Wyatt Hendrickson Wins 2025 Dan Hodge Trophy

The 2025 Dan Hodge Trophy winner has been announced today. WIN Magazine’s Bryan Van Kley joined the crew on FloWrestling’s FRL to reveal the winner. Oklahoma State heavyweight Wyatt Hendrickson has earned the trophy for the 2024-25 season. He received 30 first-place votes. Runner-up Carter Starocci received 26 first-place votes and fellow finalist Mitchell Mesenbrink garnered three first-place votes. Van Kley stated the vote was the second closest in the trophy's history. 

While Hendrickson provided one of the indelible moments of the season with his upset of two-time Hodge winner Gable Steveson, this award is single-season based and determines the most dominant wrestler. Hendrickson certainly fits that bill. He went a perfect 27-0 and earned bonus points in over 81% of his matches. Almost half (13) of his 27 wins came via fall. Eight came from tech falls. Those numbers themselves are excellent, but even more difficult to compile at the 285 lb weight class. 

Not only did Hendrickson have the upset heard ‘round the wrestling world, but he also defeated 2024 NCAA champion Greg Kerkvliet 8-2, just to make the NCAA finals. In the championship bout, Hendrickson trailed Steveson 4-2 late in the third period and managed to build himself up after getting extended on a shot attempt and finished for the go-ahead takedown with under :30 remaining. Steveson attempted to stand up, but Hendrickson needed one mat return to ensure his 5-4 victory. 

Hendrickson finishes his career as a three-time NCAA All-American. He finished third in the country in the previous two seasons while wrestling for the Air Force Academy. Since Hendrickson had graduated and had a year of eligibility remaining, he was allowed to transfer to Oklahoma State and wrestle in the 2024-25 season. 

Hendrickson is the first Oklahoma State wrestler to win the award since Alex Dieringer in 2016 and the third overall (Steve Mocco in 2005 was the other). His win helps illustrate just how great of an era of heavyweight wrestling we’ve seen recently. This is the fourth time in five seasons that a heavyweight has won at least a share of the award.