I find 165 lbs the most difficult weight class to predict in NCAA Division I wrestling. So many strange things happen at this weight. The variable are endless & you never quite know what to expect. From strictly a fan standpoint, it makes the weight fun & exciting. From a point of trying to decipher what's going to happen or even what could happen, it's quite frustrating. As to shockers & surprises, I'd say 165 will have the monopoly.
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| Keegan O'Toole Missouri |
Only a junior & heading into the '23-'24 season already a two time NCAA DI Champ & three time All American (3rd in '21). Keegan O'Toole lost exactly twice last season, both times to David Carr, but was then able to avenge that loss in the national finals. The Tiger has only lost a total of three times in his entire career. With another season left after this one, I'd say if he's not already, he's shaping out to be the very best wrestler Missouri has ever had.
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| David Carr Iowa State |
As of right now, the biggest threat, if not the only threat to Keegan O'Toole's title is David Carr. The Cyclone figured out the Tiger twice last season. 7-2 in the dual & then sticking him at 7:38 in the BIG 12 finals. It was a different story at the NCAA championships however, when O'Toole avenged both of those losses to defeat the Cyclone 8-2. Other than that one loss to O'Toole, Carr was undefeated at 26-1. Overall he goes into his final season of competition having won the national title in '21, finished 3rd in '22 & runner-up last season.
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| Cam Amine Michigan |
I honestly don't know how he does it. Yet when the lights are on, so is Cam Amine. He may take a few lumps from time to time during the regular season, but come the post season, he's peaked & primed for the fight. 7th-4th-4th in the last three NCAA's, he's been 3rd-2nd-4th within the BIG 10. Only a junior by eligibility standards, he was 16-5 on the season last year.
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| D.J. Hamiti Wisconsin |
By studying the career of D.J. Hamiti you really begin to gain perspective of just how incredibly exigent the 165 lbs class is. The two time All American earned his first All American honor in '22, by majoring the '21 NCAA runner-up in the blood round. He himself has been 6th the past two seasons. If that doesn't say it all, what does? 25-6 on the year he won the BIG 10 title last year (3rd in '21) & he was 2nd at the Midlands.
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| Mikey Caliendo Iowa |
After watching Mikey Caliendo compete last year, my thoughts were as far as the NCAA I era of NDSU is concerned, they have found who could very well be their best wrestler ever. I won't lie to you that I was a little disappointed when I found out that isn't going to happen after all. Smaller schools need their milestones & that I cannot ignore. On the flip side however, I welcome him with arms wide open to Iowa City & I'm excited to see the damage he can do for the Hawkeye program this season. Last year he was 29-5, taking runner up honors at the Southern Scuffle & 3rd in the BIG 12 before ultimately earning his first All American honor of 7th place. Three more seasons, he could do some really big things for the black & gold but first he's gonna have to......
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| Patrick Kennedy Iowa |
Defeat this man in what could prove to be the best wrestle-off in all of collegiate wrestling in the entire country. Pat Kennedy is no joke & with three more seasons of eligibility himself, he wants to represent the black & gold every bit as much as Caliendo does. 21-5 on the year, Kennedy won the Soldier Salute & he finished as the BIG 10 runner-up. There's no where else to go up or down in the Hawkeyes stacked lineup. Makes me wanna throw up knowing one of these outstanding talents won't be competing in the post season. Welcome to NCAA DI wrestling, I guess.
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| Izzak Olejnik Northern Illinois |
Along the same sentiment of Mikey Caliendo, Izzak Olejnik leaves Northern Illinois to go compete for Oklahoma State. This having to do more with graduation, it still pains me to see the Huskies lose their top talent. The Northern Illinois wrestling program has worked so diligently to rebuild their program & Olejnik has been such a huge part of that resurgence. 2nd-2nd-1st-1st in the MAC, he was 8th in the DI nation this past season. A 31-5 record overall last year, he also brings titles won at both the Michigan State Open & the Cougar Clash, along with a 4th place finish at the Midlands to Stillwater. The Huskies' loss is most certainly the Cowboys gain.
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| Julian Ramirez Cornell |
We could very well be looking at the very best wrestler in NCAA DI wrestling yet to All American. R12 in both '22 & '23, Julian Ramirez won both a CKLV (4th in '22) & an EIWA title last season. Not only that but he had both a 10-6 & a 6-5 win over Quincy Monday who finished 2nd & 3rd in his last two NCAA DI showings. Could I see Ramirez having a standout run? Yes. I mean lets take a look at the beginning of last year. We all thought at 133 lbs that we were going to see Roman Bravo Young Vs Daton Fix in the finals. No one can look me in the eye & tell me with a straight face that they thought Vitali Arujau was going to upend both of them in route to a title. Not even God himself would've predicted that he do it in the fashion that he did. Am I saying that Ramirez could have that kinda run, where he knocks off both David Carr & Keegan O'Toole? That's a tall order, but I will say that if we aren't to see Keegan O'Toole Vs David Carr in the 165 lbs '24 finals, that the reason why (barring injury, sickness, something out of the ordinary) is going to be Julian Ramirez. Yes, I do believe he is that good.
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| Caleb Fish Michigan State |
I was outright shocked at how well Caleb Fish wrestled at last year's NCAA DI's. I just got through talking up Julian Ramirez & Fish handed him a solid 8-4 loss. 28-11 on the year, finishing one match shy of All American honors, Fish gathered bronze medals at both the Michigan State Open & the Navy Classic, as he won a RENO tournament of champions.
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| Peyton Hall West Virginia |
Here's another guy that could really open up a few eyes this season. 24-6 on the year, Peyton Hall was unable to recapture All American honors after placing 8th in '22. Nevertheless he was 6th in the BIG 12 (MFF due to injury) & 4th in the Southeast Open. He also for the record had a 1:59 fall over Julian Ramirez. Does he knock off Keegan O'Toole or David Carr at some point? He'll certainly have enough opportunities to. In the same conference as both gentlemen he'll see them in duals & have the chance to see them both at the BIG 12's & the NCAA's.
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| Matt Olguin Oregon State |
Here's another wrestler yet to place at the NCAA DI's who could come in this season & make a ton of noise. I said 165 was an unpredictable & crazy weight class, & here soon enough Matt Olguin could be a big reason as to why. 3rd in CKLV & a PAC-12 champion, he defeated three time All American/two time NCAA DI finalist/NCAA Champion Shane Griffith not once, but twice last season. Both times by a 3-2 score, one of which took it into the tiebreakers.
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| Justin McCoy Virginia |
Seems like I repeat myself a lot in this article, but I can't help it, it's the truth of the situation. Justin McCoy is yet another extremely tough 165 lbs'er looking to earn his first All American honor. Twice second in the ACC in previous seasons, he finally won his first conference title last season. 21-6 on the year, he was also 5th at the Midlands. With all that he has to contend with in the NCAA, within the ACC he'll have both Connor Brady & Holden Heller, as well as Matt Singleton to grapple with.
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| Nick Hamilton Virginia |
Behind McCoy in the Cavilier lineup will be freshman Nick Hamilton, who may I call already one of the best backups in the country who might even push McCoy for the varsity spot. 13-2 as a redshirt he manhandled MAC runner-up Enrique Munguia 12-2 & he scored a 12-6 win over Jordan Slivka. For what it's worth, he also defeated two time NCAA DIII champ Nate Lackman 5-3. He was a match shy of a top 8 showing at the Midlands.
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| Connor Brady Virginia Tech |
We're never short on parity within the sport of wrestling & here's the thing about Connor Brady. He's struggled with Justin McCoy, yet he owns a 7-5 victory over Holden Heller, who earlier in the season defeated McCoy 9-3. 15-11 over all, the ACC runner-up won a Keystone Classic title, while finishing 3rd at the Southeast Open.
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| Holden Heller Pittsburgh |
An EIWA champion in 2021, could Holden Heller win an ACC title this season? Well, he did defeat champion Justin McCoy 9-3 last season & he also had a 2-0 win over Connor Brady. He then dropped a 7-5 decision to Brady in the ACC Semi-finals coming back to finish 3rd. So in other words the answer to the question is yes, he can win an ACC title, but so can Connor Brady & so can Justin McCoy. Gonna be a fun triple threat for the title. 16-8 overall, Heller was also one match shy of a top 8 showing at the Midlands.
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| Matt Singleton North Carolina State |
I say a triple threat to the ACC title at 165, when in truth it could turn out to be a fatal four way. After all, 11 wins on the season for Matt Singleton, one of them was a 5-3 s.v. over Connor Brady.
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| R.J. Mosley Gardner Webb |
I am very excited for R.J. Mosley this season. Last year he became only the second Runnin' Bulldog in the history of Gardner Webb wrestling to win two SOCON titles. This year he'll have the chance to become their first & thus far only three time SOCON champion. 27-7 on the year, I can't see anyone standing in his way as he goes for this milestone accomplishment. He was also 7th in last year's Southern Scuffle.
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| Josh Ogunsanya Columbia |
As if 165 lbs isn't loaded enough as it is, he's another All American candidate. Josh Ogunsanya goes into his final season of competition with EIWA finishes of 2nd & 3rd. 21-8 on the year, he won the Southeast Open, taking 5th at CKLV (was 7th in '22).
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| Maxx Mayfield Northwestern |
25 wins on the season, Maxx Mayfield was 5th in the BIG 10, finishing one match shy of a medal at the Midlands.
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| Bubba Wilson Nebraska |
Knowing what this guy has gone through & then watching him make the comeback that he has, has been nothing short of absolutely amazing. As Elmo said to Louden in Vision Quest, it's been "God damned glorious." I still can't help but feel that we haven't seen all there is to see of Bubba Wilson yet. I still have this gut feeling that his true potential, has yet to be unlocked. It's like a magician that warms you up with some neat tricks but then saves the real magic for the grand finale. 6th in the past two BIG 10 tournaments, last year he was 4th in both the Navy Classic & the CKLV.
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| Gerrit Nijenhuis Oklahoma |
Darkhorses looking to knock off the top dawgs are everywhere & within the race i Gerrit Nijenhuis. 16 wins on the season he was 8th in CKLV, 7th in the BIG 12 & 6th at the Michigan State Open.
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| Tanner Cook Jack Thomsen South Dakota State |
Tanner Cook showed us how dangerous he can be on the mat as he took all of a half a minute to stick All American Carson Kharchla in route to a 2nd place finish at CKLV. 8th in the BIG 12, he had 18 wins on the season. He'll have to contend with a tough Jack Thomsen for the starting spot, as this battle between Jackrabbits could be a fierce wrestle-off. Thomsen was 2nd at the Soldier Salute with a 10-4 win over Cael Carlson & a 3-2 decision over Dalton Harkins.
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| Brevin Cassella Binghamton |
Two time NCAA DI qualifier Brevin Cassella has thus far posted 5th & 4th place finishes within the EIWA, as he won 21 matches last eason.
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| Alex Facundo Joe Lee Matt Lee Penn State |
Pretty sure that the Nittany Lion spot remains Alex Facundo's. 19 wins on the season he defeated three time All american Cam Amine 6-5 tiebreaker & was 7th in the BIG 10. With that said, I refuse to believe that the Lee brothers will just sit back quietly with their hands folded. We're bound to see something out of at least one of them if not both. Joe was an NCAA qualifier in 2021 & although we didn't see much out of his last year, he's done some big things in the past. Such as score a 10-3 decision over NCAA runner-up Jake Wentzel. Matt's had a few wins worth talking about too. An 8-5 victory over Julian Ramirez. It's really eye opening how many good, quality, talented wrestlers are backups isn't it?
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| Danny Braunagel Illinois |
We talk about darkhorses & upsets, and all of the many plausible scenerios that could happen at this weight class. I tell you what, I could see Danny Braunagel on a good day having a reign of terror. He doesn't always have good days, be he does sometimes. In fact, sometimes he even has great days. Thus far he's been 4th & 3rd in the Midlands. He pulled off a nice 7-6 upset over Peyton Hall & then proved it wasn't as much of an upset as initially thought as he defeated him again 16-5. The Illini was also 2nd at the Michigan State Open.
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| Josh Kim Harvard |
16 wins on the season last year, Josh Kim qualified for the NCAA championships with 5th place finishes at both the EIWA & Keystone Classic.
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| Dalton Harkins Army |
Dalton Harkins was one match shy of NCAA DI qualification this past season. 18 wins on the year, he was 6th in the EIWA & 4th at the Soldier Salute. Among his victories, a 5-1 decision over Matt Olguin.
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| Legend Lamer Cal Poly |
A two time NCAA DI qualifier at 149 lbs in '21 & '22, Legend Lamer found the waters of 165 to be a bit rougher this past season. 3rd in the PAC-12, he will look to reclaim qualification.
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| Enrique Munguia Kent State |
With Izzak Olejnik now at Oklahoma State, the MAC will look to crown a new champion. Among the candidates is Enrique Munguia. 22-11 on the season, he really put a monkey wrench in the conference championships last season when he made the finals. A 3-0 win over Jordan Slivka, he won both the Clarion Open & the Navy Classic.
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| Cody Bond Appalachian State |
A SOCON champ himself in '21, if there is anyone that could potentially keep R.J. Mosley fom winning his third title, that someone would be Cody Bond.
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| Bryce Hepner Ohio State |
If the BIG 10 wasn't already convoluted, we add in Bryce Hepner who redshirted this past season. A Cleveland State Open champ, he had a 6-4 victory over three time All American Cam Amine.
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| Nick Fea North Carolina |
Nick Fea ended his redshirt with a losing record, but lets also take into consideration that he was injured. An 8-5 decision over Tracy Hubbard sticks out to me. With an already overcrowded with talent ACC, I still think he'll fit in somewhere.
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| Avery Bassett Lock Haven |
19-5 on the season Avery Bassett will be among the competition in the MAC looking to win a title. Going into his junior season of competition he's thus far been 7th & 3rd in the conference.
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| Baylor Fernandes Northern Colorado |
Baylor Fernandes has yet to make the NCAA championships, but I think he will this season. 18 wins on the season he had a 4-0 win over Legend Lamer, a 2-1 win over Tyler Brennan & a 7-3 decision over '21 All American Wyatt Sheets. He was 6th at the Cougar Clash.
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| Lucas Revano Pennsylvania |
An NCAA DI qualifier in '22 with a 6th place finish, Lucas Revano just missed out on NCAA DI qualification this past season. 20 wins on the year, he was 7th at the Midlands & 6th at the Keystone Classic.
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| Tracy Hubbard Central Michigan |
4th the past two seasons in the MAC, I really thought Tracy Hubbard would make a run at being a finalist this past season. I think this year, he stands a shot at being champion. In a conference full of parity he owns a 2:56 fall over last year's MAC runner-up & he owns both a 5-4 as well as a 2-1 win over Jordan Slivka.
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| Cael Carlson Oklahoma |
As I've said many times in the past, sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery. An NCAA DI qualifier for Minnesota in '22, Cael Carlson will compete for the Oklahoma Sooners this season. A UNI open champion, he was 7th at the Southern Scuffle. A 9-4 win over '21 All American Wyatt Sheets, he defeated Danny Braunagel 2-1.
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| Jordan Slivka Ohio |
The MAC might as well be called the MAD cause surrounding 165 lbs, it is a madhouse. 4th in the MAC in '22, which was an NCAA DI qualification, Jordan Slivka was 5th this past season. He lost to Enrique Munguia 3-0 at the Navy Classic & then tech'd him 18-0 a month before the MAC championships. Runner-up at the Navy Classic, he had a 4-3 win over NCAA DI R12'er Caleb Fish.
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| Giano Petrucelli Air Force |
The Falcons have been on a role the past few seasons of sending wrestlers to the NCAA DI championships in their year of eligibility & I say that the tradition continues this year with Giano Petrucelli. One match shy of a top 8 showing at CKLV, he defeated NCAA DI qualifier Cole Moody twice. Once by an 8-1 score & again by a 4-2 score.
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| Anthony White Rutgers |
An NCAA qualifier for the Scarlet Knights at 149 lbs last season, Anthony White will test the roads of 165 this season.
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| Cam Pine Clarion |
No, were' not done discussing the MAC champ possibilities yet. Camp Pine, 7th in last year's championships was 24-9 overall on the season, an 11-9 victory over Tracy Hubbard notched on his belt.
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| Cody Walsh Drexel |
Cody Walsh will look for a top 8 EIWA showing & NCAA DI qualification this season. Among his victories last season, an 18-6 major decision over Legend Lamer.
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| David Ferrante Northwestern |
Thus far discussed monkey wrenches & plausible kinks that could show up within the MAC, SOCON & ACC, but what about the BIG 10? Anyone coming out of left field that many won't see coming? If there is a candidate, I say that candidate is David Ferrante. An NCAA qualifier in '21 & '22 he was out of commission in early December & we didn't see him the rest of the season. Does this simply mean that Maxx Mayfield was beating him out for the spot? Or is there more to this story? I can't help but think that Ferrante wasn't 100%. Never heard it confirmed by I can't help but wonder if he was injured last season. Time will tell. For the note, he does own two victories over Danny Braunagel.
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| Brad Gillum SIUE |
With the MAC competition, Brad Gillum pinned MAC runner-up Enrique Munguia in 4:15.
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| Luca Frinzi Lehigh |
11 victories on the season last year, Luca Frinzi defeated Legend Lamer 3-1. He will look for a top 8 showing at the EIWA this season.
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| Hunter Garvin Stanford |
The shoes of Shane Griffith are very big shoes to fill, but I think Hunter Garvin will do well for the Cardinal this season. A redshirt freshman he was one match shy of a top 8 showing at last year's Southern Scuffle.
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| Tyler Brennan Little Rock |
I was telling someone just last night that I felt '23-'24 could be the best year that Little Rock wrestling has had to date. They have a lot of solid, tough kids in their lineup. Among them Tyler Brennan.
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| Tony Negron Arizona State |
Well Jesse Frederick, if you're still still wondering whatever happened to predictability, keep wondering. You aren't going to find it here. What I can tell you though, is that although Tony Negron is inconsistent, he can able be quite dangerous. One match shy of a top 8 showing at CKLV last season.
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| Gavin Londoff Lindenwood |
As Lindenwood continues to transition to NCAA Division I, the Lions will be looking for stars at the DI level. I think this season Gavin Landoff could be one of them. Twice 3rd in the NCAA DII championships, he defeated DI qualifier Maxx Mayfield 3-2 last season.
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