BEST OF THE UNRANKED: 174

 

The NCAA Division I championships are approximately two months away.  Still a lot of wrestling to be conducted between now and then, but with all that can change between now and then, one thing is likely to stay the same. 

There are only 33 slots per weight class & there are more than 33 wrestlers per weight class who are eligible to get them.  

Here at 174, it isn't an abundant amount like 157, but it is a fair amount. An often wild and crazy weight class, full of parity, make '25-'26 no exception. 

Sergio DeSiante
Virginia Tech

What he has going against him: Life is a little tougher in the Atlantic Coast Conference than what it was in the Southern Conference.  If DeSiante was still wrestling for Chattanooga, I'd say there would be nothing to worry about as he'd be a clear favorite to win the SOCON title.  He's at Virginia Tech now though, and the bracket looks to be a lot thicker. 

What he has going against him: Never a fan of injuries, but they are a part of this sport.  Lorenzo Norman being out for the rest of the year makes it one less person to get through in Blacksburg, if DeSiante wants to qualify for this second NCAA DI championships.  I would think the tournament being held at home, in front of Hokie fans would also be an advantage.  I see the ACC taking four here & the idea of DeSiante pulling off an upset isn't that far of a stretch.  He's taken Luca Augustine into the tiebreakers, & among his wins, 4-2 over Myles Takats & 5-4 over Derek Gilcher. 

Holden Garcia
Princeton

What he has going against him: Parity for one.  Ironically enough, he just beat Enrique Munguia who earlier in the season beat Nick Fine.  Fine has two wins over Garcia, one by technical fall.  I can't see the Ivy League taking anything more than two here, and Garcia is not beating Simon Ruiz. 

What he has going for him:  The first time the Tiger met up with Nick Fine, he lost 18-0.  Yet the second time he met up with the Lion, he only lost 5-3.  If you can turn an 18-0 loss into a 5-3 loss, can you turn a 5-3 loss into a win?  He's going to have to if he wants to see the NCAA DI championships this season. 

What they have going against them: Well for starters, each other.  Both Avery Bassett & Enrique Munguia were NCAA DI qualifiers this past season, but it is almost certain that at least one of them (if not both) will not be going to the NCAA DI championships this year.   

As to the Mid-American Conference championships, I see only two allocations, and one of them (Garrett Thompson) is already spoken for.   This leaves only one spot open in the conference for qualification, and three talented wrestlers who want that spot. 

What they Have going for them:  Munguia has to be the most unpredictable wrestler in NCAA DI wrestling for the '25-'26 season.  With him you never know what you're going to get.  He defeats Nick Fine 11-6, and then turns around & drops an 11-2 major decision to Holden Garcia who not long before was tech'd by Fine.  Seeding wise, he does have an 11-5 win over Bassett but....

Bassett has a much better record of 14-5, than Munguia's record of 9-8.   Again, a lot of season left, but the OTHER huge thing Bassett has going for him is that while he hasn't faced Logan Messer yet this year, he owns both an 8-5 s.v. & 7-3 decision over the Patriot.  If he can defeat him again on February 1st, this could potentially give Bassett the *2 seed.  Munguia himself will get a shot at Messer on Jan 30th. 

Cael Valencia
Arizona State 

What he has going against him:  He might not even be the starter come the BIG 12's.  Leo Tukhlynovch beat him officially 10-9 earlier this season & they've split time ever since.  On top if it, many of the BIG 12 opponents that Valencia would face, have already had their way with him this season.  Talking falls & major decisions.  

What he has going for him: I almost feel stupid putting him on this list, but I'm telling you when qualification is on the line, it's like Valencia removes his glasses, rips open his shirt, reveals the diamond shaped S & becomes a whole new wrestler.  I've seen this guy do things that he shouldn't have been capable of doing.   In 2024, he got beat up pretty bad by Mason Reiniche at RENO eventually getting pinned at the 5:00 mark.  Come PAC-12's, he destroyed Reiniche 16-4.   

Now granted the BIG 12's is gonna be a lot tougher than the PAC-12's, but if any coach sees his wrestler has Cael Valenica in the next round, they should treat him like the unstable land mine that he is.  I see the BIG 12 having 8 allocations, and the Sun Devil could steal one. 



What he has going against him: A 5-8 record 

What he has going for him:  A 9-2 decision over M.J. Gaitan really sticks out for the Road Runner.  

BEST OF THE UNRANKED: 165

 

The NCAA Division I championships are approximately two months away.  Still a lot of wrestling to be conducted between now and then, but with all that can change between now and then, one thing is likely to stay the same. 

There are only 33 slots per weight class & there are more than 33 wrestlers per weight class who are eligible to get them.  

Not near as many as 157, 165 is pretty much 33 for 33.  However, there are still a few unranked who could potentially make some noise before the end of the season.  

Jared Keslar
Pittsburgh

What he has going against him: Currently carrying a 12-8 record, Keslar has yet to garner any significant wins on the season.  

What he has going for him: An NCAA DI qualifier last year, Keslar is in a conference likely to allot three to the NCAA DI championships.  I believe by a long shot, Keslar is the 4th best wrestler in the ACC at the time given.  Hunter Garvin being out with a season ending injury bodes well for the Panther.  It is not out of the question that he pulls off an upset come qualifying time. 

Peyten Kellar
Oklahoma

What he has going against him: As with Gavin Drexler, a move up in weight has not been kind to Peyten Kellar at all.  5th in the NCAA DI nation in 2024 at 157, Peyten Kellar currently stands at 7-5, with no ranked wins & some very ugly losses. 

What he has going for him: They don't just hand out All-American honors.  You don't luck into 5th place at the toughest wrestling tournament in America.  You have to have serious talent & skill to even get close to that accomplishment.  As I said with Gavin Drexler, if someone can be an All-American at one weight, surely, they can in the very least be in the discussion for qualification at another weight.  The BIG 12 isn't as loaded at 165 as they are at some other weights, but we still ought to see at least 6 allocations.  Kellar taking 6th is no stretch of the imagination. 


What he has going against him: 9-10 record.  Some ugly losses & no wins of significance. 

What he has going for him: The Ivy League looks to probably send 

Anthony Ferrari
Campbell

What he has going against him: Not enough ranked wins yet. 

What he has going for him:  He's a heavy favorite to make the SOCON finals & in his way stands Thomas Snipes, whom he has lost to twice already this season.  6-2 at the beginning of the year & more recently 5-3.   It's hard to beat someone good three times in a row.  Conference champion, gets to go to the NCAA DI championships.  Ferrari also owns a 5-4 win over Sean Seefeldt. 

BEST OF THE UNRANKED: 157

                                           

The NCAA Division I championships are approximately two months away.  Still a lot of wrestling to be conducted between now and then, but with all that can change between now and then, one thing is likely to stay the same. 

There are only 33 slots per weight class & there are more than 33 wrestlers per weight class who are eligible to get them.  

I had someone say to me on Twitter that they were looking forward to my analysis on 157 lbs regarding this subject.  I can see why.  Only 33 spots available & I counted 45 eligible candidates.  

Once the dust settles, JT1Wrestle's "Best to not qualify 2026: 157 lbs NCAA DI" list is going to be LONG....

Daniel Zepeda
NC State

What he has going against him:  He's a fill in for an injured Jackson Arrington, thus putting him a bit behind the curve. 

What he has going for him: I'd be surprised if Zepeda wasn't ranked the next time rankings come out.  He's 9-1 on the season, a Southern Scuffle runner-up & he owns a 1:46 fall over Jude Swisher.  The ACC likely to allot 6 & no question about it, he's one of the 6. 

Gavin Drexler
North Dakota State

What he has going against him: The move up to 157 from 149 has NOT been kind to the Bison at all. He currently stands 5-8 for the year & looks like a shadow of his former self.  

What he has going for him: He was 8th in the nation at 149 lbs in 2025.  You can't tell me if he wrestled that good last year at 149 lbs, that he couldn't wrestle well enough to finish within the top 8 at the BIG 12 this season.  I'm not saying it is a guarantee, but it is certainly feasible.  If not clear already, I'm very confident that the BIG 12 takes 8. 

   R.J. Weston
     Northern Iowa

What he has going against him: Inconsistency.  The fact that if we were to hold a tournament to figure out who is currently #34 at 157, it'd be a 12-man bracket.  With Weston, you can see him winning at the BIG 12 against someone like Drayden Morton or Jared Hill.  You can also see him losing to someone out of sight, out of mind.  

What he has going for him: The guy has won some very notable matches in the past. This year alone, he's already taken out Laird Root (4-3) & he's likely to have a couple more notable wins before the regular season comes to a close.  The problem is, can he avoid the "shouldn't have lost this one" moments in between?  As said when looking over Drexler, pretty sure the BIG 12 allots 8.  Weston can be one of the 8. 

Bryce Lowery
Indiana

What he has going against him: He doesn't have enough quality wins yet. Unfortunately for the young Hoosier, Kal Miller is currently redshirting. Otherwise that 5-1 decision would hold a lot more weight than what it currently does. 

What he has going for him:  Pros & cons to being a BIG 10 wrestler, one of the pros is, come qualification time, the BIG 10 always gets a huge, healthy helping.  I say at least 10 allocation spots & Lowery is well within his means to nab one of them. 

Darius Marines
Michigan State

What he has going against him:  Doesn't have the quality wins yet.  

What he has going for him:  The Spartan freshman is currently 15-6 on the year as we finish up the last half of the regular season.  As mentioned when speaking about Lowery, the BIG 10 is likely to have 10 allocation spots here at 157.  Marines is within his means to be among one of the top 10. 

Jonathan Ley
Navy

What he has going against him:  It's hard to say right now.  A lot can change in a short amount of time and we still have just shy of two months before the EIWA championships.  With that said, if the EIWA tournament were today, I say that it'd only be the champion going.   Could Jonathan Ley upset Logan Rozynski? That's an awful tall order.  Even more pressing, before he even could think about Rozynski, he'd have to get past Luke Nichter. 

What he has going for him: He's had some good wins thus far this year & could pick up some more before the EIWA championships.   He has a 2-1 win over Colton Washleski & for whatever it is or isn't worth a 5-2 win over Gavin Drexler.  Going into the EIWA's, I don't think it really matters whether he's the *2 or the *3 seed.  If he wants an opportunity to try and knock off Rozynski, he's gonna have to beat Nichter. 

Luke Nichter
Drexel

What he has going against him: See above.  Luke Nichter is playing with the exact same hand that Jonathan Ley is playing with.  A likely *2 or *3 seed at the EIWA championships & either way that sets up a likely semi-final with Ley.  Making the finals would mean having to pull off one of the biggest upsets of his career in knocking off Rozynski. Unlike ZZ Top, this IS asking for much. 

What he has going for him: He has defeated Ley in the past & that bodes well for the Dragon heading into the EIWA championships.  An NCAA DI qualifier all the way back in 2021, he owns both a 12-4 major over Stoney Buell, as well as a 4-1 s.v. over Anthony White on the season. 

Nick Stampoulos
Lock Haven

What he has going against him:  Forest Gump has a few favorites this year in college wrestling and Nick Stampoulos is one of them.  When it comes to this Bald Eagle, you never know what you're gonna get.  I can't see him getting anything higher than a *5 seed, but I worry as the season progresses if he might end up a lower seed.  

What he has going for him: If he wrestles to his capability, I think he should secure the *5 or *6 seed.  The MAC looks to me like it should be taking the top four finishers of the weight class.  I can't see him knocking off D.J. McGee, but he's kept it awful close with Mason Shrader & I don't think Kaleb Burgess is out of his league either.  An NCAA DI qualifier in 2024, for what it is worth he owns an 8-2 victory over Gavin Drexler. 

Landon Johnson
Northern Illinois

What he has going against him: Landon Johnson faces the same music that Nick Stampoulos faces.  He's in a bracket likely to send the top 4, & on paper he's either the 5th or 6th best man.  This puts the Husky in a situation of having to upset to earn a ticket to Cleveland. 

What he has going for him: Again rinse and repeat about what I said about Stampoulos above.  Johnson was an NCAA DI qualifier last season.  Finishing in the top 4 in the MAC will be an absolute must. Something he is capable of doing. 

What they have going against them:  Each other 

What they have going for them: The PAC-12 is going to take the champion here, so unless something out of this world happens, one of these two gentlemen will be going to the NCAA DI championships.  Jaivon Jones, despite being unranked at the moment has a very impressive 4-1 s.v. over Charlie Millard on the season.  I personally can see Millard, only a freshman now, one day challenging for the NCAA DI title.   

As to Hamblin, no big wins on the season yet, but he was an NCAA DI qualifier last year. 


These two will meet very soon (January 23rd!)   

Not that seeding really matters cause a likely *1 is gonna likely meet a *2 in the PAC-12 finals, but it will give us an idea of how desperate of a situation this could be. 

Tanner Peake
Davidson

What he has going against him: Started off the season at 165 lbs & as a result has some bad losses.  He's not the most consistent wrestler in the world, but now that he's back at 157, things seem to be going better.  Problem is, I don't know if he has enough time or enough quality competition ahead of him to where we could see the SOCON possibly allot two to the NCAA DI championships.  Most likely if he wants to go, he's gonna have to pull off an upset. 

Let me also add in that in a day in age where we have some wrestlers on their 8th season of collegiate wrestling, Tanner Peake is four and out.  This is his fourth year of collegiate wrestling & it is also his final season of collegiate wrestling.  For everyone that likes to cry and moan about all the extra eligibility everyone is taking due to Covid, mission trips, medical redshirts, Olympic redshirts & whatever else I'm missing, perhaps take the time to let Peake know you admire what he's been able to accomplish despite not having those advantages. 

What he has going for him: I think the Wildcat needed something to happen to him to let him know that he IS top 33 material & that he DOES belong in the discussion.  I'm hoping that despite ups & downs, the Southern Scuffle was that something.  He pulled off a 2-0 win over Gavin Drexler & found himself on the award stand.  

At the end of the day, he's going to have to figure out a way past Kyrell Leavell.  The Citadel freshman stands in the way of Tanner Peake & Peake is going to have to figure out a way past him if he wants to be Davidson's first NCAA DI qualifier since 2015. 

BEST OF THE UNRANKED: 149

 

The NCAA Division I championships are approximately two months away.  Still a lot of wrestling to be conducted between now and then, but with all that can change between now and then, one thing is likely to stay the same. 

There are only 33 slots per weight class & there are more than 33 wrestlers per weight class who are eligible to get them.  

If the NCAA DI championship were today, & it was the 33 currently ranked somewhere between #1 & #33, there would be some very good wrestlers being left at home. 

To be quite frank, I'm pretty happy with the rankings at 149 lbs.  I believe pretty much who should be going to the DI championships in 2026, are the 33 that are currently listed. 

However, I do see two that could steal spots. 

Carson DesRosier
The Citadel 

What he has going against him: When it is all said and done, if Carson DesRosier wants to call himself a two-time NCAA DI qualifier this season, he's going to have to win the SOCON title. 

What he has going for him: Winning the SOCON title is well within DesRosier's capabilities.  His adversary for Southern Conference gold is going to be Kaden Keiser.  Thus far DesRosier has split with the Mountaineer dropping an 8-3 decision & winning a 4-1 s.v.    It'll be a SOCON finals most certainly worth watching, because not only will the title be on the line, so will qualification. 

Jack Crook
Harvard

What he has going against him: He has some very ugly losses this year & a record of 6-5.   On top of it, the EIWA is likely to take 3 to the NCAA DI championships this year.  The chances of Crook upsetting Jaxon Joy are pretty much 0% & the chances of him upsetting Cross Wasilewski aren't much above 0%. 

What he has going for him: An NCAA DI qualifier in 2024, while the gold & the silver of the EIWA are out of the question, the bronze is within reach.  If Crook can wrestle well enough to find himself in the EIWA consolation finals, he has taken out Eligh Rivera before.  Crook owns a 14-12 decision over the Tiger. 

BEST OF THE UNRANKED: 141

  

The NCAA Division I championships are approximately two months away.  Still a lot of wrestling to be conducted between now and then, but with all that can change between now and then, one thing is likely to stay the same. 

There are only 33 slots per weight class & there are more than 33 wrestlers per weight class who are eligible to get them.  

If the NCAA DI championship were today, & it was the 33 currently ranked somewhere between #1 & #33, there would be some very good wrestlers being left at home.  

Here are the best of the unranked at 141 lbs. 

Gable Porter
Virginia

What he has going against him:  Honestly, I'm not sure. 141 is a rather loaded weight class, but why Porter is currently out of the top 33 is a mystery to me. 

What He has going for him:  The sophomore has a 16-5 record, including a 4-2 decision over Ryan Jack, who is the highest ranked wrestler in the ACC conference.  As far as allocations are concerned, I think the ACC could see as many as six, which would definitely include Porter. 

Carter Nogle
Air Force

What he has going against him: I'd say the fact that he competes for Air Force & they don't always have the toughest of schedules.  Probably not enough quality wins. 

What he has going for him: The Falcon owns a 15-6 record, which includes a fall over Caedyn Ricciardi. He's going to need more victories like that throughout the remainder of the season, and the schedule does provide those opportunities.  I see the BIG 12 allotting at least 7 if not 8 to the NCAA DI championships & Nogle will be among 10 wrestlers in a war to earn them. 

Jesse Vasquez
California Baptist

What he has going against him: Like I explained when evaluating Richard Murillo, it cannot be easy to feel motivated & enthusiastic when you are competing for a school who doesn't value you. Knowing that whatever you accomplish, your own athletic director could care less. That has to be depressing & a difficult thing to move past mentally & emotionally. 

What he has going for him:  Jesse Vasquez is a talented wrestler.  He's been to the NCAA DI championships before, qualifying in 2024.  As mentioned, when evaluating Carter Nogle, I believe by the time the BIG 12's roll around we could see as many as eight allocations here.  Vasquez is probably going to be in a spot where's he going to have to steal one.  That is not out of the question. 

Zeke Seltzer
Missouri

What he has going against him: Some bad losses & no significant victories. 

What he has going for him: Essentially, Seltzer is in the same boat as is Nogle & Vasquez.  A conference that is likely to allot 7 to 8 to the NCAA DI championships, & he is one of 10 wrestlers wanting one of those spots. 

A.J. Rallo
Bellarmine

What he has going against him: In the long run, very little. 

What he has going for him: He may not currently be ranked, but he wasn't ranked last year either.  Outside of the top 33 in the NCAA DI, it doesn't matter because he's ranked #1 in the SOCON & as long as he wins the Southern Conference title, he's heading to Cleveland.  Now upsets happen all the time, but Rallo is the heavy favorite to win.  This makes me wonder how often unranked wrestlers have made the NCAA DI tournament, especially multiple years in a row. 

Grey Clark
Purdue

What he has going against him:  At the moment not enough quality wins. 


What he has going for him:  Three things.  There's still plenty of season left & I imagine that he'll garner enough wins within that time.  Secondly, the BIG 10 is absolutely loaded.   I'd be very surprised if they receive anything less than 10 allocations.  Last, Clark is a two-time NCAA DI qualifier.  Even if he has to steal a spot, I find it difficult to believe that he'd place outside of the top 10 in the BIG 10. 

Jordan Soriano
Drexel

What he has going against him:  Much like Gable Porter, I'm not 100% positive.  All I can say is that 141 lbs is a very deep weight class full of exceptional talent & I guess at the moment Soriano finds himself outside the top 33.  The other factor here is the EIWA, is surprisingly stacked at 141.  I don't see how they can receive anything less than 4 allocations, but I'm not sure about 5.  When it comes to where are those last few going to go, it's much more likely that the BIG 10 goes from 10 to 11, or the BIG 12 goes from 7 to 8, than it would be the EIWA going from 4 to 5.  

What he has going for him:  He was an NCAA DI qualifier last year & thus far this year he owns a 15-6 record.  On top of it, two quality wins.  7-6 over Tony Santaniello & 10-8 over Cory Land. 

Jack Maida
American 

What he has going against him:  A very poor start to '25-'26.  Currently 5-5 on the year & most of his losses have been to backups.  When studying NCAA DI wrestling, you realize how good some of these backups are, but on paper, when it comes to what all you need for qualification, losing to them is not a good thing.  

What he has going for him: He was an NCAA DI qualifier in 2023 & he has 6-7 weeks to put it together.  Truth is it's going to be an all up hill, in the ice & snow (if we want to get the metaphor accurate) battle for Maida to make the NCAA's this season.  It favors his chances if the EIWA ends up taking 5, but that's a stretch.  I say the EIWA takes four, and behind Soriano, Maida is the 6th man.  Nevertheless, it doesn't escape me what can be accomplished even when the deck is stacked against you.  Which is why I include Maida on this list. 

BEST OF THE UNRANKED: 133

 

The NCAA Division I championships are approximately two months away.  Still a lot of wrestling to be conducted between now and then, but with all that can change between now and then, one thing is likely to stay the same. 

There are only 33 slots per weight class & there are more than 33 wrestlers per weight class who are eligible to get them.  

If the NCAA DI championship were today, & it was the 33 currently ranked somewhere between #1 & #33, there would be 10 very talented wrestlers staying home.  Who are these wrestlers? Let's take a look. 

Marlon Yarbrough
Virginia

What he has going against him:  A very late start to the '25-'26 season didn't help out the Cavalier any. He didn't have his first match until January 9th & I would imagine that is most likely why he's not currently featured in the top 33. 

What he has going for him: The ACC is going to most likely allot 5 wrestlers to the NCAA DI championships.  Yarbrough has already beaten Troy Hohman, so the confidence that he can finish 5th or better within the conference is already there.  An NCAA DI qualifier in 2024, there's still plenty of season left for Yarbrough to get some quality wins & maybe even get the ACC to 6 allocations instead of 5. 

Geronimo Rivera
Utah Valley

What he has going against him:  Cold streaks of a true freshman.  While the young Wolverine has gotten hot at times, at other times he's been practically frozen.  A 7-9 record at the moment, some of those losses are ugly.  About 6-7 weeks left of the regular season, I still think come BIG 12's, Rivera is going to be in a spot where he's going to have to steal if he wants to make the NCAA DI tournament in his first year of collegiate wrestling. 

What he has going for him: He can get hot & when he does he's dangerous.  He had a hot streak here a while back where he knocked off Zan Fugit (5-2) & Tristan Daugherty (8-2).  I can see the BIG 12 taking as many as 10 & the idea of Rivera upsetting enough to be within 10 is very feasible. 

Richard Murillo
California Baptist

What he has going against him: It can't be easy to know that you're representing a school & an administration that doesn't value you or what you provide to the school. I would imagine the extraordinarily depressing news of knowing you're being discontinued had to be a blow that took some steam out of the young Lancer.  He has my utmost respect for continuing the fight to try and give CBU some credentials & accolades in their final days on the mat. 

What he has going for him: Like I said regarding Rivera, I think the BIG 12 is going to get a lot of allocations this year.  I see as many as 10.  Murillo stealing a spot is not a farfetched idea.  Qualification on the line, it could very well come down to him or Rivera. In that case, not that it always means anything, Murillo does own a 13-7 decision over the Wolverine. 

Caleb Weiand
Michigan State

What he has going against him:  He started off the season wrestling at 125 lbs & about 1/2 his matches are down a weight class. 

What he has going for him: An NCAA DI qualifier last year, he was recently 5th at the Southern Scuffle. As of right now, I think the BIG 10 easily gets 9 allocations & I can see them even getting up to 10 if Weiand can pull off some good ranked wins between now & the first weekend in March.  

Blake Boarman
Purdue

What he has going against him: A very rough start to the 2025-2026 season.  An NCAA DI qualifier with a 20-8 record last year, the former Moc, now Boilermaker stands at 8-9. 

What he has going for him: I think Boarman is well aware that if he wants to make the NCAA DI championships again, the time to turn things around is right here & right now. He demonstrated that knowledge recently with an impressive 4-1 s.v. over Dylan Shawver.  It's going to take wrestling like that the rest of the season to earn a ranking & a plausible allocation. 

Javaan Yarbrough
Morgan State

What he has going against him: He hasn't wrestled much at all this season & he hasn't wrestled since December 20th. 

What he has going for him:  With Xavier Doolin qualifying for the NCAA DI wrestling championships last year, the Bears are wanting to start a tradition of getting wrestlers to the dance year in and year out.  I see the EIWA having as many as four allocations.  Ryan Crookham is out of the question & as good as both Ethan Berginc & Max Leete have been wrestling as of late, I'd say they're probably out of the question too.   The answer here is Brenden Ferretti.  Now some might roll their eyes at me & laugh, considering that Ferretti stuck Yarbrough earlier this season in 52 seconds.  I think that was a "got him" situation & I don't think Ferretti is that much better than Yarbrough.  Could be wrong, but I wanna see part two. 

Kyle Waterman
Drexel 

What he has going against him: He needs more matches, more quality wins & he needs to avoid getting beat where he should win. 

What he has going for him:  In what will be his final attempt to make the NCAA DI wrestling championships, he's shown multiple times this year that he can be top 33 by season's end.  A 5-4 decision over Dylan Shawver & an 18-15 decision over Blake Boarman, the Dragon has demonstrated his potential.  Come the EIWA championships, as said when discussing Yarbrough, the spot to steal looks like it could very well belong to Ferretti.  It's also a question of whether we see Yarbrough again this season or not.  As noted, he's been missing for a month.  Yarbrough not being in the EIWA championships could favor Waterman.  The last they met, it was a 12-11 win for Yarbrough. 

Gable Strickland
Lock Haven

What he has going against him: Not enough quality wins yet.  

What he has going for him:  Already a two-time NCAA DI qualifier, I see the Mid-American Conference allotting two spots for the 2026 DI championships as of right now.  As the next six-seven weeks go by? I can see them allotting three.  On top of it, I'm not convinced at the moment that either Markel Baker or Marcel Lopez are out of Strickland's league.  The Bald Eagle owns a 1-0 decision over Tristan Daugherty. 

Will Betancourt
Rider

What he has going against him: He needs quality wins.  He has a 4-1 victory over Gabe Wisenhunt who is likely to win the PAC-12 title this year & earn his qualification that way, but unfortunately Betancourt isn't in the PAC 12, he's in the MAC.  I cannot see the MAC allotting more than 3 to the NCAA DI championships.  I'm not even positive that they're going to allot more than 2.   This means that Betancourt will have to have at least one upset at conference, if not two. 

What he has going for him:  The 4-1 win over Wisenhunt demonstrates that the Bronco knows how to win tough matches against tough opponents.  The MAC is a breeding ground for weird things to happen at weird times & that favors a guy like Betancourt. 

Joey Fischer
Clarion 

What he has going against him: What he's had going against him his entire collegiate career.  It's never quite enough.  Ever since he was a freshman, Joey Fischer has done some very notable & outstanding things every year.  As a freshman he made the MAC finals, losing a heartbreaker in sudden victory to four-time MAC champ Anthony Noto.  His 2nd place finish, not enough to earn him DI qualification.  As a sophomore, wins over Sean Spidle & Tyler Klinsky, but suffered an upset at the MAC's & didn't qualify.  As a junior, has a huge win over Anthony Noto on the year, but drops some super tight hard fought decisions at the MAC, once again falling short of qualification.  

Again, I repeat the MAC is likely to have 2 or 3 allocations & we have 5 talented wrestlers fighting for those 2 or 3 spots. 


What he has going for him:  There's nobody in the MAC 133 lbs bracket that Fischer can't beat.  I think he demonstrated that beautifully with an 8-2 decision over Strickland earlier this season.   Based on the rest of Clarion's schedule, I see Fischer going either 8-1 the remainder of the season or even 9-0.  Which therefore puts him at either 20-8 heading into the MAC's or 21-7 heading into the MAC's.  He's made my "Best Not to Qualify" list three times.  I'd just as soon leave him off of it this year, if he lets me. 

BEST OF THE UNRANKED: 125 lbs

 

The NCAA Division I championships are approximately two months away.  Still a lot of wrestling to be conducted between now and then, but with all that can change between now and then, one thing is likely to stay the same. 

There are only 33 slots per weight class & there are more than 33 wrestlers per weight class who are eligible to get them.  

If the NCAA DI championship were today, I can think of 10 wrestlers at 125 lbs who would finish between 34th & 43rd.  Meaning that there is talent at 125 lbs, that if they want to call themselves a 2026 NCAA DI qualifier, they're going to have to steal a spot. 

Who are those 10?  

Here you go....

Tyler Chappell
Pittsburgh

What he has going against him:  The sophomore Panther is in a conference that is most likely going to allot the top 5 to the NCAA DI championships.  4 of these 5 I can't see Chappell getting past.  Eddie Ventresca & Vincent Robinson, both NCAA DI title contenders are certainly out of the question.  I think Nico Provo & Kysen Terukina are going to be awfully hard to knock off as well. 

What he has going for him:  He's already shown that he can win some big matches. Has 6-5 victories over both Desi Pleasant & Koda Holeman.  Within the ACC, his best shot at qualification would be if he can knock off Keyveon Roller, in what will most likely be the 5th place match at the conference tournament.  He took Roller into sudden victory the last the two met.  If he wants to make a trip to nationals, he's gonna have to turn that close loss into a win. 

Tucker Owens
Air Force

What he has going against him:  Still a lot of season left to make things happen, but so far the Falcon doesn't have any high profile wins.  Six more duals before the BIG 12 championships, he cannot afford to lose any matches where he isn't supposed to lose or it is otherwise a toss-up.  As of right now he's in a BIG 12 bracket that should allot 8 & I see him being seeded *9 or *10. 

What he has going for him:  He's made the dance before.  An NCAA DI qualifier in 2023, he gave Conrad Hendrickson one hell of a good match, before ultimately losing in sudden victory to the Sooner.  Hendrickson may very well be who he would have to go through in order to secure his second qualification. 

Bridger Ricks
Utah Valley

What he has going against him:  At the moment inconsistency & a losing record.  Both of those could be yesterday's news when we reevaluate him in about 6 weeks before the BIG 12 tournament.  Matter of fact both of those will have to be yesterday's news when we reevaluate him before the BIG 12's, if he wants to head to Cleveland, Ohio as a participant. 

What he has going for him:  He's a bright lights wrestler.  An NJCAA standout for Western Wyoming, the guy is going to bring his best efforts in Tulsa.  As said before, I see the BIG 12 having 8 allocations, and Ricks, like Owens is going to have to pull off some upsets to get them.  May have to go through Owens himself to even get to that point.  Owens owns a s.v. over Ricks.   Can Ricks pull it off?  An 11-8 s.v. over Nicolar Rivera says that yes, he can. 

Logan Brzozowski
Havard

What he has going against him: A losing record. 


What he has going for him: Probably wishful thinking here, but I'll give Logan Brzozowski a fighter's chance.  I say the Ivy League takes three at 125 lbs.  The Crimson isn't overcoming Marc-Anthony McGowan or Greg Diakomihalis.  I do not see that happening.  What will have to happen is that he'll have to find himself in the consolation semi-finals & he's going to have to overcome Davis Motyka.  The odds not in his favor, but not completely out of the question either.  He'll wrestle Motyka in a dual shortly before the Ivy's on Feb 1st.  We'll really know the probability after that meeting. 

Kael Lauridsen 
Nebraska

What he has going against him: The BIG 10 is freaking loaded this year.  I think the conference easily takes the top 10 finishers here & it'll be a chore for the Husker to finish among the 10 of the BIG 10. What has hurt Lauridsen the most this season, is that I don't think he was ready for the DI grind. He's a kid that is used to winning and I think the disappointment of loss has gotten to the freshman.  Winning is a habit, as the late Vince Lombardi would say, unfortunately so is losing.  

What he has going for him: The coaching staff at Nebraska has a great track record of getting in their guys' heads and we still have plenty of season for Manning & staff to get inside his.  Penn State already has their teeth & their claws sunk into the gold of both the BIG 10 & the NCAA DI, but silver, bronze & fourth are still a battle between Oklahoma State, Iowa, Iowa State & Nebraska.  Each team needs as much firepower as possible & Lauridsen is well aware of this.  Thus far this year, despite his downs, ups are an 8-5 win over Desi Pleasant & a 4-1 s.v. over Soldier Salute champion Mack Mauger. 

Richard Castro-Sandoval
Cal State Bakersfield

What he has going against him: The Road Runner is not at all having the season I thought he would be having.  He's lost a lot of matches this year & some of them have been rather ugly.  I thought he'd have a good feud with Koda Holeman, but Holeman tore him apart 11-3 when they met earlier this year. 

What he has going for him: The guy is unpredictable & absolutely nuts on the mat.  Especially when something like qualification is on the line.  No one thought he was going to qualify last year & he stuck Koda Holeman at the 2:20 mark last year to go.   He's gonna have to make the PAC-12 finals & I don't see him upsetting Max Renteria, so it'd have to be an upset over Holeman again.   It's a funny pressure when you think about it.  A huge pressure on RCS, knowing he has to upset Holeman & a huge pressure on Holeman, knowing that he can't get upset by RCS.  Not fun for them, but exciting and fun for us. 

What they have going against them: I see the EIWA only taking the finalist when allotments come out.  Furthermore, none of the four of these guys are taking out Sheldon Seymour.  What does that mean?  It means that not only does one of these four have to deal with the other three, but they also have to take out Desi Pleasant at some point too.   The EIWA will be the toughest conference to steal a spot. 

What they have going for them:  These four will be a tight, hard fought battle for the EIWA bronze medal at the EIWA championships & whoever among them is within that category is going to have to step it up a notch even further to challenge for the EIWA silver. Why?  cause in this case bronze isn't gonna cut it, you want a trip to Cleveland, it's going to have to be silver. 

J.J. Peace has both a 7-4 decision over Charlie Farmer & an 8-4 decision over Carson Wagner

Andrew Binni has a 9-4 decision over Farmer & a 9-1 major over Peace

Farmer, an NCAA DI qualifier last year, owns an 8-6 decision over Wagner. 


=== 

The thing that really rubs me the wrong way here is that I honestly believe, and for good reason, that any of the 10 wrestlers I mentioned could easily win the SOCON title this year.  The SOCON to be quite frank is extremely weak at 125 lbs.  Strong in some other weight classes, but extraordinarily weak here.  Which means that someone who really shouldn't be top 33 will be.  That's how it is though & a part of the problem that remains no matter how often we try and find the solution. 


Two months left of wrestling, but as of right now these are the 10 guys NCAA DI 125 lbs, who are going to have to steal a spot if they want into the NCAA DI championships.