State, but he has a redshirt available and we’ve ranked Teague Travis. The same goes for Iowa State and Cody Chittum/Paniro Johnson. We’re hearing that Cobe Siebrecht will get the nod for SDSU at this weight as the returning starter, Cael Swensen, is banged up. We have Noah Castillo up at 157 lbs for Chattanooga. Look for Iowa transfer, Bretli Reyna, to be the guy at 149 lbs for the Mocs. 165 After the top-two, I would guess we see a lot of movement in the early going. There is a big drop-off from All-Americans to the next tier of talent at this weight. Returning qualifier Dom Baker has been excluded as he’s a redshirt possibility. Nothing is final, as of today. One of the notable positional battles to watch is at Indiana with returning national qualifiers Tyler Lillard and Derek Gilcher. Gilcher was injured last year, but looked good at U23’s. Don’t forget about Columbia’s national qualifier Cesar Alvan, who was not enrolled last year as he attempted to make the Olympic Team for Brazil. Ohio State. They have lots of options between here and 197 lbs. We’ll start with their returning starter, Bryce Hepner. Sammy Sasso has been mentioned as a potential option at his weight. After what Sasso has gone through over the last year, it would be incredible to see him on the mat again. Also, Carson Kharchla could be inserted here or at 174 lbs. Arizona State freshman Nicco Ruiz is the one we’ve listed at 165 lbs. He’ll also have to deal with the Sun Devils returning starter Chance McLane. And look at that, we’ve got Tate Picklo, who wrestled at 195 lbs as a senior in high school down at 165 lbs. Should he be able to handle the weight, he certainly could go much higher. 174 After the World Team Trials, there could be some questions about who’s number one at this weight. We try to ignore freestyle results and will take O’Toole over Haines who had moved up two weights. There are plenty of options for Iowa here. We’ve ranked the returning starter Patrick Kennedy, but redshirt freshman Gabe Arnold is waiting in the wings and All-American Nelson Brands plans to compete here, as well. Rocco Welsh has a redshirt available and it could be used if Carson Kharchla were at this weight. Since Welsh has accepted an invitation to the All-Star Classic at this weight, he’s the guy we’re ranking. Another move that hasn’t been publicized much is Binghamton’s Brevin Cassella coming up from 165 lbs. We might be too conservative, but there’s a dangerous pair of redshirt freshmen at 17/18 with Simon Ruiz and Lorenzo Norman. Ruiz defeated Lennox Wolak last year and Norman shocked Shane Griffith in Vegas. 184 This is another #1 ranking that could spark some conversation. Carter Starocci hasn’t lost a real folkstyle match since 2021 - we’re going with him. Like 133, 184 is another weight that benefits from an influx of elite wrestlers moving in. Starocci and Ruth from 174 (along with potentially Brands) and Jaxon Smith from 197. 2024 EIWA champion Aaron Ayzerov is not enrolling for Columbia and taking a gap year. Nick Fine is expected to replace him in the Lions lineup. James Conway (F&M) and Zayne Lehman (Ohio) are both expected to redshirt this year. 197 He’s back! The polarizing AJ Ferrari has enrolled at CSU Bakersfield and will make this weight class much more interesting. Without a returning finalist, we’re going with him despite the layoff from college wrestling. Virginia Tech will have an interesting battle between Andy Smith and redshirt freshman Sonny Sasso. Sasso was sixth at CKLV, but Smith made the NCAA bloodround. Iowa transfer, Bradley Hill, is expected to wrestle at 197 lbs for Oklahoma. Like his teammate, Ayzerov, Jack Wehmeyer will take a gap year too. Initially, we had Penn’s Martin Cosgrove in the rankings, but we’ve learned he’s injured and unavailable. 285 One of the best battles between teammates this preseason could come at this weight class in Raleigh, between U23 world champion, Isaac Trumble, and 2x ACC champion Owen Trephan. We’ll start with Trumble in the rankings. Ben Kueter will have a full offseason to focus on wrestling. Expect him to move up from that #11 slot. Luke Luffman and Braxton Amos are both back after injuries. Amos moves up to heavyweight for the first time collegiately. If healthy, he could rise from his #21 spot. Rider’s David Szuba is slated for a redshirt.

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Beyond the Rankings (Preseason 2024)

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