The past year for NC State’s Isaac Trumble has been life-changing, to say the least.

He started his first two seasons for the Wolfpack at 197 pounds before taking a redshirt as he made the move up to heavyweight. 

The end result was good for Trumble in his first season at 285 pounds — a fourth-place finish at the 2025 NCAA Championships, netting him All-American honors for the first time in his career.

But a late-season setback pushed Trumble to the limit during his postseason run.

“I was feeling good all season long — really good,” Trumble said. “Then, against Virginia Tech in that final dual, I tore (my knee). I tore my meniscus and MCL and I had no option but to get surgery before the ACC Championship.”

Despite the injury he suffered during the match, Trumble finished it out for a 5-3 win over #13 Jimmy Mullin. He went into the ACCs as the top seed at heavyweight, one of only six ACC wrestlers to go a perfect 6-0 in conference duals during the season.

But fans were quick to notice the huge brace Trumble had on his knee when he came out for his first bout of the day. His mobility was severely limited, and he dropped that quarterfinal bout.

“I had my first surgery and tried wrestling seven days after (at ACCs) and it didn’t go anywhere as planned,” Trumble said. “So, I forfeited out (after the loss), which was hard. My first year being here and us not winning the ACC team title.”

There was a longer break before the NCAA Championships, but how good would the knee be going into the hardest tournament of the year? Trumble drew the seventh seed at the national tournament. He soon found out the answer of how long his knee would hold up.

His first two bouts went fine, seeing ACC foes for the second time this year. It was an opening 18-2 tech fall over Stanford’s Peter Ming before a 5-2 revenge win over Pitt’s Dayton Pitzer, who scored a win over Trumble at the ACCs en route to winning the ACC title.

The quarterfinals were a different story on Day 2 of the NCAAs. Not only was it his third bout, but he was also facing the eventual national champion, Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State.

“I tore a bunch of things again against Hendrickson,” Trumble said. “I already felt compromised, and I was wrestling a really good opponent. I didn't feel too confident in my body at the time. I didn't have full range of motion or anything. So yeah, that was kind of a rough day.”

Trumble would have to continue in the tournament wrestling his final four matches with a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus.

“I had to slap the brace back on at NCAAs and try to finish the tournament out,” Trumble said. “I talked with the coaches and did a lot of praying. You just got to believe in yourself still, so that's what we did.”

Trumble found his way onto the podium and earned All-American honors for the first time in his career.

“It was a weird feeling,” Trumble said. “I wanted to win NCAAs; I had that goal. I truly believe I could have done it if I had not gotten injured.

“Looking back, this was a stepping stone to getting to the goal I wanted. That is kind of what NC State Wrestling is about — always trying to fight and get that next best thing, no matter your outcome or scenario you're in.”

One Final Go

Trumble and the rest of his Wolfpack teammates are ready for the 2025-26 season to get underway, and it starts this weekend as NC State hosts Northern Colorado before heading to the National Duals next weekend in Tulsa.

Though his availability at the start of the season is still in question, Trumble and the coaches know the goal is to be primed and ready for a run at the national championship in March in Cleveland.

“I’m feeling really good right now,” he said. “I’m excited to get back on the mat and compete with guys outside of this room. We got a good team coming back. I’m really excited for this final year.” 

Despite the late-season knee injury, Trumble had a successful first season at heavyweight and now thinks he is set up for even bigger and better things on the mat going into this season.

“Last season I was probably weighing around anywhere from 235 to 240,” Trumble said. “I think this year I'm right around 250. I'd love to hit 255, but it's tough when you're hitting the lift and conditioning and practicing every day. It's hard to eat as much food as you need to to put that weight on with how active you are. But I feel good right where I'm at.

“It's crazy to say, but I probably had the cleanest diet out of anyone on the team. I started a new training regimen in July of last year leading into the season. And I just got on a really clean diet, workout protocol, and conditioning protocol. And man, I've felt incredible ever since.”

Life Away From Wrestling

Going into his final season with the Pack, Trumble experienced a lot of changes this past offseason outside of preparing for the final campaign.

After his knee surgery, he got married to the former Annabel Crush, who was a multiple-time All-American on the NC State women’s swimming team.

“Right after NCAAs I got surgery pretty quick on my knee so that way I could walk down the aisle at my wedding,” Trumble said.

Trumble soon found out that he is not the top athlete in his own household now when it comes to certain sports.

“I am not a swimmer one bit,” he said. “We went to her pool this summer back in Louisville and in my head, I was fully convinced I could beat her in a race. 

“Her pool was a 50-meter one. I suggested we just do a 50 to race. By the time I'd gone down, she had gone down and back, and she'd beat me back down. I was holding onto the wall, gasping for air. And I was just done. I'm getting out of the pool now. I was so embarrassed.”

Recently the newlyweds got more good news as they just found out that in a few months they will become a family of three.

“A few weeks ago, we found out we were having a kid,” Trumble said. “Got a kid on the way now (due after the NCAA season)!”

Family life is moving fast for the Trumbles, and while they are excited to see how his final season plays out, there will be some anxious moments to figure out exactly where life plays out after their time in Raleigh.

Trumble has been a member of NC State’s ROTC program, and that will lead to his post-college life.

“I'll finish (college) wrestling, we will have our kid, I'll graduate with my second degree, and then I'll commission into the Army in May,” Trumble said. “Once that happens, they'll have a date for me when I'm going to Bullock, which is officer leadership. 

“They'll have my branch, and they'll have it all planned out for me. I'll do all the training. And then once I'm done with that, they'll have me stationed at a base somewhere in the world and then I’ll take over a platoon.”

Trumble grew up with a father in the military, so he at least has an idea of the life upcoming. His new bride, however, does not have that experience and is going through the process for the first time.

“It's exciting for me,” Trumble said. “I think a little nerve-racking for my wife. With my dad, it's a little easier for me to understand. She's never really had anyone close to her in the military, so it's a lot of unknowns right now.”