Shapiro to Transfer to Nebraska

Perhaps the biggest domino to fall in the transfer portal fell today as three-time All-American Meyer Shapiro announced that he will finish his career at the University of Nebraska.

Shapiro was an Ivy League runner-up in 2026 and an eighth-place finisher at the NCAA Championships. In his previous two seasons, all with Cornell, Shapiro finished fifth in the nation and third and captured conference titles during each postseason. In three years of competition at Cornell, Shapiro has amassed a 62-10 record. At all three of his previous NCAA Championship appearances, Shapiro has been seeded in the top three.

In his social media posting regarding the commitment to Nebraska, Shapiro also mentioned the opportunity to chase his Olympic dreams. He has quite the pedigree on the freestyle circuit with a U17 world title in 2021 and a U20 world championship in 2023.

Coming into Cornell, Shapiro was tabbed the #1 overall recruit in the high school Class of 2023.

How Nebraska fits Shapiro into the lineup in 2026-27 will be interesting. They already have 2025 national champion Antrell Taylor at 157 lbs and with the new “five for five” eligibility system, redshirts are no longer available. Shapiro does have an injury history, so he might need to sit out next year to rehabilitate anyway. Or perhaps both get mat time.

The Huskers are perhaps the biggest winners of the 2026 transfer portal. In 2026-27 they’ll add national champion Vince Robinson, two-time All-American Anthony Echemendia, promising upperweight Lucas Cochran, and Shapiro.