First Round Matches to Watch at the 2026 NCAA DI Championships

NCAA DI brackets were released just over 12 hours ago. The entire wrestling community poured through them trying to identify potential errors in the seeding process, paths to the semifinals and finals for their favorites, and identifying key first round matches. That’s the topic for this morning - the top first-round matchups.

We’re all focused on our own finals predictions or some of the massive quarterfinal or semifinal collisions. But, before any of that, there are some great first-round matches to watch. We some information about each.

125 lbs

#16 Ezekiel Witt (North Dakota State) vs. #17 Jett Strickenberger (West Virginia)

At the Big 12 Championship, freshman Ezekiel Witt posted not one, but two, wins over CKLV champion Jett Strickenberger. His reward? A first-round match with Strickenberger!

#10 Marc-Anthony McGowan (Princeton) vs. #23 Nicolar Rivera (Wisconsin)

Marc-Anthony McGowan comes in as the Ivy League champion and Nicolar Rivera needed an at-large berth. Despite the recent results, Rivera is a returning Round of 12 finisher and throws the kitchen sink at his opponents.

133 lbs

#16 Zan Fugitt (Wisconsin) vs. #17 TK Davis (Gardner-Webb)

These two wrestlers were paired together in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Championships. Fugitt went on to finish fourth in the country. Davis has won 24 of 25 matches in 2025-26.

#13 Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska) vs. #20 Julian Farber (Northern Iowa)

Regardless of seed, Jacob Van Dee will be in the podium hunt. Julian Farber was third in a tough Big 12 weight class. Farber is currently 2-3 career against Van Dee, though the Husker has won the last three.

#7 Lucas Byrd (Illinois) vs. #26 Dylan Shawver (Rutgers)

Before all the freshmen at 133 lbs got the hype, this was the All-Star Classic matchup. It’s still hard to believe we’ll see another chapter of this rivalry that dates back to high school in round one.

#10 Max Leete (American) vs. #23 Braxton Brown (Maryland)

EIWA champion Max Leete only had four losses during the regular season; however, one of them came to Braxton Brown via fall.

#15 Tyler Knox (Stanford) vs. #18 Gunner Andrick (West Virginia)

The top seeds at this weight class get all the attention, but Gunner Andrick is in the midst of a solid freshman campaign. Returning AA Tyler Knox is just a sophomore. These are two wrestlers who will be key players in this weight class going forward for a few years.

141 lbs

#12 Luke Simcox (North Carolina) vs. #21 Tyler Wells (Oklahoma)

The now-three-time national qualifier, Tyler Wells, is battle-tested and coming off a fourth-place showing at Big 12’s. He advanced to the bloodround as a freshman and won two matches last year in Philly. Simcox has had a very strong freshman year, but he can’t overlook his first-round opponent.

#11 CJ Composto (Penn) vs. #22 Lorenzo Frezza (Columbia)

It’s an All-Ivy battle between the conference runner-up (Composto) and the third-place finisher (Frezza). These two met earlier in the year and Composto was victorious. He’s seeking his third All-American honor, while Frezza has proven to be a tough out over the last two years.

149 lbs

#16 Jacob Frost (Iowa State) vs. #17 Lucas Kapusta (Lock Haven)

Jacob Frost spent the bulk of the season ranked in the top ten, but tumbled after a fourth-place showing at Big 12’s. Lucas Kapusta is heading into his first NCAA Tournament on a 12-match winning streak and fresh off a MAC title.

#13 Joe Zargo (Wisconsin) vs. #20 Chance Lamer (Nebraska)

These are two Big Ten wrestlers who have, at times, looked like solid All-American bets. At the same time, neither is immune from an unforeseen loss. The pair crossed paths at the conference tournament and Zargo won, 9-6.

#14 Caleb Rathjen (Northern Iowa) vs. #19 Brock Herman (Little Rock)

We’ve got a pair of wrestlers coming in on a hot streak. Rathjen has been very good for the last month. He heads to Cleveland after making the Big 12 finals. Brock Herman hasn’t lost since the Scuffle and won the Pac-12.

#11 Lachlan McNeil (Michigan) vs. #22 Eligh Rivera (Princeton)

This looks like a tale of two wrestlers headed in opposite directions. Lachlan McNeil was third at the Big Ten Championships. Eligh Rivera lost his last four regular-season duals and needed an at-large bid. That being said, Rivera did beat McNeil on his way to the CKLV finals.

157 lbs

#12 Vinny Zerban (Iowa State) vs. #21 Charlie Millard (Minnesota)

All-American and 2025 Big 12 champion Vinny Zerban needed to medically forfeit out of this year’s Big 12 event, so how healthy is he? Charlie Millard has taken some lumps but has put together a solid freshman season and is no first-round pushover.

#14 Ethen Miller (Virginia Tech) vs. #19 Kai Owen (Columbia)

Here are a pair of seniors with multiple years of national championships experience under their belts. Neither was a conference champion, but they fared well last weekend in tough weight classes. A first-round win makes their potential path to the podium much more doable.

165 lbs

#16 Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State) vs. #17 Braeden Scoles (Illinois)

This was a match we were supposed to see at the Big Ten Championship; however, Braeden Scoles medically forfeited out of the tournament.  They didn’t meet last year either. Scoles has generally been ranked in the top ten for most of the season.

#9 Bryce Hepner (North Carolina) vs. #24 Sean Seefeldt (Penn)

There are three St. Ed’s grads in the 165 lb weight class and as these things tend to do, two of them will square off in the first round with Bryce Hepner and Sean Seedfeldt paired together. I don’t think there’s much need for a scouting report on either end.

#14 Andrew Barbosa (Rutgers) vs. #19 Noah Mulvaney (Bucknell)

Andrew Barbosa had one of the memorable moments from the Big Ten Championships, when he stunned Joey Blaze and handed him his first loss of the year. Barbosa has had a solid, under-the-radar freshman season. Noah Mulvaney is a tough draw in the first round for almost anyone.

174 lbs

#13 Carter Baer (Binghamton) vs. #20 Daschle Lamer (Oregon State)

Two top-20 wrestlers in the country that haven’t received much fanfare. The winner puts themselves in the Round of 16 and a step closer to the podium.

#10 Myles Takats (Bucknell) vs. #23 Luca Augustine (Pittsburgh)

Wrestling for Pennsylvania institutions, Myles Takats and Luca Augustine have met twice in their careers in dual meet competitions. Takats has gotten both wins. Augustine has had better NCAA success with a run to the bloodround in 2025.

#15 Danny Wask (Navy) vs. #18 Colin Kelly (Illinois)

A loss in the EIWA semifinals had 2025 All-American Danny Wask settling for third place. Colin Kelly is a redshirt freshman who had a solid campaign for Illinois and finished seventh at the Big Ten Championships. Though Wask is a slightly higher seed, this might end up basically being a toss-up.

184 lbs

#13 Isaac Dean (Iowa State) vs. #20 Brian Soldano (Oklahoma)

Isaac Dean and Brian Soldano are two seniors who have been hampered by injuries down the home stretch. I have this listed as a match to watch, as I’m not sure which wrestler is healthier.

#11 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (Rutgers) vs. #22 Zack Ryder (Oklahoma State)

After the All-Star Classic, it looked like Zack Ryder might be a title contender in year one at Oklahoma State. He’s also dealt with an injury that limited him during the second half of the season. Shane Cartagena-Walsh is all energy and effort and not the type of guy you draw if not 100%.

#10 Caleb Campos (American) vs. #23 Ceasar Garza (Cal Poly)

Two of the more unheralded conference champions are paired together at 184 lbs. Caleb Campos stunned a top-five opponent (James Conway) to win his EIWA title. Ceasar Garza is 16-2 on the year and is the Pac-12 champion.

197 lbs

#9 Angelo Posada (Stanford) vs. #24 Brock Zurawski (Rider)

True freshman Angelo Posada has emerged as a podium threat in year one and finished as a runner-up in the ACC. Brock Zurawski looked like he could challenge for a top-12 seed before an upset loss at the MAC Tournament. I’d expect this to be much closer than it looks on paper.

#6 Justin Rademacher (Oregon State) vs. #27 Gabe Arnold (Iowa)

U20 world champion Justin Rademacher has established himself as a strong podium contender in 2026. Despite the disparity in seeds, he’ll have a very difficult first-round matchup with Gabe Arnold. Arnold has been the utility man for Iowa, filling in at three different weights. Against top-level competition, the size may be too much for Arnold, but he won’t go down without a fight.

285 lbs

#13 Spencer Lanosga (Navy) vs. #20 Dayton Pitzer (Pittsburgh)

During the first week of the season, we saw Spencer Lanosga defeat the returning ACC champion Dayton Pitzer twice. Lansoga has been consistent all season. I find it hard to believe that Pitzer should be all the way down at #20.

#11 Devon Dawson (Northern Illinois) vs. #22 Trevor Tinker (Cal Poly)

Former NJCAA All-American Devon Dawson has been a great find for the NIU staff. Dawson hasn’t lost in 2026 and is riding a 15-match winning streak. Trevor Tinker missed the bulk of the season with an injury but returned to dominate the Pac-12. If healthy, he certainly could be a podium threat.

#7 Konner Doucet (Oklahoma State) vs. #26 Luke Luffman (Illinois)

This is another seed where I’m not sure how Luke Luffman ended up at #26. He didn’t have many outstanding wins this year and took a handful of close losses to the talented Big Ten field. I can understand how the #’s say he should be #26, but  he isn’t the 26th best wrestler in this bracket. In fact, he’ll give Big 12 runner-up Konner Doucet a tough time in Cleveland.

#15 Brady Colbert (Army West Point) vs. #18 Christian Carroll (Wyoming)

Both of these wrestlers were ranked in the top 12 before their respective conference tournaments. Brady Colbert ended up getting fourth in the EIWA, while Christian Carroll didn’t place at the Big 12’s and needed an at-large berth. Which wrestler can rebound and shake off their conference tournament results the best?