Colorado Mesa Vs Menlo Preview (Sat Nov 9)

 

The community of wrestling sure likes hypotheticals.  We love to sit down and debate back and forth over who's better.  Which level of wrestling is superior to the other.  Is DII better than NAIA or is NAIA better than DII?  Most of the time these conversations are nothing more than opinion.  Pure speculation.  However, every once in a while, we get to put on our lab coats and test out our hypothesis.  This is one of those times.  Colorado Mesa is a tough DII team that returns seven NCAA DII qualifiers.  Menlo has a super tough team as well.  We're going to see DII & NAIA go head to here. 

Oran Huff Vs Jeremiah Steele
133

Oran Huff was an NCAA D2 qualifier for the Mavericks last season, placing 2nd at the Super Region VI.  Jeremiah Steele was an NAIA qualifier, with a 3rd place showing at the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC).  Should be a good match. 

Ryan Wheeler Vs Kanai Tapia
157

Here's where the bets be made.  Where we really get to see NCAA DII test itself against the NAIA and vice versa.  Ryan Wheeler didn't compete last season, but he was 3rd in the D2 nation back in '22 & he's been 1st & 2nd within Super Region VI.  Kanai Tapia is an NAIA title contender this season.  3rd in the NAIA last year & also a Missouri Valley Invite champ.  Bragging rights are on the line in this one. 

Gus Dalton Vs Max Zamora
174

Here we have an NCAA DII R12'er taking on a 7th place NAIA All American.  Gus Dalton Vs Max Zamora should be a good one.  

Jason Bynarowicz Vs Isaiah Morales
184

In my opinion one of the toughest things to do in wrestling is comeback after a loss at Regions and take 3rd place.  Qualification is on the line, and depending on where you lost on the championship side of the bracket, you have to win at least two really tough matches in order to take home that bronze medal and punch yourself a ticket to DII nationals. It show a tremendous amount of courage, strength, character and guts. Four of the returning Mavericks did just that last year, including Jason Bynarowicz.  That type of mental toughness could prove to be the difference here against Menlo.  They'll certainly need it against the likes of Isaiah Morales.  A CCC champ last season, he was a hair short of being an NAIA All American.  

Gabe Carranz Vs Hunter James
197

An NCAA DII qualifier/Super Region VI runner-up Vs an NAIA qualifier/CCC 4th placer. Again, pure tenacity on the line here.  Who wants it more? Who's going to show up and wrestle?  D2 Vs NAIA, and we're going to see it this Saturday! 

Maryville Vs Central Oklahoma Preview (Sat Nov 9)

 

As we head into week three of the collegiate wrestling season, we have a good dual between Maryville & Central Oklahoma this Saturday in NCAA Division II.  Four matches stick out in particularly & we'll now take a look a them. 

Shaun Muse Vs Evan Binder
133

You can read the expression of anger on Evan Binder's face in this photograph.  We didn't see a whole lot out of Shaun Muse last year, but in the handful of times we did get to see him compete, he pinned Binder in 0:34 seconds.  Huge win for the Broncho, as Binder would go on to place 2nd at Super Region IV & get within a match of naming himself an All American.  Was it a fluke? Did Muse simply catch Binder off guard and put him on his back?  Was it legit?  Was Muse showing us that he'll be a Super Region title contender and AA material himself?  Lots of plausible outcomes in this one.  "Vengeance by mine" may very well sayeth the Binder.  Looking very forward to this one. 

Kody Ketchum Vs Dylan Lucas
141

Here we have the Super Region IV bronze medalist taking on the Super Region IV gold medalist.  The last time these two met, it was a 2:14 fall over Dylan Lucas over Kody Ketchum. Lucas an All American in 2023, came up short of another medal last year.  I'm sure that has his fire going.  I think this match goes the distance this year though.  I don't see it ending in the first period again. 

John Gholson Vs Garrett Wells
184

On paper, you'd think that a Super Region IV champ, 6th in the DII nation would just destroy a Super Region IV 5th place-winner.  Not the case.  The last time the two met, Wells had to work hard, picking & choosing his shots in a 5-0 win.  I say Gholson is capable of giving him an even better match than that.  Wells is super talented, even the type that could win an NCAA DII title, or at least be in contention for it by season's end.  On the same hand though, Gholson is a wrestler of pure grit.  Those kinda guys make you wrestle all 7 minutes, make you earn each point you get. 

Jeremiah Larson Vs Emmanuel Skillings
197

Seth Duckworth recently said on Twitter that a wrestler being ok with being a backup for a while, before he got his opportunity was a rarity in wrestling.  Well, maybe it is, but one who did was Emmanuel Skillings.  Behind one of the best 197'ers in DII ever, Dalton Abney, last season, Skillings more than showed us he was going to be an excellent replacement for Abney, as he placed 7th at a very tough Midwest Classic.  Among the W's he picked up last year, two were against Larson in a 12-3 major decision & a 9-8 decision.  On the same hand though, Larson handed Skillings a 16-7 major decision loss, so we have a bit of back & forth going on here.  Larson for the record was 4th at last year's Super Region IV. 

Navy Vs Pittsburgh Preview (Sat Nov 2nd)

 

Have a good little dual here between Navy & Pittsburgh this Saturday.  Four matches of interest stick out in particular.  Here they are. 

Brendan Ferretti Vs Vince Santaniello
133

This is likely to be one of the best matches of the night.  The last time these two met, Ferretti snuck by in a 3-2 squeaker.  It's likely to be a very close match again.  One of those, who gets the takedown, is mostly likely he who wins the match. 

Josh Koderhandt Vs Anthony Santaniello
141

Madison Hollenbeck considers Josh Koderhandt one of the best wrestlers in the DI nation yet to be an All American.  You know what? She's right, he is.  I think starting off the season, Anthony Santaniello will be a good test for him on day 1 of month 1 of a long nearly six month season.  We didn't get to see much of Santaniello last season, as he was injured early on at the Clarion Open.  This match against a top 12 opponent will give us a good glimpse of where he's at in his redshirt freshman campaign. 

174

If Ferretti Vs V Santaniello isn't the match of the night, I promise you, Wask Vs Augustine will be.  These two have met twice already & it's been a barnburner each time.  Wask owns a 7-6 decision over Augustine & Augustine owns a 9-7 decision over Wask.  This is the rubber-match, the Hogan Vs Andre of the evening. 

Zyan Hall Vs Reece Heller
184

I wasn't even old enough to legally drink a beer when I first started writing about collegiate wrestling.  I turn 40 in May.  I think that ought to tell you how long I've been at this.  Nevertheless, people still seem shocked when I make a gut instinct remark.  Like the one I'm going to make now...

I don't think Zyan Hall is going to upset Reece Heller, but I do think he'll give him more of a fit than "on paper" suggest here.  Hall has a build and a style that I think will frustrate Heller, and cause Heller to play a bit more conservative.  Could be way off here, but I think Hall gives Heller a respectable match. 

Pepsi Patriot Open Preview (Sat 11-2)

 

The NAIA doesn't mess around. While you'll see a lot of ducking and, "we don't want to wrestle our best wrestlers today because in 6 months of wrestling, there's only 3 days of it that matter to us" in DI, the NAIA is ready to go to war on day one. You'll see matches here at the Pepsi Patriot Open that you'll see in the quarters, semis, and maybe even finals of the NAIA championships.  The Patriot Open awards the top 6 in each weight class, and this isn't one of those tournaments where you can have an off day and still pick up a medal.  You place top 6, here, you earn it. 

125

Man, what a loaded bracket.  11 NAIA qualifiers + an NCAA DII qualifier hopeful, and only six of these guys are walking out of here with a medal.  Leading the pack of conscripts, will be two time NAIA All American Trevor Marsman, who has worked exceptionally hard to cement himself as the best wrestler Cornerstone has produced thus far.   He'll have some good challenge.  8th place NAIA All American/MSC champ Izaeah Beavers will be in this bracket, as will be MSC runner-up Connor Diamond who won the Pepsi/Patriot Open last season.  We also have last year's returning 3rd place winner Matteo Vargo, as well as last year's returning 4th place finisher Adonis Boyd.  

Among the rest of the contenders for a top 6 showing here, Colt Brown of Montevallo has quite the opportunity to showcase how NCAA D2 talent matches up against NAIA talent.  Also featured here will be Mikey Doerr.  8th in the NJCAA last season, Doerr is itching to show the NAIA world the talent that his possesses. Right here, right now, is the time to do so. 

133 

Last season NCAA DII champion Gabe Hixenbaugh won everything he entered, including the Pepsi/Patriot Open.  Will he be challenged this tournament?  Potentially in this bracket we also have NAIA runner-up Thaddeus Long, two time NAIA All American Sammy Shires & NAIA All American Andrew Voiles.  All who can show up, do show up, it's certain Hixenbaugh's path to another title here, will be rockier than it was last year.  He tech'd two time Patriot/Pepsi open runner-up Anthony Hughes 15-0 last year. 

Returning will be 3rd place finisher Randy Frailey, as Kolby Encinas and Cole McKinley will also compete for a top 6 showing. 

141

Bear with me, I have a lot of thoughts concerning 141 lbs.

Only a sophomore, Nik Yancy has already proven himself to be an NAIA title contender.  He was 3rd in the NAIA last season.  With that said, there are three other NAIA title contenders in this bracket as well.  Kael Brisker was 4th in the NAIA last season.  Pat Gould was 4th in the NAIA two season ago.  Last year he entered the '23-'24 season ranked #1 in the nation.  He took 2nd place here at the Patriot/Pepsi Open and then he seemed to vanish into thin air.  As far as I'm concerned, Logan Wagner, who has thus far finished R12 at the last two NAIA championships, is the best wrestler in all of the NAIA yet to All American.  I honestly think he's good enough to win a national title. Winning a Patriot/Pepsi title this weekend would be merit to the point.  He was 3rd here a year ago. 

Winding out the rest of the weight class, we have NAIA qualifiers Kyler Adams & Dom DiGena, along with another NAIA R12'er in Brett Minor.  The big question mark here is Cole Thomas.  A D2 wrestler in an NAIA world.  He thus far owns a 4-3 decision over Adams. 

149

NAIA R12'er Jace Luchau returns to defend the Patriot/Pepsi open title he won last season & give the Patriots a gold medal that'll stay home.  He's likely to have some stiff competition though.  Chris Kelly, another NAIA R12'er was 5th here a year ago, and looks to improve upon his performance.  Among the many NAIA qualifiers that could show up in this bracket, it is two other wrestlers who stick out in particularly to me.  Jaden Two Lance was an NJCAA runner-up for Carl Albert State last season. My expectations and hopes for him in '24-'25 are really high.  I really think he's going to make a big splash this year & as they say, "no time like the present."   Westyn Moyer was in an extremely loaded qualifier last year, that saw the top 4 go, and the top 4 all make All American honors at the NAIA championships.  Moyer placed 5th, and had to stay home.  Such circumstances would make anyone itch, and he may very well be in a scratching mood this weekend. 

157

A two time NAIA champion without a single blemish to his name the past two seasons, I can't see anyone stopping Brevin Balmeceda from winning a Patriot/Pepsi Open title here.  Two time All American Trevor Burdick or All American Antwuan Burns could potentially give him a match in the finals, depending on whoever wins that likely semi-final.  Are we likely to see any big upsets in this bracket?  I said earlier, speaking of 125 lbs that Trevor Marsman was Cornerstone's top star. Indeed he is, but he isn't Cornerstone's only star.  The only reason we haven't seen more out of Thade Radosa, is because he's unfortunately dealt with  lot of injury during his career.  If healthy & 100%, knocking off Balmeceda is still a task that isn't likely to be accomplished.  Doing something as crazy as making the finals or taking 3rd? I may be off my hinges, but yeah, if he's 100% I do think that's possible. 

165

Life and wrestling have a lot in common.  One of those commonalities is constantly having to prove yourself.  The Patriot/Pepsi Open will provide plenty of opportunity to do just that.  Jonathan Kervin won the NAIA title last season & already from the get go, he'll have a huge target painted on his back.  Steve Villalobos, Shad Slone & Trace Braun, all three returning NAIA All Americans themselves are all looking to knock Kervin off as they do battle among one another.  As they all look to dethrone the champ, in turn they should realize they too have targets on their backs.  Matt Jenkins finished one match shy of being an All American last season.  A win over an All American or even wins over multiple All Americans would do both his ranking & his confidence a world of good.   We also have Elliot Rodgers, a four time NAIA qualifier whom I'm sure wouldn't oblige to the credentials.   Not to mention a tough O'Brian Black & an equally tough Jaden New. 

174

Graham Calhoun came into Madison, Wisconsin, had a cup of coffee, felt the cold winds of November, packed his bags and headed south.  Ever since, in taking NAIA runner-up honors last season, he's been taking names and kicking a double s.  Anyone here going to challenge him for the Pepsi/Patriot Open title?  I don't think so, although I am anxious to see who his finals opponent will be.  I'm looking forward to what I believe will be a great semi-final between Cory Cannan and Noah Hollendonner.  Both NAIA qualifiers last season, Cannan was R12 at the national championships & Hollendonner took a 3rd place showing here.  It doesn't escape me at the potential Tre Morrisette has either.   Front half of the bracket should be fun.  Consolations?  I've provided the names I think are most likely to do well. 

184 

Quite a bit to talk about and quite a bit to say as to the other weight classes in this tournament, but here are 184, I'm at a loss for words.  If I had to pick/predict place-winners, I think the four I have listed above are likely to make the stand. 

197

There will be some good wrestling here at 197 lbs.  I think our forerunner for a champion will be Indiana Tech's Nathan Critchfield, who was one match shy of NAIA All American honors last season.  It's far from a shoe-in though, as there are some tough candidates in this bracket, including DeMarco Lee who looked very good on occasion last season.  Anxious to see how transfer Hunter Hall ends up doing this tournament.  I know Oklahoma Wesleyan was excited to get him. 

HWT

Seeding will have a lot to do with how HWT turns out and I'm excited for many potential match-ups. I would think that either Braydon Erb or Wylie Dunn would take the #1 seed, although I could also see it potentially going to Bruce Wagers who was 2nd here a year ago.  All three of these gentlemen are more than capable of winning the Pepsi/Patriot Open this weekend.  Dunn in particularly has thoroughly impressed me with how much progress and improvement he has made.  Two seasons ago, he won a single match.  Last year, he was in the match to be an All American.  This is his home tournament, a chance to shine on his turf, in front of his people.   Take nothing away from Erb & Wagers of course, who known how and when to get tough.   As to the rest of the bracket, I'm anxious to see how TreyShawn White does this tournament.  He fell just a hair short of NJCAA All American honors last season competing for Indian Hills.  It'll be fun to see how he matches up against NAIA competition. 

UW-Parkside Vs Maryville Preview (Friday 11-1)

 

We have a good dual here in NCAA Division II wrestling between UW-Parkside & Maryville this Friday.  Both teams have some tough wrestlers & it'll be fun to watch them do battle on the mat. 

Matt Chi Vs Evan Binder
133

I was very vocal in my '24-'25 preseason previews that I felt Matt Chi was one of the best wrestlers in NCAA Division II wrestling yet to make the NCAA Division II championships.  Among the many reasons I stated, an 11-5 decision over NCAA DII R12'er Evan Binder is why.  If Chi can once again defeat the Saint, what a start to the season it'd be for the Ranger. 

Cayden Henschel Vs Kody Ketchum
141

Love him or hate him, there's no denying that two time NCAA DII R12'er Cayden Henschel is one of the most well known figures in DII wrestling. He'll start off the season with a very tough challenge in Kody Ketchum.  While Henschel defeated the Saint 7-2 last season, I'm not sold that we saw Ketchum (who was still recovering from injuries via high school) at 100% last year.  This will be a good test to start out '24-'25 for Henschel. 

Brady Schuh Vs Cole Ritter
      165 

This strikes me as a good match.  We have Brady Schuh who finished one match shy of NCAA DII qualification last season & we have Cole Ritter, who finished 5th in the D2 nation.  For those unfamiliar with D2 wrestling, it's not like D1 or the NAIA.  You only qualify if you place top 3 within your regional.  I point this out, because on paper, some might think that an All American wouldn't have any problem with someone who didn't even qualify.  It's not that simple in D2 & I say Schuh gives Ritter a good match. 

Lloyd Reynolds Vs Ryan Herman
     HWT

"Stay off your back!"  This is going to be a fun one.  Lloyd Reynolds & Ryan Herman have met exactly three times.  Reynolds stuck Herman at 5:00, Herman stuck Reynolds at 6:26, and Herman won a 5-4 decision.  Both NCAA DII qualifiers, Herman captured 7th place All American honors last season.  He was also the only wrestler in two seasons to hand two time D2 champ Shawn Streck a loss last year.  A win for either of these guys is huge, but speaking to rankings/seedings/ect, a bit bigger for Reynolds. 


 

Ithaca Invitational Preview (Fri 11/1-Sat 11/2)

 

A great tournament to start off the NCAA Division III season at the home of legendary Robert "Gorilla Monsoon" Murella.  As it always does, the Ithaca Invitational looks to have some great wrestling. 

           Joziah Fry                 Gavin Bradley   
       Johnson & Wales               Castleton        
          125  

  
    

Will we see two time NCAA Division III champ Joziah Fry in action this early on into the season?  He competed at the Princeton Open last season, but won the Ithaca Invitational two years ago.  His best competition this event will be last year's Ithaca Invite champ, Gavin Bradley of Castleton.  An All American himself, having placed 7th in 2024.  Thus far Fry has shown his dominance, with two falls and a technical fall over Bradley.  

133

I'd say here at 133 lbs, we're probably looking at a final between home crowd favorite Isaias Torres & Zach Levey of Alfred State.  Torres, a 7th place All American last season, has thus far been 3rd & 2nd in his home invitational.  He owns both a 7-1 & 5-2 victory over Levey.  It also dawns on me that this would be a great opportunity for Drew Marchese to walk away with a big win.  He's so far been 5th & 3rd in these championships, and he's likely to meet Levey in the semi-finals.  What a boost of confidence it'd be for him if he were to knock off the two time NCAA DIII qualifier.   Also look for Jake Eckerle, a transfer of Buffalo to perhaps make himself known as well. 

141 

I am really, really looking forward to the probable final between Josh Wilson & James Rodriguez here.  Wilson was the NCAA DIII champ last season, as Rodriguez finished one match shy of earning his third All American honor.  Thus far, Wilson has slipped past Rodriguez on three occasions, including a 4-1 s.v. in the finals of the Ithaca Invitational last season.  Imagine how bananas the D3 nation would go if Rodriguez were to pull off the upset!  I also think the battle for bronze will be a good one.  I see it a match between NCAA DIII qualifier Gabe Goss & Noah Hunt.  Hunt stuck Goss last year in a dual at the 7:00 mark.  Garnering such a win again, would be a great way to start of '24-'25. 

149

Last season, in route to the Ithaca Invitational finals, Elijah Cyr knocked off Tyler Rossini (the Ithaca Invitational finalist two seasons ago) 3-1 in the semi-finals.  This year I predict both will be finalist, and we'll have a great match to determine who is the champion.  With that said, I keep a pretty decent eye on probable monkey wrenches.  Jordan Suarez, who finished on match shy of NCAA DIII qualification last season strikes me as a possible monkey wrench.  

157

Here's an interesting weight class.  The favorite here is Nate Camiscioli of Castleton.  An NCAA DIII qualifier he has two wins (11-2 & 6-4) over Jack Richardson, and he also owns a 7-3 victory over Wenchard Pierre Louis, who is a two time NCAA DIII qualifier in his own right.  Last season, Richardson scored a 10-7 s.v. over Louis.  What a statement it'd be for Richardson if he were to win the Ithaca Invitational this weekend. 

165 lbs 

On paper it looks like Patrick Wisniewski, 8th in the D3 nation last season is to be our Ithaca Invitational champion.  I promise you, it's not a shoe-in.  Last season not only did Konrad Parker defeat Wisniewski 12-7, Myles Leonard pinned Wisniewski in the first period (1:22).  Between Parker & Leonard, Parker owns a 10-4 decision.  To spice things up, we also throw Travis Green of Penn Tech into the mix.  He gave Leonard a wild 12-11 match last season.  Seeding and bracket placement will weigh heavily here at 165, as the multiverse suggest many outcomes. 

174 lbs

Before his season ending injury last year, 2023 All American Jacob DeGuire breezed through the Ithaca Invitational, pinning Desmond McLaughlin in the finals in just 41 seconds.  While DeGuire is still the favorite to win this year's Invitational, McLaughlin will face stiff competition in getting back to the finals.  Ky'ell Roper pinned him in 1:07 last season & Jackson Gray is an NCAA DIII qualifier. 

184 

I hope those that do rankings are paying attention, because this is the weight class to watch at the Ithaca Invitational.  We have three returning NCAA Division III All Americans here at 184 lbs.  The NCAA DIII runner-up Ryan DeVivo, plush 4th place Sampson Wilkins & 5th place Sean Malenfant.  That's not all either.  We also have Isaac Cory, who won the Ithaca Invite last year with 6-3 decision over Wilkins.   Other head to heads, DeVivo has beaten Wilkins on four occasions, having lost to him once.  Wilkins defeated Malenfant in a very close 7-6 decision.  Also featured in this weight class will be Xavier Pommells & Jake Jones, who finished 3rd & 4th here respectively last season. 

197

NCAA Division III R12'er Darby McLaughlin enters '24-'25 a two time Ithaca Invitational champion, but I'm telling you, he has his work cut out for him if he wants to win title #3 this weekend.  In the bracket most likely on the opposing side will be two time (4th & 5th) D3 All American Dylan Harr.  Harr thus far has defeated McLaughlin in three fairly solid decisions.  As to our consolation final, an opportunity presents itself for Anthony Cascen to once again knock off Ryan Galka.  The Laker defeated the Bomber NCAA DIII qualifier twice last season by scores of 17-5 & 7-2. 

HWT

 Last year the Ithaca Invitational was wild and weird at HWT, and thankfully, this year it will be wild and weird once again.  If nothing else, it gives us a great glimpse at just how difficult it is to be the varsity starter at Castleton.  Our forerunner for champ here is NCAA DIII R12'er Adolfo Betancur.  He's defeated last year's Ithaca Invite runner-up Abbas Abdulrahman on three occasions, but Abdulrahman has also defeated him once too.  Then we also have Mason Sprinkle, one of the best HWTs in the nation yet to make the NCAA DIII championships.  He was 3rd here a year ago.  He's lost to Abdulrahman on four occasions, albeit, some of them rather ugly.  On the other hand, he's also defeated Abdulrahman on two occasions & he owns a 6:46 fall over Betancur.  Then we also have Evan Day & Haven Tatarek, who are as of now (perhaps not as of next Monday) backups to Abdulrahman.  Abdulrahman has kept himself a step ahead of his two challengers, with both a 4-2 & 5-3 win over Day and a 1-0 win over Tatarek.  Between Day & Tatarek, Day owns a 1:15 fall over Tatarek & Tatarek owns a 6-2 decision over him.   But remember folks, wrestling is easy to predict! 

Who's Who of DI Collegiate Wrestling = Top Returnees 197 lbs 2024-2025

 

Stephen Buchanan
Iowa

Stephen Buchanan heads into this senior season of competition a three time All American with finishes of 8th-3rd-3rd.  Posting a 29-3 record last season he won titles at the Michigan State Open, RENO & the Southern Scuffle.  He was 3rd in the BIG 12's. 

The Rumor mill is now saying that Buchanan is headed to the University of Iowa to compete for the Hawkeyes and spend his final season in the BIG 10.  This is a very recent update, which of course will make for a wrestle-off between Buchanan and Glazier....which is now not going to happen because.....

Jacob Cardenas
Michigan

8th & 4th thus far in the NCAA, Jacob Cardenas has been 5th-1st-3rd within the EIWA, competing for Cornell.  This season he will test out his skills within the BIG 10 as a member of team Michigan. 28 wins on the season last year, he was also 4th at CKLV. 

Rocky Elam
Missouri

Speaking of rare achievements, Rocky Elam heads into his final season of eligibility with the opportunity to become a five time All American.  Thus far he has been 5th-4th-3rd-6th at the NCAA championships.  A BIG 12 champion in 2023, he was a runner-up last year. 

Stephen Little
Little Rock

The name may be Little and he may be wrestling for Little Rock, but his strength and size isn't little and neither are his achievements.  A member of a team that is making strides left and right, Stephen Little won a PAC-12 title last season & captured 7th place All American honors at the NCAA championships.  Only a freshman last season, could he become the Trojans first four time conference champ?  Too early to contemplate such things, but it's exciting to think about. 

Michael Beard
Lehigh

What a stand out year for Michael Beard of Lehigh last year.  Winning titles at the Princeton Open, the Midland and the EIWA, he earned his second All American honor.  7th in 2021, he was 8th last year.  Posted a record of 29-4. 

Backing Beard up in the lineup will be a tough J.T. Davis, who was most impressive at last year's Midlands, taking 4th. 

Silas Allred
Nebraska

Arguably the best 197'er yet to All American, Silas Allred has been R12 at the NCAA championships the past two seasons in a row.  Twice 5th at CKLV, he was 3rd at the BIG 10's, having won a title in 2023.  A Navy Classic runner-up, he posted 26 wins on the season.  Perhaps by the end of '24-'25, Allred might be All American. 

Isaiah Salazar
Minnesota

Isaiah Salazar was a BIG 10 champion & 6th in the NCAA competing at 184 lbs last year.  He will test the waters up at 197 this season. 

Zac Braunagel
Illinois

Fresh off of a redshirt, if Silas Allred isn't the best 197'er yet to All American, then Zac Braunagel is.  Himself twice the R12, he has thus far been 4th & 1st at the Midlands championships. Among his many victories, a 7-6 decision over Michael Beard. 

Jaxon Smith
Maryland

Jaxon Smith has been a leader on the Maryland wrestling team since his freshman season & heads into the '24-'25 season one of the Terrapin's best bets at All American status. A runner-up at CKLV, he's thus far been 3rd and 4th in the BIG 10's. 

Zach Glazier 
South Dakota State

Intermatwrestle and theopenmat both have Iowa ranked #5 heading into the '24-'25 season.  Wrestlestat has Iowa ranked #3 & Flo, along with W.I.N., God bless em', have the Hawkeyes ranked #2.  Regardless of where Iowa is ranked, they want to finish as high as they possibly can & in order to do that, they're going to have to have some guys step up.  Last year Zach Glazier did a very nice job, posting 25 wins on the season, winning a Soldier Salute & placing 2nd at the BIG 10's.  This season he'll have to step it up even more & there's no reason to think that he won't.  Physically he's always had it, one of the strongest wrestlers in the nation.  Mentally he made leaps and bounds last season.  He continues to improve in all aspects, he'll be a leader among the Hawkeyes. 

UPDATE:  When I read that Stephen Buchanan was coming to Iowa, it made me wonder what would become of Zach Glazier.  I HATED to think that as much as he's improved and as much potential as he has this year, he'd be riding the bench.  Any which way you slice it, that ain't right. I know some bleed black & gold so much that they look at what I'm about to say as "anti-Hawkeye."   I'm glad to see Zach Glazier transferring to South Dakota State.  The kid deserves to be in a varsity lineup, contending for All American credentials. Matter of fact, knowing Ryan Morningstar on a somewhat decent level, I'd even wager to say that Brands and Co helped to orchestrate the move. They may seem on the surface that all they care about is Iowa, Iowa, Iowa, but they care about the kids on a personal level too. Even though he'll be wearing blue & yellow this year, they're still going to want to see him standing on the award stand come season's end.  It's just that they're gonna wanna see him much lower on that stand than Buchanan. 

John Poznanski
Rutgers

4th in the nation back in 2021, John Poznanski heads into what will be his junior season of competition looking to recapture All American status.  He was 7th in the BIG 10 last year, with 18 victories. 

Andy Smith Or Sonny Sasso
Virginia Tech

Andy Smith had himself a pretty good season last year.  Winning the Keystone Classic, he was 5th at both the Midlands and the ACC championships, finishing one match shy of All American honors at the NCAA championships.  Although he did not place at CKLV, he was 6th there two seasons ago. 

Challenging him for the varsity spot this year will be Sonny Sasso, who himself was 5th at the Keystone Classic & 6th at CKLV.  He had some standout wins including defeating Nick Stemmet twice (a 2:44 fall & an 8-4 decision) & Levi Hopkins by an 11-3 major decision. 

Mac Stout
Pittsburgh

23 wins on the season, Mac Stout heads into the '24-'25 year an NCAA qualifier having finished 3rd at last year's ACC championships.  He also won the Clarion Open. 

Wyatt Voelker
Northern Iowa

I've been talking a lot in these weight by weight previews how '24-'25 could very well end up the best year for head coach Doug Schwab yet.  I can see sophomore Wyatt Voelker being a reason why.  20 wins on the season, he was a Daktronics champion & 5th in the BIG 12. 

Joey Novak
Wyoming

Another tough sophomore headed into the '24-'25 season will be Wyoming's Joey Novak.  24 wins on the year, he collected quite a bit of hardware. 8th at CKLV, he was the RENO runner-up & 3rd at teh Soldier Salute.  Finished out the year an NCAA qualifier with a 4th place finish at the BIG 12's. 

Luke Stout
Princeton

Luke Stout heads into his final season of eligibility a three time NCAA qualifier.  Winning the Navy Classic last season, he was a runner-up at the Midlands.  Among his victories, a 4-1 decision over two time R12'er Silas Allred. 

Levi Hopkins
Campbell

Levi Hopkins heads into his final season on the collegiate mats a two time SOCON champion, looking to win his third conference title.  27 wins last season, he was runner-up at both the Southeast Open & the Franklin & Marshall Lehman Invitational. 

Nick Stemmet
Stanford

Another tough "senior" (or whatever the term is we use these days) heading into the '24-'25 season, is three time NCAA qualifier Nick Stemmet.  2nd & 3rd the past two seasons in the PAC-12, he'll look to win his first conference title.  He was also 7th in CKLV & 3rd at the Southern Scuffle last year, posting 31 wins overall. 

Luke Surber
Oklahoma State

Yet another tough wrestler heading into what will be his final season of competition. Luke Surber of Oklahoma State is a three time NCAA qualifier, 6th in the BIG 12 last season & 3rd two seasons ago.  He also won what was the final Lindenwood Open last year as well. 

Although his record may not make you think so, Kyle Haas is a rather tough backup for Surber and should be recognized as such.  He himself made the Southern Scuffle finals last season. 

Luke Geog
Ohio State

Luke Geog made the NCAA tournament last year as a freshman.  With 15 wins on the season, he was 6th in the BIG 10. 

Justin Rademacher
Oregon State

Another tough freshman from last season, Justin Rademacher had 19 wins on the season. Taking 3rd place showings at the Southeast Open & RENO, he was the PAC-12 runner-up. 

Evan Bates
Northwestern

Evan Bates was an NCAA qualifier for the Wildcats last season, placing 8th at the BIG 10 championships.  He was also the Michigan State Open runner-up. 

Jack Wehmeyer
Columbia

20 wins on the season, Jack Wehmeyer was an NCAA qualifier for the Lions, posting a 4th place finish at the EIWA championships. 

Austin Cooley
West Virginia

An NCAA qualifier in 2023, Austin Cooley fell short of another qualification last season. 5th at the Southeast Open, he'll look to reclaim qualification status this year. 

Martin Cosgrove
Pennsylvania

A backup to four time NCAA qualifier Cole Urbas last season, Martin Cosgrove put up 20 wins on the year. This included a 7-4 decision over Urbas.  Cosgrove was also 3rd at the Keystone Classic. 

Kael Wisler
Michigan State

Kael Wisler put together 26 wins last year as a freshman, and earned himself an 8th place finish at the Midlands. 

Christian Knop
North Carolina State

Christian Knop has spent his entire career up to this point as a valuable backup for the Wolfpack of North Carolina State. From the looks of it, he will finally get to represent the white & red in the post season & should contend for NCAA qualification. 

Brad Whitright
North Dakota State

4th in the NJCAA & a West District champion for North Idaho last season, Brad Whitright will compete for the Bison this season. 

Christian Slack
Utah Valley

Another NJCAA wrestler, Christian Slack who made the West District finals last season & finished one match shy of NJCAA All American honors, will compete for Utah Valley this season. 

A.J. Ferrari
Cal State Bakersfield

If we thought of wrestling as we think of our planet in relation to space, I'd say the 197 lbs weight class is the Earth & A.J. Ferrari is a Chicxulub asteroid ready to come in and destroy it.  Feelings mixed, opinions varied, I choose to look at this from a positive standpoint.  Cal State Bakersfield is a small DI school in the state of California, that could use a boost right now.  It doesn't have a large budget, making it difficult to compete with those who do in the recruiting race.  The state of California on the collegiate level could use some big attention and success. I'm anxious to see how Ferrari fares against the likes of Starocci.  He's been out of the game for a while, and it makes one wonder what kind of an effect that may or may not have on his performance. Sure makes things more interesting though.