One of the most intriguing aspects of the Midlands is the possibility of seeing redshirts and non-starters wrestle unattached. 

Teams have traditionally been allowed to bring up to 15 wrestlers to the tournament while picking 10 "scorers" who can earn team points. The NCAA has done away with that, coming out with a new rule (section 8, article 4) stating that it's the top scorer per weight class per team, with no need to pick ahead of time. 

With that said, let's look at the most exciting non-starters and unattached wrestlers we might see at this year's Midlands on Dec. 29-30 in Hoffman Estates, IL.

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Iowa Hawkeyes

Tom Brands and company definitely have the most exciting crop of nonstarters that could potentially take the mats at the Sears Centre Arena. 

125 - Spencer Lee

Lee forms half of one of the most anticipated matchups of the tournament — the other half being Rutgers' Nick Suriano. Will Brands #FreeTheLee after his Midlands performance? Will Lee free himself? The only way to find out is to tune in!

Lee vs. Suriano: Keys To Victory

141 - Max Murin

Carter Happel is currently holding down 141 for the Hawks, but might another true freshman force his way into the lineup? Pennsylvania native Max Murin just may do so. 

149 - Pat Lugo

We haven't seen the two-time NCAA qualifier and Edinboro transfer wrestler for Iowa yet. Will the Midlands be his first donning of the black and gold? 

165 - Kaleb Young

Young will be competing with his teammate Alex Marinelli to see who will score the most points for Iowa at 165.

Watch Kaleb Young take out No. 19 Andrew Fogarty in a home dual:

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197 - Pat Downey

At long last, the Hawkeye debut of PDIII. Downey was kind enough to end the speculation as to which weight class he would be entering, at least for the Midlands, by declaring for 197 on Twitter. We're interested in Downey wrestling no matter what the weight class, but it is nice to know ahead of time.

197 - Jacob Warner

If Iowa enters Warner, Downey, and Wilcke at 197, the Hawkeyes will have three All-American-caliber wrestlers in one weight class. Not a bad problem to have. 

Midlands Previews: Middleweights | Lightweights

Everyone Else

125 - Brandon Courtney, Arizona State

One of the the Sun Devils' highly touted recruits. 

125 - Shakur Laney, Ohio

We haven't seen Laney yet this year, and rumor is he could be moving up a weight class. Keep an eye on both 125 and 133 for a rare sighting of this electric NCAA qualifier.

133 - Drew Marten, Central Michigan

The 11-3 Chippewas true frosh is having a quality redshirt year that includes a win over Cornell's Noah Baughman.

141 - Yahya Thomas, Northwestern

The Wildcats always seem to have one or two studs hidden away on redshirt, ready to announce their presence at Midlands. Perhaps this year it will be Thomas who makes a robust Midlands pronouncement.

149 - Jason Tsirtsis, Arizona State

The NCAA champ is back down to 149 and just finished winning the Reno Tournament of Champions a few weeks ago. Now he'll be in battle with his teammate No. 14 Josh Maruca for a starting spot in the lineup. 

Watch Jason Tsirtsis win Reno gold over No. 16 Beau Donahue:

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149 - Tanner Smith, Eastern Michigan

The Eagles true freshman will be looking to prove his bona fides at Midlands. Smith is currently 12-0 including a recent major decision over NCAA qualifier Matthew Zovistoski. If you're looking for a bracket buster, Tanner is a decent bet. 

What Does The Midlands Mean For NCAAs?

149 - Baby J Bannister, Maryland

Bannister recently returned to action by winning the Wilkes Open. Hopefully the NCAA qualifier is ready to go again on a short turnaround and competes at Midlands. 

174 - Jordan Pagano, Rutgers

An NCAA qualifier last season, Jordan Pagano is an a battle for the starting spot in the Scarlet Knights lineup with redshirt freshman Joe Grello. 

174, Jacob Covaciu, Wisconsin

The talented Badgers redshirt freshman is trying to win a starting spot over the resurgent Ryan Christensen. Even if Chistensen maintains his grip on the weight class in Madison, WI, Covaciu can still do plenty of damage to the rest of the Midlands 174-pound field. 

184 - Kordell Norfleet, Arizona State

Another of Zeke Jones' high-potential true freshmen.

184 - AJ Pedro, Brown

One of the biggest recruits to make his way to Providence, RI, in recent memory. 

From the Archive: 7 Best Midlands Matches

184 - Dakota Geer, Edinboro

Redshirting after a stellar true freshman season, two-time FloNats champ Dakota Geer will be trouble for his Midlands competitors if he enters the tournament.

285 - Cody Crawford, Oregon State

With Amar Dhesi back wrestling for the Beavers, Crawford may be cutting back to 197, or he may enjoy himself over the holidays and continue to grind at heavyweight. In either case, as long as he competes, we all win. 

285 - Matt Correnti, Rutgers

After qualifying for the NCAAs as a true freshman at 197, Correnti is redshirting and bulking up to heavyweight to take over that role for the Scarlet Knights next season.