The Gophers are looking Golden as we head into 2026-2027. They do lose a few to the ends of eligibility & another to transfer, but they bring back a lot of talent. Minnesota has always been a team that does a great job of reloading. They're that cop in an 80's film that never seems to run out of clips for his gun.
Gone are....
Jager Eisch, who was not varsity this past season, but there's a reason he earned "Teammate of the Year."
Heart goes out to Chris Cannon. 7th in the DI nation in 2021 & 2022, he was destined for greatness. Suffered some major injuries and was never the same since. You never wanna see things end like that, but it is the way things go sometimes.
Drew Roberts came up a little short this year but was an NCAA DI qualifier in 2024.
Andrew Sparks, appropriately named when you think about it. Bruce Springsteen says, "You can't start a fire without a spark" or in this case, a Sparks. The 5-time NCAA DI qualifier finally found his fire at the national tournament, saving his best wrestling for last. 94 career wins ended things a 5th place All-American.
Bennett Tabor has transferred to North Carolina State & honestly, I am glad to see that. I think the HWT spot at Minnesota is going to be Koy Hopke's for quite some time, and there's no use seeing someone as gifted and talented as Tabor riding the bench for his final season. An NCAA DI qualifier in 2024, he actually took Hopke into sudden victory last year. A 3-2 win over Jimmy Mullen & a 6-2 decision over Cade Ziola. Tabor also led the Gophers in falls in both '24-'25 & '25-'26.
Clay Whitting an NCAA DI qualifier in 2025, is headed to Wisconsin
Back....
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| 125 Jore Volk |
The two-time NCAA DI All-American heads into '26-'27 with back-to-back 7th place finishes. 26 wins on the season last year, he won the Southeast Open & finished as the BIG 10 runner-up.
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| 133 Tyler DeKraker |
Virginia, Florida, either way I think the South can say it produced him. Already with some impressive wins on his resume, including Max Leete, Tyler DeKraker heads into what will be his first season of collegiate wrestling.
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| 141 Vance Vombaur |
Back-to-back 8th place finishes in the DI nation in both 2024 & 2025, Vance Vombaur came up one match short of his third All-American honor last season. Looking to reclaim the status & end his career as a three-time AA, he has thus far been 7th-2nd-4th within the BIG 10.
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| 149 Drayden Moore |
It's one thing when you want to transfer, it's a whole other thing when your school tells you that they don't care about you or your accomplishments & they force you to transfer. Drayden Moore is a tough kid, and I have no doubt that Coach Eggum & Co will develop him into A BIG 10 & NCAA DI competitor. I also know that so would have Derek Moore & Mark Munoz. Morton would have continued to have achieved much for California Baptist. Happy to see Minnesota get him, but people like Dr. Micah Parker should be scooping horse poop after parades. Moore was 7th at the BIG 12's last season.
**????- Is Moore still with Minnesota? Things change, a lot.***
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| 157 Charlie Millard |
Charlie Millard didn't quite have the opening season I thought he was going to have. A Southeast Open champion & 8th in the BIG 10, I still think the sophomore has the talent to one day win an NCAA DI title. He showed promise a few different times last year, including a 9-4 victory over Collin Gaj.
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| 174 Ethan Riddle |
16 wins on the season, Ethan Riddle manhandled Sergio DeSiante 15-4 last year.
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| 184 Max McEnelly |
No question about it, the toughest weight class to win in ALL of collegiate wrestling in 2026-2027, is going to be NCAA DI 184 lbs. Until proven otherwise, Max McEnelly is king. He heads into Y3, 49-4. 3rd & 1st in the DI nation, it's hard to believe that he has yet to win a BIG 10 title. 2nd-2nd.
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| 197 Gavin Nelson |
Gavin Nelson came up a hair short of NCAA DI qualification last year but should most certainly make the dance in 2027. A 4-1 s.v. over Seth Shumate, he shut out Sonny Sasso 7-0.
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| HWT Koy Hopke |
Shelton Benjamin, Brock Lesnar, Garrett Lowney, Cole Konrad, Anthony Nelson, the Gophers sure have produced a lot of phenomenal HWTs over the years. I think by the time it's all said and done, Koy Hopke's name will be added to that list. 23 wins on the season last year, he won the Soldier Salute & he finished 7th at the BIG 10's.
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