InterMat Staff

Liberty

What has become a preseason staple for us at InterMat, counting down the top 50 wrestlers for the upcoming season, is back for 2023-24. With a large chunk of sixth and seventh-year seniors gone, there is plenty of turnover from last year’s list to this one. That makes for a lot of fun and perhaps some spirited debates. Like last year, the third iteration of this feature will show five wrestlers at a time, counting down from #50 to #1. For each wrestler, we’ll have some basic information along with career highlights, and a brief analysis of their career (with an emphasis on last season), followed by an outlook for the upcoming season. Here are #46-50 45) Brock Mauller (Missouri) photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com Weight: 149 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 3x NCAA All-American (7th, 5th, 6th), 3x MAC Champion, 2023 Big 12 Runner-Up 2022 Top-50 Ranking: #35 A stalwart for the Missouri Tigers since the 2018-19 season, Mauller is one of the few wrestlers who has earned a spot in the top-50 in each of the last three years. Mauller has earned All-American honors in each of the four years he’s taken the mat for Mizzou, three times from the NCAA and once from the NWCA (2020). During the 2022-23 campaign, Mauller suffered a loss in mid-November, but did not lose for the remainder of the regular season. His final match before the postseason saw him prevail by fall in tiebreakers over freshman sensation Paniro Johnson (Iowa State). Johnson would later return the favor in the Big 12 finals. That led to the sixth seed at nationals, which happened to be Mauller’s lowest seed in his four times qualifying for nationals (3, 4x2, 6). 2023-24 Outlook: Mauller starts the year ranked fifth in a wide-open 149 lb weight class. He’s currently the highest-ranked wrestler in the Big 12 at the weight and sits directly behind Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech), an opponent whom he split with in 2022-23. In four years of collegiate competition, Mauller has already amassed a 103-12 record, with five losses as a true freshman, accounting for the most defeats in one year. What we’re saying is Mauller is incredibly consistent and should be a contender at this weight class. There are some rumblings about a possible weight shift for the Tigers, which could involve Mauller; however, we’ll see how that develops (or if it does). 44) Richie Figueroa (Arizona State) photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com Weight: 125 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 2022 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Champ 2022 Top-50 Ranking: Not Ranked We’ve already had a true freshman, so how about a wrestler who didn’t start for his team in the 2023 postseason? That’s not fair to Richie Figueroa, as he sat behind a multiple-time All-American and notched some excellent wins of his own. Of Figueroa’s 14 wins last year, nine came against past/future NCAA qualifiers. At the CKLV Invitational, Figueroa topped the eventual NCAA runner-up, Matt Ramos (Purdue), in the title match. Before that, Figueroa outlasted NCAA Round of 12 finisher Brett Ungar (Cornell) in tiebreakers. In his last match before Vegas, Figueroa downed Noah Surtin a regular All-American threat for Missouri. Figueroa finished the 2022-23 season with a perfect 14-0 record. 2023-24 Outlook: With a head-to-head win over Ramos, you could make the argument that Figueroa deserves the preseason number one ranking at 125 lbs. For now, he’ll settle for third behind Ramos and Anthony Noto (Lock Haven), yet ahead of a handful of past AA’s who we’re quite as consistent during the 2022-23 season. Right away, Figueroa will be able to move up the rankings as he is slated to meet Noto at the WrangleMania Duals (November 11th). Figueroa came into Tempe as one of the top pound-for-pound recruits in the Class of 2021 and has done nothing to hamper that label. Expect Figueroa to be a key factor if not the national champion at 125 lbs, when the smoke clears Saturday night in Kansas City. 43) Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com Weight: 141 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 2022 NCAA 5th Place, 2x ACC Champion 2022 Top-50 Ranking: #24 The 2021-22 campaign was a breakout year for Cole Matthews who finished fifth in the nation after going 1-2 at nationals the previous year. Matthews’ NCAA finish led to a preseason #1 ranking from InterMat. Despite an early-season, unofficial loss at the All-Star Classic, Matthews carried an undefeated record into the new year as he claimed the title at the Midlands. Matthews was upset in his first dual of 2023; however, he rebounded and navigated through a tough ACC dual schedule and conference tournament to claim his second title. That gave him the #3 seed in Tulsa. At Nationals, Matthews advanced to the quarterfinals, but fell short of the NCAA podium after back-to-back losses in tiebreakers. All-in-all, still a very strong year with a 21-3 record and a win over an eventual All-American. 2023-24 Outlook: Matthews starts the year ranked seventh in a really deep 141 lb weight class that looks to be up-for-grabs with 2023 champion Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) slated to take a redshirt. Matthews owns a career win over Alirez’s NCAA finals opponent, Real Woods (Iowa), and #3 Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina). If I had to guess, I’d expect a lot of movement between the top-ten or 12 at this weight. Matthews has shown he can compete with and beat some of the best in the nation; he just needs to do it in March, in back-to-back matches. Matthews is very sound defensively and comfortable in close matches, which are both great traits to have. In order to have a high NCAA finish, he’ll probably need to expand his offensive, a bit. 42) Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com Weight: 141 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 2023 NCAA 6th Place, 2023 Big Ten 6th Place 2022 Top-50 Ranking: Not Ranked One of the cornerstones of Ohio State’s top-ranked recruiting class of 2022, Jesse Mendez immediately stepped into the Buckeye lineup and made an impact. In his first tournament, Mendez knocked off two-time All-American Lucas Byrd (Illinois) on his way to a Michigan State Open title. Mendez missed about a month of action, but jumped back into the lineup and won his first five Big Ten duals, the last of which came over a past All-American Rayvon Foley (Michigan State). As has been known to happen to freshmen in the Big Ten, Mendez took some lumps at the conference tournament and finished sixth, losing to a pair of wrestlers he defeated earlier in the year. He showed maturity in Tulsa and bounced back to match that same Big Ten finish, by taking sixth at NCAA’s. In Mendez’s final three wins of the season (one of which clinched All-American honors), he would prevail in tiebreakers. Over the summer, Mendez made an age-group world team for the third time when he locked up a spot on the U20 freestyle world team. Unlike previous trips, this one ended with some hardware as Mendez claimed a silver medal at 65 kg. 2023-24 Outlook: Since Mendez was in action at 65 kg (143 lbs), you can see his days at 133 lbs in the rearview mirror, as Mendez is expected to move up to 141 for the 2023-24 campaign. Mendez does have a redshirt available, so don’t rule that possibility out. As we stated earlier, with Cole Matthews, 141 is very deep and has plenty of potential contenders. With a full offseason in Columbus under his belt and any added confidence from his international exploits, I’d expect an even better version of Mendez and one that’s ready to challenge for a chip. Right now, Mendez doesn’t have any collegiate history versus any of the other top contenders, but that should change come December. After the CKLV Invitational, the best regular season tournament in the country, he’ll have potential duals with Matthews, #9 Ryan Jack (NC State) and #11 Cael Happel (Northern Iowa), within ten days. 41) Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) Weight: 157 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 2x NCAA All-American (7th, 3rd), 4x ACC Runner-Up 2022 Top-50 Ranking: #41 We did not plan it this way, but Bryce Andonian comes in at the exact same ranking as last year, #41. Andonian got his 2022-23 season off to a late start when he first saw action at the Purple Raider Open in mid-January. In his first dual action, Andonian put together an impressive major decision against eventual All-American Ed Scott, which was very important in Virginia Tech’s two-point win over rival NC State. Though Andonian’s total match count was down, due to his early season injury, he did manage to post a career-best in bonus-point percentage. The always-entertaining Andonian notched four falls during his 12 wins. Injuries have slowed Andonian down a bit during his career, as he only holds a 53-18 record into his final season with the Hokies. 2023-24 Outlook: The 157 lb weight class is loaded with potential title threats and Andonian is surely one of them. He will not be phased by the bright lights and big stakes that go along with wrestling in the NCAA quarterfinals or semis. In fact, he might prefer them. While Andonian starts the year ranked sixth, he does have multiple wins over Scott (#5) and was dangerously close to knocking off top-ranked Levi Haines (Penn State) in the quarterfinals. If you want to infuriate a Hokie fan, bring up that match. Andonian nearly had Haines pinned early in the contest, only to get pinned himself late in the third. The lesson is that Andonian is one of the most unique and dangerous wrestlers in the country. Regardless of score or position on the mat, he’s capable of ending a match in mere seconds.

The Pac-12 coaches plan to throw out some top-tier wrestlers to claim the final Pac-12 title. In this preview, we will look at each projected starting lineup and analyze some of the wrestlers. A second, forthcoming preview will break down the conference weight-by-weight. Arizona State 125 - Richard Figueroa/Tristan Mascarenas 133 - Julian Chlebove/Carter Dibert 141 - Jesse Vasquez/Emilio Ysaguirre 149 - Kyle Parco/ Kaleb Larkin 157 - Jacori Teemer 165 - Chance Mclane/ Nicco Ruiz 174 - Tony Negron/Cael Valencia 184 - Cael Valencia/Tony Negron 197 - Anthony Montalvo/Jacob Meissner 285 - Cohlton Schultz Arizona State’s depth is unmatched with eight wrestlers projected to make the NCAA Championships in the preseason rankings. The lightweights carried the Sun Devils the last few years, but the tide has changed. Although Figueroa and Chlebove are outstanding wrestlers, teams will not want to face Vasquez, Parco, and Teemer in three straight matches. The three of them can make runs for an NCAA title. ASU should be fighting for another team trophy in March. Cal Poly 125 - Dominic Mendez 133 - Zeth Romney 141- Abraham Hinrichsen 149 - Chance Lamer 157 - Legend Lamer 165 - Luka Wick 174 - Adam Kemp 184 - Jarad Priest 197 - Josh Harkey 285 - Trevor Tinker Cal Poly’s lightweights are young prospects. Mendez and Romney were both top 100 recruits who were CA State Finalists. In addition, the Mustangs have zero seniors in the starting lineup, making them a dangerous group for the next few years depending on where their next move takes them. This season the Mustangs will be dangerous from 149 to 174 pounds, having three NCAA qualifying wrestlers. CSU Bakersfield 125 - Richard Castro-Sandoval 133 - Santino Sanchez 141 - Tyler Deen 149 - Johnathan Viveros 157 - Brock Rogers 165 - Augustine Garcia 174- Evan Gilbert 184 - Guillermo Escobedo 197 - Mateo Morales 285 - Jake Andrews CSU Bakersfield will struggle to contend against its Pac-12 opponents. On the bright side, Garcia is the only senior penciled into the starting ten. The upperweight tandem of Escobedo and Morales could be the toughest part of the Roadrunner lineup. Little Rock 125 - Jeremiah Reno 133 - Nasir Bailey 141 - Jayden Gomez/Brennan Van Hoecke 149 - Kyle Dutton 157 - Matthew Bianchi 165 - Brendon Abdon 174 - Tyler Brennan 184 - Triston Wills 197 - Stephen Little 285 - Josiah Hill/KJ Miley Little Rock will have four freshmen in the starting lineup. However, coach Neil Erisman believes every one of them is a darkhorse in their respective weight classes. Bailey, Dutton, Abdon, and Little were Fargo champions. In addition, Little earned several ranked wins last season and Miley put together a 10-8 record competing unattached. The upperweights could be the headliners for the Trojans as Wills, Little, and Hill are projected to reach the NCAAs. Oregon State 125 - Brandon Kaylor/Maximo Renteria/Caleb Coyle 133 - Gabe Whisenhunt/Damion Elliot/Nash Singleton 141 - Cleveland Belton/Ayden Garver/ Nathan Aguilar 149 - Noah Tolentino/Austin Scott 157 - Isaiah Crosby/Murphy Menke 165 - Matthew Olguin/ Cole Zoller 174 - Travis Wittlake/Mason Reiniche/Kekana Fouret 184 - Trey Munoz/Kodiak Stephens 197 - Mason Christiansen/Jackson McKinney/Brett Mower 285 - Boone McDermott/Charles Hastriter Oregon State has a great chance to repeat as Pac-12 champions and finish as a top 20 team in the country. The Beavers talent and depth are spread throughout the lineup. Kaylor has a chance to take over the 125-pound class in the Pac-12 and reach the podium in March. Belton and Olguin have the opportunity to break brackets in March, while Munoz is one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers in the Pac-12. Stanford 125 - Nico Provo 133 - Dominick LaJoie 141 - Jason Miranda 149 - Jaden Abas 157 - Daniel Cardenas 165 - Hunter Garvin 174 - Luke Duthie 184 - Jack Darrah 197 - Nick Stemmet 285 - Peter Ming Chris Ayres fields a competitive squad in his first season as the Stanford head coach. The Cardinal crew can be a long shot to win the Pac-12 and finish top 25 at the NCAA Championships. Even though Stanford does not have an NCAA champion-caliber wrestler, a few should contend to be All-Americans. Abas, Cardenas and Garvin can be a dangerous trio in the middleweight classes. Abas ranks 11th in the preseason, Cardenas ranks ninth and Garvin ranks 29th. However, Garvin has the opportunity to become the Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year if he impresses in a decent weight class.

Buford

Mt. Pisgah

Paulsboro

Below are the DI postseason tournaments (dates and locations) for the 2023-24 season: ACC Championships Sunday, March 10th, 2024 @ Chapel Hill, North Carolina (University of North Carolina) Big 12 Championships Saturday, March 9th and Sunday, March 10th, 2024 @ Tulsa, Oklahoma Big Ten Championships Saturday, March 9th and Sunday, March 10th, 2024 @ College Park, Maryland (University of Maryland) EIWA Championships Friday, March 8th and Saturday, March 9th, 2024 @ Lewisburg, Pennsylvania (Bucknell University) MAC Championships Friday, March 8th and Saturday, March 9th, 2024 @ Kent, Ohio (Kent State University) Pac-12 Championships Sunday, March 10th, 2024 @ Corvallis, Oregon (Oregon State University) SoCon Championships Saturday, March 9th, 2024 @ Boone, North Carolina (Appalachian State University) NCAA Championships Thursday, March 21st-Saturday, March 23rd, 2024 @ Kansas City, Missouri (T-Mobile Center)

Liberty

Dodgeville

Friday evening, the Cornell Big Red received a verbal commitment from one of the top wrestlers in the Class of 2025 Alessio Perentin (Delbarton, NJ). Currently, Perentin is ranked ninth overall in the Class of 2025 and third in MatScouts latest rankings at 165 lbs. Perentin is a two-time New Jersey state placewinner, taking fourth as a freshman and winning the 2023 tournament at 157 lbs for the perennial power Delbarton. Outside of New Jersey’s borders, Perentin has won the 2022 Beast of the East and finished seventh at the Super 32. In 2021 and 2022, Perentin made the medal stand at Fargo’s 16U freestyle tournament (2nd, 7th). With Perentin’s verbal commitment, Mike Grey’s team now has three commits from the Class of 2025, joining #71 Elijah Diakomihalis (NY) and #145 Jake Conroy (PA). Perentin projects at the 174 lb weight class which is good because the other two prospects project higher in weight. While there are a handful of returners at the weight class behind All-American Chris Foca, there isn’t a clear-cut successor ready to step in for him. A verbal from Perentin also continues the relationship between the Big Red and Delbarton. Cornell has a highly ranked wrestler from the Class of 2023 (Simon Ruiz), 2024 (Lou Cerchio), and now 2025 (Perentin) all whom attended Delbarton; which is the school Mike Grey attended. The Ivy League schools all have been after Delbarton kids of late. For more recruiting information, check out InterMat’s College Commitment Page .

Delbarton

It’s finally over, right? Isn’t it? I think it is. Technically, the 2023 Coaching Carousel is still spinning; however, the head coaching portion of this ride is likely over for the year, and what a wild one it was! Within days of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, there were questions regarding Lou Rosselli’s status at Oklahoma, but that situation lingered for a few weeks. Once Rosselli was out, plenty of contenders had their names thrown out for the Sooner head coaching position. After some twists and turns, North Dakota State’s Roger Kish was hired. For a few months, the carousel went quiet, as far as head coaches were concerned. Then a series of events kicked off by James Green returning to Nebraska (which led Zach Esposito to take his job, leaving a vacancy on the Oklahoma State staff) and led to three head coaching vacancies in August and beyond. So, with the 2023-24 season less than a month away, let’s take a look at all of the DI head coaches who are in the midst of their first year leading a “new” program. New is in parentheses because there are a few coaches who are with the same team but have been elevated to head coach. Chris Ayres (Stanford) The author of “The Greatest Turnaround in College Sports” is headed west and steps into a situation that is much less daunting than when he took over the Princeton program. Chris Ayres inherited a Princeton team that would go on to their first 35 matches under his direction. Eventually, Ayres took the Tigers from the bottom of the EIWA to the top of the Ivy League in 2020, a feat that had not been 18 years. During Ayres’ final two years at Princeton, he saw a pair of wrestlers (Pat Glory, Quincy Monday) make the 2022 national finals, a Princeton first; before Glory claimed the 2023 national title at 125 lbs. Ayres takes over a Stanford team that has six wrestlers ranked in the preseason and comes in ranked #24 in duals. Each of the last two Cardinal recruiting classes have been ranked in the top-eight by InterMat and there’s a very talented group from the Class of 2024 that has already verballed to Stanford. With his experience building and improving the Princeton program, Ayres could be the perfect person to deal with the strict admissions at Stanford, yet be able to thrive and continue growing. Obe Blanc (North Dakota State) With Roger Kish moving on, the NDSU brass didn’t have to look far to find his replacement in Obe Blanc. Blanc had spent the last four years on Kish’s staff at North Dakota State so there is a high level of familiarity between him and the current student-athletes. During what would be his final year as an assistant in Fargo, the Bison put a pair of wrestlers on the NCAA podium (Jared Franek and Mike Caliendo). Franek also captured the Elite 90, which is given to a student-athlete with the highest GPA and is participating in the NCAA Championship final event. Blanc was a central figure that helped the Bison earn citations in each of the three years for their recruiting efforts from InterMat (‘23 - 22nd, ‘22 - HM, ‘21 - 15th). That recruiting base has led to a strong, young nucleus in year one from Blanc. The emphasis is on young as some of the more accomplished veterans (Franek, Caliendo, and others) left via the transfer portal after Kish signed with Oklahoma. While the star potential of the veterans in year one may be lacking, Blanc has experienced a build at NDSU and NC State, so he’s comfortable molding a young team to his liking. It may take a few years, but don’t be surprised to see the Bison winning 11 of 14 duals and producing multiple AA’s, as they did in 2022-23. Joe Dubuque (Princeton) The second of two long-time assistants elevated to replace their predecessors, Joe Dubuque is the one who helped stop this late couple of rounds on the 2023 coaching carousel. Dubuque has spent the last 10 years on Chris Ayres’ staff at Princeton. He was a three-time All-American and national champion at Indiana; however, Dubuque left a job on the Hoosier staff to return to his home state and help build the Princeton program. A 125 lber in college, Dubuque had a close relationship with 2023 national champion, Pat Glory, a fellow lightweight that won Princeton’s first national title since 1951. While at Princeton, Dubuque has overseen five different wrestlers combined to make the NCAA podium on 10 occasions. Dubuque new position gives the Princeton team plenty of continuity as Dubuque was likely instrumental in the recruiting process and a key figure on the Tiger staff. Given that and the fact that it’s Princeton and student-athletes rarely transfer out, I wouldn’t expect much turnover during the coaching transition. Graduation has hit the Tigers hard in 2023, as both of their NCAA finalists, Glory and Monday, have moved on leaving Princeton with a new-look team this year. There should be plenty of new (and young) faces in the Tiger lineup for the 2023-24 season. Princeton has gotten off to an excellent start with recruiting in the Class of 2024 (8 verbals), so any step back they take in 2023-24 is likely temporary. Roger Kish (Oklahoma) Doesn’t it seem like years ago that we went through the Oklahoma coaching search? Former North Dakota State head coach Roger Kish emerged as “the guy” for the Sooners and you can feel his impact on the program already. Oklahoma already has eight verbals from the Class of 2024 and they have been linked with other top prospects in the Class of 2024 and 2025. The Sooners have long been criticized for the ability to ink in-state talent. Kish and staff have already started to fight back against that stereotype by getting verbals from five in-state wrestlers, all of whom are on MatScouts Top-200 Big Board. More impressively, one of them had been committed to Oklahoma State. This will be a fun angle to follow in the near future. On the mat in 2023-24, the Sooners should be really solid. They start the year #13 in InterMat’s dual rankings and tied for 14th place in a tournament setting. All team potential starters were ranked in the top-33 of their respective weights. Kish and crew should get an immediate title contender at 197 lbs with two-time All-American Stephen Buchanan. Buchanan transferred from Wyoming before the 2022-23 season and spent the year in redshirt. He has wins over the wrestlers who finished second and third at the 2023 national tournament. Because of the talent that Kish inherited, plus some portal additions, expect Oklahoma to be dangerous on the dual front and capable in tournaments during his first season. With the expanded recruiting efforts, it’s certainly possible that the Sooner emerge again as a regular top-ten program that can challenge for NCAA trophies. Rob Koll (North Carolina) Another shocking move in an offseason filled with them was seeing Rob Koll come back to the East Coast and assume head coaching duties at the University of North Carolina, his alma mater. Koll spent the first 28 years of his head coaching career in Ithaca, New York leading Cornell to become a perennial NCAA team trophy threat. During his time with the Big Red, Koll’s teams finished second in the nation twice (2011 and 2012) and in the top-15 15 times. He also oversaw the recruiting of two of the greatest collegiate wrestlers of all-time with four-time champs Kyle Dake and Yianni Diakomihalis. As great as Koll may be on the mat, his impact is just as important outside of the wrestling room. His fundraising efforts are legendary and that continues to grow in importance for a collegiate athletic department. With a high-profile school like North Carolina, one that already has had some success on the mat, I’d expect Koll to have even more success at UNC. North Carolina returns a pair of All-Americans (Lachlan McNeil and Gavin Kane), so they should help the team most in tournaments. Injuries, youth, and a tough-as-nails schedule led the 2022-23 UNC team to a 6-9 that’s not really representative of the talent already on campus. With another year of seasoning for the young guys, I could see UNC ready to unseat NC State or Virginia Tech around the 2024-25 season.

The wait is nearly over. One more month and the college season is upon us. And not a moment too soon. The Mets. Trash. The Raiders. Worst team in the league. I'm not even doing fantasy football. All my TV screens. They’ve gone dark. But the light at the end of the tunnel is finally in view. I think we even have a few wrestling-related questions for once. Let’s get to them! If Jagger is writing the NCAA wrestling season script, then what is the main event on Saturday night in March? Rhino You want me to book the finals in October? Screw it, I’ll bite. I admit I haven’t done the best job lately of keeping up with who’s at what weight and all that so I took a gander at the rankings and finally there’s some turnover. Between guys switching weights and some free-year guys starting to clear out, everything looks shiny and new. It likely wouldn’t be the main event even if it happened, but I’ll throw out there Chris Foca and Shane Griffith at 174. Of course, one would have to get past Carter Starocci as he continues his march to five titles. No easy task. But a matchup between the two former Bergen Catholic greats would be quite the big deal, at least around these parts. I'll go even further out on a limb and pick one that might have an even better chance of happening. Aaron Brooks in one corner for Penn State. In the other corner, wearing the Iowa black and gold, it’s AJ Ferrari! I realize there are more than a few hoops to jump through before AJ can return to college wrestling, but this has a very real chance of happening. Don’t tell me you don’t love the thought of it. Is this going to be your new favorite wrestler? Seton Hall Pirate For those without the benefit of flash photography, Pirate is alluding to recent Cal Poly commit Jagger French. Quite frankly, I dig it. Along with Jagger Condomitti of Nebraska and Jagger Clapsadle of Ursinus, the Jagger revolution has officially begun. We coming for all the Caels. While we’re here, let me explain why I go by the name Jagger. Back in my much younger days, I had a knack for doing a whole Mick Jagger impersonation at the right time of the night. So much so that someone once played Start Me Up at a wedding just to make me do it in front of about 300 strangers. Then I needed to make an email for Yahoo or something so I just picked that name and it just stuck for all my screen names as the interwebs got bigger and bigger in the early 2000’s. That’s the origin story of how I came to be known by this moniker. I always hated the name Ian anyway so it’s worked out. How excited should I be for the Rutgers heavyweight transfer? Does the Jersey bump get him on the podium in March? Salty Walkon Bringing in Slavikouski was a good move for the Scarlet Knights. I liken it to when Greg Bulsak showed up to hold down 197 for a year and got himself on the podium. Can Yara do the same? I just don’t know. Currently he’s ranked sixth, but we’ve yet to see Nick Feldman do his thing and we have no idea what Gable Steveson is doing. And how does he hold up as a fifth-year senior in the Big Ten grind? Is he even aware of Jagger Night? He better be since there’s a good chance my perfect record may end up coming down to him a few times this season. Either way, There's a chance he anchors what could be a very solid block of upperweights with Turley, Soldano, and Poznanski. That’s two former All-Americans, a blood round guy, and a guy who made the round of 16 in Soldano who is extremely dangerous out there. Do not sleep on Rutgers this year. How old is too old to wear Pit Vipers? Also Salty Walkon Since I’m 45 and had to google what they are, it's not a good start. After seeing these hideous sunglasses, I’ll say every age is too old. Grow up and get some aviators already. Word on the street is Pete Alonso will be a Cubbie next year? Will Vogelbach be able to pick up the slack and carry the Mets to the World Series? Indiana Mat We are not doing baseball today. You’re obsessed with Daniel Vogelbach. And Pete isn’t a free agent until after next season so you have to trade for him. I just don’t think that’s happening. Keep in mind, Vogey and Alonso are best buddies so you might just get both of them. Don’t cry to me when they both hit .215 in the middle of your lineup. But we aren’t doing baseball today. Call back some other time. Alright, Jagoffs. I apologize for my brief hiatus again but life is hard and sometimes we have to deal with it. I love trying to entertain you all the best I can and I hope you're still with me. I started this gig nearly two years ago and I’m still at it simply because of you readers. Have a good weekend and I love you all.

Lake Highland Prep

The Wolfpack added their fifth straight ACC Championship and a share of the ACC dual title last season and are looking to add to the trophy collection with a very dangerous lineup. It is a big compliment to Coach Popolizio and crew regarding their recruiting that they never seem to have any “holes” in their lineup. They mix experienced starters with talented newcomers and seem to consistently have a balanced team that is dangerous in both duals and tournaments. There will be some new faces in the lineup this year between redshirts and weight shifts but I don’t expect any dropoff from the Pack. They enter the season with nine ranked wrestlers, with six of those ranked in the top 10. TOP RETURNERS Jakob Camacho: Two-time ACC champ is returning from a redshirt year. Kai Orine: Orine was one of the top stories of the postseason last year. He punched through to the ACC finals by knocking off Sam Latona, then put the fans in Reynolds on their feet with a pin of Micky Phillipi in sudden victory to win his first ACC title. He continued that momentum into Tulsa on his way to an eighth-place finish and his first All-American honors. The coaches have always spoken very highly of Kai, it was great to see his breakthrough onto the national scene. Ryan Jack: Jack had a solid regular season, going 19-2 with his only losses to Cole Matthews and Brock Hardy; who he also beat earlier in the year. He made a second-straight ACC final, falling to Matthews 2-1. He went 1-2 at the NCAA tournament. Jackson Arrington: Arrington had a fantastic freshman season and immediately established himself as an All-American contender. Arrington went 23-9 on the season with 8 of those losses to All-Americans--Jon Millner (x2), Kyle Parco, Yahya Thomas, Caleb Henson (x2), Brock Mauller and Yianni Diakomihalis. He was 4-1 in ACC duals, only losing to Henson and made the ACC finals, again falling to Henson. He made a solid run in Tulsa but fell in the bloodround to Brock Mauller. It is going to be amazing to watch Arrington and Henson battle again to be at the top of the ACC--with both of them being true freshmen last year, there is a good chance we will see several years of this. Ed Scott: Coming off an impressive 2021-22 season, Scott broke through last season to become an All-American. He went 24-9 on the year, with 8 of those losses to All-Americans--Austin O’Connor, Bryce Andonian (x2), Will Lewan, Josh Humphreys (x2), and Peyton Robb (x2). Scott fell in the semifinals at the ACC tournament to Bryce Andonian, in a weight that contained NCAA Champion Austin O’Connor. Scott had a wild run in Tulsa, going 6-2 on his way to a 5th place finish. Scott will again have to contend with Bryce Andonian to get back to the top of the ACC, it has been a fun, back-and-forth rivalry to watch over the last two years. I'm looking forward to another year of it. Trent Hidlay: The three-time All-American will be bumping up a weight for his final run at the top of the podium. Hidlay is a three-time ACC Champion and four-time finalist and has placed 2nd, 4th, and 5th at the NCAA tournament. He is widely known to be one of the top wrestlers in the country at 184…now he is out to leave his mark at 197. Over the past three years, Hidlay has a record of 55-7, with five of those losses coming at the NCAA tournament to three different wrestlers. Kaleb Romero, and Parker Keckeisen both knocked Hidlay off at NCAAs, but he also holds wins over them in the regular and postseason. Aaron Brooks, however, has three wins over Hidlay that have not been avenged; in the finals in 2021 and the semifinals in 2022 and 2023. The good news is, Brooks is also moving up to 197 this season so Hidlay still has the opportunity to beat Brooks to get his NCAA title and what a storybook ending that would be for a phenomenal career. Owen Trephan: Trephan had a great year last year (despite cutting off his luxurious hair…) and captured the ACC title. He was 23-5 on the year and 4-0 in the ACC en route to beating Jonah Niesenbaum to win his first ACC championship. He went 2-2 at the NCAA tournament, with both losses to All-Americans. Trephan will enter as the likely favorite for the ACC title but will have some new challengers seeking the throne. KEY DEPARTURES The Wolfpack only had three seniors last year; Hunter Lewis, Alex Faison and Tyrie Houghton; however, Faison will be back in the lineup this season as a starter at 174. The biggest changes to the lineup this season will be related to redshirts and weight shifts. With Trent Hidlay moving up to 197, Isaac Trumble will utilize his redshirt year. Matty Singleton will likely also redshirt this year as he ended up as the starter for the back half of the season during his freshman year. Derek Fields and Alex Faison will be the likely starters at 165 and 174, respectively. NEWCOMERS Dylan Fishback Fishback was a top-10 pound-for-pound recruit coming out of high school and has an incredibly high ceiling. He went 15-6 as a redshirt, including a seventh-place finish at Midlands and a 1-0 record in ACC duals. The coaching staff has been very high on Fishback both with his ability on the mat and his leadership off the mat. Fishback also captured the U23 World Team spot and will compete in Finland at the end of October. A full year of training in the NCST room and a lot of time working with Trent Hidlay is going to make Fishback an immediate contender to be on the podium in Kansas City. WRESTLER TO WATCH Jakob Camacho Camacho returns to the lineup after taking a redshirt last year to rehab from a knee injury and surgery. He is a three-time ACC Finalist and two-time ACC Champion in 2020 and 2022; he is a three-time NCAA qualifier. He was an ACC Champion in 2020 and was positioned well for the NCAA tournament before it was canceled. In 2021, he dropped a tight match to Sam Latona (VT) in TB1 in the ACC finals, but made a run in the NCAA tournament before falling in the bloodround. In 2022, Camacho got revenge on Latona, winning 3-1 to take his second ACC title; he went 2-2 in Detroit, making the round of 16. Taking a year to get healthy seems to have been great for Camacho. I’ve spoken with him and when watching him in the room, he seems refreshed and refocused on making the podium in Kansas City. He won’t have to go through Latona to win an ACC title this year, but will have new challengers, including All-American Eddie Ventresca, looking to knock him off. REDSHIRT REPORT Troy Hohman (125) 10-5 Jacob Cox (133) 10-2 Aaron Faison (157) 7-5 Dylan Fishback (184) 15-6 1-0 ACC Duals Chase Horne (285) 17-5 TOP OUT-OF-CONFERENCE DUAL The Wolfpack will head back to Italy for a second dual against Oklahoma State, this time in Sicily. Coach Popolizio squared off with his former coach John W. Smith in the first iteration of this dual in 2018, a tight 19-16 win for the Cowboys in the first NCAA dual held outside of North America. While there will be some fantastic individual matchups, this dual favors the Wolfpack on paper. The out-of-conference dual I am most excited about is a late-season matchup when Cornell will visit Reynolds Coliseum. This will be a top-10 team battle with ranked matches up and down the lineup. Look at some of these matchups and tell me you’re not excited!?! 133: #5 Kai Orine v #1 Vito Arujau 141: #10 Ryan Jack v #14 Vince Cornella 157: #5 Ed Scott v Meyer Shapiro 184: #28 Dylan Fishback v #8 Jonathan Loew 197: #5 Trent Hidlay v #6 Jacob Cardenas 285: #8 Owen Trephan v #11 Lewis Fernandes This has the potential to be a very tight, back-and-forth dual in what will be a very rowdy Reynolds. Count me in. POTENTIAL LINEUP NC State #9 Tournament #6 Dual 125: #12 Jakob Camacho (RS) 2x ACC Champion - 3x ACC Finalist - 3x NCAA Qualifier (R12) Jarrett Trombley 15-8 4-0 ACC - ACC Champion - 2x NCAA Qualifier 133: #5 Kai Orine 18-8 4-1 ACC - ACC Champion - All-American (8th) - 2x NCAA Qualifier 141: #10 Ryan Jack 21-5 4-1 ACC - 2x ACC Finalist - 2x NCAA Qualifier 149: #8 Jackson Arrington 23-9 4-1 ACC - ACC Finalist - NCAA Qualifier (R12) 157: #5 Ed Scott 24-9 3-2 ACC - ACC Champion (2022) - 2x ACC Finalist- All-American (5th) 2x NCAA Qualifier (R12, 5th) 165: Derek Fields 10-8 0-1 ACC 174: #22 Alex Faison 16-9 4-1 ACC - ACC Finalist - NCAA Qualifier 184: #28 Dylan Fishback 15-6 (RS) 1-0 ACC 197: #5 Trent Hidlay 24-3 4-0 ACC - 3x ACC Champion - 4x NCAA Qualifier - 3x All-American (2, 5, 4) - NWCA All-American 2020 285: #8 Owen Trephan 23-5 4-0 ACC - ACC Champion - NCAA Qualifier (R16)

Ryan Money’s path to college at the University of Maryland is anything but ordinary. He is applying his unique experiences as an undergrad athlete and the National Guard as a Private First-Class (PFC) to the classrooms at Maryland. Money was originally looking for an ROTC program. They have the same application process for tuition assistance. When he originally applied, he was denied. So, National Guard it was. There are two options the National Guard gave Money. They have a state tuition waiver which pays one-fourth of the tuition of a part-time student. The other part is through a website called Army Ignite Ed. which pays for another one-fourth of tuition. A native of Gambrills, MD., about thirty minutes from campus, Money came to Maryland on a GI Bill. The GI Bill came first, followed by a visit to College Park to meet wrestling coach Alex Clemsen. By the end of the trip, Money had settled on Maryland. The University of Maryland is a state school, so Money could use his waivers along with other benefits. “It was the best option for me to come here,” said Money. “The team atmosphere is amazing. We’re a family. When I came in, I was instantly accepted. Everyone works together. We are all getting beat up together in a way, so it brings us closer together.” Before his wrestling career got started at Maryland, Money starred at the Severn School, 2022 MIAA (Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association) Champion, a 2022 State Runner-Up, and was also a soccer player. He is currently in the Letter and Sciences program and looking to switch to Computer Sciences. Now in his true freshman year at Maryland, Money said the lessons learned while wrestling carry over to the classroom. “So, I started wrestling pretty much as soon as I was born. My dad (Mike) was a wrestler. I wrestled until third grade and quit. I picked it back up in seventh grade. Wrestling has taught me discipline. That’s the biggest thing.” Being a Division One athlete and being a part of the National Guard helps balance out the hard work. “We (Maryland Wrestling) talk about it here (Maryland) a lot. Working out day in and day out, repeating the process, is not something everyone is able to do every day.” Money plans to take both schedules and communicate with both sides meaning when competition comes up, he can make up his National Guard duties during the week. The military only pays for four years of schooling, so if Money was looking to expand his eligibility, that’s a coaching conversation. Money still has a few years left of school, so his plans after graduation are up in the air. “My contract is six years long. I haven’t decided if I want to do something with the military or get a different job in my major.” The University of Maryland is located in College Park, MD. “Getting food is the best part about living not just in College Park, but even in my hometown. There are so many good food places. That is what I spend some of my time doing.” “Serving our country is maybe the most honorable thing you can do. Ryan is a great kid, not surprised that he is called to that. However, the balance of life, service, school, and sport that Ryan is currently juggling is really impressive when you take a moment and really look at everything he is doing. So thankful for his and all those who sacrifice, answering that call to keep our country free. I sleep well at night knowing young men and women like Ryan exist throughout all the branches of our military today,” stated Head Coach Alex Clemsen. The Terps wrestling squad is led by head coach Alex Clemsen, assistant coaches Nick Brascetta, Devin Mellon, and Elijah Oliver. Money will compete at 165 pounds for the 2023-2024 season.

SPIRE Academy

What has become a preseason staple for us at InterMat, counting down the top 50 wrestlers for the upcoming season, is back for 2023-24. With a large chunk of sixth and seventh-year seniors gone, there is plenty of turnover from last year’s list to this one. That makes for a lot of fun and perhaps some spirited debates. Like last year, the third iteration of this feature will show five wrestlers at a time, counting down from #50 to #1. For each wrestler, we’ll have some basic information along with career highlights, and a brief analysis of their career (with an emphasis on last season), followed by an outlook for the upcoming season. 50) Meyer Shapiro (Cornell) photo courtesy of Amirrez Aliasgari/UWW Weight: 157 lbs Collegiate Achievements: None 2022 Top 50 Ranking: Not Ranked We haven’t had a true freshman make the top 50 in either of the previous two years of this feature, so this may look unusual to some people. The current landscape of wrestling is that true freshmen are more equipped to come in and compete for high spots on the NCAA podium in year one than ever before. In 2023, three true freshmen found the podium, led by Levi Haines (Penn State) at 157 lbs. Coincidentally, Meyer Shapiro is also expected to compete at that weight during the 2023-24 season. Over the summer, Shapiro captured his second age-group world title after outscoring his competition 46-10 across five matches. To make the team, Shapiro shut out Nebraska’s redshirt freshman Antrell Taylor in two back-to-back matches. 2023-24 Outlook: There was some discussion about where Shapiro would slot into the Cornell lineup, 149 or 157. It now appears that 157 is the answer and it makes sense after competing at 70 kg (154 lbs) during the summer. It may seem presumptuous to anoint Shapiro one of the top-50 wrestlers for this season; however, he was the top-ranked wrestler in the Class of 2023 and he’s already spent significant time in the Cornell room. Remember, Cornell knows a thing or two about getting great production from a true freshman (ie. Diakomihalis, Yianni and Dake, Kyle). 157 happens to be a bit of an open weight class after the departure of two-time champion Austin O’Connor. 49) Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com Weight: 125 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 2023 NCAA All-American (4th), 2x MAC Champion 2022 Top 50 Ranking: Not Ranked During his two years at Lock Haven, Anthony Noto has amassed a 65-7 record and claimed a pair of MAC titles to go along with his fourth-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships. Noto entered Tulsa on an 18-match winning streak, one he’d extend until 20, before losing to three-time national champion Spencer Lee (Iowa). Noto was able to scare the Iowa star along the way. He’d lock up a spot on the NCAA podium with a 3-1 victory over Rutgers' Dean Peterson. After his bloodround win, Noto also downed returning AA Killian Cardinale (West Virginia) and third-seeded Liam Cronin (Nebraska) to wrestle in the third-place bout. 2023-24 Outlook: Noto enters the 2023-24 campaign ranked second in the land at 125 lbs. With no returning national champion at the weight, Noto has as good of a shot as anyone at bringing home a title in March. The only wrestler ranked ahead of him, 2023 NCAA Runner-up Matt Ramos (Purdue), has not squared off with Noto during collegiate competition; however, a match between the two could be high-scoring. Right off the bat, Noto could meet the wrestler ranked directly below him in #3 Richie Figueroa (Arizona State). Figueroa’s teammate, Brandon Courtney, downed Noto in the NCAA third-place bout in Tulsa and Figueroa was undefeated during his 2022-23 season. Coming out of the MAC, I’d expect Noto to enter the postseason with another sparkling record and put himself in position to contend for a national title. 48) Ed Scott (NC State) photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com Weight: 157 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 2023 NCAA 5th Place, 2022 ACC Champion 2022 Top 50 Ranking: Not Ranked Ed Scott has quickly become one of the most exciting wrestlers to watch in the country. He’s always capable of ending the match from virtually any position. During the 2022-23 season, Scott logged eight falls, with the most high-profile coming over conference rival Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) in the NCAA consolation quarterfinals. Scott would go on to finish fifth for his first All-American honor. A match prior, he downed Pac-12 champion Daniel Cardenas (Stanford) in sudden victory to clinch a spot in the top eight. During the regular season, Scott finished third at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and garnered wins over four eventual NCAA qualifiers along the way. 2023-24 Outlook: Last year, Scott was in a rough ACC weight class that featured two other All-Americans. One of those, Austin O’Connor, is gone which opens up the bracket ACC-wise and nationally. He’ll still have to contend with longtime rival, Andonian, and the fans are the big winners whenever those two clash. Scott starts the year ranked right above Andonian (#5) and is capable of downing anyone he comes across. One of the most interesting bouts on Scott’s potential schedule this year takes place during the second to last weekend of the regular season as NC State takes on Cornell. The Big Red boast top-freshman #50 Meyer Shapiro. By that time, we should have a better gauge of just how good Shapiro is. Scott, we know, has progressively gotten better each year in Raleigh. With another year under his belt, he could be a title threat. 47) Will Lewan (Michigan) photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com Weight: 157 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 2x NCAA All-American (5th, 8th), 2022 Big Ten Runner-Up, 2023 Big Ten 3rd 2022 Top 50 Ranking: 2022 (#32) One of the more consistent figures in the Michigan lineup, Will Lewan made the NCAA podium for a second time in 2023 and finished in the top-three at the Big Ten Championships once again. In 2021-22, Lewan made the Big Ten finals and would advance to the NCAA semifinals as the eighth seed. At his most recent national tournament, Lewan was seeded in a similar spot (9th) and knocked off the ninth seed, Ed Scott, in the Round of 16. He secured his second consecutive All-American berth by downing Cael Swenson (South Dakota State) 7-4 in the bloodround. 2023-24 Outlook: Lewan enters the 2023-24 season ranked seventh at 157 lbs; however, he does own career wins over three wrestlers currently above him. The Michigan man is known for his defensive prowess and his comfort in close matches. Over the past two years, Lewan has gone 11-4 in matches that extended into sudden victory or tiebreakers. Since he wrestles so many close bouts, there’s a chance that Lewan could pull a few timely upsets or fall victim himself. He’s fully capable of stringing a few of those upsets together and coming out on top in Kansas City. Lewan’s already proven on two occasions that he can outwrestle his seed at nationals. 46) Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) Weight: 184 lbs Collegiate Achievements: 2x NCAA 6th Place, 2x Big 12 Champion 2022 Top 50 Ranking: #37 2022-23 was another fine campaign for Oklahoma State’s Dustin Plott. Like the previous season, Plott finished the year in sixth place at nationals. He started the year off with nine straight wins, a streak that included a title at the Southern Scuffle. During the regular season, Plott lost four total matches; however, he was able to avenge two of those in the postseason. One came in the Big 12 finals as he dropped Peyton Mocco to capture his second straight Big 12 championship. Plott also downed Mocco in the finals of the 2023 Southern Scuffle. 2023-24 Outlook: After spending the first three years of his career at 174 lbs, Plott is slated to move up to 184 lbs for the upcoming season. That means that Plott could have dual meetings with two of the three wrestlers (#1 Parker Keckeisen - Northern Iowa and #3 Trey Munoz - Oregon State) currently ranked above him. With Keckeisen in the Big 12, he could have multiple matches with the favorite before getting to the NCAA Tournament. Plott has had long stretches of his career impacted by injuries (which he’s wrestled through), so the move up to 184 lbs could be better on his body and make for a more dynamic offensive output, which may be scary for the rest of the Big 12.

Woodbury

Green Farms Academy

Fresh off of his article detailing the different tiers of the Big 12 Conference, James Hackney is back with a new, regular show he'll release through the 2023-24 season called the "Big 12 Breakdown." In the preseason edition, James will go into more detail about each team, their returning stars, new faces (athletes or coaches) and any other important miscellaneous information regarding those particular teams. In part one of his preseason previews, James looks at California Baptist, Utah Valley, Wyoming, and North Dakota State. Here's the full video (no paywall) from James and be on the lookout for part two!

Malvern

Del Oro

St. Joseph's Regional