4x All-American Elam Transfers to Iowa State

Four-time NCAA All-American Rocky Elam went on the Basch-A-Mania podcast today to announce that he will be transferring to Iowa State University for his final year of eligibility. Elam, the #9 overall recruit in the high school Class of 2020, stayed in his home state of Missouri and was immediately a force at 197 lbs for the Tigers. 

Elam competed as a true freshman in 2021 and went 17-2 on his way to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Since that was the “free year” shortened by Covid, Elam has a final year of eligibility remaining in 2025-26. 

He would proceed to finish fourth, third, and sixth, in the following three seasons for Missouri. Along the way, he picked up a Big 12 title in 2023 (along with a MAC crown in 2021) and made the conference finals the following year. 

Elam never took the mat in 2024-25 due to an injury, which also allowed him to compete next season. 

Through his four years at Missouri, Elam has amassed a 69-17 career record. 

He’ll fit in well in an Iowa State lineup that did not have a clear-cut starter defined at 197 lbs and the Cyclones have gone without a national qualifier at that weight in each of the last two seasons. 

Elam is the second notable upperweight to join the Cyclones within the last week. 2025 MAC champion, Isaac Dean, announced he would be moving to Ames for the 2025-26 season, as well. Dean is expected to hold down the 184 lb weight class. 

With the addition of Elam, Kevin Dresser’s team could roll out a lineup that features nine past national qualifiers and five All-Americans. 

When the transfer portal initially opened, there were a handful of Iowa State wrestlers who entered - which may have alarmed Iowa State fans. These additions could put the Cyclones back in the team trophy hunt in 2026.