It's the most wonderful time of the year! NCAA D1 Championship weekend! It's all going down in Philadelphia, and we're previewing every weight class for you!

NCAA Championship BRACKETS

NCAA Rankings

Championship Team Scores Based on Seeds

Individual weight class previews: 125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157 | 165 | 174 | 184 | 197 | 285

Every article about the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships

125 Pounds

While 125 hasn’t been quite as crazy at it was last year, conference weekend flipped it on its head a bit and shook up the rankings going in NCAAs.

2024 All-Americans

1st Place - Richard Figueroa of Arizona State

2nd Place - Drake Ayala of Iowa

3rd Place - Anthony Noto of Lock Haven

4th Place - Eric Barnett of Wisconsin

5th Place - Luke Stanich of Lehigh

6th Place - Caleb Smith of Nebraska

7th Place - Jore Volk of Wyoming

8th Place - Tanner Jordan of South Dakota State

2025 Top 8 Seeds

1. Luke Lilledahl, Penn State
2. Matt Ramos, Purdue
3. Eddie Ventresca, Virginia Tech
4. Vincent Robinson, NC State
5. Richard Figueroa, Arizona State
6. Jett Strickenberger, West Virginia
7. Troy Spratley, OK State
8. Sheldon Seymour, Lehigh

The Favorite

• #1 Luke Lilledahl

Luke Lilledahl is going to Philadelphia as the rightful #1 seed and on-paper favorite. He earned this by beating #29 Joey Cruz, #9 Caleb Smith, and #2 Matt Ramos en route to the Big Ten title last weekend. And he looked fantastic doing it. He beat Cruz and Ramos by major decision before beating Smith 4-3 without giving up a takedown.

Lilledahl has been solid all year. His two losses during the regular season came to #20 Brenden McCrone and #12 Peterson. However, he looked like a new wrestler at the Big Ten Championships. Lilledahl’s baseline defense was there all year, but he was also living up to his nickname ‘Lightening Luke’ by getting to his ankle picks and low singles as well in Evanston. With Penn State’s track record of having freshman peak at the right time, I feel confident that he’s going to perform well once again at the national tournament. That being said, after Braeden Davis received the #1 seed last year and then went 1-2, I'm sure Nittany Lion fans won't feel comfortable until they see it happen.

The Contenders

• #2 Matt Ramos
• #3 Eddie Ventresca
• #4 Vincent Robinson
• #5 Richard Figueroa
• #6 Jett Strickenberger
• #7 Troy Spratley

Before being defeated by Lilledahl in the Big Ten semis, Matt Ramos was undefeated and the clear #1 ranked wrestler in the country. He navigated a tough CKLV bracket in December with wins over #3 Eddie Ventresca, #7 Troy Spratley, and a medical forfeit win over #4 Vincent Robinson. 

Ventresca and Robinson are among the better rivalries in this weight class. But can you call it a rivalry if only one party has won? I still think so! Hokie fans might disagree, as Ventresca is 2-0 against Robinson, beating him 4-1 in both the dual and the ACC tournament. However, with Ventresca losing to Spratley, Ramos, and Spencer Moore this season, I have Robinson finishing higher in my bracket as those are Robinson’s only non medical forfeit losses this season and he beat Spratley 7-3 in the NC State - Oklahoma State dual.

Another fun interconference battle this season has been Richard Figueroa vs Jett Strickenberger. Figueroa beat Strickenberger 11-2 in the two’s last regular season match of the season, but then Strickenberger won Big 12s after Figueroa was upset by Tristan Daughtery in the first round. There was a lot of questions and concerns surrounding Figueroa heading into conferences as he injry defaulted out of the Daktronics earlier this year and then missed a bunch of time. However, the major decision win over Strickenberger in late February, who has been lights out at 125 this year, and pinning his way back for third at Big 12 leads me to believe the Daughtery match was a one-off performance. I’m not sure if he will repeat as national champion, but I expect Figueroa to perform well in Philadelphia. 

Seven-seeded Troy Spratly might be the least likely contender in this group to actually make it out of this tournament unscathed. He lost to Ramos, Robinson, and Strickenberger (twice) this year. However, he did beat Ventresca and Caleb Smith. He’s more than capable of picking these guys off, but I need to see a little more consistency out of him before I pick him to win five-straight matches at the national tournament.

Sleepers & Landmines

• Brendan McCrone, Ohio State
• Tristan Daughtery, NDSU

Brendan McCrone is hardly a dark horse. Wrestling for Ohio State and beating Luke Lilledahl this year has led to him being one of the most household 20 seeds in the brackets. With a draw like Mark Anthony-McGowan first round and Vincent Robinson second round, I’m not sure how long his front side run will be, but McCrone’s top game gives him an X factor that few posses at this weight and I could see him making a little run on the backside.

I don’t know what to make of Tristan Daughtery’s Big 12 performance. After going sub .500 during the regular season, he came out and beat returning Kysen Terukina in the first round, then national champion Figueroa in the second, and then held Spratley to a 2-0 match in the semis. Now, he cooled off on the backside losing to Antonio Lorenzo and Stevo Poulin, and I think that’s a more realistic expectation for Daughtery. However, if the day 1 Big 12 version of Daughtery shows up at NCAAs, he proved he can pull off some upsets despite having a brutal draw after rightfully receiving the 27 seed.

Early Round Matches To Watch

#14 Spencer Moore vs #19 Cooper Flynn

Cooper Flynn went 2-0 against Spencer Moore in his first three college seasons while at Virginia Tech. However since Flynn transferred to Minnesota this past offseason, Moore has been wrestling slightly better and pulled off some nice upsets. This is represented in their seeds. 

#14 Spencer Moore/#19 Cooper Flynn vs #3 Eddie Ventresca

The winner of the Flynn-Moore first round match will get Ventresca. The reason this is interesting is that Flynn and Ventresca were teammates at Virginia Tech for three years and Moore beat Ventresca this season 4-1. Given that Ventresca has had a much better season than Moore and was 5-0 against Flynn while they were both at Virginia Tech, I’m not necessarily putting him on upset watch, but I will be locked in to that match.

#23 Tanner Jordan vs #10 Stevo Poulin

Tanner Jordan is a returning All-American who received the 23 seed. Now with eight losses this season, this isn’t a bad seed, just something that shows this isn’t a typical first round match for a 10 seed like Poulin. The Northern Colorado junior is 2-0 against with a 9-2 decision and a major, so Poulin is the clear favorite, but watch out.

#7 Troy Spratley vs #10 Stevo Poulin/#23 Tanner Jordan

Similar to the match above, Spratley is a clear favorite over either Poulin or Jordan, but watch out. Spratley separated himself from Jordan a bit this season by beating him 10-0 after losing to him at NCAAs last season. Interestingly enough, Spratley and Poulin have never wrestled in their college careers.

#4 Richard Figueroa vs #12 Dean Peterson

How healthy is Dean Peterson? That is a huge question surrounding the 125 lb bracket in Philadelphia. Peterson was forced to medically forfeit out of the Big Ten tournament after suffering an injury while wrestling Caleb Smith in the semifinals. If Peterson is healthy, he’s dangerous.

Predictions

1. Luke Lilledahl, Penn State

2. Matt Ramos, Purdue

3. Richard Figueroa, Arizona State

4. Vincent Robinson, NC State

5. Jett Strickenberger, West Virginia

6. Troy Spratley, Oklahoma State

7. Eddie Ventresca, Virginia Tech

8. Caleb Smith, Nebraska

R12. Maximo Renteria

R12. Nicolar Rivera

R12. Marc-Anthony McGowan

R12. Sheldon Seymour

Lilledahl is just peaking at the right time. He looked so good at the Big Ten Championships. I think his biggest test will come in the semis to Richie Figueroa who, despite losing at the Big 12s, I expect to perform at the national tournament like he did last year. And I’m not predicting it, but I would be surprised to see Jett Strickenberger make a run to the finals. His ability to pin people is almost unmatched in this bracket.

133 Pounds

With Ryan Crookham announcing he was done for the year, Lucas Byrd pinning Drake Ayala, Dom Serrano winning Big 12s, and all the other crazy stuff that happened in the past couple of weeks, 133 might have emerged as the most up-for-grabs title of any weight in Philadelphia.

2024 All-Americans

1st Place - Vito Arujau of Cornell

2nd Place - Daton Fix of Oklahoma State

3rd Place - Ryan Crookham of Lehigh

4th Place - Nasir Bailey of Little Rock

5th Place - Dylan Ragusin of Michigan

6th Place - Evan Frost of Iowa State

7th Place - Dylan Shawver of Rutgers

8th Place - Kai Orine of NC State

2025 Top 8 Seeds

Lucas Byrd, Illinois

Drake Ayala, Iowa

Nasir Bailey, Little Rock

Zeth Romney, Cal Poly

Dominick Serrano, Northern Colorado

Connor McGonagle, Virginia Tech

Nic Bouzakis, Ohio State

Braeden Davis, Penn State

The Favorites

#1 Lucas Byrd

#2 Drake Ayala

#3 Nasir Bailey

After going 18-1 during the season and avenging his only loss in the Big Ten finals, Lucas Byrd is your rightful #1 seed at 133 lbs. He lost 4-1 to Ayala in the dual this year, giving up a single leg in the third. However, in the Big Ten finals last week, Byrd hit one of the tightest cow catchers you’ll ever see to take Ayala over to his back and get the fall.

Down goes No. 1 ‼️

No. 2 Lucas Byrd delivers his first pin of the season en route to becoming the 133 lbs @bigten Champion 📌#B1GWrestling x @IlliniWrestling pic.twitter.com/2xlVt8uNg8

— Big Ten Wrestling (@B1GWrestling) March 9, 2025

After getting off to a rocky start to the season where he was majored by now 20 seed Blake Boarman, lost to Braeden Davis 1-0, and pinned by Zeth Romney, Nasir Bailey has looked really good since the start of February. He’s gone undefeated, won PAC 12s, and avenged his loss to Romney twice. Bailey also took a loss to Dom Serrano at Southern Scuffle last season before looking great in the post season, only losing to Ryan Crookham and taking 4th place at NCAAs.

The Contenders

#4 Zeth Romney

#11 Evan Frost

The contender category is tough at this weight. While there are several guys like Nic Bouzakis, Braeden Davis, Tyler Knox, Braxton Brown, Dominick Serrano, and Dylan Shawver who are capable of knocking off one of the top 3 seeds, I haven’t seen the consistency out of any of them yet to confidently say they can string five matches together against the nation’s best. However, if any of those guys get hot in Philadelphia, watch out.

The above paragraph might seem contradictory to putting Iowa State’s Evan Frost in the contender category after he went 3-2 at Big 12s and needed an at-large bid. That performance was so contradictory to everything we had seen from Frost this season I almost throw it out. There have been rumors that Frost was sick. Going into the conference tournament, his only losses of the year were to Ayala and Romney.

Romney’s win over Frost in the CKLV finals was his breakout moment this season. He was ranked #15 going in and emerged as a national title contender after. Going through a CKLV bracket is no joke. Romney also picked up wins over Bouzakis, Van Dee, and Derrick Cardinal. If Romney has his weight in check and can wrestle for a full seven minutes, he can beat anyone in the country.

Watch Romney pin Bailey below.

Sleepers & Landmines

#26 Kai Orine

#14 Zan Fugitt

A 2X All-American it’s not really fair to call Kai Orine a sleeper. However, after a pedestrian regular season where he went 1-4 in his last 5 regular season matches, I think a lot of people are writing Orine off. It can be hard to gage where a lot of these sixth-year COVID seniors are at mentally. Orine could have just been a little checked out during the regular season and ready to turn it on at the national tournament. If that’s the case, he can make the podium again. However, if he really is over college wrestling and ready to move on, I expect a 1-2/2-2 performance. It really does depend on Kai.

Conversely, Zan Fugitt is a freshman to watch out for. The 14 seed is about right for him this year, maybe even a little high considering his best wins are Anthony Noto and Jacob Van Dee and he’s struggled against the top tier at this weight. I don’t think we see him hit the podium this year, but we sometimes we see freshmen come out of nowhere and ball out at the national tournament. I like the potential in Fugitt.

Early Round Matches To Watch

#11 Evan Frost vs #22 Tyler Wells

This is the best first-round match at 133 lbs in my opinion. Tyler Wells is no joke at the 22 seed and this is where we find out if Frost is going to be the regular season version of himself or the Big 12 version of himself. 

#15 Anthony Noto vs #18 Julian Farber

Anthony Noto is a returning 2X All-American taking 4th in 2023 and 3rd in 2024. However, that was down at 125 lbs. He hasn’t quite been the same at 133 lbs, but he clearly knows how to perform in March. If he can get right for his senior year, he’s a podium threat. However, he’s going to be tested right away against a scrappy Julian Farber who is part of a red-hot Northern Iowa team.

#7 Nic Bouzakis vs #10 Dylan Shawver

Every Nic Bouzakis match is a must-watch match, but especially against a high-quality opponent like Shawver. They’re seeded to hit in the second round. The two split this year with Shawver winning in the dual and Bouzakis winning at Big Tens. I’m not going to pretend like I have a clue what is going to happen if they meet at NCAAs.

#13 Tyler Knox vs #4 Zeth Romney

After beating Drake Ayala and Zeth Romney in the first two weeks of the season, people were circling Tyler Knox as a title contender this year. He’s stumbled a bit as of late and is only 2-3 in his last five matches. However, if he can channel that early season version of himself, he could do some damage.

Predictions

1. Drake Ayala

2. Lucas Byrd

3. Nasir Bailey

4. Evan Frost

5. Zeth Romney

6. Braeden Davis

7. Dylan Shawver

8. Nic Bouzakis

R12. Dominick Serrano

R12. Connor McGonagle

R12. Ethan Oakley

R12. Braxton Brown

I don’t have a lot of confidence in my predictions at this weight, but Ayala looked like the best guy during the regular season, so I’m going with him here.

141 Pounds

The 141-pound bracket at this year’s tournament is filled with parity and will be one of the most exciting weights to follow from start to finish.

2025 Top Eight Seeds (Name, School, Season Record)

1. Brock Hardy, Nebraska, 20-3

2. Beau Bartlett, Penn State, 21-1

3. Jesse Mendez, Ohio State, 25-3

4. Josh Koderhandt, Navy, 23-3

5. Cael Happel, UNI, 24-3

6. Vance Vombaur, Minnesota, 23-4

7. Tagen Jamison, OK State, 20-4

8. Andrew Alirez, N. Colorado, 16-1

2024 Place Winners

1. Jesse Mendez, Ohio State

2. Beau Bartlett, Penn State

3. Brock Hardy, Nebraska

4. Real Woods, Iowa

5. Anthony Echemendia, Iowa State

6. Lachlan McNeil, North Carolina

7. Ryan Jack, NC State

8. Vance Vombaur, Minnesota

Last 10 141-pound NCAA champions

2024: Jesse Mendez, Ohio State

2023: Andrew Alirez, N. Colorado

2022: Nick Lee, Penn State

2021: Nick Lee, Penn State

2019: Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell

2018: Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell

2017: Dean Heil, OK State

2016: Dean Heil, OK State

2015: Logan Stieber, Ohio State

2014: Logan Stieber, Ohio State

The Contenders

• #1/2 Beau Bartlett, Penn State
• #2/1 Brock Hardy, Nebraska
• #3/3 Jesse, Mendez, Ohio State
• #4/6 Vance Vombaur, Minnesota
• #5/5 Cael Happel, UNI
• #6/7 Tagen Jamison, OK State
• #7/8 Andrew Alirez, N. Colorado

*Rank/Seed

Before conference weekend, most would agree there were only three legitimate title contenders at 141 pounds - Beau Bartlett, Jesse Mendez, and Andrew Alirez. However, the results from the conference tournaments showed that very little separates the above group of seven wrestlers from one another. Check out the table below to see how these seven wrestlers have traded wins and losses with one another, and some common opponents, throughout the season.

It’s worth noting that Andrew Alirez doesn’t have wins from this season over any of the wrestlers ranked ahead of him. So why is he still in this category? To start, as the 2023 NCAA Champion, he’s one of two wrestlers in this field who has already won this tournament. Alirez also boasts head-to-head wins over Beau Bartlett and Cael Happel from previous seasons. Alirez has also recorded wins this year over Julian Tagg (who beat Happel) and Jacob Frost (who beat Jamison). If Alirez is wrestling his best, he’ll be right in the mix with the rest of this tier and no one should be surprised if he wins another NCAA Title. 

The big question is, who will come out of this group on top in Philadelphia? 141 pounds will be one of the toughest weights in the country to predict and every quarterfinal match will be an absolute battle. Will Brock Hardy continue his incredible run from Big Tens? Will Jesse Mendez repeat as the champ? Will Beau Bartlett end his career with an elusive title? There’s so much parity in this weight class and we’ll find out the answers to all of the questions in Philly!

Mendez's win over Bartlett from the 2024 NWCA All-Star Classic:

All-American Threats

• #8/4 Josh Koderhandt, Navy
• #9/9 Jacob Frost, Iowa State
• #10/11 Dylan Cedeno, Virginia
• #11/12 Sam Latona, Virginia Tech
• #12/14 Sergio Lemley, Michigan
• #13/18 Julian Tagg, SD State

*Rank/Seed

The above group of six wrestlers have established themselves as the next tier at 141 pounds. With this group, I would be very surprised to see any make a run to the finals, but wouldn’t be surprised at all to see them on the podium. Of this group, Koderhandt is the highest seeded wrestler (#4) and has put together an incredible year. He’s currently 23-3 with notable wins over Vance Vombaur, Jacob Frost, and Sergio Lemley with his only losses coming against Jesse Mendez and Brock Hardy (twice). A case could be made for Koderhandt to be included in tier 1, but his losses to Mendez and Hardy make it hard for me to see him making a run to the finals. 

Jacob Frost and Julian Tagg are included in this group because of their high-level wins over wrestlers in tier 1. Frost has a win over Jamison while Tagg has defeated Happel this year. Despite those wins, Frost and Happel received tough draws. At the #9 seed, Frost will likely wrestle #8 seed Andrew Alirez in the second round. At the #18 seed, Tagg will see Beau Bartlett in round 2. That means both will either have to pull off a big upset or battle through the consis in order to reach the podium.

Cedeno, Latona, and Lemley have all been solid this season but haven’t defeated anyone in that top tier at 141 pounds. Similar to Frost and Tagg, this group of three will need to pull off an upset if they hope to advance beyond the first round in the championship bracket. #12 seed Latona will likely wrestle Happel in round 2, #14 seed Lemley has Mosha Schwartz round 1 and then Jesse Mendez, and #11 seed Cedeno will face off against Vance Vombaur in round 2. They’ll be underdogs in those bouts but those early round matchups show off the depth of the weight class and no one should be too surprised if any of these wrestlers reach the quarterfinals. 

Sleepers & Landmines

• #25/23 Josh Edmond, Missouri
• #29/29 Jayden Scott, North Carolina

*Rank/Seed

There are several wrestlers in this bracket who are lower seeds but have the potential to go on a run. However, the above two wrestlers best fit the description of a “sleeper or landmine”. First up is Josh Edmond who finished in the round of 12 last year but needed an at-large bid to get into the tournament this year. Despite losing to Jacob Frost and Jordan Titus at Big 12’s, Edmond has had close matches with several of the top guys at this weight. Edmond has suffered close losses to Sam Latona (4-2), Cael Happel (4-2), Vance Vombaur (4-3), Beau Bartlett (4-1, OT), and Jacob Frost (9-8). Beyond these close losses, Edmond drew #10 seed CJ Composto in the first round - interestingly enough, Edmond defeated Composto at last year’s NCAA Tournament (11-5). Edmond’s second match will likely be #7 seed Tagen Jamison who Edmond defeated at last year’s Big 12 Tournament. Edmond is in the perfect spot to blow up this bracket.

Similar to Josh Edmond, Jayden Scott has lost several close matches to highly ranked wrestlers throughout the year. Scott suffered close losses to Sam Latona (1-0), Dylan Cedeno (5-3 & 2-0), and Josh Koderhandt (7-2). After those close losses, Scott had a fantastic Southern Scuffle where he ultimately finished in second place with a significant win over Mosha Schwartz. Scott has incredible defense and he’s capable of keeping matches close with almost everyone in the country. He didn’t get a great draw with Koderhandt in round 1 but that match could be a lot closer than most expect.

141 Pound Predictions

I’ve gone back and forth on who I think is going to win this bracket. There’s so much parity at the weight that this tournament could be wrestled 10 different times and we could see 6-7 different champs. Predicting this weight feels a bit like pulling a name out of a hat. Even still, I’m picking Jesse Mendez to repeat as national champion and walk away with the 141-pound title this year. Mendez may have had a down Big Ten Tournament with losses to Hardy and Bartlett, but he proved last year that he wrestles his best when the stakes are the highest. 

1. Jesse Mendez, Ohio State

2. Andrew Alirez, N. Colorado

3. Beau Bartlett, Penn State

4. Cael Happel, UNI

5. Brock Hardy, Nebraska

6. Tagen Jamison, OK State

7. Vance Vombaur, Minnesota

8. Josh Koderhandt, Navy

Rd of 12: Julian Tagg, SD State

Rd of 12: Sergio Lemley, Michigan

Rd of 12: Sam Latona, Virginia Tech

Rd of 12: Jacob Frost, Iowa State

149 Pounds

The 149-pound bracket features the returning national champion Caleb Henson along with a host of challengers capable of winning the NCAA title this year. 149 pounds is one of the deepest weights in the country and will be incredibly exciting to watch unfold in Philadelphia.

2025 Top Eight Seeds (Name, School, Season Record)

1. Caleb Henson, Virginia Tech, 18-0

2. Ridge Lovett, Nebraska, 20-2

3. Shayne Van Ness, Penn State, 20-2

4. Paniro Johnson, Iowa State, 25-4

5. Kyle Parco, Iowa, 20-3

6. Lachlan McNeil, North Carolina, 20-5

7. Kannon Webster, Illinois, 14-6

8. Jordan Williams, Little Rock, 24-4

2024 Place Winners

1. Caleb Henson, Virginia Tech

2. Austin Gomez, Michigan

3. Tyler Kasak, Penn State

4. Ty Watters, West Virginia

5. Kyle Parco, Arizona State

6. Ridge Lovett, Nebraska

7. Casey Swiderski, Iowa State

8. Quinn Kinner, Rider

Last 10 149-pound NCAA champions

2024: Caleb Henson, Virginia Tech

2023: Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell

2022: Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell

2021: Austin O’Connor, North Carolina

2019: Anthony Ashnault, Rutgers

2018: Zain Retherford, Penn State

2017: Zain Retherford, Penn State

2016: Zain Retherford, Penn State

2015: Drake Houdashelt, Missouri

2014: Jason Tsirtsis, Northwestern

The Favorites

• #1/1 Caleb Henson, Virginia Tech
• #2/2 Ridge Lovett, Nebraska
• #3/3 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State

*Rank/Seed

149 is an incredibly deep weight class, but the three wrestlers above have slightly separated themselves from the pack. Caleb Henson is the returning national champion and is undefeated this year with an 18-0 record and 13 bonus point wins - 3 pins, 6 techs, and 4 majors. The highlight of Henson’s year was at the CKLV where he won the title with an overtime victory over Ridge Lovett. It is worth noting that Henson missed almost all of January with an apparent injury and has only wrestled 6 matches in the past 6 weeks. Despite the layoff, Henson is coming off an ACC title with an overtime win over two-time All-American Lachlan McNeil. If Henson is back to 100%, he’s fully capable of winning another national title this year.

Henson's win over Lovett at the CKLV:

Ridge Lovett is fresh off a Big Ten title and is the only wrestler in the field who has career victories over Caleb Henson and Shayne Van Ness. Despite losses to Parco and Henson this year, Lovett is having a phenomenal season with a 20-2 record and 14 bonus point wins - 5 pins, 5 techs, and 4 majors. Lovett is one of the best top wrestlers in the country and looks to be wrestling as good as he ever has. As a runner-up (2022) and 6th place finisher (2024), Lovett hasn’t been able to put together a full NCAA tournament yet but he’ll be looking to end his college career on top in Philadelphia. 

Unlike Lovett and Henson, Shayne Van Ness isn’t riding the same kind of momentum coming into the NCAA Tournament. Van Ness suffered a surprising loss to Illinois’ Kannon Webster and had to battle back for third place at Big Ten’s. Despite that loss, Van Ness has some of the best offense in the country, and when he’s wrestling his best, he’s capable of putting up big points against any wrestler in this bracket. With an over 77% bonus point rate, Van Ness has the highest bonus percentage of any wrestler in the country at 149 pounds (5 pins, 5 techs, 8 majors). Van Ness also has a past victory over Caleb Henson but will likely need to avenge his loss Ridge Lovett if he hopes to make the finals.

The Contenders

• #4/5 Kyle Parco, Iowa
• #5/8 Jordan Williams, Little Rock
• #6/12 Ethan Stiles, Oregon State
• #7/6 Lachlan McNeil, North Carolina
• #8/7 Kannon Webster, Illinois
• #9/13 Dylan D'Emilio, Ohio State
• #10/4 Paniro Johnson, Iowa State
• #11/10 Colin Realbuto, UNI

*Rank/Seed

The above group of eight wrestlers highlight the depth of the 149 pound field. The wrestlers in this tier are all legitimate All-American contenders but it’d be a surprise to see any win the title or even make a run to the finals. Four-time All-American Kyle Parco highlights this group and he does have a case to be considered in tier 1 considering he’s 3-1 in his career against Ridge Lovett. However, Parco has never defeated Van Ness or Henson and is coming off major decision losses to Ridge Lovett and Shayne Van Ness. Parco is still a solid pick to finish in the top 4 but he’ll need to pull off an upset or two to end his college career with a national title. 

Jordan Williams, Ethan Stiles, and Kannon Webster are all slightly surprising additions to this group of contenders. To start the year, Ethan Stiles was unranked but went on an incredible run late in the season with wins over Jordan Williams, Jaden Abas, Chance Lamer, and Lachlan McNeil. Williams was ranked #22 at the beginning of February but had a great end to his season winning PAC 12s and recording significant wins over Gavin Drexler, Chance Lamer and Ethan Stiles.

Then there’s Kannon Webster who entered the year ranked #11 but fell to #18 after he lost to Sam Cartella. Like Williams and Stiles, Webster had a fantastic finish to his season highlighted by the Big Ten’s where he defeated Dylan D’Emilio and Shayne Van Ness on his way to a second place finish. If Webster, Stiles, and Williams all wrestle to potential, they’ll find the podium and could be dark horses to make a run to the semifinals or beyond.

Lachlan McNeil and Dylan D’Emilio are both former All-Americans who haven’t quite been able to break into the top tier at 149 pounds. McNeil finished 4th (2023) and 6th (2024) at 141 pounds and has been solid all year at his new weight class. He has significant wins over Kannon Webster, Dylan D’Emilio, and Jaden Abas (X2) but has lost to Caleb Henson, Ethan Stiles, Kyle Parco, Ridge Lovett, and Ty Watters. Because of those results, McNeil should be firmly in the mix to reach the podium but it’d be a surprise to see him in the semis or finals.

Similarly, D’Emilio has been good all year but has lost every time he’s wrestled someone in the top 5. At the #13 seed, D’Emilio has a path to the quarters. He’ll wrestle #20 seed Koy Buesgens in round 1 and then #4 seed Paniro Johnson in round 2. D’Emilio hasn’t wrestled either in his college career, but he’ll be a big favorite against Buesgens, and D’Emilio matches up well against Johnson. Even if D’Emilio loses that match, he will be right in the mix to make a deep run in the consis.

Finally, Paniro Johnson and Colin Realbuto are two wrestlers who have never earned All-American honors but have consistently been in the top 10 throughout their college careers. Paniro Johnson started his year at 157 before dropping to 149 in January. Since the drop, Johnson has put together a 17-1 record with his only loss coming against the aforementioned Realbuto. Outside of that loss, Johnson recently won Big 12s by defeating Realbuto in the finals (5-4) and also has significant wins over Sammy Alvarez, Willie McDougald, Carter Young, Jesse Vasquez, and Teague Travis. Two years ago, Johnson showed just how dangerous he can be when he defeated both Austin Gomez and Shayne Van Ness. At the #4 seed, Johnson will likely have to go through Kyle Parco and Caleb Henson to make the finals. He’ll be an underdog in both of those matches but if he’s wrestling his best, he’s capable of defeating anyone in the country.

At the #10 seed, Colin Realbuto will be a favorite against Carson DesRosier in round 1 but will have a tough matchup with Kannon Webster in round 2. Realbuto and Webster have never wrestled but prior to conference weekend, Realbuto would have been considered a favorite in that matchup. If Realbuto gets by Webster, he’ll wrestle Ridge Lovett in the quarter finals. Lovett and Realbuto wrestled in early January where Lovett came out on top of a wild 12-9 decision. Lovett will be the favorite to win again, but Realbuto will be in this match and it wouldn’t be too surprising to see him make the semis. 

Sleepers & Landmines

• #14/11 Sammy Alvarez, Rider
• #32/25 Malyke Hines, Lehigh

*Rank/Seed

As mentioned above, 149 is incredibly deep and there are several wrestlers that are seeded outside the top 10 that could make a run to the podium. No one should be surprised if wrestlers like Chance Lamer, Jaden Abas, Cross Wasilewski, Ty Whalen, or Koy Buesgens pull off upsets to finish in the top 8. However, Sammy Alvarez and Malyke Hines are two wrestlers that best fit the description of a “sleeper” or a “landmine”. 

Rider’s Sammy Alvarez has quietly put together a 20-5 record on his way to winning a MAC title and finishing the year on an 11 match winning streak. Outside of a tech fall loss to Ty Watters in his opening match of the season, Alvarez's largest margin of defeat was a 4-1 loss to Carter Young. His only other losses on the year were Paniro Johnson (2-1), Ridge Lovett (2-0), and Jaden Abas (4-2). Beyond the losses, Alvarez has solid wins over Ty Whalen, Mason Shrader, Finn Solomon, Kal Miller, Koy Buesgens, Ethan Fernandez, and Gabe Willochell. Alvarez will face a tough second round match against Lachlan McNeil but I expect that match to be competitive. Even if Alvarez loses, he has the potential to make a good run on the consolation rounds. 

Malyke Hines drew the #25 seed but shouldn’t be underestimated in Philly. Hines is a veteran and this will be his fifth time competing at the NCAA Tournament. Just two years ago, Hines finished one match shy of All-American honors and he’s in a great spot in the bracket to make a run to the quarters. Hines will wrestle Jordan Williams first, and though Williams is having a fantastic year, Hines matches up well against Williams. Both wrestlers are great on their feet and Hines is a strong top wrestler that could make things tough for Williams on the mat. If Hines does pull off the first round upset, he’ll likely wrestle #9 seed Cross Wasilewski. Hines and Wasilewski wrestled a month ago with Wasilewski winning in overtime, 10-7. Hines won’t be the favorite but if you’re looking for a low seed to make a run to the quarters, Hines might be the guy to pick in this bracket.

149 Pound Predictions

Going into conference weekend, Shayne Van Ness was my pick to win the NCAA Tournament. Van Ness is an incredible athlete and when his neutral offense is clicking, I don’t think anyone in the country can stop him. However, his loss to Webster at Big Ten’s gives me a little hesitation to stay with Van Ness. Still, if Van Ness wrestles his best in Philadelphia, I think he’ll come out on top of this incredible 149-pound bracket.

1. Shayne Van Ness, Penn State

2. Caleb Henson, Virginia Tech

3. Ridge Lovett, Nebraska

4. Kyle Parco, Iowa

5. Lachlan McNeil, North Carolina

6. Kannon Webster, Illinois

7. Colin Realbuto, UNI

8. Jordan Williams, Little Rock

Rd of 12: Dylan D`Emilio, Ohio State

Rd of 12: Sammy Alvarez, Rider

Rd of 12: Paniro Johnson, Iowa State

Rd of 12: Jaden Abas, Stanford

157 Pounds

The 157-pound bracket features two, clear favorites in Penn State's Tyler Kasak and Cornell's Meyer Shapiro. These wrestlers will be battling to win their first national title but will be challenged by a host of worthy contenders. 

2025 Top Eight Seeds (Name, School, Season Record)

1. Tyler Kasak, Penn State, 17-1

2. Meyer Shapiro, Cornell, 11-1

3. Antrell Taylor, Nebraska, 22-4

4. Rafael Hipolito, Virginia Tech, 17-3

5. Brandon Cannon, Ohio State, 20-3

6. Ryder Downey, Northern Iowa, 25-4

7. Vinny Zerban, N. Colorado, 18-4

8. Joey Blaze, Purdue, 20-5

2025 Place Winners

1. Levi Haines, Penn State

2. Jacori Teemer, Arizona State

3. Meyer Shapiro, Cornell

4. Daniel Cardenas, Stanford

5. Peyten Kellar, Ohio

6. Bryce Andonian, Virginia Tech

7. Peyton Robb, Nebraska

8. Jared Franek, Iowa

Last 10 157-pound NCAA champions

2024: Levi Haines, Penn State

2023: Austin O'Connor, North Carolina

2022: Ryan Deakin, Northwestern

2021: David Carr, Iowa State

2019: Jason Nolf, Penn State

2018: Jason Nolf, Penn State

2017: Jason Nolf, Penn State

2016: Isaiah Martinez, Illinois

2015: Isaiah Martinez, Illinois

2014: Alex Dieringer, OK State

The Favorites

• #1/1 Tyler Kasak, Penn State
• #2/2 Meyer Shapiro, Cornell

Tyler Kasak and Meyer Shapiro are the runaway favorites at 157 pounds heading into the NCAA Tournament. Kasak has been impressive all season long with notable head-to-head wins over Antrell Taylor (X2), Brandon Cannon, Jacori Teemer, Trevor Chumbley, Matt Bianchi, and several other ranked wrestlers. Outside of an injury default loss to Ethen Miller, Kasak has been perfect all year and hasn’t even given up a takedown in the 18 matches he’s wrestled. Kasak looks to be wrestling as good as ever and as the #1 seed, it looks like he has a clear path to the finals.

Tyler Kasak's win over Antrell Taylor at the Big Ten Tournament:

Cornell’s Meyer Shapiro has wrestled an odd year. After suffering an apparent concussion early in the season, Shapiro missed 6 weeks and has only wrestled 11 matches this year. In those matches, Shapiro’s best wins are over Ed Scott and Jude Swisher. So why is Shapiro still considered a favorite with the lack of results and significant wins? Simply put, Shapiro might have the best neutral offense of any wrestler in the country regardless of weight class. When Shapiro’s offense is clicking, he’s capable of scoring on anyone with a variety of high-level attacks. Shapiro finished third last year at the NCAA Tournament and if he’s wrestling his best in Philly, he can end this year with an NCAA Title. 

The Contenders

• #3/5 Brandon Cannon, Ohio State
• #4/3 Antrell Taylor, Nebraska
• #5/8 Joey Blaze, Purdue
• #6/9 Tommy Askey, Minnesota
• #7/10 Ethen Miller, Maryland
• #8/18 Jacori Teemer, Iowa
• #9/7 Vinny Zerban, N. Colorado
• #10/6 Ryder Downey, UNI
• #11/4 Rafael Hipolito, Virginia Tech

The parity and depth at 157 pounds is highlighted by the above group of nine wrestlers. All of the above wrestlers are all ranked in the top 11 heading into the NCAA Tournament with only Jacori Teemer being seeded outside the top 10. Beyond that, they have all traded wins and losses with one another, and other competitors, throughout the season. With so many legitimate All-American contenders in this weight, it wouldn’t be that surprising to see one catch fire at NCAAs and make a run to the finals. Check out the table below that highlights the parity in this group.

Sleepers & Landmines

• #13/19 Cobe Siebrecht, SD State
• #14/13 Jared Hill, Wyoming
• #16/12 Caleb Fish, OK State
• #25/30 James Conway, Missouri

The above group of wrestlers are lower-seed but have recorded high-level wins throughout the year and will be dangerous draws at the NCAA Tournament. Cobe Siebrecht is fresh off his runner-up finish at the Big 12 tournament where he recorded notable wins over Cody Chittum and Jared Hill while only losing to Vinny Zerban. Siebrecht will have a tough draw out of the #19 seed with a battle in the first round against Jude Swisher followed by a potential match against Antrell Taylor in the second round. Despite that, Siebrecht proved at Big 12’s he’s a threat and could surprise a lot of people in Philadelphia. 

Wyoming’s Jared Hill is 23-10 on the year and has notable ranked wins over Tommy Askey, Vinny Zerban, and Cody Chittum. Out of the #13 seed, Hill will have a tough match in the first round against Trevor Chumbley and then likely #4 seed Rafael Hipolito in the second round. While Hill will be the underdog, Hipolito hasn’t been flawless this year and it wouldn’t be that shocking to see Hill make the quarters.

Caleb Fish might not be a “true" sleeper but his #12 seed and 4th place finish at Big 12’s might put him off of some people’s radar considering the rest of the talent at 157 pounds. Fish has recorded several ranked wins this year with the most notable coming over Ryder Downey, Paniro Johnson, and Ed Scott. Fish’s potential second-round match is against Brandon Cannon who is carrying momentum with him coming off of Big Ten’s. However, I expect that to be a competitive bout and if Fish can win that match, he has a great shot at reaching the semifinals. 

Missouri’s James Conway might be the best representation of a landmine in the 157-pound bracket. Despite his #30 seed, Conway has recorded wins this year over #9 Vinny Zerban and #15 Cody Chittum. Conway will obviously be a big underdog in his opening-round match against Antrell Taylor but if you’re looking for someone to blow up a bracket, Conway might be the man for the job.

157-Pound Predictions

I’d be surprised to see anyone other than Tyler Kasak and Meyer Shapiro in the 157-pound NCAA Finals on Saturday night. They are the two best wrestlers in the bracket and their finals match might be one of the most anticipated bouts of the entire tournament. I’ve gone back-and-forth on this one but I’m picking Shapiro to come out on top over Kasak. For me, Shapiro’s offense is the difference here and I think Shapiro is one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers in the country when he’s wrestling his best. I think we’ll see that best version of Shapiro in Philadelphia this weekend, and because of that, I'm rolling with Shapiro to win the 2025 157-pound NCAA title.

1. Meyer Shapiro, Cornell

2. Tyler Kasak, Penn State

3. Ryder Downey, UNI

4. Antrell Taylor, Nebraska

5. Jacori Teemer, Iowa

6. Caleb Fish, OK State

7. Brandon Cannon, Ohio State

8. Joey Blaze, Purdue

Rd of 12 - Rafael Hipolito, Virginia Tech

Rd of 12 - Cobe Siebrecht, SD State

Rd of 12 - Ethen Miller, Maryland

Rd of 12 - Cody Chittum, Iowa State

165 Pounds

The 165-pound weight class figures to be in the news on way or the other, either with a Hodge Trophy caliber season by the favorite Mitchell Mesenbrink or with a historic upset of Hodge Trophy contender Mitchell Mesenbrink!

2025 Top Eight Seeds (Name, School, Season Record)

1) Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State, 22-0

2) Peyton Hall, West Virginia, 30-1

3) Michael Caliendo, Iowa, 20-2

4) Terrell Barraclough, Utah Valley, 27-2

5) Julian Ramirez, Cornell, 20-1

6) Beau Mantanona, Michigan, 15-4

7) Hunter Garvin, Stanford, 19-6

8) Cameron Amine, Oklahoma State, 16-7

2024 All-Americans

1st: David Carr, Iowa State

2nd: Mitchell Mesenbink, Penn State

3rd: Keegan O'Toole, Missouri

4th: Michael Caliendo, Iowa

5th: Izzak Olejnik, Oklahoma State

6th: Hunter Garvin, Stanford

7th: Peyton Hall, West Virginia

8th: Antrell Taylor, Nebraska

Last 10 165lb NCAA Champs

2024: David Carr, Iowa State

2023: Keegan O'Toole, Missouri

2022: Keegan O'Toole, Missouri

2021: Shane Griffith, Stanford

2019: Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech

2018: Vincenzo Joseph, Penn State

2017: Vincenzo Joseph, Penn State

2016: Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma State

2015: Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma State

2014: David Taylor, Penn State

The Favorite

*Rank/Seed

#1/#1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State

Mesenbrink is currently third in FloWrestling's Hodge Trophy Rankings, which are mostly determined by 'dominance'. And dominant is the way by which most of Mesenbrink's wins come. 

Mesenbrink's reputation as one of the most dominant wrestlers in the NCAA started last season, when he went undefeated all the way to the NCAA finals where he lost to David Carr 9-8. Mesenbrink also amassed 17 bonus wins along the way. 

Mitchell's sophomore campaign picked up where he left off, only with more tech-falls. The Wisconsin native's first 12 bouts were tech-fall victories. Mesenbrink is also 2-0 against the #2 ranked Michael Caliendo, including a 19-4 tech-fall in the PSU Iowa dual at the end of January. 

Caliendo, though, proved that Mesenbrink was still mortal in the Big Ten finals. Mitchell still got the dub but had to settle for 'just' a 4-1 win. 

Watch Calideno and Mesenrbink's Big Ten finals bout:

Mesenbrink also has two wins over #11 Beau Mantanona, including a 25-8 tech at Big Tens. 

If there's a knock on Mesenbrink it's that he hasn't wrestled most of the other contenders in his field this season, although he did beat Cam Amine, Terrell Barraclough (back when they were teammates), Brevin Cassella (who's now up at 174), Dean Hamiti (who's now at 174 and wrestling for Oklahoma State) and Caleb Fish (who's now at 157 and also wrestling at Oklahoma State) last season. 

The Contenders

#2/#3 Michael Caleiendo, Iowa

#3/#2 Peyton Hall, West Virginia

#4/#4 Terrell Barraclough, Utah Valley

#5/#5 Julian Ramirez, Cornell

#6/#9 Cam Steed, Missouri

#7/#15 Nicco Ruiz, Arizona State

#8/#8 Cameron Amine, Oklahoma State

#9/#7 Hunter Garvin, Stanford

#10/#11 Drake Rhodes, South Dakota State

#11/#6 Beau Mantanona, Michigan

#12/#10 Andrew Sparks, Minnesota

The aforementioned Caliendo has only lost to Mesenbrink this year.  The Illinois native, who spent his first two collegiate seasons at North Dakota State, has 5 losses over the last two years to his Penn State rival. Of Caleindo's 13 varsity losses over three seasons, five are to Mitchell and six are to NCAA champs. 

Caliendo has never wrestled Big 12 champ and All-Star Classic winner Peyton Hall before, and those two will be favored to meet in the semifinals. Hall's one loss on the season is to the #4 seed Terrell Barraclough. Barraclough spent the last five seasons in State College, PA but used his last year of eligibility to move back to his home state and wrestle for Utah Valley. Barraclough has just two losses on the season and wins over the likes of Hall, Cam Amine and Hunter Garvin.

Cam Steed's sudden victory win over Barraclough may have vaulted him into the #6 ranking but he got the #9 seed so he'll have to likely go through Cam Amine in the round of 16 in a classic Cam vs Cam Slam. Amine beat Steed in a late-season dual meet, 2-1. 

Cornell's Julian Ramirez has the five seed and the Florida native will probably be able to earn his first All-American honors by beating Barraclough in the quarters. Ramirez could only wrestle attached in the second semester so his season was somewhat limited. He's 20-1 but hasn't faced off with any of the other contenders this season and did drop an early season match to Lehigh's Max Brignola, who is redshirting. 

Injuries forced ASU's Nicco Ruiz to default out of two matches at Big 12s and he also defaulted out of a match with Cam Steed at a dual. Ruiz's two wins over Cam Amine, however, helped him earn the #7 seed. 

Hunter Garvin had a tough Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational but has had a better second semester. He hasn't dropped a bout since Midlands and won a tough ACC tournament. 

Iowa transfer Drake Rhodes has quietly had an excellent season, which includes wins over Garvin and Ruiz. Injuries forced Rhodes to injury default out of the Big 12 Championships so questions remain about his health, but he'll be a podium threat if he's even close to 100%. 

BeauMan is now 3-0 over Andrew Sparks this season, thanks to hitting him twice at Big Tens. That likely bumped Sparks' seed down and will force him to go through Garvin in the second round. 

Sleepers & Landmines

#13/#26 Paddy Gallagher, Ohio State

#20/#20 Gunner Filipowicz, Army

Injuries and shifting weight classes didn't help Gallagher's seed, but it's hard to find a wrestler with a higher potential to bust his bracket than Paddy at the #26 seed. 

The appropriately named Gunner Filipowicz had to injury default out of the EIWAs, but the Georgia native has been a consistent performer for the Black Knights, as evidenced by his Southern Scuffle title. 

Predictions

1st: Mesenbrink, PSU

2nd: Caliendo, Iowa

3rd: Hall, WVU

4th: Barraclough, UVU

5th: Mantanona, Michigan

6th: Steed, Mizzou

7th: Sparks, Minnesota

8th: Garvin, Stanford

R12: Ramirez, Cornell

R12: Rhodes, SDSU

R12: Miller, App State

R12: Amine, OKST

I would be very surprised if anyone other than Mesenbrink won this weight class. Beyond that I don't have a ton of confidence in these picks, though I feel good about Caliendo, Hall and Barraclough finishing in the top four. 

I'm picking young BeauMan to go on a run and for Steed and Sparks to outperform their seeds, which includes a minor upset of Sparks over Garvin on the front and back side of the bracket. 

I also hope I am proven extremely wrong by Julian Ramirez and we see the Cornell senior on the podium for the first time in his last year of eligibility.

174 Pounds

Can Levi Haines obtain another national championship up two weight classes from where he won last year? Will Keegan O'Toole get back on top for the third time after being dethroned at last year's NCAAs? Can Dean Hamiti, or anyone else, spoil the party in Philadelphia?

2025 Top Eight Seeds (Name, School, Season Record)

1) Keegan O'Toole, Missouri, 16-0

2) Levi Haines, Penn State, 20-1

3) Dean Hamiti, Oklahoma State, 22-1

4) Garrett Thompson, Ohio, 29-5

5) Simon Ruiz, Cornell, 21-5

6) Brevin Cassella, Binghamton, 25-4

7) Danny Wask, Navy, 20-6

8) Lenny Pinto, Nebraska, 22-5

2024 All-Americans

1st: Carter Starocci, Penn State

2nd: Rocco Welsh, Ohio State

3rd: Shane Griffith, Michigan

4th: Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech

5th: Cade DeVos, South Dakota State

6th: Lennox Wolak, Columbia

7th: Edmond Ruth, Illinois

8th: Ben Pasiuk, Army

Last 10 174lb NCAA Champs

2024: Carter Starocci, Penn State

2023: Carter Starocci, Penn State

2022: Carter Starocci, Penn State

2021: Carter Starocci, Penn State

2019: Zahid Valencia, Arizona State

2018: Zahid Valencia, Arizona State

2017: Mark Hall, Penn State

2016: Myles Martin, Ohio State

2015: Matt Brown, Penn State

2014: Chris Perry, Oklahoma State

The Favorites

*Rank/Seed

#1/#1 Keegan O'Toole, Missouri

#2/#2 Levi Haines, Penn State

#3/#3 Dean Hamiti, Oklahoma State

Keegan O'Toole's legacy is secure regardless of what happens in Philadelphia. O'Toole is a near lock for getting on the Mizzou wrestling Mt Rushmore, an honor for which the competition is mighty fierce. Keegan is already a four-time All-American and two-time champ whose lowest finish is third. He has one loss his freshman year to NCAA finalist Jake Wentzel and then only three losses (against two wins) to David Carr, who is also a four-time All-American and two-time national champ whose lowest finish is third. 

Keegan also has wins this season over the current #2 and #3 ranked wrestlers, Levi Haines and Dean Hamiti. Those bouts, it should be noted, were both sudden victory wins by O'Toole, but victories nonetheless. 

Highlights from O'Toole's win over Hamiti in the Big 12 finals:

Both Haines and Hamiti have but the one loss to KO'T this season. Haines, though, is coming off two consecutive NCAA finals appearances, though one might argue that Haines' record at 157, a weight at which he's the defending champ, is less relevant now that he's up at 174. I'm not saying discount or ignore them, I'm just pointing out what other might argue when splitting hairs about who should be the favorite at NCAAs!

Hamiti, a four-time national qualifier and two-time 6th place winner, doesn't have quite the resume as either O'Toole or Haines, and he is also up a weight class from where he earned All-American honors, however, the Wisconsin transfer has never looked better than he does now up at 174 and in an Oklahoma State singlet.  

The Contenders

#4/#4 Garrett Thompson, Ohio

#5/#9 Carson Kharchla, Ohio State

#6/#11 Patrick Kennedy, Iowa

#7/#10 Alex Cramer, Central Michigan

#8/#6 Brevin Cassella, Binghamton

#9/#8 Lenny Pinto, Nebraska

#10/#20 Dan Braunagel, Illinois

#11/#5 Simon Ruiz, Cornell

#12/#7 Danny Wask, Navy

#13/#12 Myles Takats, Bucknell

#14/#13 Cade DeVos, South Dakota State

#15/#14 Matthew Singleton, NC State

A very crowded weight requires a very large group of contenders. There's also a large discrepancy between the seeds and weights in a couple of places, most notably Danny Braunagel, who is a top 10 wrestler who received the #20 seed. 

Patrick Kennedy and Carson Kharchla also appear to have been punished for their tough schedules, as the two Big Ten rivals have been in the top 10 all year long but received seeds lower than their rankings. 

Garrett Thompson and Brevin Cassella represent two under-the-radar conferences in the MAC and EIWA respectively, but both are also seeded closer (or exactly, in Thompson's case) to where they are seeded. 

Simon Ruiz and Danny Wask also come from less heralded conferences (the Ivy League and another EIWA-man) but have benefited from impressive records to earn seeds higher than their rankings. 

Alex Cramer, Lenny Pinto, Myles Takats, Cade DeVos and Matthew Singleton are also included in the contenders. Takats, DeVos and Singleton are neither ranked nor seeded in the top 10 but I feel they are all legit All-American contenders, and in fact, Cade DeVos climbed the 2024 podium steps, placing 5th in Kansas City. 

It will be interesting to see if the seeds or rankings end up being more accurate predictors of how this bracket shakes out. I would expect several of the lower-seeded Big Ten wrestlers to outperform their seeds but it would also be foolish to count out the wrestlers from less prestigious conferences. 

Sleepers & Landmines 

#25/#17 Sergio Desiante, Chattanooga

#27/#24 Lennox Wolak, Virginia Tech

#32/#30 Jackson Turley, Rutgers

Sergio Desiante became Chattanooga's first ever Southern Scuffle Champion in January, a pretty big deal for the host school.

Both Lennox Wolak and Jackson Turley have already proven their All-American bona fides by reaching the podium in 2024 and 2021 respectively. 

Predictions

1st: O'Toole, Mizzou

2nd: Haines, PSU

3rd: Hamiti, OKST

4th: Kennedy, Iowa

5th: Ruiz, Cornell

6th: Cassella, Binghamton

7th: Thompson, Ohio

8th: Wask, Navy

R12: Cramer, CMU

R12: Pinto, Nebraska

R12: DeVos, SDSU

R12: Kharchla, tOSU

I think O'Toole, who has missed time this year due to injury, is still good for another championship run, though both Haines and Hamiti have proven they are right there with him. 

I like Ruiz's draw and think he gets the mild upset over Thompson to make the semis. I like Kennedy's draw and think he can wrestle his best tournament to date and beat Cassella in the second round and Kharchla, Wask and Ruiz in the consolations to make the podium for the first time in his career. Two EIWA competitors and a MAC wrestler round out the podium for me. 

This is one of the more wide-open weights, and I can imagine any of the top three winning a title and any of the contenders placing. 

184 Pounds

Can Carter Starocci do what's never been done before, and in all likelihood never be done again? Does the Penn State 184-pounder become the first and only five-time NCAA Champion?

2025 Top Eight Seeds (Name, School, Season Record)

1) Carter Starocci, Penn State, 21-0

2) Parker Keckeisen, Northern Iowa, 24-0

3) Max McEnelly, Minnesota, 20-1

4) Dustin Plott, Oklahoma State, 18-4

5) Bennett Berge, South Dakota State, 26-5

6) Chris Foca, Cornell, 19-1

7) Isaac Dean, Rider, 24-7

8) Jaxon Smith, Maryland, 20-7

2024 All-Americans

1st: Parker Keckeisen, Northern Iowa

2nd: Dustin Plott, Oklahoma State

3rd: Trey Munoz, Oregon State

4th: Bennett Berge, South Dakota State

5th: Bernie Truax, Penn State

6th: Isaiah Salazar, Minnesota

7th: TJ Stewart, Virginia Tech

8th: David Key, Navy

Last 10 165lb NCAA Champs

2024: Parker Keckeisen, Northern Iowa

2023: Aaron Brooks, Penn State

2022: Aaron Brooks, Penn State

2021: Aaron Brooks, Penn State

2019: Drew Foster, Northern Iowa

2018: Bo Nickal, Penn State

2017: Bo Nickal, Penn State

2016: Gabe Dean, Cornell

2015: Gabe Dean, Cornell

2014: Ed Ruth, Penn State

The Favorites

*Rank/Seed

#1/#1 Carter Starocci, Penn State

#2/#2 Parker Keckeisen, Northern Iowa

#3/#4 Dustin Plott, Oklahoma State

#4/#3 Max McEnelly, Minnesota

There are arguments to be made for narrowing this list of names down to anywhere from three to two to one. Starocci is undefeated and hasn't lost a collegiate match since the Big Ten finals in 2021. He defeated Parker Keckeisen in the NWCA All-Star Classic and Max McEnelly in the 2025 Big Ten finals. 

Watch Starocci beat Keckeisen at the ASC: 

Keckeisen is 6-0 in his career over Dustin Plott, while Max McEnelly has just one loss in his collegiate career, which includes this season and last year's redshirt season. 

Plott has been the model of consistency for the Cowboys, having now qualified for his fifth NCAAs and finishing on the podium in each of the last three seasons. 

Starocci, Keckeisen and Plott are all using their fifth and final year of eligibility, while McEnelly is using his first. 

There is arguably a separation between Starocci and Keckeisen and a definite separation between Keckeisen and Plott. Where McEnelly fits into the equation is a bit more of a mystery due to his limited action against the rest of the top tier guys. All four have separated themselves from the rest of the contenders. 

The Contenders

#5/#5 Bennett Berge, South Dakota State

#6/#6 Chris Foca, Cornell

#7/#10 Edmond Ruth, Illinois

#8/#8 Jaxon Smith, Maryland

#9/#11 Gabe Arnold, Iowa

#10/#12 Silas Allred, Nebraska

#11/#9 Reece Heller, Pittsburgh

#12/#15 Dylan Fishback

As with all tiers of wrestlers, your mileage may vary as far as who you are including. I tried to narrow it down to a dozen or so that would surprise me the least if they finished the season as All-Americans. 

Besides our four favorites, Bennett Berge and Chris Foca have the highest NCAA finish. Foca placed third in 2023 and Berge placed fourth in 2024, though it's going to be a challenge for either of them to beat their personal best finish in Philly. Foca is out of eligibility after this season and only had a half a season of varsity matches due to Ivy rules forcing him to delay re-enrollment until the second semester. Berge has two more bites at the apple after this year. 

Along with his five Terrapin teammates in Philly, Jaxon Smith will attempt to become the first All-American of the Clemsen era at Maryland. The Georgia native will be at his third NCAAs. Smith's best tournament was 2023 when he made the bloodround. 

Silas Allred will also be at his third NCAA Championship and will also be looking to reach the podium for the first time. He finished in the round of twelve in both 2023 and 2024. 

Gabe Arnold has a very high upside but some close losses late in the season hindered both his seed and ranking. The Hawkeye from Georgia is still capable of competing with the best in the division. 

Dylan Fishback, a bloodrounder in 2024, will have two more years of eligibility after this tournament. Reece Heller, an Illinois native who started his career at Hofstra, won't have an easy path to the podium (those basically don't exist) but he will be in Philadelphia for his last shot at All-American status with the highest seed of his career. 

Sleepers & Landmines 

#15/#7 Isaac Dean, Rider

#19/#27 Ross McFarland, Hofstra

#32/#22 Donnell Washington, Indiana

Isaac Dean is already having a breakout year, qualifying for his first NCAAs in his third varsity season at Rider, and he's notched impressive wins over the likes of Bennett Berge and Jaxon Smith. Some odd losses over the season have hurt his ranking but a MAC title helped him earn the #7 seed and the inside track to becoming John Hangey's fourth All-American as head coach of RIder. 

Ross McFarland finally broke through at EIWA's to earn a title and punch his ticket to his first NCAA Championship in his final year of eligibility. Donnell Washington, a U20 world teamer, is looking to earn All-American honors in his fourth trip to the NCAAs in his final year of eligibility. 

Predictions

1st: Starocci, PSU

2nd: Keckeisen, UNI

3rd: McEnelly, Minnesota

4th: Plott, OKST

5th: Berge, SDSU

6th: Ruth, Illinois

7th: Foca, Cornell

8th: Arnold, Iowa

R12: Fishback, NCSU

R12: Smith, UMD

R12: Allred, Nebraska

R12: Heller, Pitt

I had a real tough time picking the bloodround matches, and would not be surprised in the slightest if the final results swapped the R12 finishes for the 5th through 8th placers. 

I was more confident in the placements of the top four, but there is a real possibility we see a mild upset or two in those semifinals or the third-place bout. 

197 Pounds

The once topsy-turvy 197-pound class has a bit more sanity this season — at least we think. 

Gone are All-Americans Aaron Brooks (Penn State), Trent Hidlay (NC State), Tanner Sloan (SDSU), Rocky Elam (Missouri), Lou Deprez (Binghamton), and John Poznanski (Rutgers).

In comes Cal State Bakersfield’s AJ Ferrari — a 2021 NCAA champion for Oklahoma State who returned to competition after limited action for the past three years. Ferrari is 17-0 this season but only has one win against a returning All-American.

Proven stars are wearing different singlets. Top-seeded Jacob Cardenas transferred from Cornell to Michigan, and #2 Stephen Buchanan transferred from Oklahoma to Iowa. 

Redshirt freshman Josh Barr could add his name to the list of Penn State stars to win the 197-pound class. 

This weight will be fun, but — presumably — it won’t be a hot mess. Established stars should stay established as they move through the rounds.

2025 Top Eight Seeds (Name, School, Season Record)
1. Jacob Cardenas, Michigan, 20-1
2. Stephen Buchanan, Iowa, 21-1
3. AJ Ferrari, Cal State-Bakersfield, 17-0
4. Josh Barr, Penn State, 16-3
5. Michael Beard, Lehigh, 20-1
6. Mac Stout, Pittsburgh, 23-2
7. Wyatt Voelker, Northern Iowa, 24-4
8. Luke Surber, Oklahoma State, 22-3

2024 Place Winners
1. Aaron Brooks, Penn State
2. Trent Hidlay, NC State
3. Stephen Buchanan, Oklahoma
4. Jacob Cardenas, Cornell
5. Tanner Sloan, South Dakota State
6. Rocky Elam, Missouri
7. Stephen Little, Little Rock
8. Michael Beard, Lehigh

Last 10 197-pound NCAA champions
2024: Aaron Brooks, Penn State
2023: Nino Bonaccorsi, Pitt
2022: Max Dean, Penn State
2021: AJ Ferrari, Oklahoma State
2019: Bo Nickal, Penn State
2018: Mike Macchiavello, NC State
2017: J’den Cox, Missouri
2016: J’den Cox, Missouri
2015: Kyven Gadson, Iowa State
2014: J’den Cox, Missouri

The Favorite: Jacob Cardenas, Michigan

Cardenas earned the top seed with wins over the top wrestlers in the field and a proven body of work. He won the Big Ten Championships, defeating Barr in the semifinals (4-1 SV) and Buchanan in the finals (4-2). 

After he won the 2024 Cliff Keen-Las Vegas Invitational, Cardenas said all he needs is a double-leg takedown and a tilt. And he might be right. Of his 20 wins, Cardenas has eight techs, four majors, and a fall. This has been his best college season after national finishes of eighth and fourth for Cornell. He is also a three-time U23 World medalist. 

His lone season loss was a 3-2 tiebreaker setback to Barr on Feb. 7. The two could meet again in the semifinals if both win their first three matches. Beard is seeded fifth and could meet Cardenas in the semis, too — assuming he gets that far. The Lehigh senior is 3-1 against Cardenas and could be his toughest foe. 

Cardenas won by fall in the 2024 CKLV finals

The Contenders

#2 Stephen Buchanan, Iowa
#3 AJ Ferrari, Cal State-Bakersfield
#4 Josh Barr, Penn State
#5 Michael Beard, Lehigh

Cardenas is the favorite, but he’s far from a lock. Buchanan, Ferrari, Barr, and Beard had strong seasons and could take the top spot. Buchanan has a comprehensive body of work, finishing third, third, and eighth at the NCAA Championships. He lost to Cardenas in the Big Ten finals but defeated him 9-4 for third at last year’s nationals. His ability to ride and turn will serve him well as he moves through the rounds. 

Buchanan is on a semifinal collision course with Ferrari — one of the most anticipated matchups of the tournament. Ferrari has two career wins over Buchanan, with a 13-8 victory in the 2021 Big 12 finals. 

Much has happened since the two last met. Ferrari is undefeated for Cal-State Bakersfield — winning the Pac 12 title with a 2-0 finals win over Little Rock’s Stephen Little — but hasn’t faced anyone seeded in the top 10 this season. 

Overlook Ferrari at your peril. He’s nearly impossible to take down and has a suffocating top game. There’s every reason to believe he can win his second national championship. 

Barr fell to Buchanan in the dual and to Cardenas at Big Tens but tore through most of his opponents. He injured his ankle against Minnesota’s Isaiah Salazar at Big Tens before defaulting out of the match and the tournament. The severity of the injury is unknown, but Penn State has a history of overcoming injuries at nationals, so don’t count him out. 

Beard suffered an 11-3 loss to Barr on Dec. 8, 2024, but has 20 season wins. His opening match is against Navy’s Payton Thomas — an opponent he defeated 3-2 on Jan. 17 and pinned at the EIWA Championships. 

Sleepers And Landmines

#9 Zac Braunagel, Illinois
#10 Isaiah Salazar, Minnesota
#12 Stephen Little, Little Rock
#13 Trey Munoz, Oregon State

Braunagel is down to his super senior season after taking an Olympic redshirt. He is a four-time qualifier, reaching the Round of 12 in 2022 and 2023. Expect him to be extra motivated to reach the podium for the first time. 

Salazar is a returning All-American with an 18-6 record, including two losses to Braunagel. He typically doesn’t get blown out against top opponents — a dangerous situation if a match comes down to the wire. 

Little is a returning All-American with an 18-3 record this season. He could face Beard in the second round — an opponent he defeated 10-3 for seventh at the 2024 NCAA Championships. A win by Little could change the framework of the bracket. 

Munoz is 9-4 this season but has national finishes of third and sixth at 184 pounds. He could face Barr in the second round. A Munoz vs Little match-up in the second round is a possibility. Little posted a 7-4 win at Pac 12s, so he has the edge if they meet. 

Circle These Potential Round 2 Match-ups

#6 Mac Stout (Pittsburgh) vs #11 Luke Stout (Princeton)
Brothers Mac and Luke are on a second-round collision course. Sophomore Mac is younger with a better seed, having reached the Round of 16 last year. Luke is a three-time national qualifier with a 2-6 NCAA tournament record. 

#3 AJ Ferrari (Cal State-Bakersfield) vs #14 Zac Glazier (South Dakota State)
Glazier (then with Iowa) defeated Ferrari (competing unattached) in the 2023 Soldier Salute finals when Ferrari scored in overtime but was disqualified during a post-match altercation. 

Predictions

Ferrari hasn't faced high-level competition this season like others, but that makes him dangerous. He’s a proven winner and the only returning NCAA champion in the field. He didn’t blow through the competition in 2021, so expect a few tight, hard-fought matches. 

Cardenas is wrestling better than ever, and his explosive takedown game will come in handy if he faces Ferrari in the finals. Buchanan can avenge two losses to Ferrari in the semis (assuming they both get there). Expect one of these three to win the title. 

1. AJ Ferrari, Cal State-Bakersfield
2. Jacob Cardenas, Michigan
3. Stephen Buchanan, Iowa
4. Josh Barr, Penn State
5. Michael Beard, Lehigh
6. Isaiah Salazar, Minnesota
7. Mac Stout, Pitt
8. Stephen Little, Little Rock

285 Pounds

The 2025 NCAA Championships could mark the final chapter of the greatest era for college heavyweights. This year’s field includes eight age-level World teamers, six of whom won gold medals. 

Four gold medalists will graduate and leave the field next year. 

Gable Steveson made a surprise return to the University of Minnesota for his final season of eligibility. The 2020 Olympic gold medalist won titles for the Golden Gophers in 2021 and 2022 before attempts with the WWE and NFL. He won the 2023 US Open and World Team Trials but did not compete at the World Championships. 

Penn State’s Greg Kerkvliet is a four-time All-American (7th-4th-2nd-1st) and the returning NCAA champion. He is a three-time age-level World Teamer, winning Cadet gold and silver. 

Wyatt Hendrickson transferred to Oklahoma State after four seasons with Air Force. He finished third at the past two NCAA tournaments and made two age-level World teams, winning 2023 U23 gold. 

Arizona State’s Cohlton Schultz isn’t seeded in the top eight, but he brings a laundry list of credentials to Philadelphia. He’s a four-time All-American (4th-2nd-7th-6th) and is a 10-time Greco senior and age-level World teamer, including 2017 Cadet gold. 

Other stars will emerge, but this marks a special chapter in U.S. wrestling history. 

2025 Top Eight Seeds (Name, School, Season Record)
1. Gable Steveson, Minnesota, 14-0
2. Wyatt Hendrickson, Oklahoma State, 22-0
3. Greg Kerkvliet, Penn State, 18-1
4. Owen Trephan, Lehigh, 21-0
5. Ben Kueter, Iowa, 18-6
6. Joshua Heindselman, Michigan, 22-4
7. Isaac Trumble, NC State, 17-5
8. Luke Luffman, Illinois, 16-6

2024 Place Winners
1. Greg Kerkvliet, Penn State
2. Lucas Davison, Michigan
3. Wyatt Hendrickson, Air Force
4. Zach Elam, Missouri
5. Nick Feldman, Ohio State
6. Cohlton Schultz, Arizona State
7. Yaraslau Slavikouski, Rutgers
8. Taye Ghadiali, Campbell

Last 10 285-pound NCAA champions
2024: Greg Kerkvliet, Penn State
2023: Mason Parris, Michigan
2022: Gable Steveson, Minnesota
2021: Gable Steveson, Minnesota
2019: Anthony Cassar, Penn State
2018: Kyle Snyder, Ohio State
2017: Kyle Snyder, Ohio State
2016: Kyle Snyder, Ohio State
2015: Nick Gwiazdowski, NC State
2014: Nick Gwiazdowski, NC State

The Favorite: Gable Steveson

There are favorites, and then there’s Gable Steveson. It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Steveson winning the heavyweight crown. The Golden Gopher star has 14 season wins with nine techs, two falls, and two majors. His lone decision was a 10-3 win over Kerkvliet in the Big Ten finals. 

His last college loss was in the 2019 NCAA tournament semifinals to Penn State’s Anthony Cassar, 4-3. His last freestyle loss was a few months later, to Khasanboy Rakhimov at the 2019 Medved Tournament. 

Steveson has been on a tear ever since, racking up two NCAA titles and an Olympic gold medal. His otherworldly skills place him at the top of the “greatest American heavyweight of all time” conversation. 

Of Steveson’s 10 wins during his 2021 and 2022 NCAA title runs, six were against age-level World champions, and two were against age-level World silver medalists. 

The Apple Valley, Minnesota native is also chasing a special piece of history. Steveson could become Minnesota’s first three-time NCAA champion, a unique distinction for a highly decorated program. 

Watch highlights from Steveson's 2022 NCAA finals match against Cohlton Schultz

Minnesota's Heavyweight NCAA Champions

The Contenders

#2 Wyatt Hendrickson, Oklahoma State
#3 Greg Kerkvliet, Penn State

Hendrickson and Kerkvliet were on an NCAA tournament finals collision course before Steveson’s arrival. Both are on opposite sides of the bracket from Steveson, offering a sliver of hope for one to win the title. 

Besides the Steveson loss, Kerkvliet has been a wrecking ball the past two seasons. Of his 38 victories, 29 are bonus-point wins. He also notched a 7-2 win over fourth-seeded Owen Trephan early last season and scored an exhibition tech over Hendrickson at the 2023 All-Star Classic. 

Hendrickson transferred to Oklahoma State following four seasons at Air Force. His third-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships marked the first All-American in program history since 2003. He won the 2023 U23 World Championships and finished third again at the 2024 NCAAs. 

The Cowboy star notched several signature wins this season, including Schultz (twice), Trumble (twice), Kueter, and Feldman. 

It would be shocking if these two didn’t meet in the semifinals. 

Heavyweight Kings Of The World

All-American Contenders

#4 Owen Trephan, Lehigh
#5 Ben Kueter, Iowa
#6 Joshua Heindselman, Michigan
#7 Isaac Trumble, NC State
#8 Luke Luffman, Illinois
#9 Cohlton Schultz, Arizona State
#10 Dayton Pitzer, Pittsburgh
#11 Jimmy Mullen, Virginia Tech
#12 Nick Feldman, Ohio State

The above nine wrestlers are fighting for five remaining All-American spots. 

Lehigh’s Owen Trephan is 21-0 after winning the EIWA title but never reached the podium during his four seasons at NC State. He has wins over Schultz and Luffman but has only faced the top three seeds once, a loss to Kerkvliet last season.

Kueter made a late-season surge by finishing third at the Big Ten Championships. Four of his five losses are to Steveson, Kerkvliet (twice), and Hendrickson. He has two tight wins over Feldman and an early-season loss to Luffman. 

Heindselman lost to Kueter at Big Tens but has a similar story: losses to Kerkvliet and Steveson and wins against everyone else, including Luffman. 

Trumble is a wild card. He moved up from 197 last season but defaulted out of the ACCs following a 4-1 loss to Pitzer. His season losses were to Hendrickson (twice) and Schultz before conference. The NC State star is an undersized heavyweight with freestyle experience. He won the 2023 U23 World Championships and reached the 2024 best-of-three Olympic Trials finals, falling to 2016 Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder in straight matches. 

Luffman has three losses to Feldman and one to Heindselman but has a win over Kueter.

Schultz is 1-1 against Trumble but fell to Hendrickson (twice), Trephan, and Luffman. 

Pitzer defeated Trumble at ACCs but lost to Mullen, Nolan Neves (North Carolina), Trumble and Seth Nevills (Maryland).

Mullen lost to Pitzer, Trumble, and Schultz, but also majored Pitzer.

Feldman finished fourth last year and is lurking as the 12-seed. A second-round match with Kueter is looming. He fell twice to the Iowa star during the season, and a win for either is crucial for the team race. 

This is a three-person title race, but there is competitive balance for spots on the podium. One takedown or one escape can make all the difference at heavyweight. 

Dark Horses & Landmines

#13 Seth Nevills, Maryland

Nevills transferred from Penn State after the 2023 season. He can be competitive with the All-American tier and has a 7-0 win against Pitzer. A possible second-round match with Trephan will be interesting, and it’s highly winnable for Nevills. 

Predictions

Steveson is a transcendent talent who should win his third NCAA title. Enjoy the ride. This is his last college season.

Kervliet and Hendrickson are great college heavyweights but a tier below Steveson. Never rule out an upset or glitch in the Matrix, but this weight belongs to the Golden Gopher star for now.

The All-American contenders are good, too — but a level below Kerkvliet and Hendrickson. Seniors Trephan, Heindselman, and Luffman have never reached the podium and would like to change that. 

Schultz is a proven star who would like to end on a high note. 

Kueter, Mullen, and Feldman want to prove it's their time.

Lots of storylines for the final chapter of a memorable heavyweight era. 

1. Gable Steveson, Minnesota
2. Greg Kerkvliet, Penn State
3. Wyatt Hendrickson, Oklahoma State
4. Ben Kueter, Iowa
5. Cohlton Schultz, Arizona State
6. Owen Trephan, Lehigh
7. Nick Feldman, Ohio State
8. Luke Luffman, Illinois

Weight class previews written by:

125, 133 - JD Rader

141, 149, 157 - Jon Kozak

165, 174, 184 - Andrew Spey

197, 285 - Kyle Klingman