The Complete Guide To Every Returning NCAA All-American

The Complete Guide To Every Returning NCAA All-American

Your complete guide to every returning NCAA All-American expected to return for the 2017-18 collegiate season!

Aug 2, 2017 by Andrew Spey
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When we first started researching for this series it was still early in the offseason, way back before Fargo. Now it's after Fargo and we've finished compiling our list of every NCAA All-American expected to return for the 2017-18 season. But it's still early in the collegiate offseason.

Wait, for real? STILL?

In any event, since November and the first official matches are still a few agonizing months away, you can bet there will be a lot of changes from what we speculate below to what weight class we actually see these guys wrestle. So just a quick note to take our weight class assignments for what they're worth, which is to say, not much.

With that in mind, please do enjoy the full rundown of returning AAs, starting right now at 125!

125 Pounds

Returns 1 National Championship and 8 All-American honors

125 won't be the deepest weight class next year, at least as far as returning All-Americans go. But it is the lightest weight class, which is typically the domain of younger wrestlers, many of whom vacate the weight class in subsequent years as they grow and pack on muscle. The weight class will also add some depth if Penn State's Nick Suriano returns fully healed from his late season injury.

Darian Cruz, Lehigh 7, DNP, 1, ?

Cruz is the sole champion returning to 125. The Mountain Hawk placed seventh as a true frosh, took a redshirt season, and then lost in the bloodround his sophomore campaign before becoming the bold face name in record books last season. Cruz should anchor a very formidable Lehigh lineup next season.

Ethan Lizak, Minnesota NP, 2, ?, ?

Like Cruz, Backpack Lizak had his star making turn in St Louis last March, making the finals before being felled by his old middle school nemesis (both Lizak and Cruz grew up in the Lehigh Valley). Lizak made it to the round of 16 his freshman season and will be one of the leaders of a very tough Gopher squad.

Zeke Moisey, West Virginia 2, NP, ?, ?

It's been over a year since Zeke Moisey wrestled an NCAA match. The talented Mountaineer blitzed his way to the finals as an unseeded true freshman in 2015 where he lost to Ohio State's Nathan Tomasello. Moisey won 26 matches the following year but was injured late in the season and did not compete in the Big 12 Tournament or NCAAs. Moisey took all of last year off to recover but will be counted on this season by Head Coach Sammie Henson and the resurgent West Virginia Mountaineers, though also don't be surprised if Moisey bumps up to 133.

Nick Piccininni, Oklahoma State 4, ?, ?, ?

Long Island native Nick Piccininni had a very productive freshman season, winning the Big 12s and placing fourth in his first trip to the NCAA Tournament. Head coach John Smith will have Pich penciled into the top of the Cowboy lineup next year as they make their perennial run at a team title.

Jack Mueller, Virginia 6, ?, ?, ?

Jack "The Texas Mauler" Mueller surprised a lot of folks when he busted out of the gate swinging in his true freshman season. Mueller placed second at the Southern Scuffle, third at the ACC Tournament, and made it to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament before injury defaulting out of the next two matches to finish sixth. The Virginia Cavalier might take a redshirt next season, or bump up to 133 (or do both).

Ryan Millhof, Arizona State NP, 7, ?, ?

Millhof placed seventh as a true sophomore in 2016 for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Georgia native then transferred to Arizona State and sat out the season on a redshirt. He will be an integral part of coach Zeke Jones' very dangerous Sun Devil squad.

Sean Russell, Edinboro NP, 7, ?, ?

Sean Russell is another Georgian lightweight who also placed seventh at the NCAA Tournament as a sophomore. He appears to be staying put in Edinboro, however, as coach Flynn will be expecting him to anchor a still very young but talented team in northwest Pennsylvania.

You can watch Lizak get by Mueller in the semifinals of the 2017 NCAA tournament in the video below.

133 Pounds

Returns 1 National Champion And 8 All-American Honors

The strength of this weight class will depend on what Nathan Tomasello decides to do. Rumor is that NaTo is waiting for UWW to reveal the revised freestyle weight classes, which will reportedly happen after the World Championships in Paris in late August. The 125 weight class will obviously get a lot tougher if NaTo makes the drop, and 133 conversely weakens what is already a relatively thin weight.

Nathan Tomasello, Ohio State 1, 3, 3, ?

Tomasello will be a favorite at either 125 or 133. He won 125 pounds as a freshman but then settled for third the next two years, losing to Thomas Gilman in the semifinals at 125 pounds in 2016 and to Cory Clark in the semis at 133 pounds in 2017. Both Hawkeyes have graduated, so it will be up to someone new to stop NaTo from once again reaching the pinnacle.

Seth Gross, South Dakota State DNP, 2, ?, ?

Gross made it to the round of 12 as a freshman up at 141 but had more success last year down at 133. The Jackrabbits rising junior made the finals in St. Louis, where he was felled by Iowa's Cory Clark. Gross will be one of the favorites to take 133 if he stays down at this weight for the upcoming season.

Stevan Micic, Michigan 4, ?, ?, ?

Micic started his college career in Northwestern down at 125 pounds but transferred to Michigan after his true freshman year. Micic spent his first year in Ann Arbor taking a redshirt and bulking up to 133. Last year was his breakthrough season for the Wolverines, finishing fourth in St. Louis. Micic's two losses at the tournament were to eventual champ Cory Clark in the quarterfinals and to Tomasello in the consolation finals.

Kaid Brock, Oklahoma State 5, ?, ?, ?

Brock came up slightly short of expectations in St. Louis, finishing fifth after earning a the No. 3 seed in the tournament. That is still an impressive showing for a freshman, and head coach John Smith and the rest of the Oklahoma State Cowboys will be counting on Brock to be in the mix for a title next year.

Scott Parker, Lehigh DNP, 8, ?, ?

The Mountain Hawks got solid production out of Parker in 2015 when he qualified for the NCAAs his true freshman year at 125 pounds. Parker then took a redshirt year to muscle up to 133, where he made the podium in St. Louis. The brown and white faithful will be looking for him to improve on that finish next year.

Connor Schram, Stanford DNP, 8, DNP, ?

Schram has had better luck at the NCAA tournament at 125 pounds, where he finished eighth in 2016. His other two appearances were at 133 pounds and ended without a spot on the podium steps. Schram will still be a dangerous competitor at either weight class this year.

You can watch Tomasello beat Micic in the third place bout of the 2017 NCAAs in the video below.


141 Pounds

Returns 2 National Championships and 12 All-American Honors

The 141 weight class marks the start of an insane run of stacked weights across the NCAA. All but one of last year's top eight return at the weight class. Virginia's runner-up George DiCamillo is the sole graduate, meaning there is little room for any newcomers, unless they knock a returning All-American off his precarious perch on the podium. Anyone not on this list who wants to wrestle on Saturday of the NCAA tournament is going to have a tall task ahead of him.

It should also be noted that we have Joey McKenna penciled in at 149 next year. Whatever weight McKenna goes will likely depend on what school he transfers to, and until we know that, his weight is anyone's guess. But we just wanted you to know that we didn't forget about the talented New Jerseyan.

We also didn't forget about any guys coming off redshirt. You can read about them here. Most of them, like many other studs not on this list, have yet to become All-Americans, and thus, are not compiled here on our list of returning All-Americans.

Dean Heil, Oklahoma State 4, 1, 1, ?

Can a rising senior with two national championships possibly be underrated? With the low level of buzz around Heil's upcoming season, it would appear so. Nonetheless, Mean Dean Heil will be looking to cement himself as one of the all-time greats with back-to-back-to-back championship seasons. Additionally, Heil has just one loss in the last two seasons, in sudden victory, to Joey Ward, in 2016. It will be a rather large upset if anyone manages to stop Heil on his quest for a three-peat.

Bryce Meredith, Wyoming DNP, 2, 4, ?

After a one-year detour to North Carolina State and 133 pounds, Meredith returned to his home state of Wyoming and moved up to 141. He found immediate success in a brown and gold singlet, making the finals before losing to Dean Heil. Meredith followed up his dark-horse season with a fourth-place finish in St. Louis, losing to Dicamillo in the semifinals and then to his former teammate Kevin Jack in the consolation finals.

Kevin Jack, North Carolina State 5, DNP, 3, ?

As a true freshman in 2015, the Nutmeg Nightmare came from out of nowhere to upset the No. 4 seed Devin Carter in the quarterfinals. Jack would eventually finish fifth. He didn't place his sophomore campaign but showed up for the 2016-17 season in rare form, losing just twice on the season, once to Lehigh's Randy Cruz early on and once more in St. Louis to Meredith in quarterfinals, a loss Jack would avenge in the third-place match.

Anthony Ashnault, Rutgers 8, 4, 6, ?

If it's possible for Heil to be underrated and still on track for three NCAA titles, then Ashnault is potentially likewise underrated as he attempts to earn his fourth consecutive All-American honor. The Scarlet Knight is the fourth multiple All-American returning senior at this weight. He, along with Heil, Meredith, and Jack, have an astonishing 10 total top eight finishes between them. Already the only wrestler in Rutgers history with three career trips to the podium, Ashnualt will look to extend his record by one more.

Jaydin Eierman, Missouri 5, ?, ?, ?

A lot of folks expected Jaydin Eierman to be good, but few knew he was going to be this good this fast. Eierman followed up a excellent redshirt campaign with a spectacular inaugural varsity season, capped off by an outstanding NCAA tournament that saw him knock off three All-Americans on his way to a fifth-place finish. He also gave Dean Heil all he could handle in their two matches last year. Eierman will be expected to step up and be a cornerstone of the Tigers program following the departure of superstar J'den Cox.

Matt Kolodzik, Princeton 7, ?, ?, ?

Kolodzik was a known commodity coming into the season, having wrestled a full schedule against Division I competition while deferring enrollment to Princeton. The former Blair Academy student scored wins over two All-Americans, Richard Durso and Anthony Ashnault, while wrestling unattached last year. Kolodzik continued to impress once he donned an orange and black singlet, finishing runner-up in the always tough Midlands Tournament and then a seventh-place finish in the extremely crowded 141 pound NCAA bracket.

Tommy Thorn, Minnesota DNP, 8, ?, ?

Golden Gopher Tommy Thorn fell short of his All-American goal his freshman season, getting stopped by Jack in the round of 16. Thorn made up for that last years in St. Louis, knocking off the No. 3 seed Joey McKenna in one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. Thorn managed to hold on to a spot on the podium by stopping Nebraska's Colton McCrystal in the bloodround.

You can watch Thorn upend McKenna in St. Louis in the video below.


149 Pounds

Returns 2 National Championships and 14 All-American Honors

You can't begin discuss next year's 149-pound weight class without starting with last year's Hodge Trophy winner, Zain "The Train Falls Mainly On Pain" Retherford, who hasn't lost since his true freshman year in 2014. He's since rattled off two undefeated national championship seasons and an ungodly amount of bonus points along the way. His presence at 149 immediately makes it one of the NCAA's toughest weight classes.

Zain Retherford, Penn State 5, 1, 1, ?

Retherford had an impressive first season, handing four-time national champion Logan Steiber one of the few losses of his illustrious career. Retherford would finish fifth at NCAAs that year, before spending a quiet redshirt year bulking up to 149. The move up has suited the Nittany Lions superstar and 2017 USA freestyle world team member well. He's never taken a loss at 149, and the safe bet is that he will finish is career at that weight undefeated.

Brandon Sorensen, Iowa 4, 2, 3, ?

Although Sorensen doubtlessly has have loftier goals for his career, the Hawkeyes senior will probably go down as one of the best ever not to win a national championship. Already with three top four finishes at the NCAA tournament, Sorenson is a strong favorite to make that stat 4 for 4. In the last two tournaments, only Retherford has been able to stop Sorenson, although you can bet he won't be conceding anything next season.

Joey McKenna 3, DNP, ?, ?

As mentioned in the 141-pound rundown, we're not sure what weight McKenna will wrestle next season, and there is a good chance he doesn't know either. But wherever he ends up (both school and weight), you can bet he is going to cause problems for his opponents. A third-place finisher as a freshman, the former Stanford Cardinal was knocked out of the 2017 tournament in the round of 12. McKennaHe was upset by Minnesota's Tommy Thorn in the second round and stopped by Missouri's Jaydin Eierman in the bloodround.

Micah Jordan, Ohio State DNP, 4, ?, ?

Jordan vastly improved on his freshman campaign last season. The Buckeyes junior moved up from 141 pounds to 149 and improved from a round of 12 finish to fourth place at the NCAA tournament. There is a chance Jordan could be at 157 next year, if Joey McKenna transfers to Ohio State, as one rumor goes. But in any event, head coach Tom Ryan will be counting on Jordan to anchor the middle weights for the scarlet and gray as they attempt to derail the Penn State juggernaut.

Max Thomsen, Northern Iowa 5, ?, ?, ?

Panthers head coach Doug Schwab has a gem on his hands in sophomore phenom Max Thomsen. The Iowa native raced out to a fifth-place finish after qualifying for the NCAA tournament as a freshman. The purple and old gold faithful will be counting on Thomsen to lead the team in their inaugural season in the Big 12 this fall.

Solomon Chishko, Virginia Tech 6, 6, ?, ?

Chishko has been a model of consistency, placing sixth on both of his trips to the NCAA tournament at two different weights, first at 141 and then at 149. Next season, Hokies fans are hoping for at least that, as the Pennsylvania native goes for three All-American honors in a row.

Alec Pantaleo, Michigan NP, 6, ?, ?

The Canton, Michigan, native took last year off from NCAA competition, redshirting and competing mainly in senior-level freestyle events. But Pantaleo was able to place sixth as a true sophomore and will be looking to climb even higher for the Wolverines next year. There are rumors of Pantelo going either at 149 or 157 next year. Pantaleo shouldn't have any problems adjusting to the higher weight, as he also had no problems locating the weight room during his redshirt season.

Justin Oliver, Central Michigan 7, DNP, ?, ?

Oliver will be looking to ignite the passions of Central Michigan fans next year, or to "fire up chips" as they're fond of saying in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Oliver was stopped in the bloodround last year by Chishko but finished seventh on his first trip to the NCAAs in 2016. Oliver will have an eye on climbing back up the award steps next season.

Geo Martinez, Oklahoma State DNP, 8, ?, ?

Martinez secured his eighth-place All-American honor for the lamentably departed Boise State Broncos program in 2016. He's since transferred to Oklahoma State, where he'll try to once again make it to Saturday wrestling at the NCAAs. He'll have some stout competition just to make the Cowboys' starting lineup, but he'll be a top contender for an award if he does.

You can watch Zain conduct the pain train right over Sorensen in the 2017 NCAA semifinals in the video below.


157 Pounds

Returns 2 National Championships and 11 All-American Honors

The second member of Penn State's fab five returns at 157, with two years of eligibility left. Jason Nolf blitzed through the weight class last year, bonusing his way to a national championship (not unlike his teammate Zain Retherford at 149 pounds). Nolf will have plenty of competition, though, of both the newcomer and veteran variety. The question for this weight class will be if any of the competitors can catch up to Nolf or if he has widened the gap.

Jason Nolf, Penn State 2, 1, ?, ?

Without discounting the rest of the tremendous wrestlers in the weight class, Nolf's biggest competition will in all likelihood be with his teammates in a battle for the Hodge Trophy. Nolf has but two losses in his varsity career, both during his freshman year to two-time champ Isaiah Martinez. Those losses were in Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. In their first meeting of the season in a dual meet, however, it was Nolf who got the better of Martinez. IMar was up at 165 last season and will likely be there next season, so if someone is going to stop Nolf this year, it'll be for the first time.

Jason Tsirtsis, Arizona State 1, 3, DNP, ?

After winning a national title as a freshman and following that with a third-place finish, Jason Tsirtsis has had a star-crossed couple of years. But the former Northwestern Wildcat has re-situated himself in Tempe, Arizona, as a new member of the Zeke Jone's Arizona State Sun Devils. Although Tsirtsis has been a career 149-pounder, it's rumored that he will move up to 157. If he does, the Indiana native will be the next highest-credentialed wrestler in the weight class after Nolf.

Joey Lavallee, Missouri DNP, DNP, 2, ?

Last season was Lavallee's break out year for the Missouri Tigers. Lavallee made his first trip to the NCAA podium by way of the finals, where he was majored by Nolf. Mizzou head coach Brian Smith will be counting on the Nevada native Lavallee to lead the Tigers if they want to break into the top four this year and come home with a team trophy.

Michael Kemerer, Iowa 3, ?, ?, ?

Michael Kemerer made an immediate impact in the Iowa Hawkeyes lineup last season a redshirt freshman. The Pennsylvania native lost just three times in his first season of varsity competition. Two losses were to Nolf, and one was to Cornell's Dylan Palacio in a dramatic upset in the NCAA quarterfinals. Next season, Kemerer will be one of the top contenders to close the gap on Nolf, his former club teammate and practice partner.


Joseph Smith, Oklahoma State 7, 4, ?, ?

The offspring of Oklahoma State head coach John Smith, Joseph has performed admirably in the shadow of his legendary father. Coach Smith pulled Joseph's redshirt after an impressive 2016 performance in the Southern Scuffle, where Joseph finished second to Nolf. With two All-American honors in two years, Joseph will be a cornerstone of a Cowboys squad that will need all the points it can get at the 2018 NCAAs in Cleveland.


BJ Clagon, Rider 5, DNP, DNP, ?

Clagon has qualified for three NCAA tournaments but has yet to replicate the success he had a freshman when he placed fifth. Clagon was up at 157 last year for the first time and came tantalizingly close to the podium, getting stopped in the bloodround by fellow New Jerseyan Sal Mastriani of Virginia Tech. New Rider head coach John Hangey will be looking to Clagon to lead the Broncs into the top 20 and possibly their best NCAA finish in team history (which, incidentally, was 18th in 1980).

Tyler Berger, Nebraska DNP, 5, ?, ?

Tyler Berger had some big shoes to fill when he took over the 157-pound starting job for the Nebraska Huskers. The Oregon native was charged with stepping into the role of departing four-time All-American (and now three-time world team member) James Green in 2016. In his freshman campaign, Berger came up just short of All-American honors, losing in the round of 12. He finished fifth last year, but if he is going to improve on that placement he'll have to figure out a way past a gang of more highly decorated grapplers.

Paul Fox, Stanford NP, 7, ?, ?

Standford Cardinal Paul Fox was one of the biggest dark horses to earn All-American honors last year, surprising nearly everyone with a seventh-place finish after qualifying for his first NCAA tournament as a sophomore. If he qualifies for his second tournament, Fox will have an uphill battle to return to the podium. Fox has proved his doubters wrong before; however, and it may prove unwise to pick against him next season as well.

Watch below the video of Jason Nolf taking out Tyler Berger in the 2017 NCAA semifinals.


165 Pounds

Returns 3 National Championships and 10 All-American Honors

Giant slayer Vincenzo Joesph of Penn State returns at 165, as does the slain giant, two-time NCAA champion Isaiah Martinez of Illinois. Those three titles make 165 one of the most top-heavy weights next year. To that duo add Logan Massa, who's yet to lose to a collegiate match to someone who doesn't possess an NCAA championship, including during his redshirt season. Though Penn State returns the defending champ (as it does in four other divisions) this may be one of the most competitive weights in college next season.

Isaiah Martinez, Illinois 1, 1, 2, ?

One of the most exciting wrestlers in college, Isaiah Martinez burst onto the scene with an undefeated championship freshman season. The Fighting Illini followed it up with a one-loss (to Jason Nolf) championship sophomore season. The California native then bumped up to 165 and notched a one-loss NCAA runner-up season. IMar handled the transition to 165 well and still owns a 2-1 career lead in matches over Joseph. Martinez will have one more year of eligibility to get revenge for St. Louis and add accolades to his already legendary career.

Vincenzo Joseph, Penn State 1, ?, ?, ?

Few wrestlers should inspire more faith in head coach Cael Sanderson and the system he has in place at Penn State. Joseph came to State College as a blue-chip recruit, had a quality redshirt year, and then took over 165 for the Nittany Lions. Joseph steadily improved on the year. He lost a wild one to Stanford Keaton Subject early on, lost in sudden victory to Wisconsin's NCAA finalist Isaac Jordan, and then lost two progressively closer matches to Martinez before his dramatic pin of the champ in St. Louis. It would appear that the sky is the limit for Pennsylvanian native.

Logan Massa, Michigan 3, ?, ?, ?

If it weren't for Martinez and Joseph sucking all the air out of the weight class, Logan Massa would be the most hyped returning starter at this weight. The Michigan native has been nearly unbeatable since he arrived on campus in Ann Arbor. His lone loss his redshirt season was to Oklahoma State three-time champ Alex Dieringer. Last season, the first time starting varsity, Massa only dropped three matches, two to Martinez and one to Joseph. LoMa (not his nickname) has been lights out against the rest of the field, and it's certainly not out of the question that he gets the better of either Joseph or Martinez (or both) next season.

Chad Walsh, Rider DNP, 5, 7, ?

Walsh is part of a resurgent Rider wrestling program under the tutelage of newly minted head coach John Hangey. Walsh will have some stiff competition in his weight class, but with two All-American honors under his belt, C-Wal (also probably not his nickname) is on pace to be one of the most decorated Broncs athletes in school history.

Chandler Rogers, Oklahoma State DNP, 5, ?, ?

Following Alex Dieringer's graduation, this blue-chip recruit was able to move down to his more natural weight and man 165 pounds for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The move paid off for C-Roj (sorry, can't help myself anymore), who scored an All-American honor last season after getting stopped in the bloodround in 2016. The Cowboys are going to need Rogers to replicate that result next year in Cleveland if they are going to challenge for a title.

David McFadden, Virginia Tech 6, ?, ?, ?

McFadden had an outstanding true freshman season, earning All-American honors with a sixth-place finish in Madison Square Garden in 2016. The New Jersey native spent last season on a redshirt and should be ready to slide back into the Hokies' lineup with another year of training and experience under his belt, helping make D-McFads (yeah, not stopping) one of the most dangerous middleweights coming out of the ACC next season.

Brandon Womack, Cornell DNP, 8, ?, ?

Cornell head coach Rob Koll was tinkering with his starting lineup right up until weigh-ins of the EIWA tournament. One major question mark of last season was if senior Dylan Palacio would be down at 157, making room for sophomore Brandon Womack. Thankfully for B-Wo (last one, I promise), Palacio did make the cut, and the Alabama Assassin not only won the EIWAs but also upset Arizona State's Anthony Valencia in the bloodround to sneak into the podium and claim eighth place.


Watch below the video of Vincenzo Joseph taking out Logan Massa in the 2017 NCAA semifinals.


174 Pounds

Returns 1 National Championship and 9 All-American Honors

Last season, the 174-pound weight class received a massive infusion of young talent. Those underclassmen are now credentialed veterans, having emerged from the crucible that is the NCAA tournament with All-American laurels. Penn State once again returns the defending champ, but like 165 before it, 174 is far from settled.

Mark Hall, Penn State 1, ?, ?, ?

The bluest of blue-chip recruits, Mark Hall spent half the season with his redshirt intact before head coach Cael Sanderson, after much deliberation, ripped it off following Hall's Southern Scuffle title. The move clearly paid off, as Hall hewed to a steep true freshman learning curve, riding it all the way to a national title. The cadet and junior freestyle world champ will start the season as the favorite to defend his championship, but the Minnesota (or is it Michigan?) native will have plenty of worthy challengers.


Bo Jordan, Ohio State 3, 3, 2, ?

The monstrous BoJo somehow made 165 during his first two years of competition, notching two third-place NCAA finishes in shrunken form. Last season, Jordan bumped up, easily filling out a 174-pound frame and made NCAA finals. Jordan's finals loss to Hall was very close, and he will be one of the prime contenders to usurp Hall from his championship throne. Jordan and the strength and skills to beat anyone in the weight class, and the Buckeyes faithful with team title aspirations will be counting on him to match his previous NCAA output in Cleveland.


Zahid Valencia, Arizona State 3, ?, ?, ?

The younger but larger Valencia brother showed up in St. Louis as one of the 10 undefeated No. 1 seeds in the tournament (that's one for each weight class for the non-mathematically inclined). Unfortunately for Valencia and Sun Devils fans, he was one of the five No. 1 seeds not to win an NCAA championship, dropped a controversial semifinal bout to Mark Hall and settling for third. Though nothing is official, it's rumored that Zahid and his brother, Anthony -- Arizona State's starting 165-pounder in 2017 -- may both be bumping up a weight. They'll be contenders wherever they end up.


Daniel Lewis, Missouri 4, 6, ?, ?

Daniel Lewis is one of the more intriguing wrestlers in the weight class. With the graduation of J'den Cox, word around Columbia, Missouri, is that both Lewis and 184-pounder Willie Miklus will be bumping up. With two All-American honors to his name, and potentially at a more comfortable weight, Lewis could very well break into the upper echelon of 174 next season.


Myles Amine, Michigan 4, ?, ?, ?

One of the many famous wrestling Amines from Michigan, Myles is on pace to be the most successful yet. Amine had a big-time NCAA debut in his first varsity season, beating three All-Americans on his way to a fourth-place finish. Both of Amine's losses in St. Louis came at the hands of Zahid Valencia, incidentally. Wolverines fans are rightfully excited about the proposition of three more years of Myles in their lineup.


Ethan Ramos, North Carolina 6, DNP, DNP, ?

A Tar Heel by way of New Jersey, Ethan Ramos had his best NCAA performance his freshman season, placing sixth at 165 pounds. He's been unable to match that success in subsequent years up at 174 pounds, going 0-2 and 1-2 in the last two NCAA tournaments, despite earning top eight seeds in both instances. Ramos is still dangerous and will be a contender for a podium spot in his final season of eligibility.

Watch below the video of Mark Hall taking out Zahid Valencia in the 2017 NCAA semifinals.


184 Pounds

Returns 2 National Championships and 6 All-American Honors

No other weight class lost as many studs to graduation as 184. Five of last year's All-Americans are gone, including two-time national champion Gabe Dean of Cornell. Thankfully for NCAA upper-weight fans, the wrestlers who do return are pretty dang good. Both of 2016's 174-pound finalists, Bo Nickel of Penn State and Myles Martin of Ohio State, are back at 184 for 2018. Last year in St. Louis, Martin placed fifth and Nickel won his first championship, both at 184. Their presence alone makes 184 one of the more intriguing weight classes this upcoming season.

Bo Nickal, Penn State 2, 1, ?, ?

Featuring one of the most varied arsenals in the sport and typical Penn State aggressiveness, Nickal is appointment viewing anytime he takes to the mat. He's only got three losses in his career, two of which are to Myles Martin. Although Nickal holds a 4-2 NCAA lead in their series, Myles' wins have come at the 2016 NCAA finals and the 2017 Big Ten finals, undeniably creating one of the best collegiate rivalries going. Nickal will be the favorite at the start of the season, but lying in wait will be the guy who owns two big-stage wins over him.


Myles Martin, Ohio State 1, 5, ?, ?

An Ohio State Buckeye by way of New Jersey, Martin shocked the wrestling world when he won a national championship as a true freshman. Martin bumped up to 184 this past year and struggled to regain that championship form during the regular season. But MyMar was money in the postseason, winning the Big Tens and finishing fifth in a loaded NCAA bracket. Martin will be one of the keys to head coach Tom Ryan's 2018 team title designs.


Peter Renda, North Carolina State DNP, DNP, 3, ?

A NC State Wolfpacker by way of Pennsylvania, Renda had his breakout season in 2016, placing third at 184 as a junior after coming up short at 174 on his previous two trips to the big dance. Renda used his redshirt last year and and will benefit from both another year of development and from the thinning out of the weight class, as evidenced by last last year's seniors such as Jack Dechow, who failed to reach the podium out of St. Louis' stacked bracket despite being an All-American in the past. As such, Renda will be one of the top contenders in 2018.


Drew Foster, Northern Iowa DNP, 7, ?, ?

Foster was one of the more pleasant surprises of the 2017 NCAA tournament, especially for Panthers head coach Doug Schwab A sophomore Iowa native, Foster qualified for his first national tournament and took out quite a few hammers on his way to a seventh-place finish. He should begin the mix again at 184 next year.

You can watch Drew Foster take on Zack Zavatsky of Virginia Tech, a two-time No. 5 seed at the tournament who has yet to All-American, in their dual meet below.


197 Pounds

Returns 8 All-American Honors

Both 197 finalists from St. Louis are gone to graduation. Missouri superstar J'den Cox and the redoubtable Brett Pfarr of Minnesota have collected their sheepskins and exited the collegiate circuit. The 197 class is also the only weight that does not return at least one individual champ, although that could change if Ohio State's Tomasello drops back down to 125, leaving 133 devoid of titles. But there are still plenty of high quality light heavies returning to 197, including these six All-Americans.

Kollin Moore, Ohio State 3, ?, ?, ?

Although he had an excellent redshirt season, quite a few wrestling fans were nonetheless taken aback with just how meteoric Moore's rise to the upper echelon of the 197-pound division was last year. The Mountainous Moore only took four losses during his freshman campaign, all four were administered by the two finalists, Cox and Pfarr. However, Moore did collect a win against Pfarr in the Big Ten championship final. The Ohio native will be a key component of head coach Tom Ryan's 2018 team title designs.

Jared Haught, Virginia Tech DNP, 6, 4, ?

Senior Jared Haught will be counted on to bring the heat for head coach Tony Robie and the rest of the Hokies faithful. With the graduation of outstanding heavyweight Ty Walz, it will be up to Haught to keep the temperature raised in the latter stages of Virginia Tech dual meets. Just how hot has Haught kept things for Hokiedom in the past? Hot enough to to place in the top eight at the NCAAs in two consecutive years, matching his seed in both occasions. If Haught can maintain his NCAA hot streak, he will be a contender for the 197 title. That would be very hot indeed.

Patrick Downey DNP, 5, DNP, ?

Exactly where and when the Unattached Assassin will wrestle another NCAA match is unknown, although we at least have a pretty good idea of what the plan is after he was released from Iowa State. Downey is a junior college champion who also notched a fifth-place finish at the 2016 NCAAs wrestling for Iowa State. The Maryland native will have a new singlet on next season and has the talent and ability to reach the pinnacle of folkstyle wrestling. It's undeniable that what Downey does next will be of interest and significance to the wrestling community, despite the uncertainty and protests to the contrary.

Willie Miklus, Missouri 7, 6, DNP, ?

It's arguable that only an injury stopped the two-time All-American Miklus from making the podium for the third time in a row last season. Tigers head coach Brian Smith expects the Iowa native healthy and back in the lineup next season and also up a weight class to fill the void left by Cox's departure. Those are some mighty imposing shoes to fill, but Miklus has proven himself capable of taking on and beating the best. He will be one to watch at 197.

Kevin Beazley, Michigan DNP, DNP, 8, ?

Technically, Beazley has already graduated, receiving a diploma from Old Dominion this spring. But the Michigan native still has a year of eligibility left and plans to use it while wearing a Wolverines singlet and taking graduate courses at the University of Michigan. Beazley upset Nebraska's Aaron Studebaker in the second round of the NCAAs last season and then beat dark horse Cash Wilcke of Iowa in the bloodround to earn his spot on the podium in St. Louis.

Preston Weigel, Oklahoma State DNP, 6, ?, ?

Preston Weigel is yet another of a seemingly endless string of studs who inevitably emerge from John Smith's powerhouse Oklahoma State program. But that kind of production only happens because the hard work and dedication of the coaches and wrestlers. A Kansas native, Weigel has put in the work, elevating his game from a round of 12 finish in 2016 to become an All-American as a sophomore in St. Louis. Expect Weigel to be in the mix again in Cleveland.

Watch Moore finish his season with a exclamation point as he pins Haught in the NCAA consolation finals in the video below.


285 Pounds

Returns 2 National Championships and 9 All-American Honors

It's kind of a big deal when you have a three-time finalist and two-time champion returning to a weight class. It's kind of a really big deal when the returning champ is also the reigning world and Olympic freestyle gold medalist. Ohio State's Kyle Snyder is one of the biggest names in wrestling, and he's back to add some star power to what is shaping up to be one of the deepest and most dynamic 285-pound divisions in recent memory.

Kyle Snyder, Ohio State 2, 1, 1, ?

Snyder is almost too impressive to properly hype, especially when we've already mentioned his NCAA and international accomplishments. If you're reading this, you know who Snyder is, you know how good he is, and you know you want to watch his matches. So do yourself a favor and tune in when he wrestles!


Adam Coon, Michigan DNP, 2, 3, ?

Coon's NCAA finishes are, in chronological order, round of 12, second, and third, all in his first three seasons without the benefit of a redshirt, making him the second-most credentialed NCAA heavyweight after Snyder. Michigan head coach Joe McFarland gave Coon the opportunity to take last season off and focus on aerospace engineering. But Coon is back for his senior year and will be the favorite to meet Kyle Snyder in the 285 finals match in Cleveland.


Tanner Hall, Arizona State DNP, 3, ?, ?

It has been a circuitous route for the Idaho native, but Hall has found a home for himself in Tempe Arizona, along with head coach Zeke Jones' resurgent Sun Devils squad. Hall finished in the bloodround in New York City in 2016 but made it all the way to the consolation finals in St Louis, beating Virginia Tech's Ty Walz in an epic overtime match that was decided on tiebreakers. Hall will be a problem for the rest of the heavyweight bracket next season.


Amarveer Dhesi, Oregon State DNP, 5, DNP, ?

An unfortunate injury kept the Oregon State Beaver by way of British Columbia from competing in the 2016-17 NCAA season, but when Dhesi was heathy he was as dangerous a foe as anyone in the NCAA. He's pretty decent at freestyle as well, in possession of a win over Adam Coon at the 2014 junior world championship in which Dhesi placed first. If Dhesi is back in top shape, he will be one of the leading contenders at 285.


Nick Nevills, Penn State DNP, 5, ?, ?

Nick Nevills was also bitten by the injury bug and forced to miss the second half of his redshirt freshman season. Nevills was healthy and in rare form last year, however, and notched a fifth-place finish at his first NCAA tournament. At that tournament, Nevills avenged a quarterfinals loss to Duke's Jacob Kasper when they met again in the fifth-place match. Although the field has been thinned by graduation, it's also been thickened with the additions of Coon and Dhesi. So as talented as Nevills is, he will have a fight on his hands to improve on his performance in St. Louis.


Jacob Kasper, Duke DNP, DNP, 6, ?

Perhaps more impressive than Kasper's sixth-place finish in 2017 (which is pretty dang impressive) was the fact that for the two previous years, the Brobdingnagian Blue Devil wrestled at 184 pounds. Beefing up to the big boy division paid dividends, as Kasper becoming only the second Duke All-American in the last seven years. Kasper should again be in the mix this year, as his lighter-weight wrestling style make him a problem for the more traditional heavyweights.

Watch Snyder dispatch Kasper in the NCAA semis in the video below.

Did we miss anybody? It's certainly possible. Let us know in the comments!


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