InterMat Staff

One of the idiosyncrasies of college athletics is that student-athletes only get four years of collegiate competition before either going to pursue their sport professionally or moving on to other ventures. Of course, COVID and extra eligibility have thrown that traditional four-year mark for a loop these past few years. As we move farther away from the extra eligibility and more towards normalcy, more college athletes will graduate and move on. This applies to wrestling like any other sport. Today, we’ll look back at some of the collegiate stars who have graduated and moved on after the 2023 tournament. As it applies to the upcoming season, we’ll look at the wrestlers slated to replace those greats. Replace may not be the best word, because, in a lot of these instances, it will be extremely difficult to replicate the production and leadership that these great wrestlers provided at their respective institutions. That being said, someone had to try! The wrestler that comes after the great one can come from a couple of different places. Sometimes coaches use the transfer portal. Other times, a stud freshman is waiting in the wings. Maybe it’s a teammate moving up or down in the lineup. And finally, it could be a previously unheralded wrestler who is eager to finally get a shot. Whatever the case, we’re discussing them today! Below we’re going weight-by-weight and have singled out some of the notable seniors and have information on the wrestler (or wrestlers) that will replace them in the lineup: 125 lbs Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) Replacement: Nicolar Rivera The three-time All-American will be replaced by the Badgers starter at 133 lbs last season - Nicolar Rivera. Up a weight, Rivera managed a respectable 11-12 record, but had trouble with the upper-echelon opponents in the Big Ten. Now, he could throw a monkey wrench into an already unpredictable 125 bracket. At his best, Rivera is an unpredictable high-flier who could end a match in an instant. Patrick McKee (Minnesota) Replacement: Cooper Flynn The Minnesota staff went to the portal to replace the two-time All-American Patrick McKee. The Gophers added Virginia Tech national qualifier Cooper Flynn to take the reins at 125 lbs. At one point, Flynn was ranked second in the nation in the topsy-turvy 125 lb bracket. An ACC runner-up in 2024, Flynn went 1-2 at his first NCAA Tournament. I’ll be curious to see how he progresses working closely with four-time Minnesota All-American Zach Sanders. 133 lbs Vito Arujau (Cornell) Replacement: Brett Ungar Replacing a two-time NCAA champion is never easy, but Cornell will do so with one of their key returnees Brett Ungar. Ungar moves up from 125 lbs where he was twice an EIWA runner-up and a 2023 NCAA Round of 12 finisher. It’ll be a tall task for Ungar to replace Arujau’s NCAA production, but he’s a proven capable starter who should hold down the spot and flourish himself. Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) Replacement(s): Cael Hughes/Reece Witcraft Another long, long-time starter that has departed is four-time NCAA runner-up Daton Fix. Redshirt freshman Cael Hughes was a big recruit for the Cowboys and was impressive during his limited mat time in his redshirt year. If Hughes doesn’t work out, Oklahoma State has another option in veteran Reece Witcraft. Witcraft has been asked to move up and down between 125 and 133 throughout his career and would do well if given the extended look as the starter. 141 lbs Real Woods (Iowa) Replacement(s): Ryder Block/Cullan Schriever One of the question marks in a rather loaded Iowa lineup is what Tom Brands’ team will do at 141 lbs? Ryder Block was a very promising recruit who redshirted during the 2023-24 campaign, but did not see any action. Block was projected at 149 lbs, but might test the waters at 141 for a year. Should he not be able to handle the weight cut, veteran Cullan Schriever could be the guy. Schriever has never seen postseason action for Iowa, but is a solid option. Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) Replacement: Anthony Santaniello Pittsburgh has to be excited about unveiling redshirt freshman Anthony Santaniello - who was the #18 overall recruit in the Class of 2023 and a four-time New Jersey state finalist (2x champion). Santaniello only saw action in one tournament last year and went 3-1. His older brother, Vince, was Pitt’s starter at 133 lbs last season and put together a 16-15 record. Austin Gomez (Michigan) Replacement: Dylan Gilcher Michigan will be mentioned here multiple times, as the Wolverines have a lot of talent to replace, starting at 149 lbs. During the first semester of the 2023-24 season, before Austin Gomez was able to compete, Dylan Gilcher got the call in two duals for Michigan, going 1-1. He was also the entry at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and posted three wins, although he missed the podium. 157 lbs Peyton Robb (Nebraska) Replacement: Antrell Taylor Nebraska gets to replace a multi-time All-American with a teammate who earned All-American honors as a redshirt freshman, when Antrell Taylor moves down to take Peyton Robb’s spot at 157 lbs. Taylor had an excellent 23-10 campaign and ended up eighth in the nation at 165 lbs. At 157 lbs, Taylor could challenge for a national title immediately and starts the year ranked fourth in the nation. Will Lewan (Michigan) Replacement: Chase Saldate The Michigan staff didn’t have to look too far to find a replacement for two-time All-American Will Lewan. Like, not even outside of their state borders. Chase Saldate comes aboard as a graduate transfer and looks to end his career on a high note in Ann Arbor. Saldate was a four-time national qualifier for Michigan State and even advanced to the bloodround in 2023. With Michigan, he’s hoping to put it all together and show the promise that made him a top-15 recruit in the Class of 2020. Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) Replacement: Rafael Hipolito The style of the wide-open Bryce Andonian can’t be replicated or replaced. That being said, redshirt freshman Rafael Hipolito could be a lot of fun, as well. Hipolito is a very decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu player who took up wrestling later than most of his collegiate counterparts. There will probably be more of a learning curve for Hipolito, compared to most high school Big Boarder’s; however, he has a higher ceiling. Last season, Hipolito went 12-4 while redshirting. Jared Franek (Iowa) Replacement: Jacori Teemer How do you replace a wrestler that earned All-American honors for you in back-to-back years? Well, if you're Iowa, you get the preseason #1 ranked wrestler at his weight class in Jacori Teemer. Of the offseason transfers, Teemer might be the safest bet to appear in the NCAA finals - a feat he managed last year. It marked the third time in his career that Teemer finished in the top-eight at nationals. 165 lbs David Carr (Iowa State) Replacement(s): Connor Euton/Manny Rojas One of the cornerstones of the Kevin Dresser-era at Iowa State, David Carr, has used his eligibility and will be absent from the Cyclone lineup. There isn’t a clear-cut replacement for Carr just yet, but a couple of good options for Dresser’s team. Connor Euton went 21-3 last year, as a redshirt freshman. Though many of those wins came against non-DI opponents, it was enough for a preseason ranking (#26). Manny Rojas was a very highly-ranked recruit who was not able to crack the ISU lineup as a freshman and is rumored to be moving down to 165. Izzak Olejnik (Oklahoma State) Replacement: Cam Amine Oklahoma State uses a graduate transfer All-American to replace a wrestler who came over in 2023-24 as a graduate transfer, with a prior All-American finish under his belt. Cam Amine was a three-time All-American who battled through injury and illness in 2023-24 and came up a match shy of the podium for the first time. Should he be at full strength, Amine could challenge for a title at this weight. 174 lbs Shane Griffith (Michigan) Replacement: Joseph Walker The wrestler slated to fill in for Shane Griffith is longtime Wolverine Joseph Walker. During his career with Michigan, Walker has filled in, as needed, and fought to a respectable 26-16 record. Last season, in one of his four dual appearances, Walker downed past national qualifier DJ Washington (Indiana). This could be the first time that the senior gets the call for Michigan in the postseason. Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) Replacement: Lennox Wolak Mekhi Lewis brought the first national title to the Virginia Tech wrestling program and his overall impact on the Hokies can’t be overstated. As far as on the mat, the Hokie staff did as well as they could at finding a replacement for Lewis through the transfer portal. Lennox Wolak will finish his career at Virginia Tech after graduating from Columbia. At Columbia, Wolak won an EIWA title and advanced to the 2024 NCAA semifinals, becoming the school’s first All-American in over a decade. Ben Pasiuk (Army West Point) Replacement: Dalton Harkins Speaking of long All-American droughts, Ben Pasiuk broke one for Army West Point last season as he became the school’s first NCAA placewinner since 2008. With Pasiuk graduated, the Army staff will likely turn to senior Dalton Harkins. Harkins has been a mainstay in the Army lineup for the past three seasons, winning 65 matches during that span. Last year, due to talent in the lineup, Harkins had to jump up two weight classes to 184 lbs to wrestle in the postseason. Back at a more manageable 174 lbs, he should do fine for the Black Knights. 184 lbs Bernie Truax (Penn State) Replacement: Carter Starocci No offense to four-time All-American Bernie Truax, but I think Penn State will be just fine at 184 lbs despite Truax exhausting his eligibility. That’s because four-time NCAA champion Carter Starocci is slated to move up from 174 lbs and is expected to be a favorite in chasing title number five. Starocci has an early-season clash with the returning, undefeated national champion Parker Keckeisen looming at the All-Star Classic. 197 lbs Aaron Brooks (Penn State) Replacement(s): Josh Barr/Lucas Cochran The 2024 Hodge Trophy winner Aaron Brooks has finished up at Penn State and his replacement doesn’t look quite as clear as others. Initially, it was rumored that Starocci would jump two weights to do so. Now, it appears with Starocci bound for 184 lbs, stud redshirt freshman Josh Barr will move up - probably just for a year. Barr had an awesome redshirt season that saw him go unbeaten (15-0) and he later claimed a silver medal at the U20 World Championships. Another option for Cael Sanderson’s team is junior Lucas Cochran who was 11-2 last season. Cochran even bumped up in the Rutgers dual and upset 285 lb All-American Yaraslau Slavikouski. Trent Hidlay (NC State) Replacement: Christian Knop Longtime veteran Christian Knop may finally get a chance to be NC State’s full-time starter with five-time All-American Trent Hidlay gone to graduation. Knop should do just fine for NC State. He was called upon three times last season to appear in dual meets and won all three bouts via tech fall. Knop went 18-5 overall and split matches with NCAA qualifier John Crawford (F&M). Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State) Replacement: Zach Glazier It appeared as if South Dakota State was going to have a bit of a hole at 197 lbs with Tanner Sloan leaving. Sloan was a two-time All-American and the first national finalist of the Damion Hahn-era. That changed when Zach Glazier joined the program late in the summer after Iowa brought in three-time All-American Stephen Buchanan. After years of filling in as needed, Glazier was the starter for the Hawkeyes in the 2023-24 season and was the only Iowa wrestler to make the 2024 Big Ten finals. While he had an off-song performance in Kansas City, Glazier proved he was a legitimate contender at this weight for 2024-25. Louie DePrez (Binghamton) Replacement: Cayden Bevis In one of the more interesting developments of the 2023-24 season, Louie DePrez unretired and came from the Binghamton coaching staff to win 25 of 29 matches and was a match shy of earning NCAA All-American honors for a second time. Now, DePrez is back on the Bearcat bench and Cayden Bevis appears to be Binghamton’s starter at 197 lbs. Bevis spent the majority of his redshirt freshman season competing in open tournament and racked up a respectable 16-13 record. He’ll now have to contend with a strong EIWA bracket that includes a pair of past conference champions (Michael Beard/Mickey O’Malley). 285 lbs Lucas Davison (Michigan) Replacement: Ira Jenkins Michigan has had a great run of heavyweights, of late. The Wolverines have produced a national champion and had five finals appearances over the last decade at this weight. Looking to keep that tradition rolling is sophomore Ira Jenkins. Jenkins has yet to see action in a dual meet but was 10-6 while wrestling unattached last season. Unfortunately, when paired up with top competition at the weight, he’s taken his lumps. That being said, with the type of training partners available through the CKWC, Jenkins could quickly make big strides. Zach Elam (Missouri) Replacement: Seth Nitzel The consistent force at the end of the Mizzou lineup for the last half-decade was two-time All-American Zach Elam. One of Elam’s training partners from the previous couple of years, Seth Nitzel, will try to continue to be that ace-in-the-hole for the Tigers. Nitzel starts the preseason with a national ranking (#24) after a 13-3 campaign last year. Nitzel’s biggest wins from his sophomore season include a one-point win over eventual national qualifier Bradley Hill, then of Iowa, and a major decision over blue-chip recruit Christian Carroll, formerly of Oklahoma State.

Commitments from the Class of 2026 have continued to roll in and on Thursday afternoon, Pittsburgh received their second verbal from the junior class and their first from a wrestler currently on the Big Board. Two-time Ohio state champion Karson Brown (St. Edward, OH) has committed to Keith Gavin’s team. Brown is currently ranked #42 overall in the Class of 2026 and 15th in the nation at 126 lbs. Aside from his Ohio titles, Brown has also a variety of national-level credentials. This spring, Brown finished sixth in freestyle at the UWW U17 Trials. During the school year, Brown was fourth at the Walsh Ironman, a finalist at the Powerade, and third at the Doc Buchanan Invitational. In the previous summer, Brown was third in Fargo in 16U freestyle. Getting a verbal from Brown isn’t a huge surprise since his older brother, Kade, is currently a true freshman at Pittsburgh. Karson joins Fargo 16U national champion Elijah Brown (Belle Vernon, PA) in the Panthers Class of 2026. The two are of no relation. At the next level, Brown projects in the 141/149 range. Pittsburgh has young starters in that range; however, it will be a long time before Brown makes his way to campus and potentially redshirts. On Friday, Lock Haven got their first verbal from the Class of 2026 and it’s a familiar name. Christopher Noto (Honeoye Falls-Lima, NY) has committed to the Bald Eagles. Noto is the younger brother of Lock Haven’s two-time All-American, Anthony, who started the preseason ranked second in the nation at 125 lbs. The younger Noto has already placed three times at the New York DII State Tournament. As a sophomore, Noto was a state finalist at 124 lbs. He was fifth as a freshman and third as an eighth-grader. Noto’s best national credential came earlier this year when he finished fourth at NHSCA Sophomore Nationals. In addition to Lock Haven, two other MAC schools recently picked up quality recruits from the Class of 2025. Both are from Ohio. Cleveland State got a commitment from DI state fifth-place finisher Carson Mize (Maryville, OH). It was Mize’s second time on the state podium, he was seventh in 2023 at 165 lbs. The most recent one came at 175 lbs. Mize projects in the 174/184 lb range. SIU Edwardsville was the second MAC school that got a verbal from a prominent Ohio wrestler. DI state finalist Landen Johnson (Massillon Perry, OH) pledged to the Cougars. Also in 2024, Johnson was sixth at NHSCA Junior Nationals. Finally, Lehigh got a verbal commitment from New Jersey state placewinner Chase Quenault (Delbarton, NJ). Quenault was seventh in the state at 132 lbs in 2024 - which accounted for his first state placement after qualifying as a sophomore and freshman. Quenault has placed at the Powerade on two occasions, taking eighth as a freshman and sixth last year. Lehigh has always recruited well from the state of New Jersey. In 2024, two of the Mountain Hawks eight national qualifiers were from Jersey. As always, for more recruiting information, check out InterMat’s College Commitment Page.

Delbarton

St. Edward

Honeoye Falls-Lima

Massillon Perry

Marysville

Saucon Valley

Minnewaska Area

I'm exhausted from a whirlwind week of nonstop sports so let's get right into it. First, my Mets won on Sunday to set themselves up for a playoff push. Then my Raiders even pulled a win, followed by my New York Liberty furthering their push for that first WNBA title. Even my guy Bo Bassett got his Who’s Number One revenge. Then my Mets win in dramatic fashion in Atlanta to secure their spot and head back to Milwaukee followed by another Liberty win to put the Aces on the verge of elimination. Even my fantasy team ran it to 4-0 after I took a year off from that just to come back and take McCaffrey with the first pick. Just so much winning that I’m not used to having and quite frankly, I don’t know how to handle it! And I don’t care! Alright, to the questions! What will take the place of the famous “Polar Burger” when Pete Alonso is working at McDonald’s next year? Aaron Bartlett This didn't age well at all but I’m glad you brought it up. I’ve said it all year and Lady Jags can confirm it. When you absolutely, positively, need Pete Alonso the most, he’s always there for you. There’s times when you think you need him the most and he’s not there, but that’s because it wasn’t actually when you needed him the most. But facing elimination in the ninth as the go-ahead run against one of the best closers in the world is one of those times and he showed up like he always does. What a moment. What a series. We’re on to Philadelphia. What are the most stacked weight classes this coming season? Push Wrestling I don’t know if it’s the most stacked but I love 133 right now. Crookham and Bailey both announced their presence with authority last season. Lucas Byrd returns from a year off. Evan Frost returns with a podium placement under his belt while being sandwiched in the rankings by the Dylans of Ragusin and Shawver who were both Big Ten finalists last season. An NCAA finalist even makes an appearance as Drake Ayala moves up from 125. Kai Orine is dangerous out there and one of the more fun guys to watch. Even Braeden Davis takes his Big Ten title at 125 and jumps into the mix. Somewhere out there is Nic Bouzakis as he looks to put it all together. A weight that has been top-heavy with Daton Fix, Arujau, and RBY the last few years is suddenly loaded with talent and could be the most unpredictable class this season. Keeping with the recent loss of a GOAT, what was your first baseball card? Mine was Rose, and I can still smell that gum. Eric “Fergie Jenkins” Asselin Not sure I remember my first but it’s likely from the ‘85 Topps collection as those were the first cards I physically remember. You guys in the Great White North probably had the O-Pee-Chee brand of the set. And yeah, I chewed a lot of that toxic gum along with ingesting every other toxic thing from the 80’s, like water out of a hose. It’s a miracle we’re all still alive. Is there a PA vs NJ rivalry? Do you want to make one? Burger King of Kings Not really, but perhaps we need one. In wrestling it’s a little tough because they are the best state and about five times our size. So trying to take them on is a bit silly, but fun when we get a win over them. I live in the northeast corner so our rivalry is usually with stuffy New York people who think they’re better than us for no reason at all. As they continue to cross the bridge to shop at our malls and clog up our highways with their moronic driving. F New York. F Pennsylvania. F Mobb Deep. And most importantly, F Bad Boy as a staff, record label, and crew. Who is the Shohei Ohtani of college wrestling? Who is your favorite Mets player of all time not named Daniel Vogelbach? Why are the Mets going to choke tonight? Joe Caprino You got something to say? Didn’t think so. I don’t have an overall player, but as a kid it was Strawberry, then it was Piazza followed by Wright and deGrom. Historically, it’s now Keith Hernandez as he was the captain of the last team to win a ring for us. Ask me again at the end of the month and the answer might change. There is nobody in any sport that compares to Ohtani. He's the greatest player of any particular sport that I’ve ever seen. And that includes Daniel Vogelbach.

With the official preseason rankings dropping thanks to Earl, I wanted to take a look at who’s in the ones from the Big 12 so far and some names to look out for this season. Air Force: No Ranked Wrestlers After graduating three NCAA qualifiers last season, the Falcons are looking to reload with some returning starters and new faces. Look out for Tucker Owens at 125lbs, a 2023 qualifier who struggled in the chaotic weight class, and could be primed for a bounceback year. A new face in the lineup could be Brian Burburija, who went 16-1 while redshirting at their prep academy at 197lbs. #127 on the 2023 Big Board, Burburija could become a staple upperweight in the lineup. Arizona State: #1 Richie Figueroa (125), #21 Julian Chlebove (133), #10 Jesse Vasquez (141), #28 Kaleb Larkin (157), #30 Nicco Ruiz (165), #30 Cael Valencia (174), #4 Cohlton Schultz (285) The Sun Devils are new to the Big 12 this season and as usual, are bringing in a stacked team. Led by returning champ Richie Figueroa, they have a veteran team with three seniors (Chlebove, Vasquez, Schultz). Vasquez is one to look out for after a Round-of-16 finish because when healthy, he has a high ceiling. An exciting prospect, Nicco Ruiz had flashes against high-level competition and went 8-2 while redshirting. Similarly, Kaleb Larkin turned heads with a 48-second fall against multiple-time qualifier Zach Redding in a dual, but truly broke out in freestyle with a Bill Farrell title and a tech fall over Matthew Kolodzik at Olympic Trials. Additionally, Pierson Manville was the #31 overall recruit of 2024, and projects at 149 lbs which happens to be a question mark after the transfer of Kyle Parco. If Manville impresses early, he may end up in the lineup sooner than later. Also, Azizbek Fayzullaev, a native of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, has won two titles at Northwest College in Wyoming. He also won the Asian U23 Championships in 2022. If he is healthy and the transition to D1 goes well he could be a factor for this team at 184. California Baptist: #27 Nathan Haas (184) After getting their first-ever qualifiers for NCAA’s, the expectation is only climbing for head coach Derek Moore. The Lancers recently announced the addition of assistant coaches Mark Munoz and Nathan Tomasello, locking down coaches across the weight spectrum. They actually return their two qualifiers with Hunter Leake and Eli Griffin. Leake had an inconsistent regular season last year and could find himself in the rankings sooner than later. Griffin was one of the most dangerous wrestlers at 125 last year, but is making a jump to 141 for this upcoming season. Haas didn’t qualify, but had some solid wins last year and will be looking to be CBU’s first upperweight qualifier this season. Iowa State: #16 Kysen Terukina (125), #5 Evan Frost (133), #7 Anthony Echemendia (149), #11 Paniro Johnson (157), #26 Connor Euton (165), #10 MJ Gaitan (174), #17 Evan Bockman (184), #33 Christian Carroll (197), #6 Yonger Bastida (285) After winning their first Big 12 title since 2009 the Cyclones were active in the transfer portal and will feature some familiar faces for 2025. Christian Carroll was one of the biggest recruits in the 2023 class, but came to Ames from OK State after the coaching changes. He’s projected as a 197, leading fellow transfer Evan Bockman to likely make the move to 184. Echemendia is moving up after a fifth-place finish and Big 12 title at 141 last year. Paniro Johnson is back after a redshirt season, and the former Big 12 champ at 149 is also moving up to 157. Connor Euton will look to step into the large hole left by David Carr, and Euton had solid wins over multiple qualifiers last season. MJ Gaitan returns after a bloodround finish, and is always a must-watch with his exciting style. The only question mark weight for this team is at 141, where Jacob Frost could enter the lineup. Frost beat Josh Edmond in 2023, so if he can match wins like that as a starter the Cyclones are likely to have all ten in the rankings. Missouri: #18 Noah Surtin (125), #32 Kade Moore (133), #12 Josh Edmond (141), #27 Logan Gioffre (149), #32 J Conway (157), #23 Cam Steed (165), #1 Keegan O’Toole (174), #15 Colton Hawks (184), #4 Rocky Elam (197), #24 Seth Nitzel (285) The only Big 12 team with all ten in the rankings, the Tigers are looking to restart a conference title streak after finishing 4th. They return seven qualifiers and two All-Americans in O’Toole and Elam. It is an experienced team as well, with three seniors and four juniors in the lineup. Noah Surtin has wins over both of the conference’s All-Americans at 125, but injuries derailed his postseason in 2024. Kade Moore and Logan Gioffre were in similar boats, with big wins in the regular season but significant injuries led to much reduced mat time before March. Josh Edmond and Colton Hawks made the bloodround but have stacked weight classes to break through this year. Keegan O’Toole is bumping up to 174 for some new challenges and will have his fair share throughout the year. J Conway and Seth Nitzel both have had solid wins in their career, but will need to make a jump to climb the rankings this season. Cam Steed may be a familiar name to fans after he broke out at the 2023 Southern Scuffle with six consecutive wins. 165 is always one of the toughest weight classes, but he could be one to watch after spending the past two years training with Keegan O’Toole. North Dakota State: #33 Kyle Burwick (133), #29 Kellyn March (141), #33 Maxwell Petersen (149) The Bison have lost a number of wrestlers to the transfer portal the past two years, but still have a solid core of ranked wrestlers. Burwick enters his final season at his third school. He went to Nebraska after being a two-time qualifier for Wisconsin but missed out on qualifying the past two years. Kellyn March had a breakout in 2023 at 149lbs, but was injured early last season. With the emergence of Maxwell Petersen at 149, March is making a descent to 141. He spent the first two years of his career at 133, so 141 could be an even better weight for him. The Bison have a young team overall with potentially six freshmen/sophomores in the lineup. Wrestlers like Adam Cherne (184) and Boeden Greenley (157) could be two to look out for after a challenging freshman year. Northern Colorado: #9 Stevo Poulin (125), #24 Dominick Serrano (133), #1 Andrew Alirez (141), #17 Vince Zerban (157), #32 Clayton Ulrey (165) Missing national champ Andrew Alirez wasn’t easy for the Bears, but Alirez is back in the lineup with a more experienced core around him. Stevo Poulin struggled in the regular season last year, but rebounded at NCAA’s to finish in the bloodround for the second consecutive year. Vinny Zerban had one of the best regular seasons at the weight, going 19-0 headed into the conference tournament. He ended up finishing 4-4 between the two tournaments, with all four losses actually coming to conference opponents. Clayton Ulrey was a staple for Virginia Tech for four years, starting in 2022 and then spot-starting as needed between 157 and 165. If he can qualify in his final season then he could add valuable points in March. AJ Heeg is the #48 overall recruit of 2023 was 12-1 at 174 while redshirting at OK State and could find himself in the rankings this season at 174 or 184. Northern Iowa: #28 Trever Anderson (125), #29 Julian Farber (133), #7 Cael Happel (141), #18 Colin Realbuto (149), #7 Ryder Downey (157), #28 Jack Thomsen (165), #14 Jared Simma (174), #2 Parker Keckeisen (184), #16 Wyatt Voelker (197) An always-tough UNI team returns one of their best yet, with returning national champ Parker Keckeisen attempting to repeat. Cael Happel and Ryder Downey were Big 12 finalists and in the top ten last season with bloodround finishes. Downey was one of the most unexpected breakouts last season and with a year in the lineup could make a large jump. Trever Anderson didn’t qualify last year but had a big win over Jakob Camacho and Big 12 wrestlers. Julian Farber and Jack Thomsen will be looking to repeat as qualifiers in their final seasons. U23 Greco World Team member Wyatt Voelker entered the lineup for the first time and finished in the round of 16. An unexpected bloodround wrestler was Jared Simma, who had a solid regular season but went on a run at NCAA’s. Colin Realbuto returns after an Olympic redshirt, and the last time we saw him he had a solid 20-8 record. For sleepers look out for Lance Runyon, now listed as a heavyweight. The now senior made the round of 16 in 2022, but has struggled with injuries the past two seasons. Oklahoma: #33 Antonio Lorenzo (125), #17 Cleveland Belton (133), #18 Mosha Schwartz (141), #23 Wille McDougald (149), #29 Tate Picklo (165), #9 Gaven Sax (174), #29 DJ Parker (184), #24 Bradley Hill (197) The Sooners took a big hit recently with #9 Josh Heindselman hitting the transfer portal. They still have a strong team with eight wrestlers in the rankings. Willie McDougald is a former Big 12 finalist and has the ability to compete with anyone. Mosha Schwartz was a strong All-American contender for the Sooners but an early injury derailed him. Tate Picklo has been in the OU lineup for the past two years at 174, but with Gaven Sax coming in it sounds like he is making a move down in what could be a risky but valuable move. Gaven Sax and DJ Parker were both with Coach Kish at NDSU but reunited this offseason. Sax made the bloodround and the Big 12 finals in a breakout season last year. Parker redshirted but showed a lot of upside in the lineup at NDSU. Antonio Lorenzo was a two-time qualifier for Cal Poly, but didn’t wrestle any matches in 2024. Cleveland Belton is making a drop to 133 after a bloodround finish in 2024 for Oregon State. Bradley Hill qualified for Iowa at heavyweight and could potentially start at 197 or 285. If Hill goes 197, then another NDSU transfer in Juan Mora is a name to look out for at heavyweight. Oklahoma State: #7 Troy Spratley (125), #13 Tagen Jamison (141), #9 Teague Travis (157), #6 Cam Amine (165), #6 Dean Hamiti (174), #3 Dustin Plott (184), #21 Luke Surber (197), #2 Wyatt Hendrickson (285) Few had more shakeups this offseason than OK State with a new coaching staff and bringing in four massive transfers. They return a strong team as well, with Dustin Plott being their highest finisher returning. Troy Spratley is a popular pick to see in the finals after a Big 12 final appearance and bloodround finish. Tagen Jamison and Teague Travis both had strong regular seasons but missed out on the podium. Luke Surber struggled with injury, but historically, has a win over Rocky Elam. Cam Amine, Dean Hamiti, and Wyatt Hendrickson are all household names who transferred this offseason. Hamiti is moving up to 174, an intriguing move that could pay off after a bloodround finish. Caleb Fish also transferred in and has potential at 157 or 165 but has a redshirt to use that could make sense based on the current lineup. The lineup could change even more with potential weight changes. With Jordan Williams' recent dismissal, 149 could feature Carter Young, a two-time qualifier at 141. At 133 many expect to see Cael Hughes, a blue-chip prospect who redshirted last year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see all ten wrestlers in the rankings sooner than later. South Dakota State: #6 Tanner Jordan (125), #26 Derrick Cardinal (133), #28 Alek Martin (149), #14 Cobe Siebrecht (157), #4 Cade DeVos (174), #5 Bennett Berge (184), #8 Zach Glazier (197), #28 Luke Rasmussen (285) A stacked SDSU team not only returns most of their starters, but replaces Tanner Sloan with another contender. Zach Glazier and Cobe Siebrecht come in after spending time at Iowa. Glazier slots in perfectly, and Siebrecht has a good opportunity after a Cael Swensen injury. Tanner Jordan, Bennett Berge, and Cade DeVos lead returning starters as All-Americans with the potential to repeat. 184lbs is the definition of top heavy, but Berge in his second year could be an intriguing challenger. Derrick Cardinal and Alek Martin both qualified and could be sleepers at their weights. Cardinal went from 11-15 in his first year as a starter to 20-12 last season. Luke Rasmussen had solid moments in his first season. Drake Rhodes is another Iowa transfer coming in at 165, and beat Iowa State’s Connor Euton. If he can step into the lineup as a ranked wrestler this Jackrabbits team could make a play for a top-ten finish. Utah Valley: #31 Haiden Drury (141), #7 Terrell Barraclough (165) With new Head Coach Adam Hall at the helm, the Wolverines are looking to take a step forward starting in 2025. They’ve got two strong starters in the lineup, starting with senior Haiden Drury. Drury qualified in 2022 at 133 but missed 2023 with an injury. He started the year at 133 and made the move up to 141 in mid-December. He didn’t qualify but had solid wins over young contenders. Barraclough comes back to his home state after spending five years at Penn State. While he hasn’t been in the postseason for the Lions, he has racked up wins at 157-174. Last season he pinned Caleb Fish, a three-time qualifier who made the round of 16. If Barraclough can be a podium contender he’ll have a chance to be the first All-American for UVU since 2021. West Virginia: #15 Jett Strickenberger (125), #11 Jordan Titus (141), #3 Ty Watters (149), #4 Peyton Hall (165), #23 Brody Conley (174), #24 Dennis Robin (184), #25 Michael Wolfgram (285) Going into 2024 I had WVU pegged as a wildcard pick to make some noise with a much-improved team. They doubled their finish from 2023, going from 34th to 17th. They may have an even better team this season with improved health and some prospects on the bubble. As a true freshman Ty Watters not only finished fourth he had a 69% bonus rate. Peyton Hall finished seventh in 2024, but with weight changes and graduation, he comes into his senior year as a title threat. Jett Strickenberger and Jordan Titus could both contend for a podium spot. Both had strong wins last season, with an injury at Big 12’s hampering Titus at NCAA’s. Michael Wolfgram and Dennis Robin have both qualified before and will battle to do so again. Brody Conley is coming off a solid qualifier season. Caleb Dowling at 157 and Austin Cooley at 197 are two wrestlers who have hovered around the rankings before and could be valuable pieces for the Mountaineers. Wyoming: #3 Jore Volk (125), #16 Gabe Willochell (149), #25 Jared Hill (157), #17 Joey Novak (197), #26 Sam Mitchell (285) Last season Jore Volk broke through with a 7th place finish and Big 12 title and leads the way for a young Cowboy core with some key transfer additions. Joey Novak had a strong season as a true freshman, making the round of 16 at NCAA’s. Wrestlers typically make a big jump after that first year, and Novak’s ceiling is high. Gabe Willochell, Jared Hill, and Sam Mitchell are all transfers who were qualifiers at their previous school. Willochell was a Cowboy last season and took an exciting style to the round of 16, where he actually majored eventual All-American Quinn Kinner. Hill and Mitchell both came in this offseason, with Hill being a two-time qualifier and Mitchell doing so for the first time in 2024. Look out for Cole Brooks at 141 who was a true freshman in the lineup last year and had a 14-8 record with solid wins. Ethan Ducca was looking to have a promising season after transferring in with Willochell in 2023, but suffered an injury in November. We didn’t see him again until February where he missed out on qualifying but could make an impact at 184.

Sunday’s Who’s Number One dual marked the 12th time that FloWrestling has put on their annual dual meet pitting top high school wrestlers against each other. With 12 years of data at our disposal, there are some interesting facts and trends that have developed regarding the event. That’s where we come in today. In addition, the 2024 edition marked the fourth year of full girls' dual meet competition (prior to that a few girls' matches were sprinkled in) - which means we can start to evaluate the girls' event in the same way. Along with the trends that emerged from the 2024 dual, we have also included some facts about the famous alumni from Who’s Number One’s of the past. How many NCAA champions have participated? Have there been any previews of NCAA finals? Those and more: Anthony Knox’s win made him the first wrestler to earn wins at four different Who’s #1 events. Jax Forrest has an opportunity to join him next year as he won for the third straight year. Bo Bassett also joined the exclusive club of wrestlers who have won in multiple years at Who’s #1. In 2022, he defeated Seth Mendoza. Jayden James joined Angelo Ferrari (2022), Gabe Arnold (2021), Jesse Mendez (2020), Shayne Van Ness (2019), JoJo Aragona (2018), and Chad Red Jr (2015) as wrestlers who have won multiple Who’s #1 match on the same night. Ignacio Villasenor is the first Colorado native to win a match at Who’s #1 since Andrew Alirez in 2018 and only the second all-time. Cade Ziola became the first Nebraska native to earn a win at Who’s #1. Jude Correa’s win at heavyweight marked the first time a New Hampshire native earned a win or was even selected (for the boy’s event). Now that we’ve had a few years of girls' WNO events, we can find some trends within their competition. The most glaring is that Everest Leydecker is the first girl to earn wins at three different Who’s #1 events. In addition, Morgan Turner, Isabella Marie Gonzales, and Taina Fernandez all won their second Who’s #1 match. Bella Williams (Oklahoma) and Janiya Johnson (Tennessee) are the first girls from their respective states to compete in Who’s Number One and obviously the first to earn wins. Sarah Henckel is the first Connecticut native to post a win in the girl's event; however, she competed in the 2022 version. Since the advent of full WNO cards for girls (2021), this is the first year without a fall in any match. That likely speaks to the increased level of competition and talent in girls' high school wrestling. With Taina McGowan participating in the girls event, it marks the fourth time that a brother/sister combination has been part of this event. Her brother, Marc-Anthony, wrestled in the 2022 dual. Other past combinations include Sarah and Will Henckel, Gabriella and Austin Gomez, and Gracie and Richie Figueroa. Some fun historical notes related to Who’s Number One and their alumni (for the boys event - at this time). NCAA Champions who have wrestled in Who’s Number One? (20) Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) David Carr (Iowa State) Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) Richie Figueroa (Arizona State) Pat Glory (Princeton) Shane Griffith (Stanford/Michigan) Seth Gross (Iowa/South Dakota State/Wisconsin) Levi Haines (Penn State) Mark Hall (Penn State) Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) Nick Lee (Penn State) Myles Martin (Ohio State) Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) Jason Nolf (Penn State) Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) Gable Steveson (Minnesota) Nick Suriano (Penn State/Rutgers/Michigan) Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) NCAA Championships without a win at Who’s Number One? (5) Roman Bravo-Young, Yianni Diakomihalis, Shane Griffith, Seth Gross, Myles Martin Eventual NCAA finals previews at Who’s Number One (2) Nick Suriano (NJ) over Daton Fix (OK) - 2015 Drake Ayala (IA) over Richie Figueroa (CA) - 2020 Matches between eventual NCAA finalists at Who’s Number One? (7) Jason Nolf (PA) over Joey McKenna (NJ) - 2013 Zahid Valencia (CA) over Myles Martin (NJ) - 2014 Nick Suriano (NJ) over Daton Fix (OK) - 2014 Luke Pletcher (PA) over Yianni Diakomihalis (NY) - 2015 Nick Lee (IN) over Sammy Sasso (PA) - 2016 Daton Fix (OK) over Austin Gomez (IL) - 2016 Drake Ayala (IA) over Richie Figueroa (CA) - 2020 Matches between eventual NCAA All-Americans at Who’s Number One? (20) Jason Nolf (PA) over Joey McKenna (NJ) - 2013 Zahid Valencia (CA) over Myles Martin (NJ) - 2014 Mark Hall (MN) over Anthony Valencia (CA) - 2014 Larry Early (IL) over Joseph Smith (OK) - 2014 David McFadden (NJ) over Isaiah White (IL) - 2014 Kaid Brock (OK) over Nick Piccininni (OK) - 2014 Nick Suriano (NJ) over Daton Fix (OK) - 2014 Gable Steveson (MN) over Jordan Wood (PA) - 2015 Chad Red Jr. (IN) over Luke Pletcher (PA) - 2015 Luke Pletcher (PA) over Yianni Diakomihalis (NY) - 2015 Chad Red Jr. (IN) over Taylor LaMont (UT) - 2015 Mikey Labriola (PA) over Travis Wittlake (OR) - 2016 Nick Lee (IN) over Sammy Sasso (PA) - 2016 Daton Fix (OK) over Austin Gomez (IL) - 2016 Gavin Hoffman (PA) over Michael Beard (PA) - 2017 Keegan O’Toole (WI) over Jaden Abas (CA) - 2018 Shayne Van Ness (NJ) over Jesse Mendez (IN) - 2019 Jesse Mendez (IN) over Ryan Jack (CT) - 2019 Drake Ayala (IA) over Richie Figueroa (CA) - 2020 Casey Swiderski (MI) over Jesse Mendez (IN) - 2021 Who’s Number One Matches Between Eventual College Teammates (4) Oklahoma State: Kaid Brock (OK) over Nick Piccininni (OK) - 2014 Penn State: Gavin Teasdale (PA) over Roman Bravo-Young (AZ) - 2015 Penn State: Levi Haines (PA) over Josh Barr (MI) - 2021 Penn State: Joe Sealey (NC) over Will Henckel (CT) - 2023 (Henckel has yet to sign) Senior World/Olympic medalists who have competed at Who’s Number One? (6) Zahid Valencia (CA) - 2014 Daton Fix (OK) - 2014, 2015 Gable Steveson (MN) - 2015 Yianni Diakomihalis (NY) - 2015 Macey Kilty (WI) - 2018 Kennedy Blades (IL) - 2018 DI All-Americans who have competed at Who’s Number One (67) Grant Leeth (MO) - 2013 Jason Nolf (PA) - 2013 Joey McKenna (NJ) - 2013 Michael Kemerer (PA) - 2013 Seth Gross (MN) - 2013 Ryan Millhof (GA) - 2013 Sean Russell (GA) - 2013 Zahid Valencia (CA) - 2014 Myles Martin (NJ) - 2014 Mark Hall (MN) - 2014 Anthony Valencia (CA) - 2014 Larry Early (IL) - 2014 Joseph Smith (OK) - 2014 David McFadden (NJ) - 2014 Isaiah White (IL) - 2014 Vincenzo Joseph (PA) - 2014 Matt Kolodzik (NJ) - 2014 Mitch McKee (MN) - 2014 Kaid Brock (OK) - 2014 Nick Piccininni (NY) - 2014 Nick Suriano (NJ) - 2014 Daton Fix (OK) - 2014, 2015, 2016 Gable Steveson (MN) - 2015 Jordan Wood (PA) - 2015 Dakota Geer (PA) - 2015 Hayden Hidlay (PA) - 2015 Chad Red Jr. (IN) - 2015 Luke Pletcher (PA) - 2015 Yianni Diakomihalis (NY) - 2015 Taylor LaMont (UT) - 2015 Roman Bravo-Young (AZ) - 2015, 2017 Michael Beard (PA) - 2016, 2017 Mikey Labriola (PA) - 2016 Travis Wittlake (OR) - 2016 Shane Griffith (NJ) - 2016 David Carr (OH) - 2016, 2017 Nick Lee (IN) - 2016 Sammy Sasso (PA) - 2016, 2017 Austin Gomez (IL) - 2016 Gavin Hoffman (PA) - 2017 Trent Hidlay (PA) – 2017 Brayton Lee (IN) - 2017 Jacori Teemer (NY) - 2017 Pat Glory (NJ) - 2017 Patrick McKee (MN) - 2017 Carson Kharchla (OH) - 2018 Andrew Alirez (CO) - 2018 Keegan O’Toole (WI) - 2018, 2019 Jaden Abas (CA) - 2018 Eric Barnett (WI) - 2018 Richie Figueroa (CA) - 2018, 2019, 2020 Anthony Echemendia (AZ) - 2019 Beau Bartlett (AZ) - 2019 Shayne Van Ness (NJ) - 2019 Jesse Mendez (IN) - 2019, 2020, 2021 Ryan Jack (CT) - 2019 Nick Feldman (PA) - 2020 Drake Ayala (IA) - 2020 TJ Stewart (VA) - 2021 Rocco Welsh (PA) - 2021, 2022 Levi Haines (PA) - 2021 Caleb Henson (GA) - 2021 Hunter Garvin (IA) - 2021 Casey Swiderski (MI) - 2021 Meyer Shapiro (MD) - 2022 Tyler Kasak (PA) - 2022 Nasir Bailey (IL) - 2022

We are less than a month away from the start of the 2024-25 collegiate season. During the next few weeks, you'll get bombarded with season preview-related content from our InterMat crew. Since it can be difficult to keep up with all of the various articles and interviews we'll post, we've created a one-stop spot for all of the content. Check back regularly as links to new content will be added here as they are posted to the site. General Content 2024-25 DI Master Schedule Milestones to Watch During the 2024-25 Season Beyond the Rankings (2024 Preseason) Introducing the New DI Head Coaches for 2024-25 2024-25 Transfer Impact Rankings 2024-25 Conference Movement Primer The Replacements: Who Takes Over for 2024's Graduated Stars? True Freshmen to Watch in 2024-25 Can These Seniors Finally Made the Podium in 2025? Lineup Battles for the 2024 Preseason All-330 Projections November's Top DI Duals Notable Weight Changes for the 2024-25 Season 14 Impact Assistant Coaching Hires for the 2024-25 Season Wrestlers from the Same Home State - Slated to Meet in 2024-25 The Toughest Dual Schedules for the 2024-25 Season DI Live Streaming Guide (10/31-11/3) Bold Predictions for the 2024-25 Season Unique Dual Venues for the 2024-25 Season Using Big Lebowski Quotes to Preview the 2024-25 College Wrestling Season FCW's Week 1 Fantasy Outlook (10/31-11/3) Rankings Update October 28 Conference Specific Content 12 Can't Miss Big Ten Duals for the 2024-25 Season New Faces in the ACC for 2024-25 ACC Weight-by-Weight Preview (Part One) Breakout Candidates for the ACC in 2024-25 Rankings Look for Big 12 Teams Ranking the Strength of Each Big 12 Weight Class Big Ten Breakout Candidates (Part One) Big Ten Breakout Candidates (Part Two) The EIWA and Ivy League Offseason Recap Morgan State to Join the EIWA Ten Burning Questions for the MAC in 2024-25 Ten Burning Questions for the Pac-12 in 2024-25 The Biggest Questions Around the Big 12 for 2024-25 Ten Questions for the Ivy League in 2024-25 The Top Duals for the Big 12 in 2024-25 13 Questions for the EIWA in 2024-25 Big 12 Predictions for 2024-25 Interviews Jay Weiss (Harvard) Sean Bormet (Michigan) Brandon Eggum (Minnesota) Michael Kemerer (Minnesota) Kenny Monday (Morgan State) Brian Smith (Missouri) Mark Manning (Nebraska) Cary Kolat (Navy) Scott Goodale (Rutgers) Steve Garland (Virginia) Chris Bono (Wisconsin) Matt Storniolo (Northwestern) Angel Escobedo (Indiana) Mark Branch (Wyoming) Matt Valenti (Penn) Podcasts 10/15: 2024-25 Season Preview 10/29: Campbell/Wyoming Preview and Picks Team Specific Content Campbell Preview Illinois - Mike Poeta Indiana Lineup Preview Minnesota Lineup Preview Nebraska Lineup Preview Northwestern Lineup Preview Purdue Campus Visit: Fall 2024 Rutgers Lineup Preview Wisconsin Lineup Preview

Michigan head coach Sean Bormet goes through some of the offseason happenings with the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club and the University of Michigan. He then runs through the possible lineup for the Wolverines in 2024-25. For the full interview:

Lake Highland Prep

Edmond North

Landstown

Modesto

Today, the NCAA released a list of host sites for over 240 national tournaments across most of the sports they sponsor. Wrestling being one of those sports. The DI NCAA Championship tournament will head back to its unofficial home site in St. Louis, Missouri for the 2027 tournament. The familiar Enterprise Center will be the venue and the University of Missouri will serve as the host school. The more interesting note is that Minneapolis, Minnesota will get another shot at hosting in 2028. The 2020 tournament was supposed to be held at the Minnesota Vikings home stadium, US Bank Stadium; however, the tournament was canceled at the onset of the Covid pandemic. US Bank Stadium would have been the largest venue to host the NCAA wrestling championships. In addition, some DII and DIII sites were announced as well. Cedar Rapids, Iowa and the Alliant Energy PowerHouse will host the 2027 DII tournament - hosted by Upper Iowa. The 2028 DII tournament will make its way to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The University of Pittsburgh's Petersen Events Center will be the host site. The 2027 DIII tournament has not been awarded, but the 2028 tournament will come back to La Crosse, Wisconsin's, La Crosse Center.

St. Joseph's Regional

The top prospect in the high school Class of 2026, Bo Bassett, has vowed to keep fans abreast of his recruiting with daily Wednesday updates. Well, today is Wednesday and true to his word, Bassett has posted an updated graphic which has eliminated three more schools from consideration. Earlier this year, Bassett posted a graphic that contained the logos of approximately 80 schools, most of the DI variety, but some DII’s as well, to signify that he’s totally open in the recruiting process. After more than a month of removing schools from the list, he’s down to 16. One school was removed from this week's graphic: Lehigh The following schools remain on Bassett’s graphic and therefore in contention for his services: Air Force, Arizona State, Cornell, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Pitt-Johnstown, Princeton, Rutgers, Virginia Tech. One school was removed from the 9/25 graphic: Pittsburgh One school was removed from the 9/18 graphic: Stanford One school was removed from the 9/11 graphic: NC State These three schools were removed from the 9/4 graphic: American, North Carolina, Wisconsin These three schools were removed from the 8/28 graphic: Clarion, Little Rock, Minnesota The following schools were removed from the 8/21 graphic: Penn, Oklahoma, Oregon State The following schools were removed from the 8/14 graphic: Bucknell, Virginia, Wyoming The following schools were removed from the 8/7 graphic: Brown, Northern Colorado, Purdue The following schools were removed from the 7/31 graphic: California Baptist, Michigan State, Navy The following schools were removed from the 7/24 graphic: Army West Point, Campbell, Edinboro, Harvard, Illinois, North Dakota State, South Dakota State The following schools were removed from the 7/17 graphic: Cal Poly, Columbia, Indiana, Maryland, Millersville, The Citadel, and West Virginia The following schools were removed from the 7/10 graphic: CSU Bakersfield, George Mason, Hofstra, Northwestern, Rider, UW Parkside, West Liberty The following schools were removed from the 7/3 graphic: Appalachian State, Central Michigan, Cleveland State, Drexel, Kent State, Ohio, and St. Cloud State The following schools were removed from the 6/26 graphic: Binghamton, Bloomsburg, Duke, Gardner-Webb, Northern Illinois, Sacred Heart, SIU Edwardsville Bassett's first on-campus visit took place on September 20th-22nd at the University of Michigan and he was joined by his high school teammate #2 Jax Forrest. On Sunday, Bassett was in action at Who's Number One which took place in his backyard at Pitt-Johnstown. Bassett avenged his 2023 WNO loss to Daniel Zepeda with a 12-6 victory. In Bassett's weekly recruiting update, he noted dates for upcoming official campus visits: Oct 25-27 - Iowa Nov 1-3 - Penn State Nov 8-10 - Ohio State Nov 15-17 - Virginia Tech Nov 22-24 - Oklahoma State Jan 24-26 - Rutgers

The data has been processed, the charts have been reviewed, and the evaluations are complete. The 2024 breakdown of the Top Fantasy Wrestlers of the 2024 season is here to help you start your 2025 season research. Just like in the past few years, some names are going to be expected, while a lot more may not be. That's the beauty of Fantasy Wrestling, where any wrestler can be the star of the weekend and win the dual for you. To compile these lists, we used standard WrestleStat Fantasy College Wrestling Data & Scoring. Just a reminder of how points were tallied in WrestleStat leagues: 1) The scoring used was standard team scoring across all competitions (+3 for a win by decision, -4 for a loss by major, etc) 2) Scoring only counted against D1 competition 3) Wins via forfeits (FFT) would count as +6 towards a wrestler's point total 4) Wins or losses by medical forfeit (MFF) did not count as + or - towards a wrestler's point total 5) Points were only accumulated during the regular season OVERALL Top-33 Notes: The #1 overall wrestler in 2024 was Taye Ghadiali, who put in the best fantasy wrestling season since 2020 with a total of 136 Fpts. The previous record, 132 Fpts, was held by now Hall-of-Famer 157 lber Jonathan Ross (LHU). Difference is, it took Jonathan Ross 48 regular season matches to get to that number which Ghadiali wrestled “only” 33. The 2024 season also saw the most wrestlers reach the 100 Fpt mark since the 2020 season as well. In 2020, ten wrestlers had at least 100 Fpts compared to 2024 where only five accomplished that feat (and takedowns were only worth TWO points back then…). In 2023 only three wrestlers had at least 100 Fpts and in 2022 only two. 2021, the COVID season, is hard to analyze due to the shortened season and basically conference only schedules. But nevertheless, for comparison's sake, five wrestlers had 50 or more Fpts in that year.

New Haven

Pine-Richland

Adam Waters photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com Now that we’re squarely in the collegiate preseason and the fall weather is ready to set in (at least in parts of the country) another rite of passage is upon us. Football season? Yes, and it’s semi-relevant here, as many fall recruiting weekends are built around football Saturdays, especially, at your Power Five (now four) schools. Sure, there are plenty of recruiting visits in the spring and summer, but we saw almost all of the top recruits from the Class of 2025 commit to schools by the end of the calendar year in 2023, so the Class of 2026 recruits have begun to visit campus and probably will start to commit soon. One of the things that makes following recruiting fun is the cloak-and-dagger secrecy surrounding parts of the process. For every Bo Bassett who routinely keeps the public informed on recruiting decisions, there are plenty of others who don’t discuss it as much. Therefore, it can be difficult to follow which recruit is interested in which school and vice versa. I suppose it’s fun, but you’re left wanting more! In order to try and help our fanbase feel more knowledgeable about the process, we’ll have a weekly column that recaps the recruiting weekend. Who has visited where? Maybe some background information on the recruits or the process from the school. If we've missed a recruit or you'd like to provide info on future visits play let me know: earl@matscouts.com For past versions of this feature: For past versions of this feature: September 23rd September 16th September 9th Buffalo Anthony DePaul: St. Augustine, NJ - Class of 2026 Bobby Duffy: Christian Brothers, NJ - Class of 2026 Luke Fugazatto: Northwestern Lehigh, PA - #83 Class of 2026 Dom Sumpolec: Notre Dame-Green Pond, PA - #121 Class of 2026 Earlier in the fall, Buffalo had a big recruiting weekend with a handful of in-state prospects. This one was different as their four recruits hail from out-of-state with two from New Jersey and two from Pennsylvania. Both of the Pennsylvania natives are currently ranked in the Class of 2026. Luke Fugazatto was a state finalist in 2024, while Dom Sumpolec was a seventh-place finisher. The New Jersey contingent includes fifth-place finisher Anthony DePaul and two-time state qualifier Bobby Duffy. DePaul is currently ranked #24 in the nation at 144 lbs. The level of talent that has been in Buffalo, of late, would lead you to believe that their recruiting output will greatly increase in first-year head coach Donnie Vinson. This is the first visit for both DePaul and Duffy. Fugazatto visited Clarion earlier in September. Sumpolec has also visited Clarion, but also MAC rival George Mason. California Baptist Victor-Alexander Gutierrez: Central Catholic, CA - Class of 2026 Brodie Johnson: Pitman, CA - Class of 2025 Gabe Swann: Carroll Central, GA - Class of 2026 Carter Vannest: Pitman, CA - Class of 2026 Max Wirnsberger: Warrior Run, PA - Class of 2026 California Baptist appeared in the Class of 2024 rankings and was listed as an honorable mention during the previous season. They have a solid crop for 2025 already committed and had a handful of 2026 recruits in town for the weekend. The in-state portion of the visitors includes Victor-Alexander Gutierrez who was a state fourth-place finisher, along with Carter Vannest, who has yet to make the California state podium, but was an NHSCA Sophomore national champion this spring. Current high school senior, Brodie Johnson was an eighth-place finisher last year and fifth at NHSCA Junior’s. Fargo champion and lightweight prospect Gabe Swann made the cross-country trip. Swann has placed four times in Fargo and was fifth at NHSCA Sophomores. The two-time Georgia state champion is currently ranked eighth at 106 lbs. At the beginning of September, Swann took a visit to Brown. A familiar name you see here is Pennsylvania state placewinner Max Wirnsberger. He’s the son of Bucknell's head coach, Dan. The younger Wirnsberger likely has a pre-existing relationship with California Baptist assistant coach Eric Morrill. Earlier this month, Wirnsberger had taken an official visit to Bucknell. I understand there were more recruits on campus for California Baptist and we’re working to find out who! Central Michigan Donavon Allen: Marist, IL - Class of 2025 The Chippewas get in on the action with a visit from Donavon Allen who is currently ranked #21 at 138 lbs. Allen is a third-place finisher in Illinois’ largest classification. This is the first known visit for Allen. Clarion Hayden Andrus: Bermudian Springs, PA - Class of 2026 Camden Baum: Bishop McDevitt, PA - #33 Class of 2026 Thunder Beard: Central Dauphin, PA - Class of 2026 Hudson Hohman: Grove City, PA - Class of 2026 Liam Lawler: Bishop McDevitt, PA - Class of 2026 Clarion had a huge recruiting weekend last week and this one features another handful of quality prospects. Leading the way is Pennsylvania AA state runner-up Camden Baum - a 2023 NHSCA Freshman National runner-up. Other Pennsylvania state placers are Hayden Andrus and Hudson Hohman - who have placed twice. Thunder Beard and Liam Lawler are both looking to get onto the state podium for the first time. This is the first visit for Andrus, Beard, Hohman, and Lawler. Lawler does have an older brother (Lucas) who is a high school senior and has committed to Bucknell. Baum has already taken visits to NC State and Purdue. George Mason Gavin Nolan: Clearwater Central Catholic, FL - Class of 2025 Three-time Florida 1A state champion Gavin Nolan took a visit to George Mason over the weekend. Nolan could help bolster the Patriot middleweights as his last state title came at 150 lbs. Nolan has already made a visit to Campbell earlier this year. Hofstra Jackson Slotnick: Williamstown, NJ - Class of 2025 Hofstra had a familiar name and face on campus over the weekend as they hosted Jackson Slotnick. Jackson’s older brother, Jake, was a starter for the Pride last year as a true freshman and fought to an 11-12 record. The younger Slotnick is fresh off an eighth-place finish at 132 lbs in the New Jersey state tournament. This is the first visit we’ve recorded for Slotnick. Indiana Liam Crook: Kaukauna, WI - #48 Class of 2026 Anthony Gutierrez: St. Charles East, IL - Class of 2025 Caiden Judice: Bald Eagle Area, PA - Class of 2026 Nadav Nafshi: Germantown Academy, PA - Class of 2026 Xavier Smith: Fishers, IN - Class of 2026 Indiana’s Class of 2025 already consists of four Big Boarders and is likely destined for back-to-back accolades in InterMat’s recruiting rankings. The Hoosier staff is looking to add onto that group as they hosted Illinois state third-place finisher, Anthony Gutierrez. Gutierrez was a Fargo All-American in 2022, with a fifth-place finish in 16U Greco-Roman. Moving on to the Class of 2026, Indiana had a top-50 recruit on campus as they hosted Wisconsin state champion Liam Crook. Crook quickly rose up the Big Board after taking sixth at UWW U17 freestyle and fourth in Fargo 16U freestyle this year. From within their own borders, the Hoosier staff brought in state qualifier Xavier Smith. Even though Smith has yet to place at Indiana’s state tournament, he was top-five in both styles in Fargo this summer at the 16U classification. Hailing from Pennsylvania are state placers Caiden Judice and Nadav Nafshi. Judice has already taken visits to Clarion and Lock Haven. This is the first known visit for Crook, Gutierrez, Nafshi, and Smith. We do know that Smith is slated to visit Clarion next month. Kent State Blake Boyer: Kennett, PA - Class of 2026 Last week, Kent State received a pair of verbals from wrestlers in the Class of 2025 - now they are looking to the future with Pennsylvania native Blake Boyer who is a current junior. Boyer is a two-time Pennsylvania state qualifier. He most recently made the state tournament at 139 lbs and is seeking to earn a spot on the podium for the first time. Lehigh Keanu Dillard: Bethlehem Catholic, PA - #16 Class of 2026 Sam Herring: Bishop McCort, PA - #23 Class of 2026 Cael Wiedemoyer: Faith Christian Academy, PA - #25 Class of 2025 Keanu Dillard didn’t have to travel very far for his visit to the hometown Lehigh Mountain Hawks. Dillard has to be familiar with the Lehigh coaching staff and vice versa. Dillard was a U17 World Team member this year and has earned All-American honors in Fargo and at the Super 32 during his highly decorated career. Of course, he also has a pair of Pennsylvania AAA state titles to his credit. Before visiting Lehigh, Dillard has also traveled to Nebraska, Penn, Princeton, and Virginia this fall. Judging by that academic list, Lehigh fits in, as well. Lehigh also hosted a pair of additional top-25 recruits, Sam Herring and Cael Wiedemoyer. Herring has already visited Cornell and NC State. Wiedemoyer has been busy traveling to Brown, Cornell, Missouri, Penn, and Pittsburgh NC State Lander Bosh: Layton, UT - Class of 2026 Tyler Dekraker: Faith Christian Academy, PA - #31 Class of 2026 Moses Mendoza: Gilroy, CA - #45 Class of 2026 Michael Mocco: Cardinal Gibbons, FL - #6 Class of 2026 NC State was the first school to have three verbals from the Class of 2026 and their staff is not resting on the laurels. They had another impressive group on campus in Raleigh over the weekend. Three of the four recruits are currently ranked in the top-50 with Fargo and U17 world champion Michael Mocco leading the way. Mocco has already taken visits to Ohio State and Penn State. His “in” with NC State is associate head coach Zack Esposito who was a high school and college teammate of his father, Steve. Tyler Dekraker was on the road for a third consecutive weekend. The three-time Fargo All-American and Ironman finalist was at Penn State last weekend and Minnesota the week before. He also has taken a visit to Oklahoma. This is the first known visit for Lander Bosh and Moses Mendoza. Bosh is a two-time Utah state runner-up. Mendoza is a California third-place finisher. This summer, in Fargo, Mendoza placed sixth in both styles at the Junior level. Those placements marked the fifth and sixth time he’s been on the Fargo podium. North Carolina Nate Askew: Baylor School, TN - #73 Class of 2025 Lukas Littleton Mascaro: Malvern Prep, PA - #43 Class of 2026 Aaron Stewart: Warren Township, IL - #8 Class of 2026 Adam Waters: Faith Christian Academy, PA - #17 Class of 2026 Ryder Wilder: Kingsland, GA: #30 Class of 2026 During the first three weeks of our recruiting visit feature, North Carolina has been conspicuously absent. That’s by design more than anything else. The Tar Heels had a massive Class of 2024 that was ranked eighth in the nation. The 2025 class is large, as well, with eight Big Boarder’s committed. With that many top-flight recruits in the pipeline, there aren’t many holes to fill for Rob Koll’s team. All of that being said, the Tar Heels still had an impressive group in Chapel Hill for the weekend. Top-ten recruit, Aaron Stewart was on hand, and in his social media posting, Stewart mentioned the possibility of being a two-sport star. He’s one of the top running backs in the state of Illinois, so it’s not far-fetched. Stewart has already taken trips to Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. The other top-50 recruits from 2026 in attendance were Adam Waters, Ryder Wilder, and Luke Littleton Mascaro. In addition to a pair of Pennsylvania state titles, Waters has placed in Fargo six times and was a 2023 U17 World Team member in Greco. Waters has already taken visits to Arizona State, Michigan, and Missouri. Wilder was third in both styles at the UWW U17 Trials along with NHSCA Sophomore Nationals. His previous visit was to the rival NC State Wolfpack. Littleton Mascaro is an Ironman placewinner and a 2023 National Prep champion. The previous visits we have on file for Littleton Mascaro are at Brown and Lehigh. North Carolina also had a visit from Nate Askew a prospect from the Class of 2025 who has already given the team a verbal. Northern Colorado Logan Glynn: Millard South, NE - Class of 2025 Hudson Loges: Blair NE: #197 Class of 2025 Northern Colorado checks in with a pair of Nebraska seniors who came for a weekend visit. Troy Nickerson’s team has had some success recruiting Nebraska, so this makes some sense. Logan Glynn is a two-time state champion who was sixth this summer in Fargo in Junior Greco-Roman. Hudson Loges was a member of the U17 Greco World team in 2024 and wrestled in the best-of-three finals at the Trials in 2023. He’s also a 2023 state champion. Glynn has visited North Dakota State, while Loges has checked out Stanford. Oregon State Noah Bull: Layton, UT - #99 Class of 2026 We’ve written about Oregon State’s recent success on the recruiting trail a few times - including once today with the verbal commitment from Nathan Carrillo. Could Noah Bull be next? Bull is a double Fargo All-American; he won the 16U freestyle title and was third in Greco this year. Before his Fargo success, Bull claimed his first Utah state title in 2024. Bull has already taken a visit to Nebraska. Princeton Joey Canova: Bergen Catholic, NJ - #16 Class of 2026 Joseph Jeter: Edmond North, OK - #22 Class of 2026 Isaiah Jones: Bixby, OK - #113 Class of 2026 Joe Uhorchuk: Signal Mountain, TN - #49 Class of 2026 Tommy Verrette: Edmond North, OK - #32 Class of 2026 There was another strong crew in Princeton over the weekend with four top-50 recruits and five Big Boarder’s overall. The highest ranked of the bunch is Joey Canova who was seventh in New Jersey, as a freshman at 138 lbs, for Bergen Catholic. This class had a very Oklahoma feel to it with three of its wrestlers currently residing in the state. Joseph Jeter was a U17 world team member in Greco this year. He also AA’ed in the freestyle portion of the UWW Trials and double AA’ed last year in Fargo. Jeter has already taken visits to Cornell and Oklahoma. Isaiah Jones has made Fargo finals in Greco-Roman in both age groups and was fourth at the UWW Greco trials this year. He was on campus with Jeter for the Oklahoma visit. The third member of the Oklahoma trio, Tommy Verrette, verballed to Cornell earlier today. You have to wonder if the addition of Oklahoma alum Cody Brewer to the Princeton coaching staff will increase the number of Oklahoma natives interested in Princeton. The final member of the group is Joe Uhorchuk. Uhorchuk is a two-time NHSCA grade-level champion and a Super 32 placewinner. He has siblings who have wrestled for Army and another that has verbally committed to Chattanooga. Uhorchuk has visited Army West Point and Brown. Purdue Blake Cosby: Dundee, MI - #19 Class of 2026 Mason Ontiveros: Pitman, CA - #37 Class of 2026 Purdue has had decent luck of late recruiting in California, so their staff went to that well against and brought in state finalist Mason Ontiveros. Ontiveros was fifth in the state as a freshman at 170 lbs and second last year at 175. During the offseason, Ontiveros finished second at NHSCA Sophomores and was an All-American in freestyle at UWW U17’s and in Fargo. This is the first known visit for Ontiveros. Michigan is a state that Purdue routinely hits and they’re working on the top junior from Michigan in Blake Cosby. Cosby had a sophomore season that saw him go from unranked to #19 in the Class of 2026 after winning the Carnahan, Brecksville, and his first Michigan title. Cosby has already taken a visit to the flagship school of his home state - the Michigan Wolverines. Rutgers Easton Doster: New Haven, IN - Class of 2025 Owen McMullen: Bishop McCort, PA - Class of 2026 Whatever Easton Doster saw on his visit must have worked as he committed to Rutgers earlier today. Doster is a two-time Indiana state placewinner who captured a state championship as a junior. This year, in Fargo, Doster came up a match shy of the podium. He had previously taken visits to Indiana, Little Rock, Purdue, and West Virginia. Sophomore Owen McMullen has also been busy on the visit circuit and chose to head to Rutgers which is closer than anywhere else he’s visited thus far (Air Force, Brown, and NC State). McMullen was a double All-American at the UWW U17 Trials this spring. Utah Valley Josh Requena: Camarillo, CA - Class of 2026 Utah Valley has been very active on the recruiting front under first-year head coach Adam Hall. The latest recruit to visit Orem is California native Josh Requena. Requena is a two-time California state qualifier who was fifth at 132 lbs in 2024. He has AA’ed in both styles at the UWW U17 Trials and was sixth in Fargo’s 16U freestyle last summer. This is the first visit we have on record for Requena. Wyoming CJ Huerta: Buchanan, CA - #73 Class of 2026 Cooper Rowe: Mound Westonka, MN - #60 Class of 2026 Wyoming had entered the weekend with a verbal commitment from a Big Boarder in each of the last two weeks. Could a third time be on the way? Well, Mark Branch’s team had a pair of top-100 recruits in Laramie last weekend in CJ Huerta and Cooper Rowe. Huerta is a two-time California state placewinner. He was third as a freshman at 113 lbs and seventh last season at 120. Huerta has already taken a visit across the country to Princeton. Cooper Rowe has placed three times at the Minnesota State tournament (once as an eighth grader) and claimed his first state title this year. Also in 2024, he was an All-American at UWW U17’s and Fargo 16U freestyle. Rowe has already taken visits to Minnesota and Oklahoma.