Year after year, I keep on wondering if PAC-12 will one day cease to exist. I used to write about the Eastern Wrestling League, the Colonial Athletic Conference, the East Regional & the West Regional. All defunct NCAA DI qualifiers. I live in fear that the PAC-12 will one day join them, but somehow or another the itty bitty conference with only four programs holds on. Let's talk the 2026 qualifier!!
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| 125 |
The top two here are heading to the NCAA DI championships. The favorite for a PAC-12 title this weekend is Max Renteria. 18-2 on the season, a PAC-12 champion last year, he was the runner-up at CKLV earlier in the year. Owns a 13-6 decision over Koda Holeman.
Holeman will be wrestling in front of a home crowd, which should give the Mustang who was one match shy of D1 qualification a year ago an advantage. Was 5th at CKLV & 4th at Midlands this year.
Is there a thief in this bracket? Without a doubt & BOTH Renteria & Holeman should be ready for him. Although Holeman majored him 11-3 earlier this season, it was Richard Castro-Sandoval who upended him last season via fall. RCS also gave Renteria a close 5-2 match earlier on the year.
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| U.R. Gabe Whisenhunt Oregon State 133 |
Seems odd to put a guy with a .500 record down when you're talking potential PAC-12 champions, but that does seem to be case here at 133. 7-7 on the year, Gabe Whisenhunt has established himself the favorite to bring home PAC-12 gold this Friday.
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| #26 Nash Singleton Oregon State 141 |
While I can see Whisenhunt maybe being upset in his quest for a PAC-12 title this weekend, I am all but 100% positive that Nash Singleton, a PAC-12 champ last year, picks up another title this weekend. He was 6th at CKLV earlier this year.
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| 149 |
Another weight class where the PAC-12 gets two qualifiers. Brock Herman, the favorite to win this Friday's title. 11-3 on the season, 2nd at the Southern Scuffle & a 17-4 major over Noah Tolentino.
Tolentino, 16 wins on the season was one match shy of being a CKLV place-winner this year.
Like 125, we have a very plausible robber on our hands here at 149. Andre Gonzales has proven to be dangerous at various times, and I would suspect he'll make like Darkwing Duck on Friday in a mission to spread it around. Despite a 10-2 loss early on this season to Tolentino, he took the Beaver into sudden victory in an 8-5 loss & more recently actually defeated him 4-2. He also gave Herman a 9-6 match.
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| 157 |
17 wins on the season & 7th at this year's Southern Scuffle, this is senior Jaivon Jones last opportunity to try & make the NCAA DI championships. Although the favorite to win a PAC-12 title on Friday, he's going to have a great adversary in C.J. Hamblin. Hamblin, an NCAA DI qualifier last season, was the PAC-12 runner-up in 2025.
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| 165 |
Frankly, this weight class just plain pisses me off. Two very talented wrestlers, who both deserve to be NCAA DI qualifiers & one of them may very well be staying home. I get it. I'm not arguing against it. I get that Olguin started off the season at 174 & didn't earn a spot at 165. I get it & I accept it. I also hate it.
Bianchi is 18-1 on the season & a Southern Scuffle champion. Add in he was the PAC-12 champ last year and a 7th place All-American in the DI nation. Should Matt Olguin upset him in the PAC-12 finals (which is NOT out of the question. Olguin gave Bianchi a 4-1 match not all that long ago) I would think that surely Bianchi would get a wildcard. Then again with so few At-Larges there are to hand out, maybe not. Should Bianchi win here, I have a sick feeling in my stomach that Olguin will then have to rely on the rest of 165 going according to plan. Which in my 33 years of watching collegiate wrestling, rarely happens.
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| #26 Daschle Lamer Oregon State 174 |
I will tease, and I mean just barely tease the idea of Cash Stewart of Cal Poly or Guillermo Escobedo of CSU-Bakersfield pulling off a huge upset over Daschle Lamer, but I'm 85% positive that isn't going to happen. I'll give it a bit of probability, but that's it. I'm very confident that 18-3 on the season, a Midlands runner-up & the PAC-12 runner-up last year, Lamer is gonna be our champ come Friday.
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| 184 |
Talk about a guy that turned his career around. It must have been all about finding the right place. A losing season & a just above a hair losing season at Michigan State, Caesar Garza is currently 15-2 on his junior year with a top 20 ranking. 7th earlier this season at CKLV.
With that said, if he wants to go to the NCAA DI nationals this year, he's gonna have to beat T.J. McDonnel a third time this season. You know what they say about beating a good opponent three times in a row. A PAC-12 champion last year, McDonnell isn't having the season I thought he would. Nonetheless, I do not overlook or underestimate what the Beaver is capable of. Both matches with Garza have been close this year. 8-6 close & 5-3 tiebreaker real close.
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| 197 |
Here is your main event of the evening. I'd be shocked if the PAC-12 doesn't make this the final match of the tournament. This will be our final here at 197. Stephen Little, who has thus far been 1st & 2nd in the PAC 12, as well as a two-time All-American with 7th & 6th place finishes in the D1 nation. 2nd at this year's Southern Scuffle.
Justin Radenmacher, 21-2 on the year, 3rd at CKLV.
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| #22 Trevor Tinker Cal Poly HWT |
Injured at the Midlands this season where he had to medical forfeit to a 6th place finish, Trevor Tinker has not wrestled since the end of December. If he IS competing this Friday, I think the three-time NCAA DI qualifier, who has been 2nd-4th-1st the past three PAC-12 championships is the favorite to win here.
IF NOT...
Then I think Mike Gasper of Little Rock will probably be our champ.
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