Finally, all seems right in Taye Ghadiali’s world.

The assuredness and pure joy in his voice suggests so.

Wrestling at a comfortable weight that maximizes his power and speed and fully healthy after a December injury scare, Michigan's senior heavyweight appears poised to conclude a productive college career with his highest NCAA podium finish.

By then, the four-time NCAA qualifier and 2024 All-American will also be a father. His son is due any day now. 

"I've been tested in different ways throughout this season, but I've battled through any setbacks and kept faith that everything was going to play itself out," said Ghadiali, who transferred from Campbell last spring. "I've taken lessons from all my matches, especially the losses, and keep finding ways to get better. The incredible coaches here at Michigan have really been there for me and believe in me, so I'm loving being in this program and where my life is at."

After a posterior cruciate ligament tear limited him to six matches last season, Ghadiali has reestablished himself as one of the nation's top big men with a 16-2 record, including a team-leading seven technical falls to go with three major decisions and a pin. 

He also tops the Wolverines in wins and dual points (44) on the strength of a 10-1 record in duals. Ghadiali is #5 in the latest rankings, third among Big Ten wrestlers, and is coming off his most noteworthy win thus far this season. 

Facing #3 Nick Feldman, a two-time NCAA qualifier and 2024 All-American, in the final match of Sunday's dual at Ohio State, a patient Ghadiali bided his time as the two managed only an escape point each in regulation.

The fourth clash between the heavyweight titans would be decided in extra time. 

Feldman made his move roughly 30 seconds into sudden victory, attempting a single-leg shot, but Ghadiali regained control of his leg and quickly worked his way behind Feldman during a scramble to finish the winning takedown. 

Ghadiali pumped his arms in celebration while still kneeling on the mat before getting to his feet and giving thanks with a prayerful gesture. 

That's no surprise considering how strongly Ghadiali's faith anchors him. Bible verses are prevalent on his social media platforms.

Ghadiali is 3-1 all-time against the Buckeye, taking a decision at the 2024 All-Star Classic and pinning Feldman during the 2023 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Feldman defeated Ghadiali at the 2024 NCAA Championships. 

"We know each other well and both have our good offensive and defensive moves, so I was careful not to make any mistakes," Ghadiali said. "He kept trying to go after my right leg, so he went for it in overtime and got pretty deep on me, but I was worried about the stall (call) and had to shoot myself. I knew if I got behind him, I could get control and score and I did when we hit the corner pretty hard."

The win was Ghadiali's seventh straight and brought his career record to 118-30 with 73 bonus-point wins. 

"I needed to win a tough match against a talented wrestler like Nick to confirm I'm on the right track with the toughest part of the season coming up, so this was huge," Ghadiali said.

Despite his stellar winning percentage this season, it has taken time for Ghadiali to feel on track after last season's injury frustrations and some wild fluctuations in his weight. 

Coming off a 2023-24 season in which he became Campbell's second All-American by finishing eighth at the NCAA Championships, Ghadiali began last season 4-2 before the PCL tear in late December. 

Ghadiali was granted a medical redshirt and underwent surgery in January, which sidelined him for five months during which time his weight went from the 230s to nearly 280 pounds. 

While putting the finishing touches on a master's degree in business administration in early March, Ghadiali decided to enter the transfer portal after six seasons at Campbell, which also included three Southern Conference titles. 

Before the end of March, the Warren Fitzgerald High School graduate and 2019 Michigan state champion took to Instagram to announce he was returning to his home state and becoming a Wolverine. Michigan, after all, needed to replace graduating All-American heavyweight Josh Heindselman. 

"It was boiling down to Michigan, Oklahoma State and Nebraska, and I was scheduled to meet with (Oklahoma State coach) David Taylor and Michigan coaches (head coach Sean Bormet, assistant Kevin Jackson) the same day," Ghadiali said. "I got with Michigan first and could feel something was just different. They didn't just talk about what I could do for them, but all the things they could do for me and not just during the one season I had left."

Specifically, Ghadiali was intrigued by training with members of the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club, Michigan's RTC program, and the possibility of joining the club following his final college season.

In May, he arrived in Ann Arbor still recovering from the PCL tear before finally being cleared by Michigan's medical staff to begin offseason training a month later. He was elated to find most of his new teammates already training together on campus, along with several Cliff Keen wrestlers.

That made bonding with them and adjusting to his new surroundings rather seamless. 

"It was amazing to see everybody had stuck around and were there grinding, so it was exciting to jump in and join them," Ghadiali said. "Right away, to be there with all the other guys in the room doing all the hard things it takes to be successful and feeding off that was great for me. I could immediately see how well they push each other."

Ghadiali also began tangling regularly with Cliff Keen member and Michigan great Mason Parris, whose loaded resume includes a Hodge Trophy, a World bronze medal and a 2024 Olympic appearance. 

"Mason is just a really strong and explosive guy, something I could immediately feel," he said. "Finding ways to deal with that and his technical skills has really helped me after we worked through some things. At first, we were trying to beat each other on the mat, but then focused more on how we could both help each other improve."

At the same time, Ghadiali needed to make a decision about his weight for the coming season. In the end, he opted to see what keeping roughly 275 pounds on his 6-2 frame would do after spending most of his college career in the 230s. 

He would soon find out after being pitted against top-ranked Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) during the NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 1. Ghadiali dropped an 8-2 decision to the All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier and was left questioning his move to a higher weight.

He lost to two-time All-American and fourth-ranked A.J. Ferrari (Nebraska), 11-3, during the National Duals Invitational two weeks later. Ghadiali then reeled off eight straight wins before an 11-2 loss to #7 Christian Carroll (Wyoming). 

"I was just not as quick and my reaction time to moves was off, so I kept losing matches by losing during scrambles," he said. "Gaining the advantage during scrambles is something I had been used to, but now it was more difficult to do. A change had to be made."

After consulting with coaches and Michigan's training staff, Ghadiali formulated an ambitious plan to drop nearly 25 pounds during a month-long break in competition from the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 6 to a dual against Michigan State on Jan. 9. 

"I looked at the long break as a real blessing because I really needed to get back to around 250 pounds to feel fast and fit again, but with a little more power than earlier in my career," he said. "I became really disciplined with my meals, started to do more weightlifting and cardio like bike workouts."

Ghadiali's plan, however, was nearly derailed before it began. 

He felt something was not right and an MRI revealed a torn meniscus suffered at the CKLV. Even worse, a surgical procedure was required to fix it. A determined Ghadiali was hardly discouraged, however, and was still able to drop the pounds. 

The dual against Michigan State came two weeks after surgery, but Ghadiali has been sharp in 2026, going 5-0 and outscoring opponents, 59-19. 

He intends to give Michigan an All-American heavyweight for the seventh straight season and the 10th time in 12 seasons, joining Heindselman (2025), Lucas Davison (2024), Mason Parris (2020-23) and Adam Coon (2015-16, 2018). 

Several challenging matches await Ghadiali prior to the NCAA Championships, beginning with #8 Cole Mirasola when the Wolverines host Penn State Friday in their final home dual of the season.

Ghadiali could also take on #9 Ben Kueter (Iowa) and #11 Braxton Amos (Wisconsin). A possible rematch with Ferrari looms at the Big Ten Championships.

"My goal is to win a national championship and I firmly believe that the only thing that can stop me is myself," said Ghadiali, who has also beaten past All-Americans Owen Trephan (Lehigh) and Tate Orndorff (Ohio State). "I feel great about how I am wrestling now and I'm going to figure out ways to be even better in March."

Another Winning Dual Debut

During Friday’s 38-4 trouncing of Northwestern, Cooper Hilton became the eighth wrestler this season, and third true freshman, to start and win his first dual in a Michigan singlet. 

Hilton, who went a combined 5-3 at the Michigan State Open and Midlands Championships earlier this season, decisioned the Wildcats’ August Hibler, 11-5, at 149 pounds. 

At Midlands, Hilton took a 12-4 major decision from Ohio State’s Maddox Shaw, a two-time Pennsylvania state champion and 2024 Super 32 titlist. He also hung tough with three-time NCAA qualifier Ethen Miller (Virginia Tech) before falling, 4-1. Miller is ranked #12 at 157.

Hilton, a Cleveland, Tenn. native, did compete in high school wrestling beyond his freshman year, but still caught the attention of Division I programs through consistently strong performances in national competitions. 

He was a two-time Fargo All-American, took third in the 60-kilomgram freestyle bracket at the 2023 U17 World Team Trials and placed in the top six in both freestyle and Greco (51kg) at the 2022 U17 Nationals. 

Hilton's father Kevin was a member of Michigan’s 1996 National Championship hockey team.

Transfers Ghadiali, Diego Sotelo (125) and Lachlan McNeil (149), true freshmen Gauge Botero (133) and Eren Sement (141) and redshirt freshman Hayden Walters (197) all won their Michigan dual debuts during the Wolverines’ season-opening shutout of VMI.

Redshirt freshman Justin Gates (157) won his in Michigan’s win over Michigan State last month. 

The Wolverines are 8-3 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten after finishing 7-5 and 3-5 in the conference last season.