Roster/Lineup Battles

[Spladle]

Wouldn’t surprise me to see Carter Pearson as ISU’s 133. 
 

Some real potential with him. 

[BigRedFan]

9 hours ago, juniorvarsity said:

How are these Cornell greyshirts impacted by the 5 for 5? Ivy's handling of the 5 for 5 aside, could these guys get 5 years? 

According to the new rules, all the grey-shirted incoming freshmen have their choice:

Quote

Either the previous rules OR the new age-based model, whichever is most beneficial to the student-athlete.

However, it seems like their five year clock started last year after HS graduation, so pretty sure they don't get five years.

[Tyler Perry]

14 hours ago, MPhillips said:

Good stuff. The old guys appreciate the BIG text.

 

Ohio State 197: Ryder Rogotzke (RSJR) vs Seth Shumate (SR)

• Ryder Rogotzke (JR)
  • 29-21 career record 
  • 2yr starter 
  • 2x NQ 
• Seth Shumate (SR)
  • 49-24 career record 
  • 2yr starter
  • NQ (R12)
• Prediction: Seth Shumate

Can’t believe I skipped this 

[Tyler Perry]

14 hours ago, Simpleman424 said:

The 141 for Ohio State should have Karson Brown in there. Antonio Mills wouldn’t beat him or Bouzakis. Honestly there’s a good chance Brown beats out Bouzakis as well.

I can see him beating Mills, not Bouzakis tho imo. But we’ll see 

[MPhillips]

9 hours ago, Tyler Perry said:

Can’t believe I skipped this 

Disappointing for many of us...

[JoeyLee]

23 hours ago, Spladle said:

Wouldn’t surprise me to see Carter Pearson as ISU’s 133. 
 

Some real potential with him. 

Hes very tricky and seems to frustrate grice when they wrestle. 

also seems like 125 for isu will be ayala vs smith vs sakamoto 

[GimJustafan]

16 hours ago, BigRedFan said:

According to the new rules, all the grey-shirted incoming freshmen have their choice:

However, it seems like their five year clock started last year after HS graduation, so pretty sure they don't get five years.

what about a kid like Gallagher from penn how does 5 for 5 affect him 

 

2 x nq 24,25 

took year off 26 

now back as a junior 

[rsotelo]

On 6/28/2026 at 7:00 AM, juniorvarsity said:

How are these Cornell greyshirts impacted by the 5 for 5? Ivy's handling of the 5 for 5 aside, could these guys get 5 years? 

Up until now, Ivies have historically not cared about athletics over academic.  They are pretty set in getting kids out in 4 years regardless of athletic eligibility.  I don't expect that to change any time soon.  What more Ivy student athletes should do, which I don't feel they do enough, is do your 4 years at the Ivy, and then take your 5th year somewhere else.  Also to consider is that most of the student athletes at the Ivies are not 5 star recruits, so many use athletics to get into the Ivies and move on to lucrative careers.

[BigRedFan]

1 hour ago, GimJustafan said:

what about a kid like Gallagher from penn how does 5 for 5 affect him 

 

2 x nq 24,25 

took year off 26 

now back as a junior 

Five for five applies:  there's no waiver for taking a year off unless he has some extraordinary circumstance.  He's used three of his five years and gotten two years of competition in, so he has two years of eligibility left.  Whether he can take both of them at Penn depends on his progress so far towards graduation.

[BigRedFan]

1 hour ago, rsotelo said:

Up until now, Ivies have historically not cared about athletics over academic.  They are pretty set in getting kids out in 4 years regardless of athletic eligibility.  I don't expect that to change any time soon.  What more Ivy student athletes should do, which I don't feel they do enough, is do your 4 years at the Ivy, and then take your 5th year somewhere else.  Also to consider is that most of the student athletes at the Ivies are not 5 star recruits, so many use athletics to get into the Ivies and move on to lucrative careers.

Cornell has half a dozen grad transfers in the portal.

[MoveCountermove]

3 hours ago, JoeyLee said:

Hes very tricky and seems to frustrate grice when they wrestle. 

also seems like 125 for isu will be ayala vs smith vs sakamoto 

Dang, no mention of Horwath bums me out. I was hopeful he would come in at U of M and stabilize the 125 spot for a while. Several years after HS graduation and he’s barely mentioned enough to remember he’s still wrestling. 

[GimJustafan]

26 minutes ago, BigRedFan said:

Five for five applies:  there's no waiver for taking a year off unless he has some extraordinary circumstance.  He's used three of his five years and gotten two years of competition in, so he has two years of eligibility left.  Whether he can take both of them at Penn depends on his progress so far towards graduation.

thank you 

[PSUDad97]

On 6/27/2026 at 11:38 PM, Tyler Perry said:

I wrote an article on this on TKDWN media. Here is the full write up I did.

 

 

Roster Battles that will shape the season heading into 2026 

 

 

 

College wrestling is an unforgivable sport, with many elite wrestlers ending up on the bench. But, this gives us some awesome roster battles throughout the year. Here are some of the best roster battles heading into the 2026-27 seasons.

 

First off, let’s address the Penn State roster battles: 

 

Penn State: 157,165,174 

Tyler Kasak, PJ Duke, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Will Henckel Jayden James? 

Four spots, for four world class wrestlers? The numbers don’t add up, but with the new 5 for 5 rules coming into affect next year, it would allow Jayden James to sit out a year, and still have five years of eligibility left heading into 2027. But how does 165/174 shake out? Does one of PJ Duke/Mitchell Mesenbrink jump up to 174? It’s a more open and shut case for Mesenbrink to win their, but with Olympic aspirations at 74KG, and PJ Duke growing by the day, it may be a curveball to have PJ Duke make the same jump from 157-174 that Levi Haines did a couple years ago. And then Will Henckel, where does he fit in? Do they just put him at 74? He’s the most naturally sized, and a certified AA contender, but  would they really use him and burn a year of eligibility for PJ Duke for Henckel?

 

• Prediction: 
  • 157- Tyler Kasak
  • 165- Mitch Mesenbrink
  • 174- PJ Duke

 

 

Penn State 285: Cole Mirasola vs Connor Mirasola 

• Cole Mirasola (SO) 
  • 25-10 career record 
  • 1yr starter 
  • 1x NQ (R16)
  • 14th on Matscouts big board (2024) 
• Connor Mirasola (RSFR)
  • 14-1 career record 
  • 5th on Matscouts big board (2024)

 

I would say 3 spots for 5 world class wrestlers, but 4 if James does indeed "defer" a year by not enrolling this upcoming school year.  There has also been some talk about Levi Haines getting another year, but that is just conjecture at the moment.

Also, Cole and Connor Mirasola have the same eligibility, both will be RS Sophs (in the current world of eligibility).

[Spladle]

9 hours ago, MoveCountermove said:

Dang, no mention of Horwath bums me out. I was hopeful he would come in at U of M and stabilize the 125 spot for a while. Several years after HS graduation and he’s barely mentioned enough to remember he’s still wrestling. 

I don’t believe that he’s at ISU. 

[Spladle]

13 hours ago, JoeyLee said:

Hes very tricky and seems to frustrate grice when they wrestle. 

also seems like 125 for isu will be ayala vs smith vs sakamoto 

I agree. 125 and 133 up in the air. 

[flyingcement]

13 hours ago, JoeyLee said:

Hes very tricky and seems to frustrate grice when they wrestle. 

also seems like 125 for isu will be ayala vs smith vs sakamoto 

I would be shocked if Smith did not win the 125 job.  No disrespect to the others.

[Tyler Perry]

1 hour ago, Spladle said:

I agree. 125 and 133 up in the air. 

I really think 25 is Ayden Smith 

[Tyler Perry]

1 hour ago, flyingcement said:

I would be shocked if Smith did not win the 125 job.  No disrespect to the others.

Agreed

[JoeyLee]

10 hours ago, Tyler Perry said:

I really think 25 is Ayden Smith 

I really think so as well. hes gonna have to earn it though 

[Elevator]

On 6/29/2026 at 11:18 AM, rsotelo said:

Up until now, Ivies have historically not cared about athletics over academic.  They are pretty set in getting kids out in 4 years regardless of athletic eligibility.  I don't expect that to change any time soon.  What more Ivy student athletes should do, which I don't feel they do enough, is do your 4 years at the Ivy, and then take your 5th year somewhere else.  Also to consider is that most of the student athletes at the Ivies are not 5 star recruits, so many use athletics to get into the Ivies and move on to lucrative careers.

I would guess the Presidents and ADs at the league level will soon decide whether to align the league rules with the new NCAA 5 for 5.  If they have already, I have not heard and did not try to research. 

Five for Five seems at least facially incongruent with the league ban on graduate students competing and ban on redshirts as such.  Even after league announces its position and dictates, individual schools (and not just for wrestling - which is not a driving consideration) may not permit 5 years of competition or redshirts while in school for any sport.   May take time to see how it sorts out and lives, but risk that Ivies' challenge to get top wrestle talent will increase if they do not match the flexibility of the 5 for 5 rule.  But probably will be some of top recruits who care enough about the education and recognize they can always take an extra year as a grad transfer.   

[ScottishSteel]

16 hours ago, Elevator said:

I would guess the Presidents and ADs at the league level will soon decide whether to align the league rules with the new NCAA 5 for 5.  If they have already, I have not heard and did not try to research. 

Five for Five seems at least facially incongruent with the league ban on graduate students competing and ban on redshirts as such.  Even after league announces its position and dictates, individual schools (and not just for wrestling - which is not a driving consideration) may not permit 5 years of competition or redshirts while in school for any sport.   May take time to see how it sorts out and lives, but risk that Ivies' challenge to get top wrestle talent will increase if they do not match the flexibility of the 5 for 5 rule.  But probably will be some of top recruits who care enough about the education and recognize they can always take an extra year as a grad transfer.   

and if things go well . . . get paid pretty well for that grad transfer year

[Elevator]

4 hours ago, ScottishSteel said:

and if things go well . . . get paid pretty well for that grad transfer year

I would guess that even with NIL $$, the value compared to job market choices is not much, but getting a grad degree and one more shot at NCAA glory has a unique value of its own.  Plenty of Ivy grads have done it over the years and I can think of Michigan, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Rutgers, and I think Stanford as recent landing spots.  Good schools!  

[ScottishSteel]

1 hour ago, Elevator said:

I would guess that even with NIL $$, the value compared to job market choices is not much, but getting a grad degree and one more shot at NCAA glory has a unique value of its own.  Plenty of Ivy grads have done it over the years and I can think of Michigan, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Rutgers, and I think Stanford as recent landing spots.  Good schools!  

I agree but it's a heckuva "gap" year between finishing school and job world

[BigRedFan]

13 hours ago, ScottishSteel said:

and if things go well . . . get paid pretty well for that grad transfer year

From Cornell, the incoming freshmen who, barring injury and an Ivy League rule change allowing five years of eligibility, will be looking for that fifth year elsewhere:

Isaiah Cortez, Elijah Cortez, Alessio Perentin, Elijah Diakomihalis, Jude Correa, Rocco Dellagatta

I wonder what will happen with the next incoming class who are deferring a year:  Turi, Verrette, Toscano, Traves, Jeter.

[Elevator]

21 hours ago, BigRedFan said:

From Cornell, the incoming freshmen who, barring injury and an Ivy League rule change allowing five years of eligibility, will be looking for that fifth year elsewhere:

Isaiah Cortez, Elijah Cortez, Alessio Perentin, Elijah Diakomihalis, Jude Correa, Rocco Dellagatta

I wonder what will happen with the next incoming class who are deferring a year:  Turi, Verrette, Toscano, Traves, Jeter.

I wonder if the new rule will reset the deferral plans?   Some who planned to defer might enroll and challenge for a spot in the lineup?   Not just thinking of Cornell.