Ohio State will return next year after a strong showing at the 2015 NCAA tournament, where the Buckeyes finished third. Though their lineup only featured four All-Americans, they made the most of their individuals opportunities and ended up with two champs and two third-place finishers.

Next season, all four of their big guns will return: Nathan Tomasello, Bo Jordan, Myles Martin and Kyle Snyder. Although Ohio State also graduated three starters from last year—Johnni DiJulius (133), Kenny Courts (184), Mark Martin (197)—the Buckeyes are welcoming young talent into the fold that should bolster next year's squad and make them a title contender once again.  

125 - Nathan Tomasello - Redshirt Junior
A year ago, rumors swirled that Tomasello wanted to move up to 133 pounds. That didn’t happen; presumably, because the team composition made more sense with Tomasello at 125 and DiJulius at 133. With DiJulius moving up, perhaps Tomasello will, too, but it seems more prudent for him to stay at 125. He’s returning from a one-loss season where he finished third at NCAAs after winning the title as a freshman. He’ll come in next year on the short list of title contenders for 125.  Should he choose to go up, identical success will likely await Tomasello.

133 - Luke Pletcher - Freshman
A three-time Pennsylvania state champion with a complete skill set, Pletcher is ready to compete and win at the Division-I level. If Pletcher is not called upon here, I’m not sure who Ohio State would use instead. 133 will be a strong weight next year, but I don’t see Pletcher being outclassed and unable to place right away. Ohio State has seen success from true freshmen in the past: Kyle Snyder, Hunter Stieber, and most recently, Myles Martin.

Fletcher vs. Yianni at Who's Number One?

141 - Ke-Shawn Hayes - Redshirt Freshman
Ohio State fans should be encouraged by Hayes’ progression last year. The three-time Missouri state champion did a great job redshirting at 141. Hayes knocked off Matt Kolodzik, Ronnie Perry, Connor Prince and Cort Schuyler. Although 141 is a deep weight, Hayes can compete with some of the upper-echelon guys right away. His mat game and solid scrambling will keep him in matches, but his improved leg attacks will help him win them.  

149 - Micah Jordan - Redshirt Sophomore
It'd be shocking to see Jordan down at 141 again. As a true freshman, he competed almost exclusively (and successfully) at 157. Jordan cut down late when Ohio State flirted with inserting him at 149 for an injured Hunter Stieber, but stunned everyone by cutting down an additional weight class. Throughout the season, Jordan hovered near the top five of the rankings. But toward the end of the season, he didn’t seem to have the same motor and relentless approach. I think a move up to 149 makes sense not only for Jordan, but also the Buckeyes. 149 is not particularly deep, but does feature hammers in Retherford and Sorensen. A strong candidate to place next year at NCAAs, Jordan could secure a fairly high finish with continued development.

A much more active Jordan at CKLV:

157 - Jake Ryan - Redshirt Sophomore
A solid starter for Ohio State this year, Ryan came on strong toward the end of the season. Many were curious how Ryan, the son of Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan, would perform in year one. His defense and positioning kept him in a lot of his matches. He didn’t beat any big-time hammers, but wins over Tyler Berger and Austin Matthews do instill confidence that Ryan could eventually progress to All-American status. Ohio State doesn't have a ton of options at this weight, so Ryan will likely man the helm once more. At minimum, he looks like an NCAA qualifier next year with potential for a tournament run if he improves his leg attacks.

165 - Isaiah White - Freshman
Another true freshman, White starting right away makes sense for Ohio State. Bo is especially big for the weight at 165, so it may be time for him to move up.  White wrestling out the gate allows those two to move up weight classes. Additionally, White would likely benefit from the structure of being in the lineup year one. Coach Ryan doesn’t give out redshirt years like candy—it has to make sense for the athlete and the team, which is why he will probably start White.

White blew us all away at Fargo in 2014 by knocking off Kemerer and Joseph:

174 - Bo Jordan - Redshirt Junior
Bo placed third at NCAAs in back-to-back seasons for Ohio State at 165. The four-time Ohio state champ had limited regular-season mat time both years, but put it all together at the big show. In two years of competition, Bo only fell to Alex Dieringer and his cousin, Isaac. Up at 174, I’m intrigued by the prospect of a Bo v. Bo match—what an incredible clash of powerhouses that would be. Word is that Bo would prefer to stay at 165, and believes he has some unfinished business to attend to regarding Isaac, but it just makes too much sense for Ohio State to bump up Bo.

Cousin vs. cousin; Bo vs. Isaac:

184 - Myles Martin - Sophomore
Yet another hammer potentially moving up! I’m not sure it would be the best move for the individual wrestler, but it may be best for Ohio State. Myles, the reigning NCAA champion, might not be inclined to move up to a weight that includes two-time NCAA champion Gabe Dean. Plus, he might not have the requisite size to move up. But this is about team fit—if it’s not Myles at 184, the Buckeyes will likely tap Jack Rozema, who got on our radar when he knocked off Kenny Courts in the Ohio State wrestle-off. He's solid, but certainly won’t live up to Myles' potential at 184. Myles will probably do well at 184, and it looks like he has the frame to put on the necessary size. After seeing him last year at NCAAs when virtually nobody picked him to win a title, who could put a cap on what Myles can do? It seems unlikely that he's done progressing and improving.

197 - Kollin Moore - Redshirt Freshman
This weight will be among the biggest question marks for Ohio State next year. Moore enjoyed a solid redshirt year for the Bucks and notched a few respectable wins. Ohio State likely figured they'd have Snyder here a few more years, so having Moore here is very fortuitous. For now, it’s hard to pencil him in as a much more than an NCAA qualifier based on his redshirt season, but there’s a chance he can turn into more if he develops this offseason.

285 - Kyle Snyder - Junior
No more Gwiazdowski will likely mean no more close matches for the world champion. After an Olympic run that will go through August, it wouldn't be shocking to see another abridged schedule for Snyder. When you consider the Buckeyes' quality backup in Nick Tavanello, this seems to make the most sense. Regardless of how much we see Snyder, there’s little doubt he’ll likely be the biggest favorite of any wrestler next year, regardless of weight.

Like several other teams, there’s a ton of wiggle-room in this lineup. If Tomasello goes up, we’ll likely see Jose Rodriguez at 125. If that happens, I’d expect Pletcher to take a redshirt. If things don’t work out with White, we could see Bo and Myles stay put at 65 and 74, respectively, with the insertion of Rozema. If Bo and Myles both move up and White is unavailable, perhaps we’ll see Justin Kresevic man the spot. The particulars of this lineup will likely not be solidified for some time.