2023 NCAA Division I The Season: Northwestern

 *NOTE* - I want to make it clear what this is and what this is not.  What this is NOT is an overview of the entire team. What this is, is a who’s who preview of THIS season 2022-2023. Meaning that I am going to talk about the starters who I feel will have an impact THIS year. Those who will win big matches in duals. Those who will earn placings in major tournaments like CKLV, RENO, MIDLANDS, MATMEN INVITE, SOUTHERN SCUFFLE, CONFERENCES & NCAA’s.  In some cases a weight class will have multiple talented wrestlers. I will note that & I will also be making posts later on about the best wrestle-offs to look forward to this season.  Then after that is determined I will make post later into the season of who our best backups are in the nation.

This post will NOT include redshirts. Those who are redshirting this season will be included in a separate post entitled “22’-23’ Best Redshirts.” 

At this point you may think of me as overly optimistic. Hell, you may even think of me as utopian.  I can't help it. There's just a ton of talent returning for the 22'-23' season. Although national champion Ryan Deakin is now gone,  the Wildcats are another team that I can see sending their entire varsity lineup to the NCAA tournament. 

125 lbs
Michael DeAugustino 

 
Among the World War III combats fighting it out for a spot in the NCAA finals opposite Iowa's Spencer Lee, Michael DeAugustino will be one of them. For note, he'll also be one of them in determining who faces Lee in the BIG 10 finals.  15-6 on the season last year, the three NCAA qualifier was 4th in the nation last year. 

133 lbs
Chris Cannon 

I tell you, I have been impressed with Chris Cannon's post season performances the past couple of seasons.  He's twice found himself on the NCAA award stand, both times above the number 7.  20-7 on the year, he'll look to earn a third All American honor this season. 

141 lbs
Frankie Tal-Shahar

Another walking, breathing testament as to why the state of Florida is in desperate need of a NCAA Division I wrestling program, Frankie Tal-Shahar earned NCAA qualification status last year with some impressive victories on his resume. An 11-6 decision over Parker Filius of Purdue & a 4-3 decision over All American Clay Carlson of South Dakota State. This season plus two more to go, I'd wager that he earns at least one All American honor himself. 

149 lbs
Yahya Thomas 

I don't know about Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell, but I'm telling you if this dude turns it up to 100 & lets loose he can defeat everyone else at 149 lbs.  He is capable of winning a Midlands & a BIG 10 title as well as making the NCAA finals. 3rd in 2021, he also has both 3rd & 4th place finishes at CKLV. 

157 lbs
Trevor Chumbley 

Indications that Trevor Chumbley will do just fine in his first season as a starter include wins over Dalton Spencer of Virginia, Bo Pipher of Penn State, Christian Kanzler of Illinois & Kody Komara of Kent State. Not to mention he also owns a victory over teammate Yahya Thomas. 

165 lbs
David Ferrante 

 Despite having losing records the past two seasons, David Ferrante has still managed NCAA qualification both years. He also knows how to handle Dan Braunagel of Illinois too as he's defeated the Illini 14-6 & 11-5. 

174 lbs
Troy Fisher 

Troy Fisher goes into his sophomore season having earned both an NCAA qualification & a 5th place finish at the CKLV last season. 

184 lbs
Jack Jessen 

Here is your question mark. Perhaps one of the biggest question marks of the entire NCAA.  An NCAA qualifier last season, Jack Jessen won exactly three matches on the year.  That has to be some sort of a record. 184 lbs in the BIG 10 was so tough last season & it had so many allocations that one upset win was going to get you qualified. Yet making the NCAA tournament has a favorable effect on so many wrestlers. Whose to say what it did for Jessen's confidence? We'll find out soon enough. 

197 
Andrew Davison 

The smaller of the Davison brothers (yet I believe older) earned NCAA  qualification last season for the Wildcats & will look to again this season. 

HWT
Lucas Davison 

A three time NCAA qualifier, Lucas Davison had himself a great season last year as he took 5th at the CKLV & 6th at the NCAA championships. While Heavyweight discussion seems fixated on the top four, Schultz, Cassioppi, Kerkvliet & Parris (just wrote the names, don't @ me thinking it's chronological), Davison has held his own, making us remember that there are four other places on that award stand & he's not only one of them, but he's likely to be the one standing in 5th.  Heck who knows? Maybe he might upset one of them. He gave Kerkvliet a good 5-3 match last season.