Redshirt Report: 184 Pounds

It's our 184 Redshirt Report as we look at all the Division I NCAA studs that weren't in the starting lineups in 2017, such as Peter Renda, WIllie Miklus, Domenic Abounader, Max Dean, Greg Bulsak, Taylor Venz, and more!

May 11, 2017 by Andrew Spey

We're going to take a deep dive into each NCAA weight class and review all the returning studs who didn't start this past year, whether due to taking a redshirt, injuries, or other reasons.

Now Up: 184 Pounds

You can find our redshirt reports on other weights here:
125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157 | 165 | 174

Peter Renda, North Carolina State

Last season, 184 pounds was one of the toughest NCAA weight classes in recent memory. This season, Pete Renda and some of his competitors will return to varsity action, potentially matching the fearsomeness of the previous season.

Renda spent some time up at 197 during his redshirt campaign before dropping back down to 184 to place fifth at the redoubtable Midlands. Renda wrestled 174 pounds his first two seasons at NC State before having a breakout season his junior year at 184, placing third at the NCAAs held in Madison Square Garden.

Renda also kept busy on the freestyle circuit, wrestling in the senior U.S. Open in Las Vegas a couple weeks ago, where he advanced to the bloodround before being eliminated by Nebraska's three-time All-American TJ Dudey.

Wolfpack head coach Pat Popolizio also gets Nicky Hall, who spot started at 184 for the Wolfpack last year, back this fall.

You can watch one of Renda's victories at the U.S. Open in the video below, where he takes out Army's Victor Terrell.

Domenic Abounader, Michigan

Abounader only wrestled in five matches last season before suffering a season-ending injury, though luckily he hadn't yet burned his redshirt, so he was able to take the rest of the year off knowing he'd be able to come back this fall.

Head coach Joe McFarland and the rest of the Wolverines faithful will be pleased to have Abounader back in the lineup. The three-time qualifier and 2016 bloodround finisher will join six returning All-Americans in one of the most hyped squads of the 2017-18 season.

Abounader took out Drexel's Alex DiCiantis at the 2015 Southern Scuffle on his way to a fifth-place finish during his true sophomore season, which you can watch below.

Willie Miklus, Missouri

Despite using his redshirt privilege back in 2014, Miklus makes our report anyway, by dint of wrestling just a single match last season before calling it a season due to injury. Prior to getting hurt, Miklus was poised to continue his quest for four NCAA All-American honors, having placed seventh as a freshman and sixth the following year. Miklus will have to settle for becoming "merely" a three-timer, assuming he makes it back to the podium steps in Cleveland.

Miklus will be a welcome addition back into the Tigers lineup that will be looking to replace a heap of NCAA points lost by the graduation of senior studs J'den Cox and Lavion Mayes.

Miklus placed sixth as a redshirt freshman at the 2015 Southern Scuffle, losing by one point to Domenic Abounader in the final placement match. In the video below you can watch Miklus beat two-time All-American Nolan Boyd at that same tournament.

Chris Weiler, Lehigh

Checking in as our first redshirt freshman on our 184-pound list, Chris Weiler will arrive on Lehigh's campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, this fall looking to improve on his successful year of deferred eligibility where he racked up 25 wins against eight losses.

The No. 36-ranked recruit on the 2016 High School Big Board will be the favorite to start for the Mountain Hawks but will face stout competition from several classmates, including Andrew Price and Kyle Gentile, among others.

Weiler has been steadily growing into his collegiate weight, as he was a Super 32 champion at 170 pounds back in 2015. You can watch his finals match against Louis DePrez in the video below.

Max Dean, Cornell

Older brother Gabe left some mighty big shows to fill, but Max should be prepared to hold his own on the Cornell roster, having deferred enrollment in a greyshirt year and wrestling a full schedule with the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club.

Max was the No. 74-ranked wrestler on the Big Board, which is only one spot below where two-time NCAA champ Gabe was ranked back in 2012. Matching that kind of output would be a tall order for anyone in the high school class of 2016, but the sky is the limit considering Max's talents and ability.

Dean pulled double duty at the junior U.S. Open last weekend, placing sixth in the Greco-Roman division and third in freestyle. You can watch Dean in the third place match against Jaron Smith in the video below.

Greg Bulsak, Clarion

The Golden Eagles are expecting big things next year from their No. 89-ranked recruit from the class of 2016. Bulsak has not given Clarion fans any reasons to doubt him, going 16-4 in a solid redshirt campaign.

Bulsak will join returning NCAA qualifiers Jack Gromacki and Brock Zacherl on a very young squad that is primed to do some damage this year when tournament season rolls around.

Andrew Marsden, Oklahoma State

Nolan Boyd departs Stillwater as a two-time All-American, surpassing all reasonable expectations for an unranked recruit from the high school class of 2012. We should see Andrew Marsden step into the breach left by Boyd at 184 pounds for the Cowboys.

Though he spot started his true freshman year at 197, Marsden wrestled down at 184 this year while redshirting, amassing a 9-3 record. Marsden was apparently not interested in cutting weight for the junior freestyle tournament at the U.S. Open, however, which he entered and won at 96kg, or about 211 pounds.

You can watch Marsden's semifinal victory in the Open over Josh Roetman in the video below.

While it's very early to be speculating on how next year's lineups and weight classes will shake out, we'll do our best to highlight everyone who we think will be jumping off the bench and on to the starting squad. Below is a non-exhaustive list of guys to keep in eye on who may have their breakthrough performances in the 2017-18 season.