While some of our first round matches are going to be rather lopsided, others are going to be neck-in-neck slobberknockers where every match is going to be crucial for a team victory. I see this confrontation between the #9 Virginia Tech Hokies & the #10 Minnesota Golden Gophers being a very good one. Every match & every point will matter.
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| #4 Eddie Ventresca Vs #8 Jore Volk 125 |
We have two All-Americans looking to go to war in our first match of the dual. I think Ventresca stands a shot at winning the NCAA DI title this year & I don't know if Volk is that far behind him. This is going to be a good match. A one takedown, could head into sudden victory kinda match. I'm looking very forward to it.
VIRGINIA TECH: 3
MINNESOTA: 0
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| #30 Dillon Campbell Vs U.R. Chris Cannon 133 |
In a past episode of JT1Wrestle, Cradlezone & I brought up Chris Cannon & what exactly we should expect from the former Wildcat/Wolverine/Wildcat now Golden Gopher. Cradlezone put it quite candidly, "People used to fear Chris Cannon & now they look at him as a tune-up match." That's not an inaccurate statement, nor is it an unfair one. Injuries have taken their toll on the two-time All American & the past couple of years, he's been a shadow of his former self. No doubt in my mind if somehow or another THAT Chris Cannon would show up, we'd have ourselves one Hell of a match. But unfortunately I don't think that Chris Cannon will show up. Furthermore Dillon Campbell, as he demonstrated at the Southeast Open is looking very good. I do think Cannon can keep this a decision though.
VIRGINIA TECH: 6
MINNESOTA: 0
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| #17 Tom Crook Vs #5 Vance VomBaur 141 |
Ronald Reagan is "not a crook" but Tom is & Minnesota better have Vance VomBaur locked & loaded if they want to avoid an upset here at 141 lbs. Crook has yet to be an All American in his career & knocking off a guy who has already earned two of them would be one Hell of a way to start off his junior season. I'm still going to go with VomBaur, but I do consider this a "could go either way" match.
VIRGINIA TECH:6
MINNESOTA: 3
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| U.R. Noah Nininger Vs #28 Drew Roberts 149 |
I emphasis that every point in a dual like this matters. Here is where Minnesota is going to want to capitalize and get the major decision points that "on paper" they are capable of getting. A senior against a true-freshman who by this point will have only wrestled less than a handful of matches between the Southeast Open & a dual with Bucknell. Anymore experience doesn't weigh in anywhere near like it once did in yesteryear, but for the Gopher's sake, they will hope that it does this time. Bonus here would be very big for Minnesota.
VIRGINIA TECH: 6
MINNESOTA: 7
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| #11 Ethen Miller Vs #22 Charlie Millard 157 |
In the episode of JT1Wrestle where we spoke of 2025-2026 NCAA DI darkhorses, Cradlezone was really big on Charlie Millard, and for good reason. The redshirt freshman demonstrated on multiple occasions last year that he's going to be a force to be reckoned with. I mentioned that the Miller boys, both Kal & Ethen were two nose to the grind tough wrestlers who had yet to really make their mark heading into their final season of collegiate wrestling. I spoke to what is crucial for Minnesota to stay in this dual & now I'll speak to what is crucial for Virginia Tech. Throw the rankings out the window, because this match is NOT going to resemble a #11 vs a #22. It's going to be a close one. A get your riding time point if you're on top, do not let it accumulate beyond 0:59 if you're on bottom, close one. One that the Hokies can't afford to lose.
VIRGINIA TECH: 6
MINNESOTA: 10
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| #23 Max Church Vs #11 Andrew Sparks 165 |
The last these two met, Sparks won a decisive 9-3 decision. For the Gopher's sake, if Sparks could add a few more points to the score, that'd be great. It's also a possibility that Church could keep the match closer. Don't see an upset though. Sparks is a solid, smart wrestler. May not be as wide of a gap, but I say he pulls off another good win over a tough Church.
VIRGINIA TECH: 6
MINNESOTA: 13
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| #15 Sergio DeSiante Vs #20 Clayton Whiting 174 |
Neither team here can afford to suffer an upset. I know I'm calling for one at 133 & I'm entertaining the idea for others at other weight classes, but neither the Hokies or the Gophers can afford to be upset. So in other words, this is a must win situation for the Hokies.
VIRGINIA TECH: 9
MINNESOTA: 13
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| #24 Jaden Bullock Vs #1 Max McEnelly 184 |
Let's look at the facts....
FACT: Max McEnelly took a third place finish at the NCAA DI championships. His only losses on the season were to five time NCAA DI champion Carter Starocci & five time NCAA DI All American Parker Keckeisen. May I add that both losses were close came down to one takedown confrontations.
FACT: Everyone in wrestling, from the Gods of wrestling media at Flo & Track, to the small itty bitty paupers like me, are anticipating every 184 lbs NCAA DI final the next three years to feature Max McEnelly
FACT: a 47-38 career & only one NCAA DI qualification thus far to his name, it's pretty safe to say that Jaden Bullock's collegiate career has been less than stellar.
Pay close attention to the next fact....
FACT: Jaden Bullock took Max McEnelly into s.v. last season, losing a 4-1 match. This wasn't early in the season either. This was right after McEnelly took it to Silas Allred by a 16-6 major decision.
Am I saying that Jaden Bullock is going to upset Max McEnelly? No, but h to the o to the l to the y cow, can you imagine the wrestling world if he did? Everyone everywhere would be going apeshit. It's all you'd read on the rest of the day Facebook post after Facebook post, tweet after tweet. The guys at Flo might even suffer cardiac arrest.
In reality I think McEnelly wins this one much more comfortably than he did the first time these two met. That's what I see happening, but I do say Bullock keeps it to a decision.
VIRGINIA TECH: 9
MINNESOTA: 16
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| #16 Sonny Sasso Vs #24 Gavin Nelson 197 |
Sonny Sasso is in a similar position to DeSiante in this regard. He needs to avoid an upset & win this match. He does as the rankings say he should do, then the Hokies head into HWT in good shape.
VIRGINIA TECH: 12
MINNESOTA: 16
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| #14 Jimmy Mullen Vs #27 Bennett Tabor HWT |
I think this match is going to be better on the mat than what it is on paper. Bennett Tabor is a tough wrestler, who sat behind Gable Steveson last season. He's currently battling out for the position with Koy Hopke who majored Jimmy Mullen 12-1 at the Southeast Open, and then beat Tabor in overtime in the finals. Very well could be Hopke for the Gophers. Either way to win this dual, I think Mullen is going to need a fall. I do not see that happening.
VIRGINIA TECH: 12
MINNESOTA: 18
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