2026 SOUTHERN SCUFFLE PREVIEW - 197 !!

 

Who's fighting for Scuffle gold? 

Who's fighting for a spot in the Scuffle finals? 

Who's gonna be Scuffle top 8? 

Let's take a look! 

(Reserve)
Conner Mirasola
Penn State

Let me tell you a few of little facts about Conner Mirasola.  1 - He's one of the best 197 lbs'ers in NCAA DI wrestling.  2 - He is & will remain a backup to Josh Barr this season.  3 - He'll show himself as one of the best backups in the entire country by contending for the Scuffle title this weekend.  BTW, he won last year's Scuffle. 

#3
Stephen Little
Little Rock

I find it difficult to believe that if both Conner Mirasola & Stephen Little enter the Southern Scuffle, that our final will be anything but.  I do believe strongly that Conner Mirasola is a top 8 197 lbs'er in the NCAA & I'd like to see what he can do against a multiple time All-American like Little. 

#9
D.J. Parker
Oklahoma

Intermat ranking suggest that D.J. Parker is our favorite for a Scuffle bronze this weekend, but I dare not call it a shoe-in.  As I said, Mirasola Vs Little feels like a very, very probable final, but I'm not 100% sold on what our consolation final will look like.  Lot's of good talent in this bracket, Parker one of them. 

#15
Branson John
Maryland

I'll continue the theory that the real story at 197 lbs will be the war for bronze.  Among those in the battle, Branson John. 

#17
Sonny Sasso
Virginia Tech

Sonny Sasso used his long, lanky reach last season to capture a 3rd place finish at last year's Scuffle.  It would not surprise me at all to see him do the exact same thing this tournament. 

#24
Wolfgang Frable
Army

The Black Knight was 4th here a year ago & will once again be looking for a solid finish. 

#27
Andrew Reall
Brown

I've actually surprised myself with the number of Brown Bears I can see making top 8 status this weekend. A program that has struggled in more recent times, it is refreshing to see them making strides.  Andrew Reall, among their place-winner candidates. 

#31
Kael Wisler
Michigan State

A candidate for top 8, Kael Wisler of Michigan State. 

U.R.
Josh McCutcheon
Gardner-Webb

I've already named 8 wrestlers I see fighting for a spot on the award stand & naming Josh McCutcheon now makes 9.  The Runnin' Bulldog was 8th here a year ago & looks to become a two-time Scuffle place-winner this weekend.  


There's gonna be an odd man out?  Maybe even more than one, but these are the 9 I see gunning for place-winner status this weekend.