It has now been 12 seasons since John Smith coached Oklahoma State to a national title. But the Cowboys still field some of the most competitive teams in the country, having finished in the top four and winning a team trophy five times in the past eight years.

But in order for OK State to get back to that level, it will have to answer a few questions this offseason. Which weight class does Daton Fix compete in next season, 125 or 133? What weights do Kaden Gfeller and Joseph Smith go? Should the Cowboys roll out Travis Wittlake right away?

2018-19 Projected Oklahoma State Lineup

125: Nick Piccininni, RSJR

133: Daton Fix, RSFR

141: Kaid Brock, RSJR/Kaden Gfeller, RSFR

149: Boo Lewallen, RSJR/Kaden Gfeller, RSFR

157: Geo Martinez, RSSR

165: Chandler Rogers, RSSR

174: Joseph Smith, RSJR

184: Jacobe Smith, RSSR

197: Preston Weigel, RSSR

285: Derek White, RSSR

If Gfeller is the odd-man out, Oklahoma State's team would be comprised of nine juniors or seniors, plus Fix.

125 Pounds

The Cowboys have options here, but it seems better for the team if Nick Piccininni stays down. He finished in fourth place at NCAAs as a freshman but then in the round of 12 this past year. Seed-wise, he entered 2017 as the eight seed but was the six seed this year in Cleveland. So we have good reason to believe that he will once again be an All-American-level 125-pounder in his junior season.

133 Pounds

Based on who's returning at 133, along with the guys going up in weight, it makes more sense for OK State if Daton Fix mans the spot here. He could be a top three guy at either weight, but Picc will almost unquestionably be better at 125.

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141 Pounds

For Picc and Fix, there's theoretically not much of an issue because there are two guys for two weights. The curveball gets thrown in if Kaid Brock wants to stay down at 133. Does a Fix/Brock/Gfeller lineup score more points than a Picc/Fix/Brock lineup?

149 Pounds

The battle this year was between former Boise State All-American Geo Martinez and Boo Lewallen. Martinez ended up injured, solving the weight class for the OSU coaching staff, and then Lewallen would go on to place at NCAAs. That battle could play out again next year, albeit with Gfeller in the mix.

157 Pounds

Joseph Smith redshirted last season, leaving the orange and black scrambling for options. Jonce Blaylock started most of the year until the Cowboys plugged Tristan Moran in for the Big 12 tournament. Moran wrestled every other match this year at 149 and was a 141 last year. It was the only weight at which OSU did not qualify a wrestler for the national tournament and will likely be a question mark next year if Smith remains too big to make the weight.

165 Pounds

Chandler Rogers and Brock were the only two Cowboys to place last year who also made the podium this year. Rogers will finish out his career in what's shaping up to once again be the toughest weight in the country.

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174 Pounds

Along with 133, this is likely the weight where Oklahoma State has the best options. Returning All-American Jacobe Smith has another year of eligibility. I think Joseph Smith could pull a Jordan Kutler and slide up two weights and succeed. Or the Cowboys could use stud true freshman Travis Witltlake right out of the chute.

184 Pounds

This could be a problem weight. Keegan Moore qualified for NCAAs this past season, but coach John Smith was clearly not pleased with his general performance this season. We anticipated the possibility that Andrew Marsden would take over once Preston Weigel returned. However, Marsden was just 1-2 at the weight, and it may just be too big of a pull for him. I think their best bet is to move Jacobe up.

197 Pounds

There was a statistically significant drop in production from 2017 to 2018 for the five Cowboys that went to the NCAA tournament both years. While Preston Weigel's performance is easily explained by his very bad leg injury, he still scored 10 fewer team points this year than last year. Likewise, Picc scored 12.5 fewer points, Dean Heil scored 18 fewer points, and Rogers scored 7.5 fewer points. A healthy Weigel may be needed to prove that was just a one-year fluke and not a greater trend for the Cowboys.

285 Pounds

Both Derek White and Piccininni faced that difficult reality of losing in the quarterfinals and then immediately after in the round of 12. With heavyweight being depleted (as per usual), the hope for Pokes fans is that White will slide up a few spots and land on the podium in his final season.