We live in a day in age where collegiate wrestling seems to be dominated by youth. We're constantly looking for the youngest sensational freshmen we can find, and long tenured coaches are being replaced by guys that still have a ways to go before calling themselves 40. Yet here we are at the University of Nebraska & at age 66, Mark Manning is experiencing the best years of his coaching life.
The Huskers did take home 4th place team trophies in 2008 & 2009, but it's been a silver trophy in 2025 & a bronze trophy in 2026 that have really stood out. Conference wise, same story. Nebraska had some good years while in the BIG 12, winning the team title in 2009, among a couple of 2nds & a couple of 3rd. Since joining the BIG 10, the best years have been the past 6 years, once Manning reached age 60. 2nd in 2020, the Huskers have been 3rd in '21, '23, '24, '25 & '26.
I contribute Manning's success to a couple of different things. First, I think he's always done very well with keeping his guys healthy, physically & mentally. If you look back through the history of scarlet & cream wrestling, you'll notice you don't see too many careers ending prematurely or on sour notes strictly due to injury. I can think of so many wrestlers on so many teams that because of a knee, or a shoulder, or something with their back or neck, didn't have the career they should have. You don't see that at Nebraska. Guys stay healthy here, and I'm surprised that more coaches aren't taking note of this trying to figure out what it is Manning is doing to keep his guys healthy.
Secondly, I think the Mark Manning of today is doing things that the Mark Manning of yesteryear never would've done. It's not easy to change with the times & get with the new ways of doing things, but Manning has adjusted, and well into his 60's, he's even better at keeping up with the times than some coaches 30 years his junior. It's said that the key to life is to stay youthful, and in Manning's case he seems to carry that key in his pocket & have an extra hidden underneath the door mat. With Penn State being as good as they are, and Oklahoma State knocking on the door, I don't know if we'll see Manning win a team NCAA DI title or not. I can see him going another 4 years at the most but seeing him continue the march into his 70's is difficult for me to fathom. It's been rewarding to see him have the success that he has had these past couple of years. Having attended five University of Nebraska wrestling camps in my life, and having interviewed Coach Manning on numerous occasions, I know I would love to see him hold that gold plated trophy. I know he'll add more silver, bronze &/or 4th place trophies before calling it a career.
The Huskers once again look very strong as we head into 2026-2027, but they will be missing a few from last season.
Brock Hardy, how could you not be a fan of this guy. Great attitude, humble, and talk about perseverance. 6th-3rd-2nd-4th, I'd put him on the list of best to never win an NCAA DI title. 2nd-5th-1st-2nd, he made his mark in collegiate wrestling's toughest conference too. It's funny to me that Utah is rarely brought up in discussions about the wrestlers they produce, yet whenever a wrestler does come out of land of Mormons, they sure are good.
Chance Lamer, what a story he was. A four-time NCAA DI qualifier, who had a horrible BIG 10 tournament, yet cleared his head and had a fantastic national tournament where he finished 5th in the DI nation.
I didn't think A.J. Ferrari's time with Nebraska would last very long, and it didn't. To be honest, I was shocked when Ferrari announced he was headed to Nebraska. Had this been 10-15 years prior, I'm almost positive that there's no way you ever would've seen a guy like Ferrari on one of Manning's lineups. It just didn't fit. Yet in the world of N.I.L. & the chaos we call the transfer portal; you have to be willing to take risks. Hard work, discipline, believing in yourself & dedication, no longer cut it if your goal is to win. Ferrari was 6th in the DI nation & a BIG 10 finalist. With all of the new trouble he's managed to get himself into, I'd say his collegiate career is probably done. Probably.
Let's look at what Nebraska has coming back....
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125
Vince Robinson Or Kael Lauridsen |
Husker fans gotta be excited about adding 2025 NCAA DI champion Vince Robinson to the lineup for the '26-'27 season. Only a junior this year, the former NC State rep was 4th in the DI nation last year. Kael Lauridsen is also at this weight class & he won 17 matches last year for the Huskers, placing 7th at the BIG 10's.
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133
Jake Van Dee |
True grit. The past two seasons Jake Van Dee has silenced his doubters & earned All-American honors of 7th in '25 & '26. He'll look to become a three-time All-American in 2027.
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149
Anthony Echemendia |
From Ohio State to Iowa State, to now Nebraska, Anthony Echemendia looks to end his career on top of the final podium. The future Cuban Olympic medalist has thus far been 5th & 6th in the DI nation, as already a BIG 12 champion, he'll look to become a BIG 10 champion. A very colorful, arrogant and cocky wrestler, I'm anxious to see if he'll have free reign, or if Manning might pull him back a bit.
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157
Antrell Taylor |
8th-1st-2nd thus far in the DI nation, Antrell Taylor looks to join the long list of four-time DI All-Americans that Mark Manning has produced in his 1/4 of a century of coaching at Nebraska. 5th-4th-2nd, it's hard to believe as good as he is, that he hasn't won a BIG 10 title yet. 75 career wins thus far, he'll easy reach & surpass that 100-win mark.
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157
Meyer Shapiro |
3rd-5th-8th in the DI nation, the word on the street is the Meyer Shapiro will redshirt in '26-'27, being fresh & ready to go in '27-'28. I mean there could be some weight changes & we might see Shapiro in action this year. I highly doubt it'd be a straight up wrestle-off between Shapiro & Taylor. That just does not make sense to me, nor does it make cents. It is interesting to have two such talents at the same weight thought. 6 All-American honors between them, as if the iron isn't already shaped enough.
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165
L.J. Araujo |
I was surprised that L.J. Araujo didn't have a better NCAA DI tournament than what he did. 4th in the BIG 10, he defeated All-Americans Bryce Hepner (2-0), Andrew Sparks (9-2) & Paddy Gallagher (2-0) on the season. When a team loses talents like Brock Hardy & Chance Lamer, it becomes the responsibility of other wrestlers to step up their game & replace the valuable points lost. I expect that from Araujo this season & think we'll see him make the DI award stand come March.
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174
Chris Minto |
It's exciting to think what all could happen for Coach Manning this season. If memory serves me correct I think he's coached a total of 5 NCAA DI champions since taking over as the head of Nebraska. In '26-'27, by my estimation he has at least 3, if not 4 or 5 NCAA DI champion contenders. Doesn't that blow your mind? This Florida native, is one of them. A BIG 10 runner-up last season, Chris Minto has thus far been 4th & 2nd in the DI nation.
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184
Lucas Cochran |
Very anxious to see how this turns out. The former Penn State Nittany Lion has had some impressive success at HWT. One would think that 184 would be successful too, but you never know in these types of situations. As for now, sit back & see what happens.
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197
Camden McDanel |
I'm not soothsayer, but I'd say that Camden McDanel is in route to capture his third or what will one day be four All-American honors this season. Thus far he's been 8th & 5th in the DI nation. 5th & 2nd in the BIG 10.
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HWT
Cade Ziola Or Harley Andrews |
To be frank, I was surprised to not see Harley Andrews name in the transfer portal. I realize and respect that everyone has different perspectives & goals in life, but it's always hard for me to see someone like that ride the bench, especially in his final season. Andrews is a top 33 HWT for sure, if not better. With that said, and I may be saying this prematurely, Manning has produced a lot of four-time All-Americans. I think we're looking at one when we look at Cade Ziola. 16-3 last year, he had wins over Koy Hopke, Bennett Tabor & Spencer Lanosga.
