FI: OK State Season Preview - How 'Bout Them Cowboys!
FI: OK State Season Preview - How 'Bout Them Cowboys!
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FI: OK State Season Preview - How 'Bout Them Cowboys!
Christian Pyles, College Analyst
We're hitting the contenders as we roll out our season previews week-by-week. This edition is a breakdown of the 34-time NCAA Champion Oklahoma State Cowboys who were oh-so-close to upsetting Penn State at the big show last year.
125:
Eddie Klimara looks to be the Cowboys’ guy for this weight. Last year Klimara was thrust into duty in the middle of the year when it became apparent Tyler Dorrell wasn’t the answer for the Cowboys at 125. He took his lumps and lost quite a few matches, but all his losses were respectable. His best win was over Christian Cullinan at NCAA’s last year. You can see the progression in his match results. He lost a tough 3-2 match to Garcia from Oklahoma. Later in the season he not only reversed those results, but won by wide margins. Presumably this would seem to be the year we see a big jump for Eddie.
Eddie is a solid prospect who really did well for a true Freshman who added key points at the NCAA tournament. From neutral he likes to bob and weave in and out from space to set up shots. Klimara has a nice build: thick but with good length. He really does well from the front headlock/ head in the hole from opponents’ shots. He seems very comfortable in the front headlock position in general. He uses good motion and keeps his feet moving well. Klimara is a decent scrambler, but may rely on it too much. It could bite him at this level, especially against elite finishers. From ties he likes an inside control barrell roll. He has a decent inside trip as well, but that historically is not a high percentage move at the D1 level. Eddie may struggle to get consistent penetration to guys legs. He has a nice sweep single but he needs to improve finishes. On top he uses a spiral and half and keeps good forward pressure. I think he will be alright from bottom.
I like Klimara to wind up just outside the 8 spot. I think he is in the 9-13 range with Joe Roth, David Thorn, Sean Boyle and Josh Martinez. He has probably the most upside of that bunch. He could place low, but based on what I’ve seen, I’m not sure he’s got the offense to do it just yet. If this team wants to compete for a trophy, however, he’ll need to step up and place.
133:
Jon Morrison is coming into his last year of competition fresh off an All American finish. I’ve been high on Morrison pretty early on and thought the future was crazy bright after he beat Zach Sanders in OT. His first two years wound up being rather forgettable at the end, but the move to 133 seemed to be a great adjustment for the Cowboy. Morrison is a vital member of an Oklahoma State team looking to remain near the top of the NCAA food chain.
This is probably an obvious statement/conclusion to reach, but Morrison really reminds me a lot of Coleman Scott, and it’s not because they were 133’s for the Cowboys. They have strikingly similar features even down to their stances. Both have wide backs, good length and overall muscular builds. To boot, Morrison has the double leg that reminds you of Scott as well. Their games aren’t much similar beyond that, but I still think that Coleman’s influence on Jon is evident. Morrison got a rap as a guy who only had a double leg, but he’s got a bit more to his arsenal than a powerful double. He’s got a solid high crotch that he likes from inside control as well. When Morrison shoots, he normally ends up in great position, keeping his head up. This leads to really consistent finishes. The mat is not much of a factor for Morrison. He generally get’s up fine from the bottom (though elite riders have given him trouble) and he’s willing to ride for a bit on top, but rarely earns nearfall.
Morrison should have a nice season for the Cowboys, and I’d be surprised to see him off the podium. He wrestled with much better energy at 133 which makes sense considering he was a huge 125 and is still a very good sized 33. He really went back and forth with McCormick a few matches last year, but wound up winning with an explanation point and major decision at NCAA’s. He had just one head scratching loss last year to Mackenzie McGuire, but he flipped that result as well, earning a major decision at NCAA’s. I think he’s probably a clear number 4 this year, especially if Dardanes moves up as rumored. Don’t see him beating Ramos, Graff or Schopp, but don’t see many other guys with a shot to beat him either. There’s the caveat with Schopp: that although Schopp beat Morrison, Jon has shown he can adjust to what guys do and turn results around drastically. I’m not ready to predict that. Just don’t be shocked if he has a much better showing against AJ compared to the 9-3 beating Schopp put on him at NCAA’s.
141:
This looks to be a pretty rough weight for the Cowboys for another year. Julian Feikert should man this spot once again as the Cowboys will probably choose to groom Dean Heil for a year. Feikert had a number of losses to unranked opponents last year. To Feikert’s credit, he was able to qualify for NCAA’s and win a match. He did have the fluke (yes, fluke) win over Dardanes (who later majored him) but apart from that and a win over Joe Spisak, there’s not much to suggest he’s going to contribute much more this season.
Feikert is a tough kid but shoots with his head down too much. He gives up a lot of go behinds/reshots from that position. He has a pretty solid counter-offense when guys are on his leg, but more and more that skill is not sustainable for long term success. He doesn’t get off enough quality attempts from neutral to compete with the better guys. He’s not an efficient finisher, so when he is able to get in deep, guys can counter what he does.
Maybe Heil gets thrust into duty here like Klimara did last year. I think that would be a mistake personally considering the gains Heil may provide would be nearly negligible in the grand scheme. There’s also talk that Feikert may have some injury issues, so this could force Coach Smith’s hand ultimately. My guess is we see Case Garrison to fill in if he’s injured, but that’s pure speculation. I think this weight probably qualifies but beyond that my expectations are very guarded.
149:
I’m really high on Josh Kindig coming into this year. I was super bummed when watching him this Spring and seeing him suffer a pretty rough looking leg injury. Getting healthy will be priority one for Kindig to make noise at this weight. He seemed like a guy who could really use a redshirt, and I think he made the necessary adjustments to set himself up well for this year. Getting to go up a weight should help him wrestle more of the wide open style he was known for.
Josh is impressive athletically from a speed and agility standpoint. He keeps a nice low stance from space. At times he reminds you of Oliver from neutral when he’s not tied up because of his left leg lead, low stance and the hand he keeps up and ready to shoot. Kindig is not afraid to mix it up upper body as well and has a nice body lock he looks for. He’s a good scrambler when guys get on his legs. As far as neutral attacks he really loves his left side high crotch but also has a great barrel roll. He does a good job from bottom where he can get away typically and also has some nice rolls he looks for. On top he loves his cross face cradle. He can lock it up even when guys are on their base (a la Ruth, but not nearly as prolific). He also has a roll through tilt he uses on occasion. He’s a guy with a really nice arsenal of attacks and techniques and is generally pretty fun to watch.
I have a hard time predicting Kindig given the health concerns he has coming into this year. So I’ll operate under the assumption that he will be healthy and ready by season’s beginning. 149 is such a crazy weight with no clear pecking order (apart from Maple at 1, if he goes there). I see him in the 4-12 range (so specific, right?). That may seem a bit like a cop out, but I see him in the Brascetta/Houdashelt/Paddock/Alton/Grajales/Tsirtsis group (you try to put them in order!). Scratch it, he’s placing. 4-8. Don’t want to sit on the fence anymore than that.
157:
Alex Dieringer is coming off quite the Freshman campaign. Coming into last year, he was one of the Freshman I predicted to place, and I never really wavered on that stance until late in the year (great timing, right?). It wasn’t because of anything he had done, it was the fact that he really hadn’t notched a win over a top 10 guy all year. I definitely thought placing was reasonable, but I felt he didn’t have enough big match experience. The one opportunity he did have, he lost to Vollrath at the Scuffle, which lead me to think he wasn’t quite ready to break through. Well, the one factor I wasn't aware of was that Dieringer is a complete gamer. He was on fire throughout the NCAA’s last year, and while he (through no fault of his own) didn’t beat a guy seeded higher than 12 seed Jedd Moore, he still cemented himself as the number 3 guy.. Moving forward he’s a tough guy to predict given the lack of quality wins.
From now on I’m erring on the side of success.
Dieringer, like many Cowboys makes his money on his feet. He has a really nice left side high crotch and is also known for a great fireman’s carry and double leg. Dieringer is solid underneath and difficult to ride. He really improved his shot defense throughout the year and gave up his legs a lot less. His shot defense was a bit lacking early, but by the time NCAA’s rolled around he rarely found himself in poor position. As I write this I realize how many Cowboy’s made great strides at the end of the year compared to earlier. It’s almost as though this John Smith guy is a really good coach. Go figure.
This year I like Dieringer to once again place very high. I think he’s somewhere in the DSJ, Green, Alton and perhaps Ness (if he comes up) tier. That’s a really salty top 5 there. I don’t see him winning, but I like him in the 2-4 range. Really want to see him against Green, Alton and Ness. Those will be great ones. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait all the way til NCAA’s to see them scrap.
165:
I kinda feel a bit sorry for Tyler Caldwell. Showed great promise as a AA True Freshman. Made the finals as a Sophomore. Since his Sophomore year he just has this habit of being behind legendary wrestlers. 2nd to Burroughs his Sophomore year, 3rd behind Dake and Taylor, and once again behind Taylor this year. When you’ve had the success Caldwell has had, you have to figure nothing will satisfy but first place, and I just don’t see it in the cards for Caldwell at 165.
On his feet Tyler works well from ties and they are where he generates most of his offense. He likes to use an over collar tie where he shoots a sweep single significantly more than any other attack. Caldwell does a great job of winding up in premium position when he does shoot. Surprisingly, despite getting in crazy deep on guys in that sweep position, he can wind up empty handed a decent percentage of the time. He likes to bring the leg up and come to his feet (which is typically an extremely advantageous position for the offensive wrestler), yet guys are frequently able to scramble out/hold on for stalemate. He never puts himself in danger from this position, but it’s just unusual to see a guy get in that great of position and not score on more than one occasion. From neutral he has a good slide by and might be a bit underrated from top as well. He can earn tilts on top and is also an adept leg rider. If nothing else he can ride guys tough to earn riding time. He also uses a claw really well. Again, he’s underrated from top. From bottom Caldwell really was only ridden by Dake and Taylor last year (they do that from time to time). Defensively he’s really tough and it is tough to break through his head/hands and positioning. When you do penetrate, more often than not he smashes you with his hips.
There’s not much to say as far as a prediction goes for Caldwell. He’s a stud, but he’s not beating Taylor. DT left little doubt in the Scuffle semi’s when he majored Caldwell with little issue. I don’t see that gap being bridged. By the same token, there’s not one person ranked below him that I see out-placing him at NCAA’s. He did have the weird loss to Corey Lear last year, but (like every other Cowboy) he put it together at NCAA’s.
174:
The champ is here! While Chris Perry’s road to a title was not without some missteps and struggles, this year looks to have even more challenges than last year. Perry was able to rebound from some tough losses to guys he had already beaten (Todd Porter, Logan Storley). Perry is someone who came into college with some pretty huge expectations given his bloodlines. Being the nephew of John Smith and brother of Mark Perry doesn’t allow you to accept much less than 1st place. Last year Perry was able to navigate the NCAA tournament unscathed (though not unchallenged) and give the Cowboys another national champion.
Perry has some tendencies that remind you of his brother, but by and large they are very different wrestlers. Both have great scrambling abilities, but Chris is far more fundamental by nature. On his feet he has a nice sweep single, though I don’t think we see it enough. Perry likes to wear on your head and work ties, but can operate from space well. As I mentioned he’s a great scrambler and good with re-shots. He can be very tough to take down. Perry rides a lot but struggles to get turns. On top he prefers to put in legs (so un-Perry like!) but he’s not close to the turner/pinner his brother was. His legs were the key piece of technique that helped him to get the key rideout against Brown in the NCAA finals. The most underrated part of Perry’s game is his match-managing abilities. He’s a very cerebral wrestler. While this sometimes leads to close wins over guys he could put big scores on, the ability to eek out those close ones are what separate the good from the champs at NCAA’s. That part of his game is a huge reason he wound up number 1 this year.
Coming into this year, I don’t like his chances at a repeat personally. I’ve pushed all my chips in the middle for Andrew Howe. I don’t like that matchup for Perry. I don’t see him able to ride Howe, and I don’t see him taking Howe down. Howe is a seasoned veteran who I don’t think will be out-foxed by Perry. Perry would be the leader of the Storley/Brown tier in my opinion and my pick to finish 2nd. Tough way to go out as a Senior, but this is a tough sport.
184:
If the Cowboys want to contend again this is a huge weight for them. They have two blue chip recruits coming off redshirt. Both have pretty substantial questions to answer if they are to contribute for the Cowboys right away. Jordan Rogers may be the guy with the upper hand so far. Rogers was a great recruit and Fargo champion. He’s a bit wild at times. He got away with a lot being a great athlete and being very strong in high school, but a lot of that stuff simply won’t fly at this level. He likes to use upper body stuff from over hooks and under hooks as well, but can take shots with poor setups along with having some issues with stance discipline. He can definitely have, bottom issues at times. On top he likes to ride legs but I’m not sure how that will translate at the next level. Rogers is a really good athlete, and a solid prospect, but the film I’ve watched and the results I saw suggest he may need some time before he competes and beats 184’s elite. I believe he will need to develop a consistent leg attack with a solid set up to get to the next level.
The other challenger for this weight may be a bit undersized, but he’s not a guy with lots of options with the returning National Champion at his ideal weight. Kyle Crutchmer will look to challenge Rogers for the starting job in my opinion. He is a well put together kid. He is both strong and explosive. He has a wide variety of attacks on his feet but loves the double leg most of all. He doesn’t seem terribly interested in top wrestling based on the film I’ve seen.
I think Rogers probably wins this spot here, but that’s a pretty uneducated guess at this point. Regardless, at the end of the year I see either of them as the 12-18th or so ranked guys. Rogers and Crutchmer may not be ready to place, but may have worked out some of their flaws and be ready to put it all together for the season’s ‘final exam.’
197:
The last Rosholt brother finishes his final year for Coach Smith and the Cowboys. Blake is coming off a really solid season that culminated with an 8th place finish at NCAA’s. I’ve respected him since his Freshman year where he wrestled at heavyweight where he was tremendously undersized. Rosholt will need to jump levels this year to wind up on the podium again.
Blake shoots a really nice sweep single. He is tough and tall (even for 197). His height can lead to some stance discipline issues where he opens himself up to leg attacks. He really gives up his legs a bit too much at times and while he’s a solid scrambler, he’s not elite enough to let the better guys in consistently without paying the price. To me he frequently seems to have tank issues. The cut could be tough, or he could just be one of those guys who wears out quicker than others. On top he does a great job getting wrists and earning nearfall with tilts. He can be ridden at times, especially as the tank gets closer to empty.
I like Blake to go out as an All American this year at 7th. I think he’s a bit behind Heflin and Rutt but probably better than the Burak/Boley/Gonzalez group. He will need to continue to progress in his areas of weakness to make another All American finish a reality.
285:
Austin Marsden comes in as a very capable replacement for Alan Gelogaev. While he’s not going to be Z (who is?), he’s going to make waves right away. He’s had some great results in Freestyle the last two Spring’s to go along with solid D1 results. I think Marsden could be ready to come in and place immediately.
Austin has a nice build for a heavyweight. He is barrel chested and thick, yet agile. His strength/speed combination is going to give most heavyweights trouble. He has great strength, good positioning and motion from neutral. He likes to shoot a double leg, but has a great high crotch as well. He’s smooth technically in his attacks and sets up his shots well, rarely getting extended (a major thing to avoid at 285).
Marsden got thrust into duty 2 years ago when Gelogaev got injured, so he knows what to expect at the big show. He is coming into a heavyweight class that lost some big players from a year ago. The departure of 6 All Americans from last year should put Marsden in position for a top 5 finish potentially. I think he’s firmly behind Nelson, McMullan, Gwiazdowski and Telford. However, I think he could lead the tier that includes Medberry, Chalfant, McClure and Johnson.
Overall:
While Jordan Oliver and Alan Gelogaev are the only departures from last years team it is a ridiculous expectation to think Kindig and Marsden (as talented as they are) will be able to match their production. This team flat out won’t be as good as last year’s. I see them finishing behind PSU, Minnesota and Iowa for a 4th place finish. I don’t see any team behind them with the potential to catch them either. I think they’re 5-9 points out of 3rd place and never challenging for the top spot. This is a really tough team, but they don’t have the title contenders necessary to compete with the Penn States of the world.
Then again, I said the same last year. Don’t count out the Cowboys.
Here are previous previews:
Penn State
Iowa
Check in next week for my preview on the Minnesota Golden Gophers!
Christian Pyles, College Analyst
We're hitting the contenders as we roll out our season previews week-by-week. This edition is a breakdown of the 34-time NCAA Champion Oklahoma State Cowboys who were oh-so-close to upsetting Penn State at the big show last year.
125:
Eddie Klimara looks to be the Cowboys’ guy for this weight. Last year Klimara was thrust into duty in the middle of the year when it became apparent Tyler Dorrell wasn’t the answer for the Cowboys at 125. He took his lumps and lost quite a few matches, but all his losses were respectable. His best win was over Christian Cullinan at NCAA’s last year. You can see the progression in his match results. He lost a tough 3-2 match to Garcia from Oklahoma. Later in the season he not only reversed those results, but won by wide margins. Presumably this would seem to be the year we see a big jump for Eddie.
Eddie is a solid prospect who really did well for a true Freshman who added key points at the NCAA tournament. From neutral he likes to bob and weave in and out from space to set up shots. Klimara has a nice build: thick but with good length. He really does well from the front headlock/ head in the hole from opponents’ shots. He seems very comfortable in the front headlock position in general. He uses good motion and keeps his feet moving well. Klimara is a decent scrambler, but may rely on it too much. It could bite him at this level, especially against elite finishers. From ties he likes an inside control barrell roll. He has a decent inside trip as well, but that historically is not a high percentage move at the D1 level. Eddie may struggle to get consistent penetration to guys legs. He has a nice sweep single but he needs to improve finishes. On top he uses a spiral and half and keeps good forward pressure. I think he will be alright from bottom.
I like Klimara to wind up just outside the 8 spot. I think he is in the 9-13 range with Joe Roth, David Thorn, Sean Boyle and Josh Martinez. He has probably the most upside of that bunch. He could place low, but based on what I’ve seen, I’m not sure he’s got the offense to do it just yet. If this team wants to compete for a trophy, however, he’ll need to step up and place.
133:
Jon Morrison is coming into his last year of competition fresh off an All American finish. I’ve been high on Morrison pretty early on and thought the future was crazy bright after he beat Zach Sanders in OT. His first two years wound up being rather forgettable at the end, but the move to 133 seemed to be a great adjustment for the Cowboy. Morrison is a vital member of an Oklahoma State team looking to remain near the top of the NCAA food chain.
This is probably an obvious statement/conclusion to reach, but Morrison really reminds me a lot of Coleman Scott, and it’s not because they were 133’s for the Cowboys. They have strikingly similar features even down to their stances. Both have wide backs, good length and overall muscular builds. To boot, Morrison has the double leg that reminds you of Scott as well. Their games aren’t much similar beyond that, but I still think that Coleman’s influence on Jon is evident. Morrison got a rap as a guy who only had a double leg, but he’s got a bit more to his arsenal than a powerful double. He’s got a solid high crotch that he likes from inside control as well. When Morrison shoots, he normally ends up in great position, keeping his head up. This leads to really consistent finishes. The mat is not much of a factor for Morrison. He generally get’s up fine from the bottom (though elite riders have given him trouble) and he’s willing to ride for a bit on top, but rarely earns nearfall.
Morrison should have a nice season for the Cowboys, and I’d be surprised to see him off the podium. He wrestled with much better energy at 133 which makes sense considering he was a huge 125 and is still a very good sized 33. He really went back and forth with McCormick a few matches last year, but wound up winning with an explanation point and major decision at NCAA’s. He had just one head scratching loss last year to Mackenzie McGuire, but he flipped that result as well, earning a major decision at NCAA’s. I think he’s probably a clear number 4 this year, especially if Dardanes moves up as rumored. Don’t see him beating Ramos, Graff or Schopp, but don’t see many other guys with a shot to beat him either. There’s the caveat with Schopp: that although Schopp beat Morrison, Jon has shown he can adjust to what guys do and turn results around drastically. I’m not ready to predict that. Just don’t be shocked if he has a much better showing against AJ compared to the 9-3 beating Schopp put on him at NCAA’s.
141:
This looks to be a pretty rough weight for the Cowboys for another year. Julian Feikert should man this spot once again as the Cowboys will probably choose to groom Dean Heil for a year. Feikert had a number of losses to unranked opponents last year. To Feikert’s credit, he was able to qualify for NCAA’s and win a match. He did have the fluke (yes, fluke) win over Dardanes (who later majored him) but apart from that and a win over Joe Spisak, there’s not much to suggest he’s going to contribute much more this season.
Feikert is a tough kid but shoots with his head down too much. He gives up a lot of go behinds/reshots from that position. He has a pretty solid counter-offense when guys are on his leg, but more and more that skill is not sustainable for long term success. He doesn’t get off enough quality attempts from neutral to compete with the better guys. He’s not an efficient finisher, so when he is able to get in deep, guys can counter what he does.
Maybe Heil gets thrust into duty here like Klimara did last year. I think that would be a mistake personally considering the gains Heil may provide would be nearly negligible in the grand scheme. There’s also talk that Feikert may have some injury issues, so this could force Coach Smith’s hand ultimately. My guess is we see Case Garrison to fill in if he’s injured, but that’s pure speculation. I think this weight probably qualifies but beyond that my expectations are very guarded.
149:
I’m really high on Josh Kindig coming into this year. I was super bummed when watching him this Spring and seeing him suffer a pretty rough looking leg injury. Getting healthy will be priority one for Kindig to make noise at this weight. He seemed like a guy who could really use a redshirt, and I think he made the necessary adjustments to set himself up well for this year. Getting to go up a weight should help him wrestle more of the wide open style he was known for.
Josh is impressive athletically from a speed and agility standpoint. He keeps a nice low stance from space. At times he reminds you of Oliver from neutral when he’s not tied up because of his left leg lead, low stance and the hand he keeps up and ready to shoot. Kindig is not afraid to mix it up upper body as well and has a nice body lock he looks for. He’s a good scrambler when guys get on his legs. As far as neutral attacks he really loves his left side high crotch but also has a great barrel roll. He does a good job from bottom where he can get away typically and also has some nice rolls he looks for. On top he loves his cross face cradle. He can lock it up even when guys are on their base (a la Ruth, but not nearly as prolific). He also has a roll through tilt he uses on occasion. He’s a guy with a really nice arsenal of attacks and techniques and is generally pretty fun to watch.
I have a hard time predicting Kindig given the health concerns he has coming into this year. So I’ll operate under the assumption that he will be healthy and ready by season’s beginning. 149 is such a crazy weight with no clear pecking order (apart from Maple at 1, if he goes there). I see him in the 4-12 range (so specific, right?). That may seem a bit like a cop out, but I see him in the Brascetta/Houdashelt/Paddock/Alton/Grajales/Tsirtsis group (you try to put them in order!). Scratch it, he’s placing. 4-8. Don’t want to sit on the fence anymore than that.
157:
Alex Dieringer is coming off quite the Freshman campaign. Coming into last year, he was one of the Freshman I predicted to place, and I never really wavered on that stance until late in the year (great timing, right?). It wasn’t because of anything he had done, it was the fact that he really hadn’t notched a win over a top 10 guy all year. I definitely thought placing was reasonable, but I felt he didn’t have enough big match experience. The one opportunity he did have, he lost to Vollrath at the Scuffle, which lead me to think he wasn’t quite ready to break through. Well, the one factor I wasn't aware of was that Dieringer is a complete gamer. He was on fire throughout the NCAA’s last year, and while he (through no fault of his own) didn’t beat a guy seeded higher than 12 seed Jedd Moore, he still cemented himself as the number 3 guy.. Moving forward he’s a tough guy to predict given the lack of quality wins.
From now on I’m erring on the side of success.
Dieringer, like many Cowboys makes his money on his feet. He has a really nice left side high crotch and is also known for a great fireman’s carry and double leg. Dieringer is solid underneath and difficult to ride. He really improved his shot defense throughout the year and gave up his legs a lot less. His shot defense was a bit lacking early, but by the time NCAA’s rolled around he rarely found himself in poor position. As I write this I realize how many Cowboy’s made great strides at the end of the year compared to earlier. It’s almost as though this John Smith guy is a really good coach. Go figure.
This year I like Dieringer to once again place very high. I think he’s somewhere in the DSJ, Green, Alton and perhaps Ness (if he comes up) tier. That’s a really salty top 5 there. I don’t see him winning, but I like him in the 2-4 range. Really want to see him against Green, Alton and Ness. Those will be great ones. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait all the way til NCAA’s to see them scrap.
165:
I kinda feel a bit sorry for Tyler Caldwell. Showed great promise as a AA True Freshman. Made the finals as a Sophomore. Since his Sophomore year he just has this habit of being behind legendary wrestlers. 2nd to Burroughs his Sophomore year, 3rd behind Dake and Taylor, and once again behind Taylor this year. When you’ve had the success Caldwell has had, you have to figure nothing will satisfy but first place, and I just don’t see it in the cards for Caldwell at 165.
On his feet Tyler works well from ties and they are where he generates most of his offense. He likes to use an over collar tie where he shoots a sweep single significantly more than any other attack. Caldwell does a great job of winding up in premium position when he does shoot. Surprisingly, despite getting in crazy deep on guys in that sweep position, he can wind up empty handed a decent percentage of the time. He likes to bring the leg up and come to his feet (which is typically an extremely advantageous position for the offensive wrestler), yet guys are frequently able to scramble out/hold on for stalemate. He never puts himself in danger from this position, but it’s just unusual to see a guy get in that great of position and not score on more than one occasion. From neutral he has a good slide by and might be a bit underrated from top as well. He can earn tilts on top and is also an adept leg rider. If nothing else he can ride guys tough to earn riding time. He also uses a claw really well. Again, he’s underrated from top. From bottom Caldwell really was only ridden by Dake and Taylor last year (they do that from time to time). Defensively he’s really tough and it is tough to break through his head/hands and positioning. When you do penetrate, more often than not he smashes you with his hips.
There’s not much to say as far as a prediction goes for Caldwell. He’s a stud, but he’s not beating Taylor. DT left little doubt in the Scuffle semi’s when he majored Caldwell with little issue. I don’t see that gap being bridged. By the same token, there’s not one person ranked below him that I see out-placing him at NCAA’s. He did have the weird loss to Corey Lear last year, but (like every other Cowboy) he put it together at NCAA’s.
174:
The champ is here! While Chris Perry’s road to a title was not without some missteps and struggles, this year looks to have even more challenges than last year. Perry was able to rebound from some tough losses to guys he had already beaten (Todd Porter, Logan Storley). Perry is someone who came into college with some pretty huge expectations given his bloodlines. Being the nephew of John Smith and brother of Mark Perry doesn’t allow you to accept much less than 1st place. Last year Perry was able to navigate the NCAA tournament unscathed (though not unchallenged) and give the Cowboys another national champion.
Perry has some tendencies that remind you of his brother, but by and large they are very different wrestlers. Both have great scrambling abilities, but Chris is far more fundamental by nature. On his feet he has a nice sweep single, though I don’t think we see it enough. Perry likes to wear on your head and work ties, but can operate from space well. As I mentioned he’s a great scrambler and good with re-shots. He can be very tough to take down. Perry rides a lot but struggles to get turns. On top he prefers to put in legs (so un-Perry like!) but he’s not close to the turner/pinner his brother was. His legs were the key piece of technique that helped him to get the key rideout against Brown in the NCAA finals. The most underrated part of Perry’s game is his match-managing abilities. He’s a very cerebral wrestler. While this sometimes leads to close wins over guys he could put big scores on, the ability to eek out those close ones are what separate the good from the champs at NCAA’s. That part of his game is a huge reason he wound up number 1 this year.
Coming into this year, I don’t like his chances at a repeat personally. I’ve pushed all my chips in the middle for Andrew Howe. I don’t like that matchup for Perry. I don’t see him able to ride Howe, and I don’t see him taking Howe down. Howe is a seasoned veteran who I don’t think will be out-foxed by Perry. Perry would be the leader of the Storley/Brown tier in my opinion and my pick to finish 2nd. Tough way to go out as a Senior, but this is a tough sport.
184:
If the Cowboys want to contend again this is a huge weight for them. They have two blue chip recruits coming off redshirt. Both have pretty substantial questions to answer if they are to contribute for the Cowboys right away. Jordan Rogers may be the guy with the upper hand so far. Rogers was a great recruit and Fargo champion. He’s a bit wild at times. He got away with a lot being a great athlete and being very strong in high school, but a lot of that stuff simply won’t fly at this level. He likes to use upper body stuff from over hooks and under hooks as well, but can take shots with poor setups along with having some issues with stance discipline. He can definitely have, bottom issues at times. On top he likes to ride legs but I’m not sure how that will translate at the next level. Rogers is a really good athlete, and a solid prospect, but the film I’ve watched and the results I saw suggest he may need some time before he competes and beats 184’s elite. I believe he will need to develop a consistent leg attack with a solid set up to get to the next level.
The other challenger for this weight may be a bit undersized, but he’s not a guy with lots of options with the returning National Champion at his ideal weight. Kyle Crutchmer will look to challenge Rogers for the starting job in my opinion. He is a well put together kid. He is both strong and explosive. He has a wide variety of attacks on his feet but loves the double leg most of all. He doesn’t seem terribly interested in top wrestling based on the film I’ve seen.
I think Rogers probably wins this spot here, but that’s a pretty uneducated guess at this point. Regardless, at the end of the year I see either of them as the 12-18th or so ranked guys. Rogers and Crutchmer may not be ready to place, but may have worked out some of their flaws and be ready to put it all together for the season’s ‘final exam.’
197:
The last Rosholt brother finishes his final year for Coach Smith and the Cowboys. Blake is coming off a really solid season that culminated with an 8th place finish at NCAA’s. I’ve respected him since his Freshman year where he wrestled at heavyweight where he was tremendously undersized. Rosholt will need to jump levels this year to wind up on the podium again.
Blake shoots a really nice sweep single. He is tough and tall (even for 197). His height can lead to some stance discipline issues where he opens himself up to leg attacks. He really gives up his legs a bit too much at times and while he’s a solid scrambler, he’s not elite enough to let the better guys in consistently without paying the price. To me he frequently seems to have tank issues. The cut could be tough, or he could just be one of those guys who wears out quicker than others. On top he does a great job getting wrists and earning nearfall with tilts. He can be ridden at times, especially as the tank gets closer to empty.
I like Blake to go out as an All American this year at 7th. I think he’s a bit behind Heflin and Rutt but probably better than the Burak/Boley/Gonzalez group. He will need to continue to progress in his areas of weakness to make another All American finish a reality.
285:
Austin Marsden comes in as a very capable replacement for Alan Gelogaev. While he’s not going to be Z (who is?), he’s going to make waves right away. He’s had some great results in Freestyle the last two Spring’s to go along with solid D1 results. I think Marsden could be ready to come in and place immediately.
Austin has a nice build for a heavyweight. He is barrel chested and thick, yet agile. His strength/speed combination is going to give most heavyweights trouble. He has great strength, good positioning and motion from neutral. He likes to shoot a double leg, but has a great high crotch as well. He’s smooth technically in his attacks and sets up his shots well, rarely getting extended (a major thing to avoid at 285).
Marsden got thrust into duty 2 years ago when Gelogaev got injured, so he knows what to expect at the big show. He is coming into a heavyweight class that lost some big players from a year ago. The departure of 6 All Americans from last year should put Marsden in position for a top 5 finish potentially. I think he’s firmly behind Nelson, McMullan, Gwiazdowski and Telford. However, I think he could lead the tier that includes Medberry, Chalfant, McClure and Johnson.
Overall:
While Jordan Oliver and Alan Gelogaev are the only departures from last years team it is a ridiculous expectation to think Kindig and Marsden (as talented as they are) will be able to match their production. This team flat out won’t be as good as last year’s. I see them finishing behind PSU, Minnesota and Iowa for a 4th place finish. I don’t see any team behind them with the potential to catch them either. I think they’re 5-9 points out of 3rd place and never challenging for the top spot. This is a really tough team, but they don’t have the title contenders necessary to compete with the Penn States of the world.
Then again, I said the same last year. Don’t count out the Cowboys.
Here are previous previews:
Penn State
Iowa
Check in next week for my preview on the Minnesota Golden Gophers!