There have already been some huge announcements in the transfer portal. A.J. Ferrari from Cal State Bakersfield to North Carolina, Richard Figueroa from Arizona State to Oklahoma State, Rocky Elam from Missouri to Iowa State & Lachlan McNeil from North Carolina to Michigan. That's not all either. It makes it almost impossible to look at collegiate wrestling from a team standpoint until the start of the season. Even then it isn't set in stone, as wrestlers can still transfer even after the season has begun!
There's still a ton of talent left looking for a new home. Here are the ones that stick out most to me.
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| Kurt McHenry Penn State 125/133 |
From Michigan to Penn State, things haven't quite gone the way for Kurt McHenry that we were hoping for out of the three-time Maryland High School State champ & three-time Beast of the East champ. That's not to say that he hasn't shown potential. 8th at CKLV & 5th at the Southern Scuffle, he's had some impressive wins, including Nick Babin & Kyle Gollhofer. In the come and go, trade off atmosphere of NCAA DI wrestling, I would think McHenry might be a good fit at a school like Little Rock, which recently lost its lightweight talent to Iowa.
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| Jaden Bullock Michigan 184 |
Jaden Bullock would make a nice addition to any team that he ends up joining for his final season of collegiate eligibility. He's proven on more than one occasion that he knows how to win with victories over All Americans Isaac Dean, Gavin Kane & Gavin Hoffman. He also owns impressive W's against Ryder Rogotzke, Brian Soldano & Lane Malczewski. The soon to be former Wolverine has back to back CKLV finishes of 6th & 8th.
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| Rafael Hipolito Virginia Tech 157 |
Only a sophomore, the Brazilian native had a standout freshman campaign last year, going 18-5 on the season winning an ACC title & capturing an 8th place finish at Cliff Keen. A master of Jiujitsu, he had an assortment of high-profile victories in '24-'25. A 12-4 major decision over All American Peyton Kellar, he defeated All American Caleb Fish 20-15, owning two victories over Ed Scott by scores of 3-2 & 7-3.
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| T.J. Stewart Virginia Tech 184 |
T.J. Stewart is perhaps the most interesting case there is in NCAA DI wrestling at the moment. Much like the stock market, coaches are looking to strike when commodities are hot. The value market of of '23-'24 T.J. Stewart would be sky high, selling at a high price. Very valuable. 7th in the DI nation. How and why the price dropped as low as it did, I have no idea. But, the '24-'25 T.J. Stewart barely went .500 with a 12-12 record & failed to qualify for the NCAA DI championships. That's not to be negative, that's to be frank.
To be positive, Stewart wouldn't be the first wrestler to ever make a redemption. Look at teammate Eddie Ventresca. 7th in the DI nation in '23, who knows what happened to him in '23-'24. He was a far, far, far, cry of himself that looked horrible on the mat. Then in '24-'25, he came back with a vengeance. Finished a strong 5th at the national tournament and cemented himself as an NCAA DI title contender for the '25-'26 season. This could very well be the case with Stewart in '25-'26.
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| John Wiley Oklahoma 157 |
The future Doc Wiley has two (maybe even three...eligibility these days is impossible to figure out) seasons of collegiate wrestling left, before his career is said and done. A two-time Oklahoma high school state champion, I don't think we've seen Wiley at his full potential yet. This is the kind of guy, when on, handed Paniro Johnson a 6-4 loss. He also owns a 10-8 victory over Southern Scuffle champ Blake Saito.
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| Tate Picklo Oklahoma 165/174 |
Another Sooner looking for a new home is 2023 NCAA DI qualifier Tate Picklo. While inconsistent, he's shown that he can beat some top talent. A win over All American Cade DeVos, he also owns victories over Lance Runyon, Gaven Sax, and Alex Cramer. He's placed at the past two Southern Scuffles, taking 4th & 3rd place finishes respectively. Be a good fit at 165 or 174.
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| Jesse Vasquez Arizona State 149 |
The 2024 PAC-12 champion is looking for a new home. Not sure if he could make 141 lbs again or not, but if so, I'd go as far as to say that the soon to be former Sun Devil could contend for All American honors. He has wins, such as Casey Swiderski & Carter Young to help make the case, plus wins over Cody Phippen, Jason Miranda & Cleveland Belton.
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| James Lledo Lock Haven 174/184 |
Let's be real here a minute. We're in a day in age where we've already seen a lot of DI wrestlers go to DII, DIII or NAIA, and with the climate being as it is, we're bound to start seeing a lot more. Lledo has some nice wins thus far in years of wrestling for Pittsburgh & Lock Haven. A 9-7 decision over All American David Key is proof of that. However, I think Lledo is ripe for the pickins to end his career on high note competing somewhere in D2 or D3. We'll see what happens.
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| Isaiah Powe Chattanooga 141 |
To be quite honest I was a bit disappointed to see Isaiah Powe's name in the transfer portal. I understand that wrestlers need to do what is best for themselves, and I'm all for that. I also know that it's been a while since the Mocs have had a superstar amongst their ranks, and Powe was already proving that he was in route to fulfill that role. A SOCON champion in 2024 who put together a 25-4 record, Powe has at least two, if not three seasons of eligibility left. Will be a nice fit wherever he ends up.
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| Sean Spidle Central Michigan 133 |
A 29 win season, Sean Spidle took 5th at the Midlands & a runner-up finish at the Mid-American Conference. In his final season of collegiate wrestling, Spidle looks to compete for a different university.
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| Richard Sandoval-Castro Cal State Bakersfield 125 |
As a big fan of head coach Luke Smith, it pained me to see Richard Sandoval-Castro's name in the transfer portal. Again, always supportive in wrestlers doing what is best for themselves, but I also know how hard Smith has worked to rebuild Roadrunner wrestling & all that he has been up against. He loses a good one in 2025 NCAA DI qualifier RSC. Anxious to see where Valley Union's first four-time California high school state place-winner ends up.
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| Chris Cannon Northwestern 141 |
I was shocked when I found out Chris Cannon had more eligibility last year, so you can imagine my surprise when I found out that he still has eligibility remaining for this season. As an historian of the sport & someone who's been following collegiate wrestling for over 30 years, Cannon's story is an interesting one. Northwestern to Michigan & then back to Northwestern. Now he's going to end up somewhere else for one last go. Thing is Cannon is a damn good wrestler. Owns two 7th place All American finishes. Injuries have plagued him, but if he can find a little plutonium, the flux capacitor should function at a rate of 88 mph.
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| Evan Bates Northwestern 197 |
Cannon isn't the only Wildcat looking for a new home. Two-time NCAA DI qualifier Evan Bates had a great season last year with highlights at both CKLV & the Midlands. While taking a runner-up finish in Vegas, he was bronze in Chicago. Will be a strong addition wherever he ends up.
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| Kellyn March North Dakota State 141 |
If you've been following me for long, you know my utter disdain for injuries. I hate injuries with a passion & looking over the career of Kellyn March it is easy to see why. When healthy, this guy is capable of some very high achievements. I think he proved that in winning the Southern Scuffle a couple of years back. If injuries decide to finally get off of his back, whoever he competes for this upcoming season will be very happy to have him on the roster.
