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Between Ironman, Hall of Fame Duals, a couple Husker duals, and Blair-Sem-Delbarton, I’ve spent about 10 days at home in the last 40. For the first time in quite a while, I can sit back, relax, and get totally immersed in college wrestling this week. And it’s a robust slate. Let’s get into it… 5. It’s Conference Time From here on out, the majority of the college schedule is in-conference competition. With those matches being critical for seeding at qualifiers coupled with the low match counts for dozens of prominent contenders, I’m hoping it results in a drastic reduction of ‘ducking’ and/or high-profile matchups not materializing. 4. How Good is 2024 Michael DeAugustino? Two years ago, then at Northwestern, DeAugustino posted a terrific season that culminated in a 4th place finish at NCAA’s. But he’s been oft-injured and quite an enigma since. He was just 9-9 last year with highs (a win over Matt Ramos) and lows (a loss to Blake West). To start the year, he defaulted out of CKLV and stands at just 6-1 on the year. Well here’s a big spot for him. This weekend he gets #14 Braeden Davis (PSU) and #13 Dean Peterson (RU). If he gets through both, he’s once again a player in March and in a weight that’s totally up for grabs. 3. And More 125 In this topsy-turvy world of 125, Drake Ayala is the new #1 in the country. On Friday, he’ll face #2-Matt Ramos as the Hawks dual Purdue. 2. My (Other) Favorite Head-to-Heads #1 Ryan Crookham (LEH) vs. #10 Michael Colaiocco (PENN) No Previous Meetings #6 Dylan Ragusin (MICH) vs. #8 Dylan Shawver (RU) Ragusin won 4-1 a couple weeks ago at Midlands. #3 Peyton Robb (NEB) vs. #10 Michael Blockhus (MINN) Blockhus is fresh off a 5-4 win over #2-Jared Franek, who beat Robb last week. #9 Mitch Mesenbrink (PSU) vs. #10 Caleb Fish (MSU) Fish is coming off a win over #7 Cam Amine, who Mesenbrink wrestles Friday. #2 Dustin Plott (OKST) vs. #4 Trey Munoz (ORST) No Previous Meetings #3 Lenny Pinto (NEB) vs. #10 Isaiah Salazar (MINN) Salazar won 7-6 in last year’s dual. #5 Cohlton Schultz (ASU) vs. #12 Dayton Pitzer (Pitt) Pitzer won 4-0 over Schultz at Midlands last season. 1. Almost All of PSU-Michigan Penn State is #1, Michigan #5. And on an individual level, there are so many good matchups and questions to be answered. Let’s start with PSU’s freshmen, which are all undefeated. Braeden Davis takes on veteran #5 Michael DeAugustino. Ty Kasak takes on super senior #6 Austin Gomez. Mitch Mesenbrink will face perennial All-American Cam Amine. 133 is a #4 vs. #6 matchup between Nagao and Ragusin.174 pits two NCAA Champions: Carter Starocci and Shane Griffith. And 285 has #1 Kerkvliet vs. #4 Davidson. That’s it for me this week. It’s going to be a fun one. And I get to watch every second of it from my own couch. Also - don’t forget to tune in to one of the best atmospheres in wrestling as Buchanan hosts Clovis tonight live on MatScouts.

Friday night in Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for one of the most anticipated dual meets of the 2023-24 season when top-ranked Penn State comes into town to face #13 Michigan. Don’t be fooled by the dual rankings, Michigan’s largely revolves around a dual loss to South Dakota State where three All-Americans were out of the Wolverine lineup. At full strength, Michigan has the tournament potential to challenge for that wide-open second-place trophy, behind the Nittany Lions. Both of these teams were excellent in 2022-23, yet each reloaded in a major way during the offseason. Michigan added four past All-Americans and a second-ranked recruiting class to an already excellent wrestling room. A fifth All-American joined the team before the second semester started. Penn State added two All-Americans and a U20 world champion from the transfer portal, while inking the third-ranked recruiting class in the nation. With so many new faces in both lineups, there is only one potential match slated for Friday, which was a rematch of the 2023 dual. That means there’s plenty of uncertainty and speculation about the results of the individual matches. The offseason additions for Michigan led some to wonder whether they’d be able to threaten Penn State. As crazy as it sounds, adding five All-Americans still doesn’t seem to make a significant dent in the Nittany Lions lead over Michigan (and the rest of the nation). Below is a bout-by-bout look at the potential matchups for Friday’s clash between these college wrestling bluebloods. Along with each match is a prediction of a winner and, then, a dual winner. 125 lbs #5 Michael DeAugustino (Michigan) vs. #14 Braeden Davis (Penn State) I like going into matches figuring that we’re going to learn something about one or both of the competitors. That’s the case at 125 lbs, as a lot can be learned about both Michael DeAugustino and Braeden Davis. The 2022 NCAA fourth-place finisher, DeAugustino, transferred to Michigan from Northwestern after an injury-plagues 2022-23 campaign that saw him in action only ten times before the postseason. DeAugustino looked like he may be close to his past former earlier this year, before suffering an injury in the semifinals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. After missing more than a month, DeAugustino returned last week to collect a pair of wins over Tommy Capul (Maryland) and Tristan Lujan (Michigan State). The stakes get much higher this week for DeAugustino as he’ll face the only undefeated 125 lber in the nation, the true freshman, Davis. Ever since Nico Megaludis’ graduation, in 2016, Penn State has had difficulty maintaining success at the leadoff weight class. Davis looks like he could be that long-sought-after answer. Davis started January off with a win over 2022 All-American Brandon Kaylor (Penn State), then proceeded to major Michael Spangler (Indiana) in his first Big Ten dual. Should these two clash, we could have answers about both wrestlers. Is DeAugustino a potential title threat at this wide-open weight class or another guy who yo-yo’s up-and-down the rankings each week? Could the future be now for Davis and Penn State? Without any clear-cut favorite at 125 lbs, why not Davis? Prediction: DeAugustino by decision (3-0 Michigan) 133 lbs #6 Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) vs. #4 Aaron Nagao (Penn State) As of now, this could be a Big Ten final as it features the two highest-ranked wrestlers in the conference at 133 lbs. Coming into the year, Northwestern graduate transfer Chris Cannon was thought to be “the guy” at 133, allowing Dylan Ragusin to finally redshirt. Cannon only saw action in a Michigan singlet once before suffering an injury that’s kept him out since mid-November. With Cannon likely done for the year, the Michigan staff turned to pull Ragusin from redshirt last weekend. Before getting pulled from redshirt, Ragusin amassed a perfect record competing unattached with tournament titles at the Michigan State Open, the Cleveland State Open, and the Midlands. In his first official competition of the year, Ragusin notched a solid win over returning qualifier Braxton Brown. Penn State will turn to Minnesota transfer Aaron Nagao, who made the Big Ten finals last season and ended the year in fifth place in Tulsa. Nagao has won seven of eight bouts while wearing the Penn State singlet. His only loss came at the hands of Lehigh super-freshman Ryan Crookham in early-December. Despite Nagao and Ragusin competing in the Big Ten together last season, they did not meet. Ragusin represents a significant step up in competition for Nagao, who has only seen one ranked opponent since the Crookham loss. Prediction: Nagao by decision (3-3 tie) 141 lbs #25 Sergio Lemley (Michigan) vs. #2 Beau Bartlett (Penn State) The lone freshman (true) in the Michigan lineup this season is Sergio Lemley who was deemed the #11 overall recruit by MatScouts. Lemley has been a perfect 5-0 in dual competition this season. Without a doubt, his most significant win of the season, thus far, has been when he knocked off two-time All-American Clay Carlson of South Dakota State. The Wolverines fell to SDSU; however, Lemley did his part. He followed that win with two more last weekend, including handing #33 Jordan Hamdan (Michigan State) only his fourth loss of the year. The level of competition will take a step up Friday for Lemley as undefeated #2 Beau Bartlett is looming for the Nittany Lions. After two decent years at 149 lbs, Bartlett moved down to 141 lbs for the 2022-23 campaign and has been one of the top wrestlers at the weight since. Over the last year and a half, at 141 lbs, Bartlett has compiled a 37-3 record with only one regular season loss. Never known as a bonus-point machine during the early years of his collegiate career, Bartlett has almost doubled his bonus-point percentage this season and has four pins in ten bouts. Despite the disparity in the rankings between these two, I would expect a relatively close match between these two. Lemley has the look of a freshman that will continually rise up the rankings as the year progresses. Prediction: Bartlett by decision (6-3 Penn State) 149 lbs #6 Austin Gomez (Michigan) vs. #12 Tyler Kasak (Penn State) One of the more intriguing matchups of this dual takes place at 149 lbs with veteran Austin Gomez taking on true freshman Tyler Kasak. The 2022 Big Ten champion, Gomez, appeared to be done with his collegiate career after last season and moved his training situation from Wisconsin to Michigan’s Cliff Keen Wrestling Club. Gomez indicated late in 2023 that he intended to compete again and would use his final year of eligibility with the Wolverines. In the midst of Michigan’s loss to South Dakota State, Gomez made his season debut with a win over a ranked opponent in Alek Martin. It appears he may have been dinged up, but Gomez wrestled in both duals last weekend, posting a win over Ethen Miller (Maryland) and pinning Braden Stauffenberg (Michigan State). If Gomez is close to his 2022 form, he’ll eventually be considered a national title favorite. An opponent the caliber of Kasak should help us figure out just how much impact Gomez can provide in 2024. Kasak was thrust into the starting lineup after All-American Shayne Van Ness was for the season due to an injury. His only collegiate loss came to teammate Beau Bartlett, at 141 lbs, prior to the Van Ness injury. Since then, he has won three straight duals, the most recent two coming against ranked opposition. Sunday’s win over 2023 NCAA Round of 12 finisher, Graham Rooks (Indiana), was an extremely impressive 16-0 tech fall. Similar to his teammate at 125 lbs, a win by Kasak, or even a highly-competitive loss could show that he’ll be in the mix for a high All-American finish this season. Prediction: Gomez by decision (6-6 tie) 157 lbs #9 Will Lewan (Michigan) vs. #1 Levi Haines (Penn State) With graduations, transfers, weight changes, and freshmen, this is the only matchup from the 2023 dual between these two schools, that could happen again on Friday. At that time, it wasn’t a given that Levi Haines would be pulled from redshirt. His sudden victory win over All-American Will Lewan was a hint that Haines was very good and could have a national impact in year one. Typically, wrestlers make the greatest leaps between their first and second years on campus. Haines hasn’t had much in terms of high-level competition to show if that’s the case. Lewan would represent his toughest opponent thus far. During his limited sample size this season, when facing ranked foes, Haines has been limited to regular decisions. With the defensively stout Lewan, that trend is likely to continue. Lewan has been out of action since the CKLV Invitational. There he finished sixth in the most loaded bracket of the event. In the lead-up to the CKLV, Lewan picked up a pair of dual wins. In each of the past two NCAA tournaments, he’s finished eighth and fifth, respectively. In Lewan’s absence, Zack Mattin has gotten the call for Sean Bormet’s team. Though he went 1-2, that lone win came over a ranked opponent in Maryland’s #30 Michael North. Prediction: Haines by decision (9-6 Penn State) 165 lbs #7 Cam Amine (Michigan) vs. #9 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) One of the most interesting matches in this dual takes place at 165 lbs as three-time All-American, Cam Amine, squares off with unbeaten U20 world champion Mitchell Mesenbrink. Amine was fourth at the loaded CKLV Invitational and was out of the Wolverine lineup for the South Dakota State dual. He returned last weekend and went 1-1 with an upset loss to Michigan State’s Caleb Fish. Earlier in the season, another Penn State wrestler Terrell Barraclough pinned Fish (in sudden victory). Despite his national-level credentials, Amine is looking to get his first dual win against Penn State since 2021. He was beaten in this match by Brady Berge in 2022 and Alex Facundo last year. Mesenbrink has largely been dominant and passed every test presented to him with flying colors. He’s tallied tech falls against NCAA qualifiers Brevin Cassella (Binghamton), Jake Logan (Lehigh), and 2023 Pac-12 champion Matthew Olguin (Oregon State) this year. At the time, Olguin was ranked in the top-ten nationally. The only times Mesenbrink has been held to a decision have been against a teammate (Barraclough) and in his first outing of the year. Prediction: Mesenbrink by decision (12-6 Penn State) 174 lbs #4 Shane Griffith (Michigan) vs. #1 Carter Starocci (Penn State) Once Shane Griffith’s transfer from Stanford was finalized and it was confirmed he was moving up to 174 lbs, this was one of the great possible matchups that fans hoped to see. Griffith’s magical run to a 2021 national championship brought attention to the decision to eliminate wrestling and 11 other sports from the Stanford athletic department. The team was saved and Griffith went on to make the 2022 NCAA finals and was fifth in 2023, all at 165 lbs. Now at Michigan, and up a weight, Griffith is looking to finish his career on a strong note. In Vegas, at the CKLV, Griffith was upset by true freshman Lorenzo Norman (Stanford) in a matchup that was filled with storylines and became one of the more surprising results of the entire tournament. In his first 2024 dual, Griffith handed CKLV champion Cade DeVos (South Dakota State) his first loss of the year, with a takedown in sudden victory. He followed with a pair of major decisions against unranked opponents last weekend. Griffith will face perhaps the best pound-for-pound wrestler on the collegiate scene this year in Carter Starocci. Starocci has been a winner for his entire career - with three NCAA titles and a winning streak that dates back to the 2021 Big Ten finals; however, he’s taken his dominance to another level this year. None of his six matches have gone the distance (four techs/two falls). That doesn’t include a brutal tech fall over past national champion, Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech), at the All-Star Classic. Starocci is a wrestler who likes the spotlight and should relish the opportunity to impose his will upon a wrestler of Griffith caliber, in front of a likely hostile environment. Prediction: Starocci by major decision (16-6 Penn State) 184 lbs #15 Jaden Bullock (Michigan) vs. #5 Bernie Truax (Penn State) Heading into the 2023-24 season, most expected to see blue-chip, redshirt freshman Rylan Rogers in the 184 lb weight class for the Wolverines. He was nicked up earlier in the season and gave way to Jaden Bullock. Bullock took full advantage of the opportunity and finished sixth in a bracket that was littered with past All-Americans. After a bad loss in the SDSU dual, Bullock bounced back with a pair of wins last weekend. The second came over Michigan State’s four-time national qualifier Layne Malczewski. Earlier in Bullock’s career, Malczewski beat him twice. The second All-American to head to State College via transfer in the offseason was Bernie Truax. During his career at Cal Poly, Truax has earned All-American honors at three different weight classes, but is back at 184 after spending the 2022-23 campaign at 197 lbs. Truax is now officially 5-1 in a Penn State singlet. In his last outing, Truax fell to Oregon State’s All-American Trey Munoz. He also clashed with top-ranked Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) at the All-Star Classic. Had that match been official, it would have represented Keckeisen’s closest match of the year. Truax remains the only person in the 184 lb weight class with a career victory over the Panther star. Penn State fans should not be alarmed about the early loss by Truax, as he’s ready to roll in March. Prediction: Truax by decision (19-6 Penn State) 197 lbs #32 Bobby Striggow (Michigan) vs. #1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State) Every potential match in this dual features a battle between ranked wrestlers, which is a remarkable feat. The match with the greatest variance between the ranked wrestlers is at 197 lbs with top-ranked Aaron Brooks and Bobby Striggow. Striggow helped solidify his spot in the starting lineup with back-to-back dual wins in mid-November, including one over #27 Jack Wehmeyer (Columbia). He’s struggled a bit since this including an 0-2 showing in Vegas with a loss to Wehmeyer. Striggow is looking to bounce back after two losses to ranked opponents last weekend. Another option for the Wolverines at 197 lbs is veteran Brendin Yatooma. The three-time national champion, Brooks, is in his first year at 197 lbs and hasn’t missed a beat at the higher weight. Only one of his six bouts this year have made it to the third period and that resulted in a tech fall :11 into the final stanza. Altogether, he has three techs and three falls. By chance, if this dual were to be within reach for the Wolverines heading into the final few matches, the Penn State bench can relax knowing they have the potential for bonus points in this contest with Brooks. Prediction: Brooks by tech fall (24-6 Penn State) 285 lbs #4 Lucas Davison (Michigan) vs. #1 Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) We’ll close with a potential preview of the Big Ten finals or perhaps the NCAA semifinals with top-ranked Greg Kerkvliet and number-four, Lucas Davison. In fact, if rankings were to hold, this would be the exact matchup you’d see in the national semifinals. Davison is the third of three All-Americans that migrated north from Northwestern in the offseason. He’s thrived with former opponent and Hodge Trophy winner Mason Parris as a training partner at the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club. Davison has been an offensive machine with bonus points in 80% of his matches. That high-scoring potential helped propel him to the CKLV finals for a second consecutive year. Though they did not meet in this particular dual in 2023, Kerkvliet and Davison are semi-familiar with each other. They clashed in the 2022 Big Ten consolations and Kerkvliet came away with a 5-3 victory. Like Davison, Kerkvliet earned All-American honors for the second consecutive year in 2023. He was a Big Ten and national runner-up to the aforementioned Parris. Could the former Michigan heavyweight impart some wisdom to his successor on how to beat the Penn State big man? If you watched the All-Star Classic, you might think Kerkvliet was unbeatable by the way he disposed of 2023 NCAA third-place finisher Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force). In the three bouts that followed the Classic, Kerkvliet was able to earn bonus points. He’s now 6-0 on the season with bonus points in four of those contests. Prediction: Kerkvliet by decision Dual Projection: Penn State 27 Michigan 6

As a lifelong baseball fan (and sometimes player) you learn a lot about the “unwritten rules” of the game. Some are lame and illogical, others are okay. One that most people tend to embrace is “you don’t talk about a no-hitter.” As a pitcher gets into the fifth or sixth inning, everyone watching pretends as if they don’t realize he’s yet to give up a hit. Our mailbag specialist, Jagger, claims he has a gift for breaking up no-hitters simply by watching. If a team I don’t care for is in the midst of a no-hitter, I make sure he’s aware and turns the game on. In wrestling, we don’t really have this rule. There are plenty of wrestlers who are halfway home with perfect records of their own during the 2023-24 season. At least, one per weight. Rather than ignoring them and hoping they maintain that donut in the loss column; today we’re identifying the undefeated wrestlers, listing their remaining probable opponents, and labeling the likelihood of whether or not they maintain their perfect records heading into the postseason. The terms we’re using to describe their changes of remaining unbeaten are (in order): Highly likely Very good Likely So-So Fair Not good With each wrestler, we’ve also mentioned the biggest potential roadblocks during their remaining schedules. Using baseball lingo, as always, we tip our hat to WrestleStat for having records, past matchups, and future opponents so accessible for a feature like this. 125 lbs #14 Braeden Davis (Penn State): 9-0 January 19th: #5 Michael DeAugustino (Michigan) January 21st: Tristan Lujan (Michigan State) January 28th: Tommy Capul (Maryland) February 2nd: #24 Brendan McCrone (Ohio State) February 9th: #1 Drake Ayala (Iowa) February 12th: #13 Dean Peterson (Rutgers) February 18th: #7 Caleb Smith (Nebraska) February 25th: Caleb Edwards (Edinboro) We’ll get an idea of just how good Davis is this Friday as he takes on All-American Michael DeAugustino. Should he make it through that test, he’ll get pushed in February, as he has four consecutive matches with ranked competition, two of which are in the top ten. If we've learned anything from the first couple months of the season, it's don't make predictions at 125 lbs, they're bound to go wrong! Outlook: Fair 133 lbs #1 Ryan Crookham (Lehigh): 12-0 January 19th: #10 Michael Colaiocco (Penn) January 20th: #29 Brendan Ferretti (Navy) February 4th: #33 Braden Basile (Army West Point) February 9th: #17 Kurt Phipps (Bucknell) February 17th: Sean Pierson (Princeton) February 24th: #24 Julian Chlebove (Arizona State) The stiffest competition for Ryan Crookham will come on Friday against past EIWA champion Michael Colaiocco. After Colaiocco, there are plenty of ranked opponents and opportunities for him to stumble; however, he hasn’t shown that a slip-up is inevitable. Outlook: Very Good #3 Daton Fix (Oklahoma State): 5-0 January 21st: #26 Gabe Whisenhunt (Oregon State) January 26th: #23 Julian Farber (Northern Iowa) January 27th: #7 Evan Frost (Iowa State) February 2nd: #24 Julian Chlebove (Arizona State) February 4th: #31 Kade Moore (Missouri) February 10th: #16 Derrick Cardinal (South Dakota State) February 18th: Jace Koezler (Oklahoma) February 25th: #14 Brody Teske (Iowa) Seven of Daton Fix’s final eight opponents are nationally ranked; however, only one is higher than 14th. Fix has only lost once in his career prior to the NCAA tournament, so I’d guess that trend continues during the final stretch of his career: Outlook: Highly Likely #6 Dylan Ragusin (Michigan): 14-0 January 19th: #4 Aaron Nagao (Penn State) January 21st: #8 Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) January 26th: #12 Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State) February 2nd: #14 Brody Teske (Iowa) February 9th: #19 Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska) February 16th: Cayden Rooks (Indiana) February 25th: Vince Perez (Central Michigan) A mid-season shredding of the redshirt has thrust Dylan Ragusin into the Wolverine lineup - which has been a good thing. Ragusin has looked as good as ever, competing unattached and last week in the traditional Maize and Blue. The next three matches should tell the tale for Ragusin. Friday he’ll have an opponent that he’s never seen before; however, Aaron Nagao placed higher than him at the 2023 Big Ten Tournament and at NCAA’s. Outlook: So-So 141 lbs #1 Real Woods (Iowa): 11-0 January 19th: #32 Greyson Clark (Purdue) January 26th: #24 Danny Pucino (Illinois) January 28th: Joel Vandervere (Northwestern) February 2nd: #25 Sergio Lemley (Michigan) February 9th: #2 Beau Bartlett (Penn State) February 18th: Felix Lettini (Wisconsin) February 25th: #7 Tagen Jamison (Oklahoma State) Initially, you would make Real Woods the favorite over anyone he faces (obviously, as the top-ranked 141 lber). But, as the undisputed number one, you always get the best of every opponent. We’ve seen Woods getting pushed by freshman Vance Vombaur on Monday night and Anthony Echemendia early in the season. Despite holding, a significant rankings advantage over most of his competition, some of these matches could be closer than you’d expect. Of course, the big one is against second-ranked Beau Bartlett, whom Woods defeated 4-1 in last year’s dual. Outlook: Likely #2 Beau Bartlett (Penn State): 10-0 January 19th: #25 Sergio Lemley (Michigan) January 21st: #33 Jordan Hamdan (Michigan State) January 28th: #14 Kal Miller (Maryland) February 2nd: #3 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) February 9th: #1 Real Woods (Iowa) February 12th: #11 Mitch Moore (Rutgers) February 18th: #8 Brock Hardy (Nebraska) February 25th: Jacob Brenneman (Edinboro) The February Big Ten duals should tell the tale for Beau Bartlett. A week before his highly anticipated rematch with Woods, he has a dual against CKLV champion and 2023 All-American Jesse Mendez. He also has a matchup with currently undefeated Mitch Moore, then 2023 Big Ten runner-up Brock Hardy to close the conference dual schedule. Last season, Hardy downed Bartlett in the Big Ten semifinals, 7-3 Outlook: Not good #11 Mitch Moore (Rutgers): 11-0 January 19th: #33 Jordan Hamdan (Michigan State) January 21st: #25 Sergio Lemley (Michigan) January 27th: #19 Vance Vombaur (Minnesota) February 4th: #3 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) February 12th: #2 Beau Bartlett (Penn State) February 16th: #14 Kal Miller (Maryland) February 21st: Nik Antonelli (Bloomsburg) Before really getting to the gauntlet of his schedule, Mitch Moore has a pair of duals against solid freshmen Sergio Lemley and Vombaur to close January. Both are maybe ranked a bit lower than their abilities would indicate. They should be tough outs for Moore, before even thinking about Mendez and Bartlett. Outlook: Not good 149 lbs #1 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska): 15-0 January 19th: #13 Drew Roberts (Minnesota) January 21st: Marcos Polanco (Purdue) January 26th: Sam Cartella (Northwestern) January 28th: #22 Joe Zargo (Wisconsin) February 4th: #8 Kannon Webster (Illinois) February 9th: #6 Austin Gomez (Michigan) February 18th: #12 Tyler Kasak (Penn State) February 25th: #4 Kyle Parco (Arizona State) Ridge Lovett started the year at the top-ranked 149 lber and has done nothing to dispel the notion that he should be considered the favorite. February should tell the tale for Lovett as we wonder if he’ll head into the Big Ten Championships unbeaten. Stud true freshman Kannon Webster leads off the month. The biggest hurdle will be Austin Gomez on February 9th. Lovett was 0-2 against Gomez during the 2021-22 season, including a :20 fall in the Big Ten semifinals. Admittedly, Lovett has improved significantly and we’re still not sure of Gomez’s ceiling. The same can be said for impressive Penn State freshman Tyler Kasak. Outlook: So-So #6 Austin Gomez (Michigan): 3-0 January 19th: #12 Tyler Kasak (Penn State) January 21st: Michael Cetta (Rutgers) January 26th: #9 Dylan D’Emilio (Ohio State) February 2nd: #11 Caleb Rathjen (Iowa) February 9th: #1 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) February 16th: #14 Graham Rooks (Indiana) February 25th: #16 Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan) The Michigan/Penn State dual on Friday will be a great one and one of the marquee matchups is Gomez against freshman Tyler Kasak. Since getting moved into the starting lineup, Kasak has passed every test presented to him. Gomez represents a different level. With the field at 149 lbs this year, you would typically give Gomez the edge against any of the wrestlers on his regular season slate; however, he battled various injuries for the last year-plus, so we’re still not sure exactly what version of Gomez will take the mat for Michigan. Outlook: So-So 157 lbs #1 Levi Haines (Penn State): 7-0 January 19th: #9 Will Lewan/Zack Mattin (Michigan) January 21st: #21 Chase Saldate (Michigan State) January 28th: #30 Michael North (Maryland) February 2nd: #33 Isaac Wilcox (Ohio State) February 9th: #2 Jared Franek (Iowa) February 12th: Andy Clark (Rutgers) February 18th: #3 Peyton Robb (Nebraska) February 25th: Steffan Lynch (Edinboro) Just by the way the schedule has broken so far this season, we haven’t seen Levi Haines against any of the top threats at 157 lbs. That should change soon. Will Lewan and Peyton Robb are opponents that pushed Haines to sudden victory in 2022-23. He did not face Franek. There’s also the chance that Haines has made a big jump in his second year and surpassed both. Outlook: Fair #4 Vince Zerban (Northern Colorado): 19-0 January 19th: #15 Cael Swensen (South Dakota State) January 21st: Landon Johnson (North Dakota State) January 26th: Cooper Voorhees (Wyoming) February 10th: Kyler Lake (Utah Valley) February 18th: Brooks Gable (Air Force) You may not have guessed that Vince Zerban is the only other unbeaten wrestler at 157 lbs, but Zerban has been excellent with titles at the Black Knight Invite, the Cougar Clash, and the Southern Scuffle. Zerban’s match Friday against Cael Swensen should indicate whether or not he’ll enter the Big 12 tournament undefeated. Last year, Swensen defeated Zerban 4-2 in dual meet action. Outlook: Fair 165 lbs #1 Keegan O’Toole (Missouri): 11-0 January 26th: #8 Peyton Hall (West Virginia) January 28th: #2 Julian Ramirez (Cornell) February 4th: #4 Izzak Olejnik (Oklahoma State) February 16th: Brendon Howes (North Dakota State) February 18th: Tanner Cook (South Dakota State) February 23rd: Evan Yant (Northern Iowa) February 25th: #3 David Carr (Iowa State) Despite being perhaps one of the top two or three wrestlers in the nation when it comes to pound-for-pound rankings, Keegan O’Toole is far from a shoo-in here. The main reason is the regular-season ending dual with Iowa State and 2021 national champion David Carr. Carr defeated O’Toole in two of their three 2022-23 matchups and is responsible for O’Toole’s only losses since the 2021 NCAA semifinals. The upcoming slate with three top-eight opponents is nothing to scoff at either. Outlook: Fair #9 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State): 11-0 January 19th: #7 Cam Amine (Michigan) January 21st: #10 Caleb Fish (Michigan State) January 28th: Gaven Bell (Maryland) February 2nd: #22 Bryce Hepner (Ohio State) February 9th: #6 Michael Caliendo (Iowa) February 12th: Tony White (Rutgers) February 18th: #18 Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) February 25th: Max Kirby (Edinboro) The upcoming Michigan swing should help us learn just how good Mitchell Mesenbrink can be in 2024. So far, Mesenbrink has dominated the competition, even his best tests, to date. This weekend he’ll have top-ten opponents in Cam Amine and Caleb Fish. For the past three years, Amine has been one of the key threats at this weight and Fish upset him last weekend. The often-overlooked Michael Caliendo looms at this Iowa dual, as well. Outlook: Fair 174 lbs #1 Carter Starocci (Penn State): 6-0 January 19th: #4 Shane Griffith (Michigan) January 21st: DJ Shannon (Michigan State) January 28th: Dom Solis (Maryland) February 2nd: #30 Rocco Welsh (Ohio State) February 9th: #9 Patrick Kennedy/Gabe Arnold (Iowa) February 12th: #19 Jackson Turley (Rutgers) February 18th: #29 Bubba Wilson (Nebraska) February 25th: Joey Arnold (Edinboro) For my money, Carter Starocci has been the best collegiate wrestler during the 2023-24 season. He hasn’t suffered a loss since the 2021 Big Ten finals and has opened up his offense more this season, which is a scary proposition. Friday’s matchup with 2021 national champion Shane Griffith is juicy and either of Iowa’s 174’s make for some fun possibilities. Even so, it’s hard to imagine this version of Starocci suffering a loss before March (or even during March). Outlook: Highly Likely #2 Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech): 7-0 January 26th: Tyler Eischens (North Carolina) February 2nd: #12 Justin McCoy (Virginia) February 9th: Jack Wimmer (Duke) February 10th: Paul Pierce (George Mason) February 16th: #15 Luca Augustine (Pittsburgh) February 23rd: #32 Alex Faison (NC State) When healthy, Mekhi Lewis has been one of the few wrestlers who has been able to seriously push and threaten Carter Starocci over the past two seasons. Health has been a big question for Lewis during that time, as well. He’ll face some good competition during the next month and a half; however, it’s difficult to picture Lewis suffering a loss. Because of his stout defense, some of these matches may end up close on the scoreboard, though less so in actual competition. Outlook: Very Good 184 lbs #1 Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa): 16-0 January 26th: #2 Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) January 27th: Giuseppe Hoose (Oklahoma) February 4th: #31 Dennis Robin (West Virginia) February 9th: Nathan Haas (California Baptist) February 11th: #9 Will Feldkamp (Iowa State) February 23rd: #11 Clayton Whiting (Missouri) February 25th: #16 Shane Liegel (Wisconsin) With Aaron Brooks moving up, 184 lbs was without a returning champion this year. Parker Keckeisen was considered the slight favorite; however, since the competition began he has seemingly separated himself from the rest of the pack. His next scheduled dual against Dustin Plott appears to be his toughest challenge. Plott has lost only once in 18 matches. He was third at the CKLV bracket that Keckeisen won, though the two did not meet. Not on the schedule is the Flash Flanigan Open this weekend which some UNI wrestlers may attend. It’s not certain if Keckeisen will, yet. Outlook: Very Good 197 lbs #1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State): 6-0 January 19th: #32 Bobby Striggow (Michigan) January 21st: #29 Kael Wisler (Michigan State) January 28th: #5 Jaxon Smith (Maryland) February 2nd: #22 Luke Geog (Ohio State) February 9th: #14 Zach Glazier (Iowa) February 12th: #9 John Poznanski (Rutgers) February 18th: #15 Silas Allred (Nebraska) February 25th: Jack Kilner (Edinboro) Three-time national champion Aaron Brooks has moved up to 197 lbs and hasn’t missed a beat. His Big Ten slate is littered with ranked, high-quality opponents, yet none that jump out as serious threats to Brooks. That being said, we’ll have him a notch lower than Starocci because he has dropped a match before nationals in each of the last two seasons. Outlook: Very Good #2 Stephen Buchanan (Oklahoma): 20-0 January 26th: #30 Julien Broderson (Iowa State) January 27th: #23 Wyatt Voelker (Northern Iowa) February 9th: #6 Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State) February 18th: #16 Luke Surber (Oklahoma State) Stephen Buchanan has one of the smallest remaining schedules amongst this group of undefeated wrestlers. Each and every one of his prospective opponents is nationally ranked, which presents a challenge for the Sooner. Perhaps, the most significant is 2023 NCAA runner-up, Tanner Sloan. The two have met twice in their careers and have split the matchups. One of those (Sloan’s win) came during the 2019-20 season, so I’m not sure how much that matters. Even so, it’s a very tough match. Outlook: So-So #3 Rocky Elam (Missouri): 8-0 January 26th: Austin Cooley (West Virginia) January 28th: #8 Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) February 4th: #16 Luke Surber (Oklahoma State) February 16th: Spencer Mooberry (North Dakota State) February 18th: #6 Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State) February 23rd: #23 Wyatt Voelker (Northern Iowa) February 25th: #30 Julien Broderson (Iowa State) Like Buchanan, Tanner Sloan represents the toughest test on the remaining slate for Rocky Elam. The pair have traded wins in each of the last two seasons, so he’s certainly a threat for the Mizzou All-American. Additionally, Elam has a matchup against Cornell All-American Jacob Cardenas in late-January. They have never met, though Cardenas looks much improved from last season. Outlook: So-So #4 Trent Hidlay (NC State): 16-0 January 26th: #13 Mac Stout (Pittsburgh) February 2nd: #18 Max Shaw (North Carolina) February 9th: Colden Dorfman (Virginia) February 16th: #8 Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) February 18th: Kwasi Bonsu (Duke) February 23rd: #26 Andy Smith (Virginia Tech) Moving up to 197 lbs has been great for Trent Hidlay. He’s taken advantage of the new takedown rules and amassed bonus points in nearly 88% of his matches. Of his regular decisions, only Maryland’s Jaxon Smith was able to keep within a takedown of Hidlay. Though Cardenas represents his most significant challenge, Hidlay did major him in Vegas. Outlook: Highly Likely #9 John Poznanski (Rutgers): 10-0 January 19th: #29 Kael Wisler (Michigan State) January 21st: #32 Bobby Striggow (Michigan) January 27th: #24 Garrett Joles (Minnesota) February 4th: #22 Luke Geog (Ohio State) February 12th: #1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State) February 16th: #5 Jaxon Smith (Maryland) February 21st: Kolby Flank (Bloomsburg) If John Poznanski can channel the form that made him an All-American as a true freshman in 2021, Rutgers should be in good shape at the 2024 national tournament. Poznanski’s next three weeks should present him with a handful of solid challengers, but no one unbeatable. He will have a difficult pair of duals to close out the Big Ten schedule with Brooks and Smith. Outlook: Not good #14 Zach Glazier (Iowa): 15-0 January 19th: Ben Vanadia (Purdue) January 26th: Isaiah Pettigrew (Illinois) January 28th: Evan Bates (Northwestern) February 2nd: #32 Bobby Striggow (Michigan) February 9th: #1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State) February 18th: Mike Tal-Shahar (Wisconsin) February 25th: #16 Luke Surber (Oklahoma State) Without a doubt, the most shocking wrestler on this list is Zach Glazier and he sort of lost in the infamous Soldier Salute final against AJ Ferrari, but technically didn’t. There is certainly a path for Glazier to remain unbeaten leading into the Hawkeyes mega-dual with Penn State. Of course, Aaron Brooks is a different challenge. Outlook: Not good 285 lbs #1 Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State): 6-0 January 19th: #4 Lucas Davison (Michigan) January 21st: Josh Terrill (Michigan State) January 28th: #23 Seth Nevills (Maryland) February 2nd: #17 Nick Feldman (Ohio State) February 9th: Bradley Hill/Ben Kueter (Iowa) February 12th: #7 Yaraslau Slavikouski (Rutgers) February 18th: Nash Hutmacher (Nebraska) February 25th: Nick Lodato (Edinboro) Greg Kerkvliet missed some time due to an injury but has returned for the Big Ten duals. His biggest challenge of the regular season looms on Friday with Lucas Davison. February also could be tough with stud-freshman Nick Feldman, potentially seeing U20 world champion Ben Kueter in Iowa, and the always-difficult Yaraslau Slavikouski from Rutgers. Outlook: Very Good #2 Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force): 14-0 January 26th: #31 Luke Rasmussen (South Dakota State) January 28th: Devon Dawson (North Dakota State) February 3rd: Christopher Island (California Baptist) February 9th: Chase Trussell (Utah Valley) February 11th: Will Jarrell (American) February 18th: Xavier Doolin (Northern Colorado) It’s hard to picture 2023 NCAA third-place finisher Wyatt Hendrickson stumbling with his upcoming schedule. He’ll head into the Big 12 tournament without having faced currently unbeaten conference opponents Yonger Bastida and Zach Elam. Outlook: Highly Likely #3 Yonger Bastida (Iowa State): 15-0 January 26th: #14 Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma) January 27th: #9 Konner Doucet (Oklahoma State) February 2nd: Michael Wolfgram (West Virginia) February 11th: #16 Tyrell Gordon (Northern Iowa) February 25th: #6 Zach Elam (Missouri) Along with Hidlay, no other wrestler has benefited from a move up in weights like Yonger Bastida has, going from 197 to heavyweight. Bastida has been one of the most high-scoring big men in the country, routinely racking up double digits in points. The match to circle is the final one of the year against Zach Elam. We’ll see if the Tiger big man can’t slow Bastida down and/or score enough to keep up with him. Outlook: Very Good #6 Zach Elam (Missouri): 15-0 January 26th: Michael Wolfgram (West Virginia) January 28th: #19 Lewis Fernandes (Cornell) February 4th: #9 Konner Doucet (Oklahoma State) February 16th: Devon Dawson (North Dakota State) February 18th: #31 Luke Rasmussen (South Dakota State) February 23rd: #16 Tyrell Gordon (Northern Iowa) February 25th: #3 Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) Before fast-forwarding to the Bastida matchup, you have to consider opponents like Konner Doucet and Tyrell Gordon. Though Zach Elam has never lost to either, they both have taken him to extra time. One slip-up against either could ruin his perfect record. Plus, the mammoth matchup against Bastida. Outlook: So-So #7 Yaraslau Slavikouski (Rutgers): 12-0 January 19th: Josh Terrill (Michigan State) January 21st: #4 Lucas Davison (Michigan) January 27th: #28 Bennett Tabor (Minnesota) February 4th: #17 Nick Feldman (Ohio State) February 12th: #1 Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) February 16th: #23 Seth Nevills (Maryland) February 21st: Shane Noonan (Bloomsburg) Yaraslau Slavikouski has solidified the back of the Rutgers lineup and gives Scott Goodale’s team a podium threat at a weight class where they generally have not had one. Slavikouski has yet to face a top-15 opponent while wrestling with the Block R, though that could change this weekend. On Sunday, he could face Davison during Rutgers’ Michigan road trip. If that’s not enough, he has bouts with Nick Feldman and top-ranked Greg Kerkvliet on the docket in February. Outlook: Not good