InterMat Staff

Mound-Westonka

Spring-Ford

Northfield Mt. Herman

Bishop McCort

I recently had the opportunity to meet with Coach Tony Ersland in person at the Purdue Campus in West Lafayette, IN. First of all, the campus is beautiful. The campus was blustering with enthusiasm and energy, which is usually the case on a college campus when it’s sunny and 75, but it seemed especially so today. I was able to park right on the athletic campus in between Mackey Arena, Halloway Gymnasium, and Rose-Ade Stadium. John Wooden, red brick, and a beautiful college campus set the stage for a fun tour. It’s always great to speak with Coach Ersland, but this time, it was in person. Coach shares his thoughts on wrestle-offs, and excitement of the season as a whole here. *Update, the wrestle-offs have taken place. Purdue has most of their weights with expected starters already, with so many returning wrestlers. 149 was the weight with the most intrigue for me. At this weight, we had Isaac Ruble against Jaden Reynolds. The match had a lot of action in neutral but with no scoring through the first. Reynolds chose down in the second, which proved to be a tough spot for him. Ruble showed he was dangerous on top, and was able to lock up a cradle to get the fall. Ruble is listed on the roster at 157, but we’ll see if he’s dropping down to get into the lineup. Back to the tour. Next, we walk to check out the weight room and facilities. En route, I learned that Purdue has the athletics campus set up particularly well. The training staff, weight room, trainers, practice facilities, communications teams, coaching offices, et al, are all located generally in the same area. Additionally, they are all accessible without having to go outside. Throughout this tour, we went from Coach Ersland’s office, into Halloway, into Mackey, and eventually into the Lambert Fieldhouse, where the practice facility is. The walk through the different parts of the campus was fun. Coach Ersland and I talked about the program and the progress they’ve made over the years. He also shared that they will host the Indiana v Purdue dual in Mackey Arena this season (Friday, January 17th, time TBD). If you haven’t been to Mackey Arena, I highly recommend it. Everything on this campus is beautiful, and an interstate battle seems like a great dual to check out. We talked briefly about what the battle with Indiana means, and Coach Ersland proudly stated that he has yet to be outplaced by Indiana at the B1G Championships. We continue the tour. It’s evident that in addition to being the Head Coach of Purdue, Coach Ersland remains a huge fan of the sport. This might seem insignificant, but it isn’t. You can’t fake passion. We talk through changes in the landscape, other programs and athletes on the rise, and the growth of the sport. I have the opportunity to meet some of the athletes as well while checking out the weight room and locker rooms (both look to be recently updated and very well equipped), as we make our way to the wrestling room. The wrestling room has the feel of a room that has seen the hard-nosed battles of guys trying to take that next step. The quote on the front of the door clearly expressed what the expectations are. Additionally, the Wall of Champions shares what their end goals are to set the tone. Overall, this was a great experience to gain perspective on what the team has in mind and the vision that they’ve bought into. From speaking with Coach Ersland, a contingent of the wrestlers, the communications staff, and seeing the area, I am convinced that this group has what it needs to reach the goals that the staff has for them. As Coach Ersland said, they’ve trained to the standard, now it’s time to play like you’re in the sandbox.

The season continues to climb ever closer and I wanted to take a closer look at each team’s upcoming schedule. It’s a bit different with this preview, however, going team by team and highlighting what I consider their “Best Dual” and an “Under the Radar” dual. The best dual for each team varies, depending on circumstances, storylines, and even potential matchups. Everyone knows the top-ranked schools Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Missouri, etc. on schedules, so this preview adds some variety. Under the radar duals are the same way. Maybe there’s a specific match to look out for, or it’s a sneaky “trap” dual for a higher-ranked team. Regardless, this conference is filled with fire matchups throughout the season and will have ones to watch every week. Air Force: Best Dual: North Dakota State (Home - 1/19) Last season Air Force beat NDSU in a wild comeback 21-13 win, with five straight wins to close the dual. It was the first time they had beaten the Bison since 2011. While this dual may not be filled with ranked matchups, it’s an important matchup between two teams looking to reload after graduations and transfers. Under the Radar Dual: California Baptist (Road - 11/22) On the other end of last season, CBU actually scored their first win over the Falcons last season. It was the young program’s only second win in the Big 12. Similar to NDSU, this dual provides an opportunity for both teams to establish themselves in the Big 12 rankings. It’s also a chance to give fans a chance to see if any wrestlers are able to start their conference season strong early and potentially push themselves into the NCAA qualifier conversation. Arizona State: Best Dual: Northern Iowa (Home - 1/17) While the Sun Devils have top teams OK State, Iowa State, Missouri, and Cornell on the schedule, the Northern Iowa dual stands out. For one, they’ve wrestled all of those teams in the past two seasons. The last time they faced Northern Iowa was in the 2021 season at a “neutral site” in Ames as a tridual with Iowa State. This time they’ll get the Panthers at home in Tempe. There’s only one potential rematch at 174, and the dual features two returning national champions with Richie Figueroa and Parker Keckeisen. This will also give a big matchup at 157, with Kyler Larkin vs Big 12 champ Ryder Downey. This is now a conference matchup as well, and one that could establish either team into the top 10 nationally and a potential conference sleeper. Under the Radar Dual: Stanford (Road - 1/19) R.I.P to the Pac-12 we once knew, but this former conference matchup is a great one. Last season ASU won 18-17 at home, with Cohlton Schultz scoring a pin to clinch it at the end. We could see Nico Provo look to get another upset over Richie Figueroa after an OT win last year. Kaleb Larkin could get another test against returning All-American Daniel Cardenas. While this doesn’t have the conference impact it once did, these two teams could have another close back-and-forth affair. California Baptist: Best Dual: Cal Poly (Road - 12/19) While Stanford leads, this is an important in-state dual in the pecking order for California. Cal Poly has won their last four matchups, including a 32-3 win last season. This year however could look much closer, returning both NCAA qualifiers last season. Eli Griffin at 141 and Hunter Leake at 133 should be big point scorers for the Lancers, and could have an opportunity to lead the way for an upset. Under the Radar Dual: Wyoming (Road - 1/25) These two teams have actually traded wins the past two seasons, with Wyoming being CBU’s first Big 12 win in 2023. Wyoming won last season 28-12, with Garrett Ricks pinning Eli Griffin. Potential toss-up matches at 133, 141, 157, and 184 could make this dual interesting again this season. Throw in their top 50 Big Boarder Paul Kelly potentially getting an opportunity against Gabe Willochell and this dual could be another hotly contested conference matchup. Iowa State: Best Dual: Iowa (Road - 11/23) There’s no question here. One of, if not the, biggest rivalry duals in college wrestling occurs with the Cy-Hawk series. The Cyclones haven’t won since 2004 but have been right there the past two seasons. There are ranked matchups at nearly every weight. The hotly contested dual is absolutely can’t miss TV every year and an easy pick for best dual. Under the Radar Dual: West Virginia (Road 1/08) A sneaky dual for Iowa State comes with conference opponent WVU, who was one of the most improved squads last season. WVU seemingly holds an advantage at 125 and 141, while there are top-ranked toss-ups at other weights. Ty Watters vs Anthony Echemendia at 149 and Peyton Hall vs MJ Gaitan at 165 could be Big 12 finals previews. By January rolls around we’ll have a better picture of lineups, but this dual could be tighter than some expect. Missouri: Best Dual: Penn State (Neutral Site - 12/21) While many will expect this dual to be one-sided, it’s a matchup that fans haven’t seen in recent years. This year at Collegiate Duals in Nashville the two will face off for the first time since 2008. PSU will be heavily favored overall but there are potential highlight matches mixed in at 125, 174, and 197. Look for the Tigers to find spots to try and make a statement against the Lions. Under the Radar Dual: Northern Colorado (Road - 11/02) This one is right around the corner, kicking off the season early for both teams. While Northern Colorado isn’t ranked as a team, their lightweights may change that soon. Stevo Poulin, Dom Serrano, Andrew Alirez, and Vinny Zerban are a strong way to start a dual and are either favored or have wins over Missouri starters. If Missouri starts the season off slow, Northern Colorado could put them on upset alert. North Dakota State: Best Dual: South Dakota State (Home - 2/23) A great rivalry dual once again, these two teams will face off for the Border Bell to close out the season. NDSU has a heavy lead overall with a 45-26 record, but SDSU has won the past three matchups to close the gap. While SDSU will be favored, rivalry duals tend to be good for an upset somewhere. Last season Fernando Barreto beat Derrick Cardinal and Gavin Drexler narrowly lost to Clay Carlson. Under the Radar Dual: Utah Valley (Home - 2/01) This is another dual that doesn’t have the biggest names attached, but a conference dual between two newer head coaches is always good to view. Kellyn March and Haiden Drury is a ranked match between two veterans and will be an important match for qualification. Sign me up for an under-the-radar match between Kyle Burwick and Kase Mauger at 133 as well. Northern Colorado: Best Dual: South Dakota State (Road - 2/07) Northern Colorado is going to be a tough matchup for a lot of schools this season and SDSU is another one. Stevo Poulin majored Tanner Jordan last year before Jordan went on an All-American run. Dom Serrano beat Derrick Cardinal twice last season. Andrew Alirez has big-time bonus point potential at 141, Vinny Zerban vs Cobe Siebrecht could be a top-12 matchup this season. SDSU will be another favorite going in but the Bears could match up well to make things interesting. Under the Radar Dual: Wyoming (Road - 2/16) I highlighted this dual specifically for the matchup at 125 with Poulin and Volk. Poulin actually won their last two matchups narrowly and these two always have some great scrambles. Another match that stands out is at 157 with Zerban and former OU wrestler Jared Hill, who upset Zerban to make the tournament at Big 12’s last season. Northern Iowa: Best Dual: Oklahoma State (Home - 1/24) The Panthers could have one of their best seasons in recent history this year, and a premier matchup with Oklahoma State is an easy one to highlight. Last season these two dualed with the Cowboys getting a 22-12 win, but it was closer than the score shows. Troy Spratley narrowly beat a tough Trever Anderson, and both wrestlers seem primed for a big jump. Cael Happel had three close wins over Tagen Jamison last year. Colin Realbuto at 149 could be a difference-maker in duals for the Panthers. Add in a Parker Keckeisen vs Dustin Plott rematch in the McLeod Center and this dual is an easy pick for best on the schedule. Under the Radar Dual: Oklahoma (Home - 1/25) Ironically, these two duals are actually back-to-back for UNI. Oklahoma has the potential to be another Big 12 team that has improved from last season, even with the recent transfer portal losses. UNI won this one 30-12 last season but there are not too many potential rematches. At 141 and 149 the Sooners actually have wins over Mosha Schwartz and Colin Realbuto. The Panthers will be favorites, but look out for this dual to be tight. Oklahoma: Best Dual: Oklahoma State (Home - 12/13) Another great rivalry dual is the new-look Bedlam matchup. With OU officially a member of the SEC and an affiliate Big 12 member, this dual now only occurs once a year. With newer head coaches on both sides, it will be interesting to see if this rivalry can be reignited after mostly OSU domination in recent years. Once a year adds a bit more to the stakes as this dual is almost always good for an upset or wild moment somewhere. Under the Radar Dual: Wyoming (Home - 11/23) These two teams actually haven’t faced off since the 2018 season, when Wyoming won 26-9. The Sooners are the favorites to start the year, but Wyoming could be nipping at their heels. Gabe Willochell scored a pin over Willie McDougald at Big 12’s with a huge throw. Jared Hill will want to make a statement against his former team. OU has a pair of Cowboy teams that present tough matchups this year. Oklahoma State: Best Dual: Iowa (Road - 2/23) The Cowboys have a number of top-ranked duals to highlight, but another rivalry matchup between two of the best historical and current teams takes the top spot. Iowa has controlled the matches lately, winning the last four and keeping the Cowboys under double digits. Wrestling in Carver makes it another tough environment but should be one of the biggest duals of the year with premier matches throughout. Under the Radar Dual: Oregon State (Road - 11/17) We’ve seen this dual matchup ramp up in recent years since Chris Pendleton took over the helm at the other OSU. Corvallis has been rocking for wrestling with that resurgence as well with a great environment. Last year saw Brandon Kaylor pin Troy Spratley, and three other sudden victory matchups go OK State’s way. The lineups may look different this year but is a growing yearly matchup that’s always entertaining, and early in the season is a plus. South Dakota State: Best Dual: Iowa State (Home - 2/14) The Jackrabbits have a solid schedule every year, and a matchup at home against the returning conference champs gives a great opportunity. These two teams last faced in 2021 in Fargo, N.D. where ISU had a 19-12 win. SDSU won at home in 2017 and 2018 and will be looking to repeat here. A great tournament team that could be an even better dual team, SDSU will have chances to climb the rankings and greatly improve individual seeds. Zach Glazier vs Christian Carroll is the match I’m circling that should provide plenty of late-season answers to how the conference tournament may shake out at 197. Under the Radar Dual: Minnesota (Home - 12/01) While not an official rivalry like NDSU, I would love to see some sort of trophy adopted for this one. Minnesota vs SDSU has occurred almost every year since 2019 with the Gophers winning every one. The past two seasons have been much closer and with it being at home should be another great early-ish season matchup. Utah Valley: Best Dual: Oklahoma State (Home - 11/15) Sometimes the highest-ranked opponent just makes sense as the best and it fits here. These two have only clashed once with OK State blanking the Wolverines in Orem. There’s a chance that that happens again this season but it is still an important dual. The last time these two faced off was the second-largest home crowd in UVU history. With new HC Adam Hall and a very supportive administration, look for this dual to potentially beat their all-time attendance record. Under the Radar Dual: NC State (Road - 11/23) Surprisingly these two teams actually have a history, with NC State leading the series 2-1. NC State won the last two in 2017/2018, with UVU getting a win in the 2010 season. Now with former NC State Coach Adam Hall leading the Wolverines, this could be a new yearly dual we see. Again, NC State is going to be heavily favored but Terrell Barraclough could be favored at 165. Seeing tough duals on the schedule in his first year should only give fans more confidence in Coach Hall and the future of the program. West Virginia: Best Dual: Missouri (Road - 1/26) Last season this dual was 30-6 in favor of Missouri, but did not have the full-strength WVU lineup. This season should look different with new matches and highlight reel rematches. Josh Edmond and Jordan Titus had a double overtime match that wasn’t short on action. Peyton Hall took Keegan O’Toole to the wire, but both wrestlers will have a different opponent this year. Add in what could be a barnburner match with Jett Strickenberger and this dual score could again be much closer. Under the Radar Dual: Northern Iowa (Home - 2/01) The Panthers have been on this list a couple times, and for good reason. This is another matchup that not only brings a potential top-ten team to Morgantown, but some great matchups for fans and the Mountaineers. Colin Realbuto and Ty Waters could have a scramble fest, and Jett Strickenberger had double-digit barnburners with Trever Anderson. Wyoming: Best Dual: Penn State (Road - 12/15) In what I believe is the first time ever, the Wyoming Cowboys will take on Penn State. Again, the Nittany Lions are likely heavy favorites but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some highlight matches. At 125 look for Jore Volk to set the tone against the true freshman Luke Lilledahl. Joey Novak will be a great test for whoever PSU decides to send out. Wyoming sometimes wrestles with a chip on their shoulder and they’ll be looking to make a statement here. Under the Radar Dual: Campbell (Home - 12/31) With Campbell looking to recover after the recent news, this is a great opportunity for fans to show support. The “Dual at the Daddy” is another dual on UFC Fight Pass after the great “Battle in the Barn” event between these teams last season. That dual was a competitive back and forth and the added atmosphere and unique location only added to the excitement. Tune into this one not only to watch a great exciting event, but show continued support for Campbell University and the sport as a whole.

Mound-Westonka

Faith Christian Academy

Hickory Ridge

St. Augustine Prep

All offseason we followed the various hirings and departures from a collegiate coaching standpoint. And there were lots of them. During this preseason, we’ve already written about the head coaches who are in year one at a new school. Now it’s time to talk about some of the big hires from an assistant coaching standpoint. Typically, in our sport hiring a wrestler with the longest list of credentials is considered a “great hire.” And that can end up being accurate. We’ve tried to not just focus on the hires with the best credentials, though they do apply for a handful of the new assistant coaches mentioned below. Dan Neff (Bucknell) He’s back for his second stint on the Bucknell staff! Dan Neff had spent the last six years as an assistant coach and Director of Operations at the Naval Academy. He probably has less name recognition than many on this list, but he was a very important cog in Navy’s recruiting efforts. During the last four seasons, Navy has hauled in a pair of top-25 recruiting classes. Neff also worked closely with EIWA champion Josh Koderhandt at 141 lbs. Considering his familiarity with Bison head coach Dan Wirnsbeger, I’d imagine Neff has fit in seamlessly with his new (old) team. Nathan Tomasello (California Baptist) Nathan Tomasello is back in the college coaching game. He previously served on the Duke staff during the 2020-21 season. He left Duke to train and coach with the Oklahoma RTC under Lou Rosselli - one of Tomasello’s coaches while at Ohio State. Since then, Tomasello has coached at the club and high school level in Ohio. Tomasello had a career at Ohio State that included four Big Ten titles and a NCAA team and individual championship. He’ll immediately help the CBU lightweights improve. Last season, saw the Lancers send their first two wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament (at the DI level) and they were the team’s 125 and 133 lbers. There should be some good prospects for Tomasello to help develop. Sebastian Rivera (Columbia) One of the worst-kept and longest-running secrets over the summer, during the spinning of the coaching carousel, was that Sebastian Rivera would join his Rutgers assistant coach, Donny Pritzlaff, as Pritzlaff took over the head coaching duties at Columbia. This was shortly after Rivera captured an Olympic bronze medal in spectacular fashion in Paris. The medal only enhanced Rivera’s visibility in New Jersey and the surrounding areas. His presence on staff will immediately make Columbia a destination for recruits from his home state and beyond. Getting Rivera’s personal coach Jeff Buxton to come aboard is an added bonus, as well. David McFadden (Cornell) David McFadden got his feet wet in the coaching game working with Drexel, while competing out of the Pennsylvania RTC. All one needs to do is listen to McFadden’s post-match interview after his win at the Last Chance Qualifier to understand how he valued his coaching staff and teammates at the Penn RTC. I would bet that McFadden tries to channel that passion for his coaches as he works with young student-athletes in the future. With McFadden’s addition, three of the four coaches on the Cornell staff are from New Jersey, which has been an important part of Big Red recruiting. AJ Schopp (Edinboro) One of the earlier moves in this coaching cycle was AJ Schopp leaving Purdue and the Big Ten to come home to his alma mater Edinboro. The Fighting Scots have gone through a few tough years, but the addition of Schopp is excellent and could represent a swing of the pendulum in the opposite direction. Known for his masterful work on top, Schopp has also coached a trio of lightweights that have continued dominating from his favorite position (Seth Gross, Devin Schroder, Matt Ramos). Schopp will get to work right away with an excellent prospect at 125 lbs in true freshman Chris Vargo and veteran Colton Camacho (133), who is looking to get over the hump and qualify for nationals for the first time. Schopp is also a link to the recent past of great Edinboro squads, he is planning on using that to help reinvigorate the Edinboro fan base and that could end up impacting the recruiting, as well. Jesse Dellavecchia (Hofstra) Those close to the Long Island program spoke very highly of Jesse Dellavecchia who was added to Long Island’s staff two years ago. He was viewed as a rising star in the coaching game. Last season, Long Island sent their first wrestler to the DI National Championships (Anthony D’Alesio - 184) and posted an 8-8 dual record. As head coach Joe Patrovich stepped down, Dellavecchia made the short trek to Hofstra to continue his coaching career. Dellavecchia will be on new head coach Jaime Franco’s first staff. That could help Hofstra on the mat in year one as they appear to be strongest between 149 and 165 lbs, which is right in the 2021 NCAA finalist’s range. Michael Kemerer (Minnesota) Here is another wrestler who is only at the beginning of his coaching journey but is highly respected amongst his peers. Michael Kemerer was on the Brown staff for a year and even had his name thrown around as a serious candidate in the Bloomsburg head coaching search. Once Trevor Brandvold stepped down from Minnesota’s staff, Kemerer was added by head coach Brandon Eggum. At a young age, Kemerer was seen as a leader. His commitment to the University of Iowa helped pave the way for Spencer Lee and others to make the trek from Western Pennsylvania to Iowa City. As a part of a very veteran coaching staff, Kemerer will have the opportunity to learn from some excellent mentors, while getting acquainted with coaching in the Big Ten. Barry Davis (Navy) Out of all of the coaching hires from this offseason, Barry Davis was the one that we probably didn’t see coming! In his interview with Austin Sommer last week, Navy head coach Cary Kolat describes his relationship with Davis and how he had been trying to lure him back into the coaching game for years now. Davis had served as Wisconsin’s head coach for a 25-year span that ended in 2018. Since then, he has not been officially coaching at the collegiate level in any capacity. Having a coach on staff with prior head coaching experience, is typically a very good thing to have at the collegiate level. Davis can help alleviate some of the unseen responsibilities that Kolat might deal with on a daily basis. Jimmy Kennedy (Oklahoma State) After the shock provided by the hiring of David Taylor by Oklahoma State University subsided, you knew Taylor would be able to put together an all-star staff and a stable of RTC coaches/wrestlers. That has proven to be the case. Initially, you might focus on the hiring of Thomas Gilman, as the impact assistant coaching hire for the Cowboys and I wouldn’t be mad at that notion. However, with the inexperience of Taylor and Gilman, from actually coaching at the collegiate level, having Jimmy Kennedy on staff will be invaluable. Taylor’s brother-in-law, Kennedy, has served on the coaching staff at Northwestern and Penn State, before heading to Stillwater. With his time in State College, you can assume that Taylor and Kennedy will be hand-in-hand in how to best run a collegiate program. Kennedy's previous experience will let him assist with the responsibilities that Taylor might incur that are outside of the wrestling room and are initially new concepts. Matt Valenti (Penn) Another hire we didn’t necessarily see coming, but maybe should have, was Matt Valenti returning to the Penn staff. Not only is Valenti returning as an assistant coach, but he was hired to take over as head coach after Roger Reina steps down following the 2024-25 season. Valenti is the most recent national champion for the Quakers (x2) and spent six years on the Penn staff before moving into an administrative position within the athletic department. As evidenced by his insightful post on Twitter (X) earlier this week, Valenti brings a different perspective to the coaching world, having spent so much time (nine years) in a different area of the athletic department. Valenti will have a year to learn everything he needs to know from Reina - in regards to running his own wrestling program. At the same time, with a coaching coach on the horizon and out in the open, there is less of a chance for the typical attrition on the recruiting trail that may occur during such a transition. Cody Brewer (Princeton) We didn’t realize it at the time, but I suppose it was inevitable that Cody Brewer and Joe Dubuque were going to coach together after they were in opposing corners during the Pat Glory/Sebastian Rivera clashes five years ago. That started a mutual respect between the two. Dubuque was named Princeton’s head coach very late in the game last preseason (mid-September), so he didn’t have the ideal time needed to assemble his first coaching staff. RTC coach Reece Humphrey and RTC athlete Quincy Monday assisted for year one. Now, with a full offseason, Dubuque assembled an excellent team that includes Brewer, Anthony Ashnault, and Nate Jackson. Brewer is fresh off a stint on the Virginia Tech staff where the Hokies finished in the top ten for each of his final three seasons. He has the title of Head Assistant Coach and will be relied upon to fill multiple roles with the staff. Hayden Hidlay (Stanford) Another young star-in-the-making in the coaching ranks is Hayden Hidlay. After graduating from NC State, Hidlay spent a year working with the team before joining Obe Blanc’s first coaching staff at North Dakota State. During his year on staff, 174 lber Gaven Sax made the Big 12 finals and advanced to the NCAA Round of 12. When work came out of Fargo that Hidlay was leaving the NDSU staff, his name popped up as a potential hire and a handful of notable programs. Stanford and Chris Ayres were the ones to land Hidlay. At Stanford, he’ll find a program that has three-straight top-eight recruiting classes and has a boatload of young talent. It wouldn’t be that surprising if we were mentioning the Cardinal as an outside NCAA team trophy contender next season. Andrew Hochstrasser (Utah Valley) There’s lots of excitement surrounding the Utah Valley program as they get ready to kick off year one of the Adam Hall era. Hall’s first hire was his old Boise State teammate, NCAA finalist Andrew Hochstrasser. Hochstrasser is a Utah native who was coaching at the club level in-state. Having an assistant on staff that Hall has a relationship that spans back almost 20 years should be great for his first season as a head coach. Since Hochstrasser is plugged into the local club scene, he should be able to assist in recruiting in-state talent. That will prove to be important as Utah is on the rise in terms of middle and high school talent. Zach Tanelli (Virginia Tech) With Cody Brewer leaving for Princeton, Tony Robie had a big hole to fill on the Hokie coaching staff. He was able to get an excellent replacement in Zach Tanelli, who was formerly the head coach at Columbia. Tanelli was fresh off of back-to-back fourth-place finishes at the EIWA. In addition, the team had their first All-American since 2013 and multiple EIWA champions for the first time since 1935. Tanelli took over a rough situation in Columbia and made them into a nationally relevant team, despite working with strict Ivy League admissions. Tanelli comes to Blacksburg with a pre-existing relationship with assistant coach Jared Frayer (dating back to Tanelli’s days wrestling at Wisconsin) and provides an assistant with plenty of head coaching experience. If that’s not enough, Tanelli’s All-American, Lennox Wolak, has transferred to Virginia Tech and will start at 174 for the Hokies.

Welcome all to the third anniversary of the Jagger mailbag which is two years and 11 months longer than I thought I’d last. So here’s to me for keeping you regular on Friday mornings. And here’s to you for keeping me on my toes in this little thing we call wrestling and for allowing me into your bathrooms every week, but not in a freaky way. It’s truly an honor. Let’s get to it! The hunt for the All-Jagger team starts next week! Are Taylor and JB examples of going out on top if they get gold? Or do you see them trying to run it back if they fall short? Also, are you attending the Jersey Jostle? I mean, Jagger Jostle? Nick Kosko It certainly is for David Taylor if he takes home gold and conquers Sadulaev to do it. I do believe the Magic Man has said “This is it” for him as he begins his college coaching career. I know it hasn’t been discussed much but he’s taken over the reins at Oklahoma State. And I know David has caught a small bit of heat in some pockets for coming back to compete right after getting the gig, but I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. The timing of all this works out where I’m sure he hasn’t been off the mat at all or taken some three-year layoff where he’s suddenly interrupting his whole schedule with some far-fetched dream of another medal. DT has arguably been the best in the world for the last five years and just ran into the buzzsaw that is Aaron Brooks at trials. He can win another one. I don't think this is it for Burroughs. Nor should it be unless a similar situation to DT arises and he takes a top college job. As the late, great Toby Keith once said, he ain’t as good as he once was, but he’s as good once, as he ever was. If that makes any sense. The bottom line is that JB may not be the old JB, but he was so good that even down a notch or two is still better than most guys. Now he can hang out at 79kg for a few years and take his chances in 2028 if he feels so inclined. Maybe he drops back down to 74kg or maybe he goes up to 86kg. I don’t know, I'm not trying to think of 2028 at all since I’ll be fifty years old by then. It pains me to even type that. I don’t know about the Jostle yet since that’s a long day when you factor in the three hours of driving and four hours of duals over the course of an entire Saturday. But I admit it's a fantastic use of alliteration. How did you make out in your fantasy wrestling draft last night? What are your expectations for this year’s squad? Dan Seifring You were there and saw who I drafted so you probably have a better idea of how I did than I do. The league is tricky because you can do nothing all year then have a good March and finish right out the top if you have the right horses. The MatScout himself pulled that off last year with a top-three finish after limping through the regular season. I’ll never rack up those regular season wins by playing matchups or taking advantage of random open tournaments like some of you do. But I do like my top five. Figs is the returning champ, Ragusin has high-placing potential, Orine was a nice piece to trade for to shore up my 141, Echemendia is a candidate to make another leap, and Shapiro might just win it at 157. Things get a little tricky until the end where Mr. Fast Twitch and Ben Kueter anchor the lineup. I also have preseason darling Troy Spratley and Bouzakis floating around and both have loads of potential. Hopefully, I can compete this year before tanking next year in the Tank for Bo campaign. Then I dominate the second half of the decade.

St. Joseph's Regional

Merrillville

Toppenish

Faith Christian Academy

Millard South

Kennett

Collingswood

Elk River

The first round of medals was handed out today in the women’s freestyle portion of the U23 World Championships and the American contingent was featured prominently. Two American women have already won gold medals, while two others have clinched a spot in tomorrow’s gold medal finals. Sage Mortimer (50 kg) and Yelena Makoyed (76 kg) were the American women who captured gold medals on Thursday in Albania. Facing Russian Natalia Pudova, Mortimer immediately took the lead as Pudova was penalized for a hard club off the whistle. She added to her lead quickly thereafter with a takedown at the edge after pushing Pudova around the mat with an underhook. Later in the opening stanza, Mortimer added to her lead by exposing Pudova during a long scramble. Pudova was also cautioned during the sequence which pushed the American’s lead out to 6-0. In the second period, Pudova made her push with a takedown after a snap-and-spin situation. Pudova continued to chip into the lead and nearly put Mortimer in danger with a late throw; however, Mortimer bellied out and conceded the takedown. A few seconds later, the clock hit triple zeros and Mortimer was the victory - to the tune of 7-5. Makoyed dominated her way to the finals with an 11-0 tech followed by two falls. Her gold medal match was more of the same, as she was in control early and often. Within the first :30 seconds, Makoyed snapped Shuiyan Cheng (China) and dropped to a single leg for a takedown. That lead quickly doubled with a gut wrench. Back on their feet, Makoyed continued to bring the pressure and snagged a single leg for a second takedown. Though she wasn’t able to get a leg lace, Mayoked was able to turn Cheng. Cheng fought valiantly as Mayoked continued readjusting her position from the top and finally got the fall at 2:29. Also earning a medal on the day for the Americans was Amani Jones, who was a bronze medalist at 55 kg. Jones also was a bronze medalist at the U20 World Championships in 2023. New Iowa teammates Macey Kilty (62 kg) and Kylie Welker (72 kg) earned finals berths on Thursday, while Sofia Macaluso fell in the 57 kg semifinals and will wrestle for bronze. The American women already have made some history, as this is the first time that the women have crowned multiple U23 world champions in the same year - and they could add to that total on Friday.

We are deep into the collegiate preseason - the first set of preseason rankings have been released. An updated set is on the way for next week and one thing you may have noticed is plenty of wrestlers who have shifted weights between the end of the 2023-24 season and now. Wrestling is unique compared to other collegiate sports because of the weight-cutting/weighing-in aspect. In football, a team can have multiple wide receivers on the field. In basketball, maybe you sub for a backup point guard. Baseball has a handful of starting pitchers and relievers. Once the wrestling postseason starts, you can only have one wrestler per weight class, so coaches and wrestlers need to plan ahead - to field the best possible postseason lineup. That aspect makes getting a potential starting lineup from a wrestling coach much more valuable than in any other sport. Is the team redshirting a good starter in hopes of building him up to a higher-weight class the following year? Did someone wrestle a higher-weight class last season because they couldn’t beat out the starter or for the good of the team? Those are the questions that get answered when you see a potential lineup. Now that we’ve received intel from many of the DI schools, we’re able to figure how who may be moving up and down. We’ve compiled a list of those wrestlers, sorted by weight class, and with some descriptors for you to follow who may be wrestling at a new weight in 2024-25. This isn’t every single wrestler who has changed weights - we’ve tried to limit it to wrestlers who were under strong consideration for the preseason rankings. 125 lbs #19 Ramazan Attasauov (Illinois) - 2022 NCAA Qualifier, Big 12 3rd Place (from 133) #31 Nicolar Rivera (Wisconsin) - 12-12 in 2023-24 at 133 lbs NR Kale Peterson (Iowa) - (from 133) NR Keyveon Roller (Virginia) - 6-4 in 2023-24 at 133 lbs 133 lbs #7 Drake Ayala (Iowa) - 2024 NCAA Runner-Up, Big Ten 3rd Place, 2x NCAA Qualifier (from 125) #2 (125) Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) - 2x NCAA All-American (3,4), 3x MAC Champion, 3x NCAA Qualifier (from 125) #16 (125) Kysen Terukina (Iowa State) - 3x NCAA Qualifier, Big 12 4th Place (from 125) #17 Cleveland Belton (Oklahoma) - 2x NCAA Qualifier, 2024 NCAA Round of 12 finisher, 2023 Pac-12 champion (from 141) #22 Brett Ungar (Cornell) - 2x NCAA Qualifier, 2023 NCAA Round of 12 finisher, 2x EIWA Runner-Up (from 125) #31 Ethan Berginc (Army West Point) - 2x NCAA Qualifier, EIWA 3rd Place (from 125) NR Jack Maida (American) - 2023 NCAA Qualifier (from 125) NR Tristan Lujan (Michigan State) - 2024 NCAA Qualifier (from 125) NR Markel Baker (Northern Illinois) - 2023 MAC 4th Place (from 125) NR Colton Camacho (Edinboro) - 2024 ACC 4th Place (from 125) NR Sean Spidle (Central Michigan) (from 125) 141 lbs #8 (133) Kai Orine (NC State) - 2x NCAA All-American (8,8), 2x ACC Champion, 3x NCAA Qualifier (from 133) #9 (133) Chris Cannon (Northwestern) - 2x NCAA All-American (7,7), 2x Big Ten 4th Place, 3x NCAA Qualifier (from 133) #16 Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) - 2x NCAA All-American (7,6), 4x NCAA Qualifier, 2021 ACC Champion (from 133) #22 Braden Basile (Army West Point) - 2024 NCAA Qualifier, EIWA 3rd Place, 2-2 at NCAA’s (from 133) #29 Kellyn March (North Dakota State) - 2023 NCAA Qualifier, Big 12 4th Place, 1-2 at NCAA’s (from 149) NR Nash Singleton (Oregon State) - 2023 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational 6th Place (from 149) NR Eli Griffin (California Baptist) - 2024 NCAA Qualifier, 1-2 at NCAA’s (from 125) NR Jayden Scott (North Carolina) (from 149) 149 lbs #6 Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina) - 2x NCAA All-American (6,4), 2x ACC 3rd Place (from 141) #7 Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State) - 2024 NCAA 5th Place, 2024 Big 12 Champion (from 141) #26 (157) Kal Miller (Maryland) - 2x NCAA Qualifier (from 141) NR Koy Buesgens (NC State) - redshirted at 141 lbs 157 lbs #4 Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) - 2024 NCAA 8th Place, 2024 Big Ten 5th Place (from 165) #5 Tyler Kasak (Penn State) - 2024 NCAA 3rd Place, 2024 Big Ten 3rd Place (from 149) #17 (149) Ethen Miller (Maryland) - 2x NCAA Qualifier, 2024 Big Ten 4th Place, 1-2 at NCAA’s (from 149) #28 Kaleb Larkin (Arizona State) - redshirt freshman (from 149) #29 Noah Castillo (Chattanooga) - 2023 SoCon Runner-Up (from 149) NR Carter Schubert (Oklahoma) (from 165) NR Dakota Morris (Army West Point) (from 165) 165 lbs #9 Matthew Olguin (Oregon State) - 2x NCAA Qualifier, 2023 Pac-12 Champion (from 174) #10 Andrew Sparks (Minnesota) - 3x NCAA Qualifier, Big Ten 6th Place (from 174) #10 (174) MJ Gaitan (Iowa State) - 2024 NCAA Round of 12 finisher, Big 12 4th Place (from 174) #19 Bubba Wilson (Nebraska) - 2x NCAA Qualifier, 2x Big Ten 6th Place, 2-2 at NCAA’s (from 174) #25 Cesar Alvan (Columbia) - 2023 NCAA Qualifier, Olympie RS to compete for Brazil (from 157) #29 Tate Picklo (Oklahoma) - 2023 NCAA Qualifier, Big 12 5th Place (from 174) NR Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) - Slated to compete in 2023-24 at 157 lbs NR Jay Nivison (Michigan State) - 2022 NCAA Qualifier (from 174) NR Jared Keslar (Pittsburgh) - 13-16 in 2023-24 at 157 lbs 174 lbs #1 Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) - 2x NCAA Champion, 4x NCAA All-American (3,1,1,3), 3x Big 12 Champion (from 165) #2 Levi Haines (Penn State) - 2024 NCAA Champion, 2x NCAA All-American (1,2), 2x Big Ten Champion (from 157) #6 Dean Hamiti (Oklahoma State) - 2x NCAA All-American (6,6), 2023 Big Ten Champion, 2x Big Ten finalist (from 165) #8 (184) Lenny Pinto (Nebraska) - 2x NCAA Qualifier, 2024 NCAA Round of 12 finisher, 2024 Big Ten 3rd Place (from 184) #12 Josh Ogunsanya (North Carolina) - 2x NCAA Qualifier, 2022 EIWA Runner-Up (from 165) #15 Clayton Whiting (Minnesota) (from 184) #16 Brevin Cassella (Binghamton) - 3x NCAA Qualifier, 2024 EIWA 3rd Place, 2-2 at NCAA’s, (from 165) NR Dom Baker (Campbell) - 2024 NCAA Qualifier, 2024 SoCon Runner-Up, 1-2 at NCAA’s (from 165) NR Tate Naaktgeboren/Aiden Riggins (Iowa State) (from 184) NR Rylan Rogers (Lehigh) - 4-3 at 184 lbs in 2023-24 NR Dalton Harkins (Army West Point) - 23-8 in 2023-24 between 165/184 184 lbs #1 Carter Starocci (Penn State) - 4x NCAA Champion, 2x Big Ten Champion (from 174) #7 Edmond Ruth (Illinois) - 2024 NCAA 7th Place, 2023 NCAA Round of 12 Finisher, 2024 Big Ten Champion (from 174), 2x NCAA Qualifier #9 (197) Silas Allred (Nebraska) - 2x NCAA Round of 12 Finisher, 2023 Big Ten Champion (from 197) #9 Jaxon Smith (Maryland) - 2x NCAA Qualifier, 2023 NCAA Round of 12 Finisher, 2023 Big Ten 3rd Place (from 197) #16 Evan Bockman (Iowa State) - 3x NCAA Qualifier (from 197) NR Billy Janzer (The Citadel) - 2x NCAA Qualifier (from 197) NR Jared McGill (Edinboro) - 16-4 in 2022-23 at 174 lbs 197 lbs #5 (184) Trey Munoz (Oregon State) - 2x NCAA All-American (3,6), 3x Pac-12 Champion (from 184) #7 Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota) - 2024 NCAA 6th Place, Big Ten Champion, 3x NCAA Qualifier (from 184) #21 Mickey O’Malley (Drexel) - 4x NCAA Qualifier, 2022 EIWA Champion, 2022 NCAA Round of 12 finisher (from 174) #22 Josh Barr (Penn State) - 15-0 redshirting at 184 lbs #23 Bradley Hill (Oklahoma) - 2024 NCAA Qualifier, Big Ten 5th Place (from 285) #33 Christian Carroll (Iowa State) - redshirted at 285 lbs NR Cade Lautt (North Carolina) (from 285) 285 lbs #25 Sam Mitchell (Wyoming) - 2024 NCAA Qualifier, MAC Runner-Up NR Adam Ortega (The Citadel) - 15-16 in 2023-24 at 184 lbs

125 The lightest weight gives the ACC a solid base to start; it is a deep weight with significant experience across the board. Off the top, 2023 All-American Eddie Ventresca (7th) will be returning to the Hokie lineup after taking a redshirt year last season. Add into the mix a couple multiple-time NCAA qualifiers. Jakob Camacho (NCST) is a four-time qualifier (NQ, R12, R16, R16) who is looking to break through to the podium; Nico Provo (Stanford) has made the trip twice, falling in the round of 16 last year. Nick Babin comes to Pittsburgh from Columbia where he finished in the round of 16 in 2023. Spencer Moore (UNC) has been on the bubble of qualifying in both of his seasons as a starter and I expect a strong season from him as he continues to mature into the weight. Ethan Grimminger (Duke) is looking for a more competitive season for the Blue Devils in his second year in the starting spot. Virginia has a couple options they are deciding between; Kyle Montaperto held the starting spot last year and is being challenged by Keyveon Roller who is dropping down from 133. Preseason Rankings: #8 Jakob Camacho #11 Nico Provo #22 Eddie Ventresca #29 Spencer Moore #30 Nick Babin 133 This is one of the more wide-open weights in the conference. There is a lot of untested youth at this weight, with the most experienced wrestlers transferring into the conference this season. Ethan Oakley (UNC) was a two-time NCAA qualifier (NQ, R16) at Appalachian State and will be looking to make an immediate impact for the Tar Heels. The Hokies also have a talented transfer who is looking for a fresh start after a successful stint at Lehigh. Connor McGonagle was a two-time qualifier at 141 for the Mountain Hawks; he had his best season at 133 in 2022, but it was cut short by an injury in the EIWA tournament. Marlon Yarbrough (UVA) put himself on the national radar with multiple ranked wins last season in his first year as a starter for the Hoos and qualified for the NCAA tournament. Raymond Adams (Duke) enters his second season as a starter, as does a very dangerous Vinny Santaniello (Pittsburgh), while Tyler Knox (Stanford) will see the lineup for the first time after his redshirt season. The biggest change at the weight comes for the Wolfpack. It appears that two-time All-American Kai Orine will be making the move up a weight class to 141, leaving the 133 slot for a couple of talented young wrestlers to battle over. Vincent Robinson was 11-2 in his redshirt year while Jacob Cox was 11-3; both picked up dual wins for the Pack and will be solid options at the weight. Preseason Rankings: #8 Kai Orine* #10 Connor McGonagle #18 Marlon Yarbrough #19 Ethan Oakley #25 Tyler Knox 141 The strength of 133 is moving up to 141 and makes for a very top-heavy weight class with a lot of youth filling out the weight. Sam Latona (VT) is a two-time All-American and four-time qualifier (6, R12, 7, R16); he has always been huge for his weight both at 125 and 133, and will be at a more comfortable weight for his final season. Recently, it was revealed that Kai Orine (NCST) will also be making the move to 141. He is also a two-time All-American and three-time qualifier (R16, 8, 8). Ryan Jack, who was an All-American last season, will take a redshirt year for the Pack. Jason Miranda (Stanford) is another experienced starter who will be looking to make his first NCAA tournament. Anthony Santaniello will make his debut in the starting lineup for the Panthers after going 3-1 in his redshirt season. Christian Colman (Duke) and Jayden Scott (UNC) will both step into their second season in the starting role and are looking to make it to the big show for the first time. The Cavaliers have another weight they are still sorting out, with several options on the table. Jack Gioffre was 13-7 as the starter last season and could potentially get the nod this year, but also may go up to 149. Kyren Butler is another option, as is Dylan Cedeno who started at 157 last season--they are considering him at 141 and 149. I would expect to see several different lineup looks for the Hoos while they sort out their starters at the middleweights. Preseason Rankings: #5 Ryan Jack* #16 Sam Latona #30 Jason Miranda #33 Jack Gioffre 149 The Champ Is Here and will face stiff competition in what is likely the deepest weight in the conference. Reigning NCAA Champion Caleb Henson makes his return for the Hokies after an incredible run to the title last season. Henson is a two-time All-American, placing fifth as a true freshman prior to his NCAA title last year. Also in the mix is another two-time All-American; Lachlan McNeil will be making the move up to 149 after two very successful seasons at 141 where he placed fourth and sixth at the NCAA tournament. The addition of Stanford to the conference adds another All-American to the weight. Jaden Abas is a four-time NCAA qualifier (7, NQ, NQ, R12) who earned All-American honors in his first trip and fell in a tough match in the bloodround last year. Finn Solomon (Pittsburgh) will look to build on an up-and-down season last year that finished with a trip to the NCAA tournament. It looks like redshirt freshman Sean O’Donnell will get the nod for the Blue Devils. Just like 141 for the Hoos, 149 is a weight class in limbo. Michael Gioffre was the starter last season and ended the year with a 9-9 record. He is a potential option for the Hoos; as previously mentioned his twin brother Jack and Dylan Cedeno are also in the mix. Erik Roggie is also a wildcard at this weight. The move of Kai Orine to 141 reverberates up to 149 as well. Jackson Arrington, two-time NCAA qualifier (R12, R12) will take a redshirt year and the weight will likely be filled by redshirt freshman Koy Buesgens who had a stellar redshirt year last year, finishing at 12-2 overall with a 2-2 record in dual appearances. Preseason Rankings: #1 Caleb Henson #6 Lachlan McNeil #8 Jackson Arrington* #13 Jaden Abas #31 Finn Solomon 157 This is an incredibly young weight within the conference that is highlighted by the experience of Ed Scott (NCST), Sonny Santiago (UNC) and Logan Ferrero (Duke) as the only multi-year starters. Scott is an All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier (R12, 5, R12) who is looking to get back on the podium. Santiago made big strides last year and put himself on the national map with a dual win over Ed Scott on his way to his first NCAA appearance. Ferrero will enter his third year as a starter for the Blue Devils and is looking to make the postseason for the first time. Nick Sanko (UVA) will be the likely starter for the Hoos after being a late addition to the ACC tournament last season after an injury to Dylan Cedeno. Sanko has a lot of potential and has consistently improved in his time in Charlottesville. Zach Hanson will make his debut for Stanford after a 7-2 record in his redshirt year; Dylan Evans (Pittsburgh) is the presumptive starter for the Panthers after putting up a 15-11 record his freshman season. The biggest wildcard at the weight is Rafael Hipolito for Virginia Tech. The Hokies replace the unorthodox and dangerous Bryce Andonian with another equally dangerous redshirt freshman in Hipolito. I’m clearly biased as the ACC guy, but I have Hipolito high on the list of people to keep an eye on throughout the country. Preseason Rankings: #6 Ed Scott #22 Sonny Santiago #29 Rafael Hipolito

The beginning of the 2025 Season is upon which means it’s another year of the MatScouts Dynasty Fantasy League. Since 2020, a full fledged Fantasy Wrestling Dynasty League, with some of the most favorite wrestling media members, has drafted and competed head-to-head in regular season duals, then competed for the ultimate prize… The Championship Trophy. The format is simple: 30 man rosters, one starter per weight plus two flex each week. Head-to-Head and Total Points competitions during the regular season where each team can earn NCAA Championship team bonus points towards their final NCAA Team Point total. Standard Fantasy Wrestling Scoring (+3 for a win by decision, -5 for a loss by tech, etc) in Dual Meets, and Modified Tournament Scoring for all Tournaments. In addition to this, we have a Ranked Incentive Bonus Scoring system, where wins against ranked wrestlers earn more points and losses against ranked opponents yields less negative points. The Final Standings depend on that team’s score based on standard NCAA tournament scoring. Past Final Standings: 2021 Season: 1st- Tony DiMarco (me!) 146.5 pts ; 2nd- Eric Knopsnyder 128 pts ; 3rd- Jeff Upson 117.5 pts ; 4th- John Foster 117 pts 2022 Season: 1st- Tony DiMarco (me!) 170.5 pts ; 2nd- Todd Szewczyk 138 pts ; 3rd- Brian Miller 127 pts ; 4th- Dan Seifring 124 pts 2023 Season: 1st- Tony DiMarco (me!) 173 pts ; 2nd- Dan Seifring 157 pts ; 3rd- Brian Miller 134.5 pts ; 4th- Dysen Gould 125.5 pts 2024 Season: 1st- Tony DiMarco (me!) 201.5 pts ; 2nd- Willie Saylor 146.5 pts ; 3rd- Dan Seifring 137.5 pts ; 4th- @Jagger712 136 pts The MatScoutsDynasty League Draft is scheduled for Wednesday Oct 23 at 8:30pm (ET). Here is the draft order for the first round of the draft: 1st Overall Pick: Jeff Upson Team: Team Power 2024 NCAA Pts: 46 Quick Notes: A good mix of upperclassmen with some Sophomores and Freshmen sprinkled throughout, though the scale definitely tilts towards the older side. Immediate needs include depth at 125, 133 & 285 and starter caliber additions for 141 & 157 2nd Overall Pick: Brian Miller Team: One More 2024 NCAA Pts: 67 Quick Notes: The most Seniors on any of the League Rosters (12), coupled with nine Juniors makes this season either a “One More Ride” or a “Tear It Down & Rebuild” kind of vibe. Immediate needs include… depth at every weight that will be there two or three years from now (aka, youth). 3rd Overall Pick: Earl Smith Team: The Ninnie’s Propaganda 2024 NCAA Pts: 93 Quick Notes: Opposite of Team One More, Earl’s roster has the least amount of Seniors coming into the season.Immediate needs include starter caliber wrestlers for 149, 165, & 285, and depth with best available on the board. 4th Overall Pick: Joe Caprino Team: Hoagie Squad 2024 NCAA Pts: 122.5 Quick Notes: Another older team with the majority of starters being Seniors, though half of the weights on his roster have Freshmen ready to take the reigns. Immediate needs include depth at 125, 184, & 197 as well as future plans for 285. 5th Overall Pick: Todd Szewczyk Team: Meeseeks & Destroy 2024 NCAA Pts: 123.5 Quick Notes: Luckily for Todd, O’Toole is moving out to separate and cover more ground with Mesenbrink this season. The middle of the roster is top-heavy with Seniors but some questions on what the roster will look like after 2025. Immediate needs include depth across the board, but more so at 141, 157. And 285 (where Catka will be in a roster battle). 6th Overall Pick: John Foster Team: The Incredible Bulks 2024 NCAA Pts: 126 Quick Notes: A few Senior redshirts coming this season will be throwing him a curveball when it comes to NCAAs, but a contingent of Sophomores ready to step in forms a solid foundation. Immediate needs are 149 (obviously), depth at 133, 165, and 197 for the future. 7th Overall Pick: Jagger712 Team: Jagoffs 2024 NCAA Pts: 136 Quick Notes: Pretty even distribution and depth with a lot of Sophomore and Freshman starters. A huge bonus is the return of AJ Ferrari, who up until now was just a wasted roster spot. Immediate needs include 141, future planning for 149, and depth at 157 through 184. 8th Overall Pick: Dan Seifring Team: Danny B’ Mobbin 2024 NCAA Pts: 137.5 Quick Notes: Juniors and Sophomore abound, Dan is pretty set for the next couple of years, though only one Freshman on the roster does not provide long-term stability. Immediate needs include future plans for 285, depth at the upper weights, and to look for best available on the board at any weight. 9th Overall Pick: Willie Saylor Team: Brain Power 2024 NCAA Pts: 146.5 Quick Notes: The league’s namesake, Willie’s “Trust The Process” movement since 2021 has started to bear fruit. Even distribution of Freshmen and Sophomores look to have a steady foundation with NCAA champion contenders with the seasoned vets. Immediate Needs include depth at 125, 184, & 285, along with future depth at 149 & 165. 10th Overall Pick: Tony DiMarco Team: Cael Chips 2024 NCAA Pts: 201.5 Quick Notes: This might be the season that the reigning 4-time champ doesn’t go home with the trophy. The team is getting older, with the second highest number of Seniors along with a lot of Juniors to boot. Immediate needs include starter caliber wrestlers for 125 and 165, along with future depth needs for 174 through 197. Some youth in the lower weights wouldn't hurt either.

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