Never Too Early Lineup Look: Air Force

Air Force finished 21st at NCAA’s last season, their second-best finish since the 2003 season. Within that finish came three qualifiers in Wyatt Hendrickson, Giano Petrucelli, and Sam Wolf. Unfortunately, all three wrestlers were seniors, but the Falcons are bringing in their second consecutive top-25 recruiting class and a handful of returning starters. Lineup predictions are always laced with uncertainty but service academies have even more unique circumstances, so keep that in mind if there are any wrestlers I may have missed or overlooked. 125lbs: Tucker Owens (Junior) In one of the most tumultuous weight classes in recent history, I thought Owens was a wrestler who could take a jump after qualifying his freshman year. In 2023 he had wins over wrestlers like Tanner Jordan, Anthony Noto, and Ethan Berginc along with a solid 22-14 record. He didn’t qualify in 2024 with a record of 11-12, and all but two of his losses came to NCAA qualifiers. The Big 12 was one of the deepest conferences at 125lbs with eight qualifiers and half of those wrestlers making the bloodround. While the weight class doesn’t get easier next season, if Owens can build off a challenging season, then I expect him to get back to the tournament in 2025. 133lbs: Robert Wright (Soph.)/Gavin Caprella (Soph.) The Falcons used a rotation through most of the year at this weight, with Wright getting the start for the postseason. Both wrestlers had a record below 0.500 and traded wins over each other. Wright won by major at the David Lehman Open and competed in six of their last eight duals. Ideally one of these wrestlers is able to take a step forward this offseason and add some stability to this weight. 141lbs: Joe Fernau (Soph.)/Trason Oehme (Soph.) This is a difficult weight class to predict after the graduation of Garrett Kuchan, who had manned the spot for two years. Oehme is the only returning wrestler who competed at 141lbs where he went 1-2 against D1 competition. Kole Biscoe dropped to 133lbs last season but competed at 141lbs in 2023. I slotted in Fernau after he was the starter at 149 lbs last season, jumping two weight classes from 133 in 2023. He went 5-13 against D1 wrestlers, but scored a win at the Big 12 tournament. If Fernau could drop down, then it could potentially open up the 149 spot for incoming freshman Top 100 recruit Layton Schneider as well. 149lbs: Joe Fernau (Soph.)/Bryce Shelton (Junior)/Layton Schneider (Fresh.)/Anders Kittleson (Fresh.) Fernau was discussed earlier, and could certainly build off a year in the starting lineup. He could potentially dictate what the middleweights look for the Falcons, as there are a number of options at this weight. Shelton is a veteran who has competed at 141, 149, and even 157 in the past two years. While he doesn’t have any standout wins, he has experience over a potential true freshman. #88 overall recruit Schneider had national success with placing at Fargo and Ironman along with being a four-time State finalist from Oklahoma. He and Logan Fowler are both projected in this 149-165 range but Schneider could be a better fit as he won his last title at 144lbs. There is also #228 Anders Kittleson from Iowa who was a four-time State placer and also won a title at 144lbs. 157lbs: Brooks Gable (Senior)/Logan Fowler (Fresh.)/Gianni Maldonado (Fresh.) Gable was the starter last season but had a tough season and struggled to find success. There is potential for another wrestler to make a weight change to challenge for this starting spot, but it seems primed for a Big Boarder true freshman to step in with multiple options. #99 Logan Fowler was a three-time state champ in Tennessee and could be an instant impact wrestler at either 149 or 157. He won his last title at 165 but could be a good fit if he can cut down. There is also #146 overall Gianni Maldonado, a two-time Florida State champ who also placed at Ironman, and Doc Buchanan. 165lbs: Jack Ganos (Senior)/Andrew Harmon (Fresh.) While there are question marks at most of the middleweights, Ganos at 165 feels like a no-brainer. He was a starter in 2023 at 157lbs where he finished 9-11 before moving up to 165 in 2024 and went 3-5 behind ranked starter Gianno Petrucelli. He started the year at 174 and went 1-2 at the Navy Classic as well, so he could potentially try 174 again. There is also Harmon, a 2023 recruit who grayshirted with Air Force Prep last season. A two-time PA State placer, he went 11-3 against mostly D2 competition but had a solid 57% bonus rate with six falls. 174lbs: Drake Buchanan (Junior)/Josh Palacio (Fresh.) Another potential opportunity for a starter battle between a veteran and a younger wrestler, this weight is open after the graduation of Noah Blake. The #196 recruit in 2022, Buchanan dropped to 174 after a year at 184. Palacio was #107 in the class of 2023 but spent a year with Air Force Prep. He went 9-1 overall and could be ready for a starting spot with more experience. 184lbs: Josh Cordio (Soph.)/Gage Musser (Senior)/Talon McCollom (Fresh.) One of the biggest spots to fill is at this weight with the graduation of two-time qualifier Sam Wolf. The Falcons have options here with Cordio, Musser, and McCollom. Cordio was the #188 recruit in 2023 and went 1-1 at this weight in duals last season. Musser has experience at 174 and 184 and competed at both weights last season. McCollom is an incoming freshman ranked #213 on the Big Board. He was a two-time Oklahoma State champ but seems like a prime recruit to potentially spend a year at the Prep Academy. 197lbs: Jackson Dewald (Fresh.)/Brian Burburjia (Fresh.)/Karson Tompkins (Fresh.) It seems likely for there to be a younger wrestler at this spot with three Big Boarders between the 2023 and 2024 classes. Tompkins is the highest-ranked recruit for Air Force at #20, the first-ever top-20 recruit for Air Force (Wyatt Hendrickson was #40). He was a multiple-time placer at Fargo, was fourth at Super 32, and a three-time Texas State champ. He is a clear, instant-impact wrestler who could start for the Falcons. If Tompkins doesn’t become the immediate starter there are two 2023 Big Boarders in #104 Dewald and #127 Burburjia. Dewald didn’t wrestle at all last season while Burburjia went 3-1 at 197 while with the Air Force Prep. Regardless of who starts at this weight, it looks like there is potential for a ranked starter here. 285lbs: Antonio Ramos (Soph.) Undoubtedly the biggest loss from last season is Wyatt Hendrickson, who exhausted all his eligibility at the service academy but was granted an opportunity for one more year at another institution due to his COVID year. They have some talent in waiting however with Ramos, who Hendrickson clearly rubbed off on as the freshman had seven pins last season. Ramos had mixed results against D1 competition but has shown development potential and just finished second in Greco at Pan Ams for Puerto Rico. Previous “Never Too Early Lineup Looks:” Indiana Lock Haven North Carolina Oregon State

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Never Too Early Lineup Look: Air Force

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