NCAA Preview & Predictions: 197 Pounds
NCAA Preview & Predictions: 197 Pounds
Preview and predictions for the 197-pound weight class for the 2017-18 NCAA DI wrestling season.
The 2017-18 NCAA wrestling season is officially underway, which means it's time to start rolling out our weight class previews.
The 197 ranks will be without the services of former Mizzou superstar J'den Cox this season. Cox graduated after winning three national titles -- and an Olympic bronze medal -- opening the door for a new champion to take the reigns. Whoever does will also benefit from the graduation of Minnesota's Brett Pfarr, a two-time All-American and 2017 runner-up. A few other All-Americans have also shuffled off this collegiate coil, but a solid nucleus of contenders return to cause a ruckus in the light heavyweight division.
Other 2017-18 weight class previews: 125 Pounds | 133 Pounds | 141 Pounds | 149 Pounds | 157 Pounds | 165 Pounds | 174 Pounds | 184 Pounds
For our previews, we'll run down the top contenders, then make some way-too-early All-American and bloodround predictions and include an explanation.
Check out our 197 preview from last year.
Jared Haught, Virginia Tech
Willie Miklus, Missouri
Pat Downey, Iowa
Kollin Moore was the clear No. 3 last season. He only took losses to Cox and Pfarr, and was the only wrestler besides Cox to defeat Pfarr in the 2016-17 season. Jared Haught was the clear No. 4 and only lost to Cox, Pfarr, and Moore. And while he was pinned by Moore in under a minute at the 2017 NCAAs, Haught's track record otherwise speaks to that of a title contender.
Miklus and Downey are wild cards. While there are many other talented returning 197-pounders, they at a tier below that of Moore and Haught. Miklus, however, spent his career at 184 so far, owing to his teammate Cox holding down the 197 spot. Miklus has recorded some impressive wins down at 184, such as TJ Dudley and Hayden Zillmer, and I believe he could be even more dangerous up at his more natural weight. Pat Downey also has the talent to compete with anyone in the division, and assuming he enrolls at Iowa and wrestles at 197, I believe he will be in the championship mix in Cleveland.
Watch Kollin Moore go beast-mode on Jared Haught in the NCAA third-place bout:
2: Pat Downey, Iowa
3: Willie Miklus, Missouri
4: Jared Haught, Virginia Tech
5: Matt McCutcheon, Penn State
6: Jake Smith, West Virginia
7: Preston Weigel, Oklahoma State
8: Kevin Beazley, Michigan
R12: Daniel Chad, North Carolina
R12: Nathan Rotert, South Dakota State
R12: Michael Macchiavello, North Carolina State
R12: Tom Sleigh, Bucknell
Moore's demolishment of his closest returning 197-pound opponent in the 2017 third-place match has led many people to anoint him as this season's No. 1 title contender. I am one of those people. It may not be smooth sailing the whole way, but another year in the infamous Ohio State room is enough to make this an easy pick.
Predicting Downey as the 197-pound runner-up, on the other hand, required some substantial limb-climbing. While I do not have it on anyone's authority that PDIII is definitely going 197, I am basing it on the best information available. I could end up spectacularly wrong about this, at which point I will write the wrestling community a heartfelt apology. But if the formerly unattached assassin does start the postseason for the Hawkeyes at 197, I believe he has the talent to go all the way to the finals. I could also be spectacularly wrong about that too, but such are the pitfalls of prognostication.
Watch Pat Downey take out two-time NCAA champion Gabe Dean in a freestyle match in the consolation round of the 2017 U.S. Open:
Miklus had his 2017 season cut tragically short due to injury but proved he has what it takes to contend by placing in two consecutive brutal 184-pound brackets in 2015 and 2016. Now that Miklus is fully healthy, I think the redshirt senior from Altoona, Iowa, is due for a monster season.
Haught has been a model of consistency, helping anchor the Hokies upper weights with Ty Walz for the last three years. Walz has graduated and is now wrestling with the Southeast Regional Training Center, but Haught is back for his senior season. Any finish up to and including second place for the Parkersburg, WV, native would not surprise me.
Check out Jared Haught advancing past Matt McCutcheon in the quarterfinals of the 2017 NCAAs:
Penn State's Matt McCutcheon has been on the cusp of All-American status for three agonizing years in a row, finishing all the way up to the round of 12 in 2015 and 2017. Cutch's biggest competition may be coming from his own wrestling room, however, as word is Anthony Cassar is finally healthy and ready to roll. Cassar has been hampered by injuries but showed flashes of brilliance on the 2015 USA junior men's freestyle world team. Either McCutcheon or Cassar are likely to place in the top eight this year.
Like Miklus, Jake Smith was unable to compete in the 2017 NCAA tournament due to injuries. Smith qualified for his third straight tourney before getting scratched from the bracket. The senior from Charlestown, WV, will be out to make the most of his already impressive career.
Preston Weigel is a great example of how quickly talented but not exactly blue-chip recruits can improve under the tutelage of Oklahoma State coach John Smith. A fringe top 100 recruit in the high school class of 2014, Weigel is already looking for his second All-American honor with two more years of eligibility remaining.
Watch Preston Weigel handle Navy's All-American contender Steban Cervantes in the round of 16 of the 2017 Southern Scuffle:
Kevin Beazley graduated from Old Dominion after an eighth-place finish in the 2017 tournament with a year of eligibility left. He transferred to Michigan for his redshirt senior season and will be a key cog in Big Blue's quest to win a team trophy in 2018.
It was incredibly tough leaving Daniel Chaid and Nathan Rotert off the 2018 podium. Both have wins over past All-Americans and both could end up fairly high on the award stand in Cleveland.
Michael Macchiavello also has the ability to earn All-American honors but will have to prove himself up a weight class from last year where he finished in the bloodround at 184. Tom Sleigh is looking to make his fourth trip to the NCAAs and first time on the podium. I would thrilled to see the Bucknell senior prove me wrong and finally break through the NCAA round of 12.
The 197 ranks will be without the services of former Mizzou superstar J'den Cox this season. Cox graduated after winning three national titles -- and an Olympic bronze medal -- opening the door for a new champion to take the reigns. Whoever does will also benefit from the graduation of Minnesota's Brett Pfarr, a two-time All-American and 2017 runner-up. A few other All-Americans have also shuffled off this collegiate coil, but a solid nucleus of contenders return to cause a ruckus in the light heavyweight division.
Other 2017-18 weight class previews: 125 Pounds | 133 Pounds | 141 Pounds | 149 Pounds | 157 Pounds | 165 Pounds | 174 Pounds | 184 Pounds
For our previews, we'll run down the top contenders, then make some way-too-early All-American and bloodround predictions and include an explanation.
Check out our 197 preview from last year.
Title Contenders
Kollin Moore, Ohio StateJared Haught, Virginia Tech
Willie Miklus, Missouri
Pat Downey, Iowa
Kollin Moore was the clear No. 3 last season. He only took losses to Cox and Pfarr, and was the only wrestler besides Cox to defeat Pfarr in the 2016-17 season. Jared Haught was the clear No. 4 and only lost to Cox, Pfarr, and Moore. And while he was pinned by Moore in under a minute at the 2017 NCAAs, Haught's track record otherwise speaks to that of a title contender.
Miklus and Downey are wild cards. While there are many other talented returning 197-pounders, they at a tier below that of Moore and Haught. Miklus, however, spent his career at 184 so far, owing to his teammate Cox holding down the 197 spot. Miklus has recorded some impressive wins down at 184, such as TJ Dudley and Hayden Zillmer, and I believe he could be even more dangerous up at his more natural weight. Pat Downey also has the talent to compete with anyone in the division, and assuming he enrolls at Iowa and wrestles at 197, I believe he will be in the championship mix in Cleveland.
Watch Kollin Moore go beast-mode on Jared Haught in the NCAA third-place bout:
Spey's Spredictions
1: Kollin Moore, Ohio State2: Pat Downey, Iowa
3: Willie Miklus, Missouri
4: Jared Haught, Virginia Tech
5: Matt McCutcheon, Penn State
6: Jake Smith, West Virginia
7: Preston Weigel, Oklahoma State
8: Kevin Beazley, Michigan
R12: Daniel Chad, North Carolina
R12: Nathan Rotert, South Dakota State
R12: Michael Macchiavello, North Carolina State
R12: Tom Sleigh, Bucknell
Moore's demolishment of his closest returning 197-pound opponent in the 2017 third-place match has led many people to anoint him as this season's No. 1 title contender. I am one of those people. It may not be smooth sailing the whole way, but another year in the infamous Ohio State room is enough to make this an easy pick.
Predicting Downey as the 197-pound runner-up, on the other hand, required some substantial limb-climbing. While I do not have it on anyone's authority that PDIII is definitely going 197, I am basing it on the best information available. I could end up spectacularly wrong about this, at which point I will write the wrestling community a heartfelt apology. But if the formerly unattached assassin does start the postseason for the Hawkeyes at 197, I believe he has the talent to go all the way to the finals. I could also be spectacularly wrong about that too, but such are the pitfalls of prognostication.
Watch Pat Downey take out two-time NCAA champion Gabe Dean in a freestyle match in the consolation round of the 2017 U.S. Open:
Miklus had his 2017 season cut tragically short due to injury but proved he has what it takes to contend by placing in two consecutive brutal 184-pound brackets in 2015 and 2016. Now that Miklus is fully healthy, I think the redshirt senior from Altoona, Iowa, is due for a monster season.
Haught has been a model of consistency, helping anchor the Hokies upper weights with Ty Walz for the last three years. Walz has graduated and is now wrestling with the Southeast Regional Training Center, but Haught is back for his senior season. Any finish up to and including second place for the Parkersburg, WV, native would not surprise me.
Check out Jared Haught advancing past Matt McCutcheon in the quarterfinals of the 2017 NCAAs:
Penn State's Matt McCutcheon has been on the cusp of All-American status for three agonizing years in a row, finishing all the way up to the round of 12 in 2015 and 2017. Cutch's biggest competition may be coming from his own wrestling room, however, as word is Anthony Cassar is finally healthy and ready to roll. Cassar has been hampered by injuries but showed flashes of brilliance on the 2015 USA junior men's freestyle world team. Either McCutcheon or Cassar are likely to place in the top eight this year.
Like Miklus, Jake Smith was unable to compete in the 2017 NCAA tournament due to injuries. Smith qualified for his third straight tourney before getting scratched from the bracket. The senior from Charlestown, WV, will be out to make the most of his already impressive career.
Preston Weigel is a great example of how quickly talented but not exactly blue-chip recruits can improve under the tutelage of Oklahoma State coach John Smith. A fringe top 100 recruit in the high school class of 2014, Weigel is already looking for his second All-American honor with two more years of eligibility remaining.
Watch Preston Weigel handle Navy's All-American contender Steban Cervantes in the round of 16 of the 2017 Southern Scuffle:
Kevin Beazley graduated from Old Dominion after an eighth-place finish in the 2017 tournament with a year of eligibility left. He transferred to Michigan for his redshirt senior season and will be a key cog in Big Blue's quest to win a team trophy in 2018.
It was incredibly tough leaving Daniel Chaid and Nathan Rotert off the 2018 podium. Both have wins over past All-Americans and both could end up fairly high on the award stand in Cleveland.
Michael Macchiavello also has the ability to earn All-American honors but will have to prove himself up a weight class from last year where he finished in the bloodround at 184. Tom Sleigh is looking to make his fourth trip to the NCAAs and first time on the podium. I would thrilled to see the Bucknell senior prove me wrong and finally break through the NCAA round of 12.