Between now and the turn of the calendar to 2026, NC State will have seven non-conference duals. Among the Pack’s upcoming duals will be battles against a pair of Big Ten opponents — at #2 Ohio State and against #14 Rutgers.

“We are going to see some really good, high-level guys,” head coach Pat Popolizio said.

That stretch starts this weekend with a road trip to Appalachian State.

“We just need to be ready every week and make those adjustments to get your hand raised,” Popolizio said.

Upper Weight Reinforcements Arriving Soon

NC State has been dealing with the absences of a 2025 All-American and another 2025 NCAA qualifier this first month of the season at the upper weights.

At heavyweight, Isaac Trumble finished fourth at the NCAA Championships last year. However, during that run to his first podium finish, he suffered a knee injury but gutted out his final few matches.

After the season he had surgery and spent the entire summer rehabbing the injury. He was just cleared for full participation during the first week of the season but has been held out of action thus far.

“Health-wise, he is in a very good spot,” Popolizio said. “We are going to err on the side of caution. To me, I’d rather have a guy like that win a national title than throw him in and compete to win a dual.

“We continue to work with our trainer and doctors, and I think we have a really good plan. We are just going to have to be patient.”

The Pack will also have a new addition joining the team soon. Patrick Brophy has already signed a financial aid agreement with NC State and will be joining the team for the second semester at 197 pounds.

Due to a late coaching change at The Citadel, Brophy was able to transfer and be eligible this season. At The Citadel, he was a two-year starter and an NCAA qualifier last season. He is currently ranked #27 nationally by FloWrestling.

“I feel once he's in our room full-time, he is going to make some big gains and already has some really good wins under his belt,” Popolizio said. “He has already been able to work with Trent (Hidlay) out in Colorado this summer.

“I think he's going to make some huge gains in time and be a great asset for our program.”

Brophy won the App State Open this past weekend, competing unattached, outscoring three App State wrestlers by a combined 42-4 count.

The NC State coaches are hoping to have Brophy available for the Dec. 12 dual at #2 Ohio State. The exact date will not be known until classes get transferred over and compliance certifies his grades.

“It's going to be a little frustrating first semester with not having certain guys in our lineup,” Popolizio said. “But I can promise come second semester, we're going to have a team that is going to be very impactful.”

In the meantime, a pair of true freshmen have been filling those roles, Cason Howle at 197 pounds and Everest Ouellette at heavyweight.

“They are both inexperienced at this level, of course, but they are committed to being really good,” Popolizio said. “They have five dates available, and this is the best experience they can have, going out there every day and competing. They are tough competitors that we are asking a lot from right out of the gate.”

Freshman Impact

While the plan is to see if both Howle and Ouellette can stay within the five dates to still be eligible to redshirt, one freshman who won the starting spot and looks poised to be in the postseason lineup is Will Denny at 165 pounds.

Coming out of Manhattan, Ill., Denny was a three-time state champion and the #16 overall recruit on FloWrestling’s 2025 Big Board.

“He was highly recruited coming out of high school, where he won a lot,” Popolizio said. “He was one of the top recruits in the country at his weight. He's put some good size on since he graduated high school and he's a true 165-pounder.”

After winning in the Pack’s wrestle-off, Denny has been a mainstay in the NC State lineup for the first month of the season. His top showing came in the dual against Northern Iowa at the National Duals, as his last-second takedown scored him a 6-4 win over #5 Ryder Downey.

“He's a tough kid, smart kid, and very skilled,” Popolizio said. “I'm excited to watch him as the season grows. He's ahead of his time as far as the skill set goes when you have a true freshman.

“He needs to know right from the rip that he is good enough. He's got the best guys in the country to train with, and he's in there battling every day.”

After the first month of the season, Denny has not only cracked the national rankings, but he is up to #11 this week.