The 2023 Big Ten Wrestling Championships will take place March 4-5 in Ann Arbor, Michigan and will feature some of the best college wrestlers in the country. Check out the article below for a full preview, with predictions for the lightweights (125-157) at Big Tens.

125 Pounds

Favorite

• #1 Spencer Lee, Iowa

#1 Spencer Lee is the heavy favorite to win this bracket and will likely do so in a dominant fashion. This year, Lee has wins over #5 Eric Barnett (pin), #3 Liam Cronin (pin), #9 Michael DeAugustino (pin), #4 Matt Ramos (pin), #19 Jack Medley (major), and #6 Patrick McKee (7-1 decision). Everyone on the planet should be picking Spencer to win this bracket - that’s not the question. The real question is if anyone can keep Spencer from recording bonus in every match.

Hear Spencer Lee talk about his most recent match against Oklahoma State:

Contenders

• #3 Liam Cronin, Nebraska
• #4 Matt Ramos, Purdue

#3 Liam Cronin and #4 Matt Ramos are the clear “next tier” of 125-pounders in the Big Ten after Spencer Lee. Cronin and Ramos haven’t wrestled this year but will be the #2 and #3 seeds because of their shared wins over #5 Eric Barnett and #6 Patrick McKee. Based on their performance in the regular season, we should expect Cronin and Ramos to reach the semis. This potential match will be crucially important for both wrestlers. Not only will a spot in the Big 10 finals be on the line but the winner will likely get the #3 seed at NCAAs and put themselves on the opposite side of the bracket from Spencer Lee.

Matt Ramos' win in the 2023 Southern Scuffle finals over Noah Surtin:

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Sleepers & Landmines

• #16 Dean Peterson, Rutgers
• #19 Jack Medley, Michigan

There are obviously higher-ranked wrestlers in this bracket that are projected to place higher than Peterson and Medley. Guys like #5 Eric Barnett and #6 Patrick McKee are the wrestlers in that category. However, I look at the “Sleepers & Landmine” category as wrestlers who will be seeded outside the top 6 that could break into the top 4. With that in mind, Peterson and Medley are great examples of guys who could pull an early upset or make a run on the backside.

#19 Jack Medley had a slow start to the year but turned it on late with a win over #5 Eric Barnett and close losses to Peterson and #10 Malik Heinselman. #16 Dean Peterson has put together a very solid year winning the starting spot over Dylan Shawver and recording wins over a number of ranked wrestlers. 

Predictions: 1) Spencer Lee, 2) Matt Ramos, 3) Liam Cronin, 4) Patrick McKee

125 Big Ten Allocations: 9

133 Pounds

Favorite

• #1 Roman Bravo-Young, Penn State

Like Spencer Lee, Roman Bravo-Young is the overwhelming favorite to win his bracket. RBY is 13-0 on the year win 11 wins coming by bonus points (4 pins, 3 techs, and 4 majors). If he does come out on top in Ann Arbor, this would be RBY’s third straight Big 10 title - adding to his championship performances in 2021 and 2022. 

RBY's speed will be on display at Big Tens - here's a breakdown of just how fast he really is:

Contenders

• #7 Jesse Mendez, Ohio State
• #10 Lucas Byrd, Illinois
• #11 Dylan Ragusin, Michigan

Jesse Mendez, Lucas Byrd, and Dylan Ragusin have all separated themselves from the rest of the pack at 133. Mendez will likely be the #2 seed because of his wins over both Byrd and Ragusin during the regular season. Byrd will likely be the #3 seed - he only lost to #7 Jesse Mendez in Big 10 competition and recorded notable wins over #20 RayVon Foley, #12 Chris Cannon, and #23 Taylor LaMont. Byrd and Mendez will likely meet in the semi-finals in a rematch from the opening weekend of the year where Mendez won a tight, 3-2 match at the MSU Open.

Mendez's win over Byrd at the 2022 MSU Open:

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Dylan Ragusin should also be included in this “contender category”. While he lost to #7 Jesse Mendez and #20 RayVon Foley, Ragusin also gave #1 Roman Bravo-Young his toughest match of the year in a 4-2 loss. Ragusin has big move potential and his past wins over #10 Lucas Byrd and #12 Chris Cannon prove he’s one of the top 133-pound wrestlers in the Big 10.

Sleepers & Landmines

• #13 Brody Teske, Iowa
• #20 RayVon Foley, Michigan State
• #23 Taylor LaMont, Wisconsin

Of the above three wrestlers, Brody Teske is the most unknown. He’s only wrestled 8 matches this year with his best win coming over #23 Taylor LaMont. However, Teske was most impressive in his recent loss against #2 Daton Fix. While the match ended 11-3, Fix was only winning 4-3 until Teske surrendered a late takedown and near-fall. Can Teske challenge the top guys at this weight? We'll find out in Ann Arbor!

#20 RayVon Foley and #23 Taylor LaMont are both past All-Americans but have experienced their ups and downs this year. Both Lamont and Foley will likely be seeded outside the top 6 but if they’re wrestling their best, they could record some big upsets at Big 10s.

Predictions: 1) Roman Bravo-Young, 2) Jesse Mendez, 3) Dylan Ragusin, 4) Lucas Byrd

133 Big 10 Allocations: 9

141 Pounds

Favorite

• #2 Real Woods, Iowa

Though he wrestled a shortened season, there’s no question that Real Woods is the class of 141 pounds. Woods has recorded impressive wins this season over #3 Beau Bartlett, #14 Frankie Tal-Shahar, #6 Brock Hardy, and #18 Jake Bergeland. On top of that, 8 of Woods’ 13 wins this season are by bonus points (1 pin, 4 techs, and 3 majors). If Woods cruises through this bracket, we should be even more confident in his ability to perform at the NCAA Tournament.

Real Woods speaks on the adjustments he's made since training at Iowa:

Contenders

• #3 Beau Bartlett, Penn State
• #6 Brock Hardy, Nebraska

#3 Beau Bartlett and #6 Brock Hardy are next in line behind Woods at 141. Bartlett’s only loss on the season is to Real Woods while having Big 10 wins over HM Joey Olivieri, HM Dylan D’Emilio, and HM Cole Mattin. Hardy is having an equally impressive year with notable Big 10 wins over #17 Parker Filius, HM Dylan D’Emilio, HM Danny Pucino, #14 Frankie Tal-Shahar, and #18 Jake Bergeland. Bartlett and Hardy didn’t meet in the regular season so they’re potential semi-final match is one of the most anticipated matches of this bracket.

Sleepers & Landmines

• HM Joey Olivieri, Rutgers
• HM Cole Mattin, Michigan

141 might be the most challenging weight to isolate “Sleepers & Landmines” because it’s been so chaotic this year. However, Joey Olivieri and Cole Mattin are two wrestlers that will likely be seeded outside the top 6 that could wrestle above their seeds. Mattin started the year hot with wins over HM Dylan D’Emilio, #7 Mosha Schwarts, and #9 Lachlan McNeil. However, he struggled in his Big 10 matches with losses to HM Joey Olivieri, #3 Beau Bartlett, and HM Dylan D’Emilio. If Mattin can get back to his form at the beginning of the year, he can definitely make some noise in this bracket. 

Joey Olivieri was originally set to redshirt this year with Sammy Alvarez manning the starting spot for Rutgers at 141. However, after Alavarez transferred, Olivieri took over and recorded wins over the aforementioned Mattin and HM Dylan D’Emilio. Because he dropped a close match to #14 Frankie Tal-Shahar, Olivieri will likely be a low seed at Big 10s and a dangerous draw for any of the top-seeded wrestlers. 

Predictions: 1) Real Woods, 2) Beau Bartlett, 3) Jake Bergeland, 4) Brock Hardy

Allocations: 9

149 Pounds

Favorites

• #2 Austin Gomez, Wisconsin
• #3 Sammy Sasso, Ohio State

#2 Austin Gomez is 3-0 in his college career against #3 Sammy Sasso with 2 wins coming in the 2022 season and 1 this year at the All-Star Classic. So why is Sasso included in the favorites section? Gomez went down with an injury in his match on January 27 against #4 Yahya Thomas. We haven’t seen him since and there are questions about how healthy Gomez will be entering the Big 10 tournament. If Gomez is healthy, he’s the favorite to win, but Sasso can’t be underestimated. Sasso has put together a great year with wins over #4 Yahya Thomas (2), #12 Shayne Van Ness, and #5 Kyle Parco.

Austin Gomez's wild win over Sammy Sasso at the 2022 NWCA All-Star Classic:

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Contenders

• #4 Yahya Thomas, Northwestern
• #10 Max Murin, Iowa

#4 Yahya Thomas and #10 Max Murin will likely be the #3 and #4 seeds and showcase the depth of talent at the 149-pound weight class in the Big 10. Thomas, a third-place finisher at the 2021 NCAA Tournament, is currently 19-2 and has notable wins this year over #10 Max Murin, #5 Kyle Parco, #11 Doug Zapf, #8 Jon Millner, and #13 Colin Realbuto. Thomas’ staunch defense and timely offense make him a dangerous wrestler against anyone in this bracket. If Thomas wrestles his best, he’s more than capable of coming away with his first career Big 10 title.

Then there’s #10 Max Murin who is in search of his first All-American honors after finishing in the round of 12 three times. Murin has noteworthy wins in his college career over the likes of #4 Yahya Thomas, Ridge Lovett, and Mitch McKee. This year, Murin has wins over #11 Doug Zapf and #12 Shayne Van Ness with close losses to #2 Austin Gomez, #4 Yahya Thomas, and #9 Paniro Johnson. 

Sleepers & Landmines

• #12 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State
• #20 Chance Lamer, Michigan

With so many of the top contenders being experienced upperclassmen, it’s hard to imagine anyone else breaking into the finals. However, Shayne Van Ness and Chance Lamer are two wrestlers to keep an eye on. Van Ness wrestles at a high pace, hand-fights hard, and keeps incredible position. Those attributes make Van Ness challenging to score on and have resulted in close losses this year to #3 Sammy Sasso, #2 Austin Gomez, and #10 Max Murin. One thing we’ve learned about the Penn State coaching staff (among many other things) is that they’re able to make key adjustments to “flip” close match results in favor of their wrestlers in the post-season. That means we shouldn’t be surprised if Van Ness upsets one of the top wrestlers at this weight.

Chance Lamer is a different kind of wrestler and is included in this category because of his variance in match results throughout the year. For example - this year Lamer tech falled #13 Colin Realbuto but recently lost to #19 Johnny Lovett. Could Lamer pull a big upset? Sure! Could he go 0-2? Absolutely! Nothing should surprise with Chance Lamer at Big 10s and that makes him a really fun dark horse in this bracket.

Predictions: 1) Sammy Sasso, 2) Austin Gomez, 3) Yahya Thomas, 4) Shayne Van Ness

Allocations: 9

157 Pounds

Favorite

• #1 Peyton Robb, Nebraska

As the #1 ranked wrestler in the country, Peyton Robb is the favorite to not only win Big 10s but to take home a National Title this year. Robb has been outstanding with a 23-0 record and notable wins over #6 Ed Scott (2), #16 Brayton Lee, #16 Trevor Chumbley, #11 Cobe Siebrecht, and #21 Paddy Gallagher. To add to those wins, Robb has 11 bonus point victories on the year - 1 pin, 6 techs, and 4 majors. Should Robb win the Big 10 title, he’ll put himself in a great position to earn the #1 seed at NCAAs.

Peyton Robb's win over Kendall Coleman in the finals of the 2022 CKLV:

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Contenders

• #7 Kendall Coleman, Purdue
• #8 Levi Haines, Penn State
• #9 Mike Carr, Illinois
• #10 Chase Saldate, Michigan State
• #11 Cobe Siebrecht, Iowa
• #12 Will Lewan, Michigan

6 wrestlers in the contender list?! Yes, that’s how unpredictable this weight class is and how close all of the above wrestlers are to challenging Peyton Robb. It might be arduous to go through all of their results this year but to show you what we mean, below’s a quick breakdown of each wrestler’s resume on the season:

• Coleman - Wins over Derek Gilcher, Brayton Lee, Jarrett Jacques, #15 Trevor Chumbley, and #12 Will Lewan. Losses to #1 Peyton Robb, #17 Garrett Model, and #2 Jared Franek.
• Haines - Wins over #22 Derek Gilcher, #21 Paddy Gallagher, #11 Cobe Siebrecht, #12 Will Lewan, #17 Garrett Model. Loss to Vince Zerban.
• Carr - Win over #11 Cobe Siebrecht
• Saldate - Wins over #12 Will Lewan, #20 Derek Gilcher, #21 Paddy Gallagher, #16 Brayton Lee. Loss to #20 Derek Gilcher, #1 Peyton Robb, and Quincy Monday.
• Siebrecht - Wins over #12 Will Lewan, #16 Brayton Lee, #17 Garrett Model, #23 Anthony Artalona. Losses to #8 Levi Haines, #9 Mike Carr, and #13 Kaden Gfeller.
• Lewan - Wins over #13 Kaden Gfeller, #21 Paddy Gallagher, #20 Derek Gilcher, #17 Garrett Model. Losses to #7 Kendall Coleman, #11 Cobe Siebrecht, #8 Levi Haines, and #10 Chase Saldate.

Sleepers & Landmines

• #16 Brayton Lee, Minnesota
• #20 Derek Gilcher, Indiana
• #21 Paddy Gallagher, Ohio State

Brayton Lee, Derek Gilcher, and Paddy Gallagher might not win Big 10s but they’re absolutely capable of taking out anyone from the group of contenders. Coming into the year, Brayton Lee was considered an NCAA title contender by many. He struggled to win close matches this year but his All-American performance in 2021 proves he shouldn’t be underestimated in the postseason.

Gilcher and Gallagher have each had flashes of really good wrestling this year. Gilcher has impressive wins over #10 Chase Saldate and #23 Anthony Artalona this year. Gallagher lost razor-thin matches to #1 Peyton Robb, #12 Will Lewan, and #12 Chase Saldate. Again, 157 is a weight primed for chaos and we shouldn’t be surprised if any of these wrestlers make a deep run at Big 10s.

Predictions: 1) Peyton Robb, 2) Levi Haines, 3) Will Lewan, 4) Cobe Siebrecht

Allocations: 10