BEST OF THE UNRANKED: 141

  

The NCAA Division I championships are approximately two months away.  Still a lot of wrestling to be conducted between now and then, but with all that can change between now and then, one thing is likely to stay the same. 

There are only 33 slots per weight class & there are more than 33 wrestlers per weight class who are eligible to get them.  

If the NCAA DI championship were today, & it was the 33 currently ranked somewhere between #1 & #33, there would be some very good wrestlers being left at home.  

Here are the best of the unranked at 141 lbs. 

Gable Porter
Virginia

What he has going against him:  Honestly, I'm not sure. 141 is a rather loaded weight class, but why Porter is currently out of the top 33 is a mystery to me. 

What He has going for him:  The sophomore has a 16-5 record, including a 4-2 decision over Ryan Jack, who is the highest ranked wrestler in the ACC conference.  As far as allocations are concerned, I think the ACC could see as many as six, which would definitely include Porter. 

Carter Nogle
Air Force

What he has going against him: I'd say the fact that he competes for Air Force & they don't always have the toughest of schedules.  Probably not enough quality wins. 

What he has going for him: The Falcon owns a 15-6 record, which includes a fall over Caedyn Ricciardi. He's going to need more victories like that throughout the remainder of the season, and the schedule does provide those opportunities.  I see the BIG 12 allotting at least 7 if not 8 to the NCAA DI championships & Nogle will be among 10 wrestlers in a war to earn them. 

Jesse Vasquez
California Baptist

What he has going against him: Like I explained when evaluating Richard Murillo, it cannot be easy to feel motivated & enthusiastic when you are competing for a school who doesn't value you. Knowing that whatever you accomplish, your own athletic director could care less. That has to be depressing & a difficult thing to move past mentally & emotionally. 

What he has going for him:  Jesse Vasquez is a talented wrestler.  He's been to the NCAA DI championships before, qualifying in 2024.  As mentioned, when evaluating Carter Nogle, I believe by the time the BIG 12's roll around we could see as many as eight allocations here.  Vasquez is probably going to be in a spot where's he going to have to steal one.  That is not out of the question. 

Zeke Seltzer
Missouri

What he has going against him: Some bad losses & no significant victories. 

What he has going for him: Essentially, Seltzer is in the same boat as is Nogle & Vasquez.  A conference that is likely to allot 7 to 8 to the NCAA DI championships, & he is one of 10 wrestlers wanting one of those spots. 

A.J. Rallo
Bellarmine

What he has going against him: In the long run, very little. 

What he has going for him: He may not currently be ranked, but he wasn't ranked last year either.  Outside of the top 33 in the NCAA DI, it doesn't matter because he's ranked #1 in the SOCON & as long as he wins the Southern Conference title, he's heading to Cleveland.  Now upsets happen all the time, but Rallo is the heavy favorite to win.  This makes me wonder how often unranked wrestlers have made the NCAA DI tournament, especially multiple years in a row. 

Grey Clark
Purdue

What he has going against him:  At the moment not enough quality wins. 


What he has going for him:  Three things.  There's still plenty of season left & I imagine that he'll garner enough wins within that time.  Secondly, the BIG 10 is absolutely loaded.   I'd be very surprised if they receive anything less than 10 allocations.  Last, Clark is a two-time NCAA DI qualifier.  Even if he has to steal a spot, I find it difficult to believe that he'd place outside of the top 10 in the BIG 10. 

Jordan Soriano
Drexel

What he has going against him:  Much like Gable Porter, I'm not 100% positive.  All I can say is that 141 lbs is a very deep weight class full of exceptional talent & I guess at the moment Soriano finds himself outside the top 33.  The other factor here is the EIWA, is surprisingly stacked at 141.  I don't see how they can receive anything less than 4 allocations, but I'm not sure about 5.  When it comes to where are those last few going to go, it's much more likely that the BIG 10 goes from 10 to 11, or the BIG 12 goes from 7 to 8, than it would be the EIWA going from 4 to 5.  

What he has going for him:  He was an NCAA DI qualifier last year & thus far this year he owns a 15-6 record.  On top of it, two quality wins.  7-6 over Tony Santaniello & 10-8 over Cory Land. 

Jack Maida
American 

What he has going against him:  A very poor start to '25-'26.  Currently 5-5 on the year & most of his losses have been to backups.  When studying NCAA DI wrestling, you realize how good some of these backups are, but on paper, when it comes to what all you need for qualification, losing to them is not a good thing.  

What he has going for him: He was an NCAA DI qualifier in 2023 & he has 6-7 weeks to put it together.  Truth is it's going to be an all up hill, in the ice & snow (if we want to get the metaphor accurate) battle for Maida to make the NCAA's this season.  It favors his chances if the EIWA ends up taking 5, but that's a stretch.  I say the EIWA takes four, and behind Soriano, Maida is the 6th man.  Nevertheless, it doesn't escape me what can be accomplished even when the deck is stacked against you.  Which is why I include Maida on this list.