25/26 NCAA Dark Horses

[flyingcement]

Just now, NotMikeMal said:

I was looking this kid up a bit. He can crack the top 3 you think huh? 

I watched him in open tournaments myself last year and thought next year he should be AA fur sure.  Top three is ambitious but possible 

[PortaJohn]

7 hours ago, nhs67 said:

He looked very lean and massive at 97 KG, which is just over 213lbs.  Where is that extra 16 pounds coming off from?  That's 8% of his bodyweight.

Pendleton comes from the school of John Smith, the master of weight cutting.  I'm guessing a new meal regiment with low protein intake.  He'll have to figure it out.  Attao ain't no slouch and that's a solid 1-2 punch Pendleton has for upper weights

[ionel]

3 minutes ago, PortaJohn said:

Pendleton comes from the school of John Smith, the master of weight cutting.  I'm guessing a new meal regiment with low protein intake.  He'll have to figure it out.  Attao ain't no slouch and that's a solid 1-2 punch Pendleton has for upper weights

I only opened this for The Dark Horse tune ... my bad.  

[BloodRound]

15 hours ago, JimmySpeaks said:

Aiden Brenot 184 NDSU. Round of 12 last year as a RSFR. Imo has a very high ceiling. 

I'd like to throw in someone he beat @ 184 last year with Rutgers's Shane Cartegena-Walsh.  These two went neck and neck; would like to think this match up could go either way.

[MPhillips]

8 hours ago, NotMikeMal said:

I was looking this kid up a bit. He can crack the top 3 you think huh? 

He was a good HS wrestler(2xer in Ohio). Something like 24-1 last season as a grey shirt for Finger Lakes CC.

[scorenomore]

10 hours ago, MPhillips said:

I don't mind the Birden over Paddy pick. Or is it Cannon over Paddy? 

It might be Birden and Cannon over Paddy.  3 quality guys for just 2 spots.

[TNwrestling]

12 hours ago, JimmySpeaks said:

NDSU for the Tenn kid at 184 

[JimmySpeaks]

3 minutes ago, TNwrestling said:

It doesn’t happen often but this time I am.

Edited Thursday at 02:26 PM by JimmySpeaks

[Gus]

Using Flo rankings:

125: #8 Jore Volk (Minn), #18 Mark-Anthony McGowan (Princeton), #23 Brady Roark (SDSU)

133: #12 Marcus Blaze (PSU), #13 Ben Davino (tOSU), #NR Seth Mendoza (Mizz)

141: #11 Nasir Bailey (Iowa), #16 Vince Cornella (Cornell), #19 Aden Valencia (Stanford) 

149: #13 Chance Lamer (Neb), #20 Jaxon Joy (Cornell), #NR Pierson Manville (ASU)

157: #10 Jackson Arrington (NCSU), #14 Cael Swenson (SDSU), #NR Kaleb Larkin(ASU)

165: #NR LaDarion Lockett (OSU), #NR Ethan Birden (tOSU), #NR Connon Euton (ISU)

174: #9 Alex Facundo (OSU), #12 Brock Mantanona (UMich), #16 Lorenzo Norman (Stanford)

184: #8 Zack Ryder (OSU), #11 Aeoden Sinclair (Mizz), #NR Gunderson/Walrath (UNI)

197: #11 Cody Merrill (OSU), #17 Sonny Sasso (VT), #NR Rune Lawrence (UWV)

285: #11 Cole Mirasola (PSU), #13 Jimmy Mullen (VT), #NR Koy Hopke (Minn)

[11986]

184 Malachi DuVall, George Mason, wrestlestat ranking #22

157 DJ McGee, George Mason, wrestlestat ranking #15

[Crossfire]

Joey Buttler (Indiana) 149. 

 

  

[2001Hokie]

20 hours ago, TNwrestling said:

as a tn guy i have to list the kids from here to watch for

 

125- Cooper Flynn (Chattanooga) - finally back home. 

133 - Jarvis Little (App St) - fantastic rs season last year

141 - Hunter Mason (Chattanooga) - again...finally back home

149/157 - Landon Desselle (Ohio St) - medaled up a div at u23 at 19yo. 

165 - Mason Reniche (Chattanooga) - once again....back home

184 - Aiden Brenot (SDSU) - blood round guy last year

I really hope Flynn can put it all together this year.  He's got so much potential, and many of his losses seemed to be mental lapses at the end of rounds/matches.  Definitely rooting for him.

[TNwrestling]

23 minutes ago, 2001Hokie said:

I really hope Flynn can put it all together this year.  He's got so much potential, and many of his losses seemed to be mental lapses at the end of rounds/matches.  Definitely rooting for him.

Agreed. I'm hoping with Him, Hunter Mason, Mason Reniche and hopefully Cody Chittum all back home at Chattanooga was the move they needed for, not just themselves to get over the hump, but also the team as a whole. 

 

We haven't had a single all american in twenty years. 

[BigRedFan]

10 hours ago, MPhillips said:

He was a good HS wrestler(2xer in Ohio). Something like 24-1 last season as a grey shirt for Finger Lakes CC.

FWIW, Joy majored Alex Nini 12-0 in February.  That's the guy that Stanich just beat 3-3 on criteria.

[Spladle]

Certainly won’t project him to be a contender, or to even AA, but Isaac Dean at ISU intrigues me. 
 

Mostly because he was 19-30 in his career before going 26-9 last year and making R16. 
 

Curious to see if he continues that trajectory or has already hit his peak. 

[Truzzcat]

On 8/20/2025 at 11:27 PM, NotMikeMal said:

I was looking this kid up a bit. He can crack the top 3 you think huh? 

He lost to Robideau twice this summer and I am not ready to put Robideau top 5 I dont think although I think they will be 149 and 157.

[wrestlingfan22]

Ignoring any former AAs/obvious Freshmen (Blaze, Duke, Etc. )

125: #17 MAM, NR Matt Marlow

133: #20 Yarbrough, #27 Waterman

141: #21 Crook, #22 Tal-Shahar

149: #15 Evans, #18 Brown

157: #28 Harer,

165: #176 Cerchio

174: #20 Facundo

184: #26 McGill

197: #13 Bechtold, #19 Rademacher, #22 Lawrence

285: #15 Amos, #17 Catka

 

[wrestlingfan22]

Just now, Truzzcat said:

He lost to Robideau twice this summer and I am not ready to put Robideau top 5 I dont think although I think they will be 149 and 157.

Also lost to Pitt's Brown this summer

[Truzzcat]

14 minutes ago, wrestlingfan22 said:

Also lost to Pitt's Brown this summer

I think brown is going to shock a lot of people this year!

[MizzouFan01]

On 8/21/2025 at 11:16 AM, Gus said:

Using Flo rankings:

125: #8 Jore Volk (Minn), #18 Mark-Anthony McGowan (Princeton), #23 Brady Roark (SDSU)

133: #12 Marcus Blaze (PSU), #13 Ben Davino (tOSU), #NR Seth Mendoza (Mizz)

141: #11 Nasir Bailey (Iowa), #16 Vince Cornella (Cornell), #19 Aden Valencia (Stanford) 

149: #13 Chance Lamer (Neb), #20 Jaxon Joy (Cornell), #NR Pierson Manville (ASU)

157: #10 Jackson Arrington (NCSU), #14 Cael Swenson (SDSU), #NR Kaleb Larkin(ASU)

165: #NR LaDarion Lockett (OSU), #NR Ethan Birden (tOSU), #NR Connon Euton (ISU)

174: #9 Alex Facundo (OSU), #12 Brock Mantanona (UMich), #16 Lorenzo Norman (Stanford)

184: #8 Zack Ryder (OSU), #11 Aeoden Sinclair (Mizz), #NR Gunderson/Walrath (UNI)

197: #11 Cody Merrill (OSU), #17 Sonny Sasso (VT), #NR Rune Lawrence (UWV)

285: #11 Cole Mirasola (PSU), #13 Jimmy Mullen (VT), #NR Koy Hopke (Minn)

Mendoza will be at 141

[Gus]

2 hours ago, MizzouFan01 said:

Mendoza will be at 141

10-4. Then I think I would take out Cornella at 141 and swap in Mendoza. I will add Kyler Larkin to 133

[bnwtwg]

Braeden Scoles should be on your radars. He will finish top 4 at B1Gs and NCAAs. Quietly went R12 as a freshman losing in SV to Amine in the blood round and finished 5th at B1Gs last year beating Minto along the way should say all you need to know. Wouldn't be surprised to see yet another AWA kid continue a high upward trend.

[Gus]

10 hours ago, bnwtwg said:

Braeden Scoles should be on your radars. He will finish top 4 at B1Gs and NCAAs. Quietly went R12 as a freshman losing in SV to Amine in the blood round and finished 5th at B1Gs last year beating Minto along the way should say all you need to know. Wouldn't be surprised to see yet another AWA kid continue a high upward trend.

Scoles is fun to watch. Never out of a match. He starts the year ranked #9 by Flo. 

[Cornell Kevin]

On 8/22/2025 at 5:20 PM, Truzzcat said:

He lost to Robideau twice this summer and I am not ready to put Robideau top 5 I dont think although I think they will be 149 and 157.

I think the guy who asked about top 3 was confused by the entire thread. The thread asked to name top 3 for every weight, and then after Joy was mentioned, he thought that meant the Joy poster thought he could get top 3 at NCAAs 

[Cornell Kevin]

Jaxon Joy did have one hell of a grey shirt year last year

31-1 winning 7/8 tourneys entered

4 falls-16 techs-6 MD-2inj def-3 Dec

87.5% Bonus rate 

He had one loss to Cam Cantrabone who will be another guy to absolutely watch out for this coming season for Michigan. Gave PJ Duke is only real contested high school match (outside of his lone inj def loss) losing to him 2-1 at the Eastern States final. He also looked good at CKLV last year; win over Sam Cartella 16-14, loss to Echemendia 4-2, loss to Carter Young

His biggest wins grey shirt year were 

Biggest wins (9)

• 15-0 tech fall over Mason Schrader of Central Michigan (NQ)
• 18-3 tech fall over Jimmy Nugent of Central Michigan 
• 8-0 Major decision over Drew Roberts of Minnesota 
• 10-5 decision over Logan Gioffre of Mizzou 
• Fall 4:06 over August Hibler of Northwestern
• 11-1 Major decision over Kaden Cassidy of George Mason (NQ)
• 4-3 decision over Derek Raike of Ohio 
• Inj Def over Kal Miller of Maryland (3x NQ)
• 10-2 major decision over Kelly Dunnigan of Penn 

 Sorry font all over the place, copied paste from my wrestler profile notes. He also had a nice 10-3 win over Kody Routledge in FS. 

 

It will be real hard for him to get on podium at 149, but I do think he has a shot. First he has to win the spot over Ethan Fernandez..round of 16 guy last year. I do think that he should not have issue with that however.