We're about two weeks from the official start of college wrestling practice, which means it's time to start thinking about March. Over a thousands D1 guys will be culled down to 330 NCAA qualifiers, and then cream of the crop will rise to produce 80 All-Americans.

So, who has already accomplished this feat of finishing the year on the podium? Well, by our count there are 73 guys with at least one All-American placement.

Now, for your viewing pleasure, all 10 articles about the returning placers at each weight has been condensed into one long mega-article. Enjoy!

125 Pounds

It may still be summer, but with the start of school nearing, the offseason will soon give way to October and the official start of practice.

The beautiful thing about college wrestling is that all debates are settled at the end of the season with the NCAA tournament, and then arguments for next season begin all over again. Part of that conversation is always, who will place and win next year? Who will be back to place higher or defend their title?

125 pounds returns one national champ and nine All-American honors, all of which you can see below. 

Spencer Lee, Iowa: 1, ?, ?, ?

The one and only true freshman champ in the 20-year history of 125 still has three years of eligibility remaining. He also tied Matt McDonough’s 2012 tournament for most team points scored by a 125 at NCAAs. Both will feature heavily on our retrospective of the weight since 1999 (coming soon).

Nick Suriano, Rutgers: DNW, 2, ?, ?

Back with this again. After ranking Suriano at 125 for both NCAA and Big Ten purposes, he slides back into the returning AAs for 125. He could of course still wind up at 133, but for now we're operating under him at this weight.

Zeke Moisey, Nebraska: 2, DNP, DNW, 7, ?

Moisey spent his first four years in college at West Virginia, but has since transferred to Nebraska to close out his career. If Suriano goes up to 133, he and Lee will be the only 125s with NCAA finals apperances, though Moisey's was all the way back in 2015. The newest Husker earned himself some redemption by placing seventh last year, removing a bit of the "one big tournament" stigma.

Nick Piccininni, Oklahoma State: 4, DNP, ?, ?

After getting fourth as a freshman, Piccininni was bounced out in the Round of 12 last year. His losses at the national tournament were to eventual champ Lee and eventual fourth Ethan Lizak though, very understandable defeats. This season is still up in the air for Picc, who could go 125 again, or 133, or sit behind Kaid Brock and Daton Fix.

Sebastian Rivera, Northwestern: 6, ?, ?, ?

Rivera looked strong coming off his redshirt year and may end up being the highest returning placer from 2018 outside of Spencer Lee. Rivera was the Wildcats’ first AA at 125 since Brandon Precin in 2011, and he’s still got three years left to place again.

Ryan Millhof, Arizona State: DNQ, 7th, DNW, DNP, ?

What a long, strange trip it’s been for Ryan Millhof. Once a blue chip recruit out of Georgia, the former Who’s #1 competitor wound up in Oklahoma, where he placed seventh as a sophomore for the Sooners. After that year, however, he transferred to Tempe, sitting out the 2017 season. He started last year in the Top-10, but battled injuries all season. He still went 2-2 at NCAAs and may be back to All-American form after recovering this offseason.

Ronnie Bresser, Oregon State: DNP, DNP, DNW, 7th, ?

Heading into last season, not many expected Bresser to be an All-American in March. But he proved to be one of the hardest wrestlers in the country to take down, and upset Spencer Lee at Midlands. There are still multiple guys he hasn’t wrestled yet that he’ll have to go through to place again, but those potential wins will seem a little less surprising after last year.

Sean Russell, Minnesota: DNP, 7th, DNP, ?

Another blue chipper out of Georgia, Russell placed as a redshirt sophomore at Edinboro and wrestled there again last season. But after Tim Flynn left to take the head job at West Virginia, several starters from last year’s team transferred, including Russell. He’ll now finish out his career at Minnesota, allowing the Gophers to redshirt Patrick McKee.

Connor Schram, Lehigh: DNP, 8th, DNP, DNW, ?

Schram is back down to 125 again, and has a new home. The Pittsburgh native qualified for both the 2015 and 2017 NCAA tournaments up at 133, but did not place. With two-time AA Scotty Parker manning 133, Schram will have one final shot to place again at 125.

133 Pounds

The end of August means the start of school, and it also means the offseason will soon give way to October and the official start of practice.

The beautiful thing about college wrestling is that all debates are settled at the end of the season with the NCAA tournament, and then arguments for next season begin all over again. Part of that conversation is always, who will place and win next year? Who will be back to place higher or defend their title?

This weigh returns a national champ and six All-Americans, four of whom have placed twice. Excluded from this tally is Kaid Brock, who finished fifth the past two years but who may be moving up to 141. Also not appearing is Tariq Wilson, who may move up if Sean Fausz bumps into 133.

Seth Gross, South Dakota State: DNP, 2, 1, ?

It’s immensely impressive that Gross has become a national title favorite and Hodge contender at South Dakota State. After not placing as a freshman 141, he dropped to 133 and made the NCAA finals in 2017. Some people questioned if he could repeat such a season when assistant AJ Schopp left for Purdue that summer, but Gross was one of the most dominant wrestlers in the country. Now with Damion Hahn replacing Chris Bono, the question is can Gross still finish out his career as two-time national champ? I'd still peg him as the favorite going into the 2018-19 season.

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Stevan Micic, Michigan: 4, 2, ?, ?

Although Micic graduated high school in 2014, he still has two years of eligibility remaining. The Indiana native is probably the only one with a realistic shot of knocking off Gross this year, especially if Tariq Wilson moves up to 141. Now a senior level European bronze medalist, Micic is hoping to replicate that performance by ending his season on a win.

Ethan Lizak, Minnesota: DNP, 2, 4, ?

Lizak is moving up to 133 for his senior season, something that likely would’ve happened whether or not Sean Russell transferred to Minnesota. If he can maintain the same dominance on top that he had at 125, he should be an All-American once again, even in a weight as tough as this one.

Luke Pletcher, Ohio State: DNP, 4, ?, ?

Without the benefit of a redshirt and wrestling up a weight, Pletcher still made the Round of 16 as a true freshman. His 2018 season including a win over Stevan Micic and no bad losses outside of Wilson, which will probably look far more understandable as Wilson’s career goes on.

Scotty Parker, Lehigh: DNP, 8, 7, ?

It’s interesting to see 125 have fewer AAs than 133, but they only had one multiple time placer. Parker is one of four guys at 133 to be on the podium more than once. With Darian Cruz graduating, Parker could take on the senior leadership role, along with 184 Ryan Preisch, looking to take his first steps on the podium in his final year of eligibility.

Montorie Bridges, Wyoming: 8, ?, ?, ?

Though he is one weight below Bryce Meredith, Bridges is another lightweight for Cowboys fans to get pumped about for the next three years. He will probably be the premier draw in Laramie this year, and hopefully get some more Big 12 battles with Seth Gross and Kaid Brock (or another Oklahoma State stud). Bridges had wins last year over both Brock and Tariq Wilson.

141 Pounds

Next up in our series of returning All-Americans is 141 pounds, where we again are making some guesses about guys going up in weight. Anthony Ashnault and Tommy Thorn left no guesswork, as they are for sure moving up in weight. All signs also point to Matthew Kolodzik heading up to 149, but the difficult ones are Kaid Brock and Tariq Wilson. The Cowboy junior and Wolfpack sophomore will appear below for now.

This weight returns a national champ and eight All-Americans, three of whom have placed twice. There seems to be a clear pecking order at the top, but 141 will once again be one of the deepest weights in the country.

Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell: 1, ?, ?, ?

This is the second time in history that two true freshmen won national titles in the same year, and both are back to defend their crowns. We already covered Spencer Lee in the 125lb returning AAs, and now at 141 we start with the one and only Yianni. He duplicated Kyle Dake's feat of winning an NCAA title as Cornell's 141-pounder the year after he graduated high school, and we all know how Dake's career turned out. 

But repeats are not guaranteed, especially with Jaydin Eierman and Joey McKenna back again this year. The last three true freshman champs (Mark Hall, Myles Martin, and J'Den Cox) did not repeat.

Joey McKenna, Ohio State: 3, DNP, 3, ?

While injuries have forced Yianni to miss three straight years of Junior world team trials, McKenna spent this summer winning the U.S. Open and making it to Final X. Since transferring to Ohio State from Stanford, McKenna won a U23 world bronze medal and placed third at NCAAs, the same spot on the podium he took as a freshman at Stanford. McKenna and Yianni did not match up last year, but we could get a trilogy this year: CKLV in December, the February 22nd dual in Ithaca to end the regular season, and then at NCAAs in Pittsburgh.

Tariq Wilson, NC State: 3, ?, ?, ?

Wilson took full advantage of his Ohio roots, wrestling the best he had all season in getting third at NCAAs in Cleveland, including very nearly knocking off Seth Gross. His 24-2 takedown advantage at the national tournament seemed like less of a fluke and more like a breakout performance upon which to build. Hopefully, the injury that knocked him out of U23 Trials does not linger into the season.

Jaydin Eierman, Missouri: 5, 4, ?, ?

On FRL 300, we received a listener question about potential dark horses for the Hodge. The only one I could come up with was Eierman, in part because of his pinning and big move potential, and also because he now has wins over the last five years of champs at this weight. Now, Eierman would also have to get through McKenna, who he lost to in the third-place match at NCAAs and in the Open finals.

Nick Lee, Penn State: 5, ?, ?, ?

Although Nick Lee was a blue-chip recruit already, it appears spending his senior year in Happy Valley paid dividends for the Nittany Lions. The Indiana native was an offensive dynamo last year, able to beat just about anyone on his feet. But his is an interesting case for Penn State, who had a fifth placer as a true freshman 141 in Zain Retherford in 2014. But in all likelihood, Lee's not redshirting and growing into the 149lb buzzsaw that Zain became. But can Lee reach the heights of some of the other recent Nittany Lions, all of whom got the benefit of a redshirt?

Kaid Brock, Oklahoma State: 5, 5, ?, ?

Brock was not included in the list of returning AAs at 133 because we're operating under the assumption he's moving up to 141. Brock is one of the nation's most exciting wrestlers, and even with the embarrassment of riches the Cowboys have at the lower weights, it's hard to picture him on the bench. But 133 or 141, Brock will continue to be a fan favorite in Stillwater as he shucks his way to another All-American honor.

Chad Red, Nebraska: 7, ?, ?, ?

Quite a few blue-chip high school recruits coming through last season. Red was #8 on the 2016 Big Board but came into Cleveland unseeded with nearly 10 losses. However, he stuck two-time defending champ Dean Heil in the bloodround to make up for a couple defeats during the season to guys who didn't place. He beat Lee in high school and was considered a better prospect coming out, so it's not difficult to picture Red moving up a couple spots on the podium.

Sa'Derian Perry, Old Dominion: DNQ, 8, ?, ?

What a wild ride it's been for Perry. He walked into NCAAs with a losing record, and then had the tournament of his life to become Eastern Michigan's first placer in almost 20 years. Then, the EMU administration unceremoniously and unprofessionally dropped the wrestling program. But the community in our sport rallied around him and the other former Eagles, with Perry finding a new home at Old Dominion. I don't think there would be many upset to see him stick it to his former school and place again this season in Pittsburgh.

149 Pounds

One the Sunday morning after NCAAs this year, an entire weight class let out a sigh of relief. For three years, Zain Retherford terrorized 149lbs, but now he and a slew of other All-Americans have vacated the weight, leaving the weight more open than it has been in years.

The highest returning placer will be Matthew Kolodzik of Princeton, and the potential preseason #1 is Anthony Ashnault of Rutgers. Considering Princeton last had a national champ in 1951 and Rutgers has never had an NCAA champ, it represents a major opportunity for the New Jersey based institutions.

The gates opened for the likes of Kolodzik and Ashnault with the exodus of Retherford, Brandon Sorensen, and Jason Tsirtsis, as well as the graduation of Lavion Mayes in 2017. And even though they weren't dominant for their careers, Ronald Perry and Troy Heilmann also closed out their careers in 2018 as All-Americans. That makes 149 this year look like 141 in 2016 after Logan Stieber, Devin Carter, and Mitchell Port all graduated, although this 149 crop is a bit more accomplished.

Aside from Kolodzik and Ashnault, there are six other wrestlers in this weight who have previously placed at NCAAs. Including in that is Micah Jordan, who according to Eleven Warriors will have a wrestle-off with Ke-Shawn Hayes for the starting spot. Jordan was fourth at 149 at the 2017 NCAA tournament. On to the full list of returning AAs this year at 149lbs.

Matthew Kolodzik, Princeton: 7, 3, ?, ?

The junior is on pace to become the Tigers best wrestler in school history. He could become the first Princeton wrestler since Greg Parker in 2002 to make the NCAA finals, and the first since Brad Glass in 1951 to win a national title. There's no guarantees for the Ohio native, who beat Grant Leeth at NCAAs, has split four matches with Ashnault in his college career, was 1-1 against Justin Oliver last year, and got pinned by Pat Lugo at Midlands. However, Kolodzik is absolutely in the conversation of title favorites to start the season. Of note, as a 141 Kolodzik was the 4 seed and finished 7th, but as a 149 was the 11 seed and finished 3rd.

Micah Jordan, Ohio State: R12, 4, 6, ?

This rumor started floating around right after NCAAs, but appeared to be quelled at the NWCA convention when Tom Ryan indicated Joey McKenna might move up from 141. But the reports are now that the loser of the Jordan vs Ke-Shawn Hayes wrestle-off will be going 157. We've yet to see Jordan against basically any of the guys on this list apart from Max Thomsen.

Anthony Ashnault, Rutgers: 8, 4, 6, ?

One of the the biggest stories of last season was the constant "Will he, Won't he" of Ashnault wrestling or not. He wound up missing the whole season due to injury and was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. The first 3x placer in school history, Ashnault is looking to add the program's first national title and break his streak of ending each season on a loss. He is perhaps the most important recruit of the Scott Goodale era, a four-time undefeated state champ in single class New Jersey that helped turn Rutgers into maybe the best team on campus and a legitimate draw for home duals.

Grant Leeth, Missouri: 6, ?, ?, ?

It was great to see Leeth back on the mat last year, even with the neck brace. He entered the national tournament in Cleveland as the three seed and finished sixth in his first trip to the big dance. He has already been awarded eligibility through 2021, meaning Leeth has three more years to try to follow in the footsteps of Drake Houdashelt and Lavion Mayes, former Mizzou 149s who landed on the podium three times; Houdashelt was the national champ in 2015 (the Tigers' last NCAA titleist) and Mayes made the finals in 2017.

Boo Lewallen, Oklahoma State: DNQ, 8, ?, ?

In Stillwater, sometimes opportunity is more important than talent. During Lewallen's time at OSU, he's had to contend with the likes of Dean Heil, Anthony Collica, Tristan Moran, and Geo Martinez just to see the mat. Heil and Collica have both graduated, Moran is now at Wisconsin, and Martinez's career appears to be over due to injuries. This year, he might have to beat out Kaden Gfeller for the starting spot, but it's more likely G stays down at 141.

Tommy Thorn, Minnesota: DNP, 8, DNP, ?

Moving up are all the guys who started at the first four weights for the Gophers last year, which could potentially mitigate some of the potential performance concerns that may have been caused by weight cutting the previous couple years. Thorn has had double digit losses all three of his starting years, and closed out 2018 by losing his last five matches and seven of his last nine, tumbling from being 10th at the end of January to completely out of the final rankings. So despite being a returning AA he'll have a little chip on his shoulder.

Max Thomsen, Northern Iowa: 5, R12, ?, ?

Entering his junior year, Thomsen carries a 59-16 record and two runner-up finishes at his conference tournaments. Both Thomsen and 184 pounder Drew Foster stumbled a bit in Cleveland and did not place after landing on the podium at NCAAs in March of 2017. Both of his losses at the national tournament were to eventual AAs and higher seeds. After beating Lewallen in the dual to start February, he fell to the Cowboy in the Big 12 finals and the second round of NCAAs. He lost in the bloodround to Leeth, who he had beaten a month earlier in the dual against Missouri. So the key for Thomsen this season will be to notch consecutive wins against high level opponents.

Justin Oliver, NC State: 7, R12, R12, ?

The Wolfpack picked up Oliver in May, giving them a consistent presence at 149, and one that will be pushed by two-time qualifier Jamal Morris. Oliver is a perfect example of the vagaries of the NCAA tournament, in which he won his last two matches in 2016 to finish 7th, and then lost in the Round of 12 each of the past two seasons. As a freshman and sophomore he was the nine seed, and then this past season was the six seed. So his performance has consistently reflected that of someone who is a fringe AA contender, and his CKLV title run in December points to his ability to be a high level guy. He's also moving into a room at NC State that is coming off a team trophy and has outperformed his previous school in Central Michigan the whole time he's been in college.

157 Pounds

The night of March 23rd in Pittsburgh, college wrestling will lose an all-time great in Jason Nolf. He's on pace to become a four-time finalist with 3* career losses and is one of the most dominant and innovative wrestlers of this generation.

Aside from Nolf, this year's group of returning AAs at 157 also features Tyler Berger and Alec Pantaleo. Indications as of now are that Micah Jordan will be dropping down to 149 to wrestle-off Ke-Shawn Hayes for the starting spot.

Michael Kemerer's gone up to 174, but non-seniors Hayden Hidlay and Josh Shields will still be there next year after the above-mentioned group graduates. The Pennsylvania natives did not meet last year, but Shields beat Hidlay 3-1 at Midlands in 2016.

In total, there are six previous placers coming back at this weight. On to the full list of returning AAs at 157.

Jason Nolf, Penn State: 2, 1, 1, ?

It's one thing to be a high-level, blue-chip recruit and have a successful college career. It's another to have a top-10 all-time level career. Nolf enters this season with 72 career points at NCAAs, meaning his average is 24 per tournament. If he hits that once again, he'll have 96, which would put him alone in seventh place, ahead of both Zain Retherford and Ed Ruth.

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Hayden Hidlay: NC State: 2, ?, ?, ?

Hidlay walked into Cleveland last year as the 1 seed, which regardless of how you feel about Nolf was accurate based on the regular season. Now, no one was surprised that Nolf still won the weight, and wouldn't be surprised if it happens again. However, Hidlay clearly cemented himself as a guy who is good enough to win a national title, and then followed that up with a finals appearance at the U.S. Open in April before making the U23 world team in June.

Tyler Berger, Nebraska: R12, 5, 3, ?

The Husker senior has progressively done better and better at the big show, filling in well as the man coming in right after James Green graduated. If Berger places this year, he'd be the best wrestler from Oregon since Nick Amuchastegui finished his career going fourth, second, and second for Stanford from 2010-12. While shooting for his 100th career win, Berger will hit just about every other top-10 type guy this season.

Alec Pantaleo, Michigan: DNP, 6, 5, ?

The one man to push Jason Nolf last year was Pantaleo. He'll be the senior leader on a Michigan team looking to win a second straight team trophy. The Wolverine was 2-0 against Berger last season, and 4-0 against Micah Jordan, but fell to Hidlay at both NCAAs and at the U.S. Open. He appears to be the clear #3 heading into the season.

Josh Shields, Arizona State: DNP, 7, ?, ?

Shields had just four losses during the 2017-18 season, two of which were to Kemerer. He started off last season on fire, and really outside of a loss to Luke Zilverberg at NCAAs didn't have any head-scratchers. However, he has been to two NCAAs, and performed under seed both times. He went 1-2 as the nine seed in 2017 and finished seventh as the four seed last year. However, Shields is good enough to beat just about anyone at this weight.

Paul Fox, Stanford: DNW, 7th, R12, ?

The Pac-12 has two of the seven returning AAs, making it perhaps the strongest weight in the conference. He actually had a better overall season as a junior, but won his final two matches as a sophomore to finish seventh; he injured his knee as a freshman and could not wrestle in the conference tournament. The man on Stanford's roster who is perhaps most likely to replicate or exceed Fox's career is Shane Griffith, a true freshman who may be just one weight up from Fox and be able to drill every day with the Cardinal's senior leader.

165 Pounds

Entering this season, there is only one wrestler in all of Division I who is halfway to four NCAA titles. Attempting to knock off Vincenzo Joseph in his quest for his third national title are six other All-Americans returning at 165 pounds. 

What will be interesting to see is if Joseph can have his first undefeated season, an ultimately pointless accomplishment if you can still win the crown with losses, but something for which every wrestler obviously strives. He has the potential to hit Evan Wick, Chance Marsteller, and Logan Massa in the regular season.

Heading up to 174 are David McFadden and Chandler Rogers, but entering the weight is Joseph Smith. Aside from Cenzo, Smith will be the only other multiple-time placer at 165 this year.

An interesting note before we start the article: the last champ at 165 who didn't end up with more than one NCAA title in his career was Andrew Howe, who went undefeated as a sophomore in 2010. Since then, Jordan Burroughs, David Taylor, Kyle Dake, Alex Dieringer, and Vincenzo Joseph have been the titleholders. 

Vincenzo Joseph, Penn State: 1, 1, ?, ?

The Nittany Lion enters this season with a 47-6 career record, and two of the biggest wins in this decade. With the graduation of Isaiah Martinez comes Joseph entering the role of favorite, the one being hunted, by the rest of the guys on this list. Along with that, can he create separation from the field? Meaning, he's had overtime or last-second wins at his two national tournaments before the finals, which in theory means he was in danger of losing those matches.

Logan Massa, Michigan: 3, DNP, ?, ?

A leg injury suffered at CKLV severely derailed Massa's sophomore season. Although he kept wrestling and picked up wins over Alex Marinelli and Isaiah White, it seemed like Massa was not the same type of buzzsaw he was during his 32-3 freshman year. Perhaps that just means the other guys have caught up to him, but hopefully he'll be healthy this year so we can find out for sure if that is the case or not.

Evan Wick, Wisconsin: 3, ?, ?, ?

Wick entered NCAAs as the No. 10 seed and ended his redshirt freshman year in the bronze-medal stand on the podium in Cleveland. He'll get to wrestle Joseph on January 13 in Madison, just two weeks after Midlands. Among guys who beat him last season, Richie Lewis has graduated and McFadden is moving up in weight.

Chance Marsteller, Lock Haven: DNW, DNW, 4, ?

The long, strange journey of Chance Marsteller is coming to an end this season, at least as it pertains to competing in college wrestling. After several years of not being able to compete at a conference tournament, for one reason or another, he not only qualified for his first national tournament but made it all the way to the third-place match. He'll get one final crack at a national title, something that hasn't been done at Lock Haven since 1997 and a goal many thought Marsteller would achieve multiple times.

Joe Smith, Oklahoma State: 7, 4, ?, ?

It's never easy to see an All-American on the bench, especially for the Cowboys, who went from getting fourth-place points from Smith in 2017 to not even qualifying 157 last year. Smith is bumping up this season and will still be big for the weight. Back in 2015, right after he graduated high school, Smith lost 7-3 to Marsteller at UWW Junior Nationals and fell 4-0 to Logan Massa at Junior Trials. A year later, Cenzo pinned him at the Junior Open, in what was the last time he saw any of the guys from this list.

Alex Marinelli: 6, ?, ?, ?

It was well documented that Marinelli ended his season 6-6 over his final dozen matches after entering the Big Ten championships undefeated. However, during the regular season he beat Joseph, Massa, Rogers, Richie Lewis, and Nick Wanzek, so it's very obvious Marinelli can be in the national championships conversation. The Hawkeyes are relying on plenty of young guns this season, and Marinelli is one of them.

Jon Jay Chavez, Cornell: DNQ, DNQ, 7, ?

After not wrestling a match in the 2016-17, Chavez came back strong to win EIWAs and place at the big show. Now a senior Greco-Roman world team member, the senior might miss some early season matches as he transitions back into folkstyle. Starting NCAAs as the 16 seed, Chavez outlasted Isaiah White in tiebreakers in the Round of 12 and then took out two-time All-American Rogers in the seventh-place match.

174 Pounds

One of the best potential rivalries in college wrestling right now is Mark Hall vs Zahid Valencia. Now, if Valencia goes up as many people, including those on this very website, have speculated, that rivalry would go up in smoke. But right now, we're going with what ASU's official website says, which has Valencia at 174lbs.

Last year's NCAA finalists lead a group of nine previous All-Americans who will all be competing at 174 this season. Coming up into the weight are David McFadden and Chandler Rogers, both of whom placed at 165 last year.

The one truly wild x-factor is Michael Kemerer, who is also coming in weight, but from 157. Iowa already had high expectations for this season, but Kemerer's weight change, along with several transfers and freshmen coming off redshirt, will be incredibly fun to follow once the Division I season begins.

Zahid Valencia, Arizona State: 3, 1, ?, ?

The single most important recruit of the Zeke Jones era, Valencia has entered each of the past two NCAA tournaments as the one seed, with his only loss coming in the infamous headgear pull semi against Hall. After making it to Final X against Kyle Dake this summer, the Sun Devil junior certainly doesn't appear to be slowing down (or stop shooting) any time soon.

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Mark Hall, Penn State: 1, 2, ?, ?

Baybee Marky has been in our lives for nearly a decade now, someone who was viewed as one of the greatest high school wrestlers ever and a can't miss prospect when it came time for college. From his deadly duck under to the always-lethal konkrete special, Hall is always able to pull matches out against the best guys. If Valencia goes 184, this is clearly his weight, and even if his ASU nemesis doesn't, it still might end up being Hall's anyway.

Myles Amine, Michigan: 4, 3, ?, ?

Amine has twice now outperformed his seed at the national tournament, a great example of a guy who will take a loss here or there in the regular season but has a style suited for March. Four of his losses were to Hall and Valencia by a combined six points, and he avenged losses to both Bo Jordan and Jordan Kutler later in the year.

David McFadden, Virginia Tech: 6, DNW, 5, ?, ?

The lanky McFadden has had an excellent start to his college career. A true freshman AA coming out of DePaul in New Jersey, he redshirted his second year. Last year, he walked into NCAAs undefeated and finished second, and now he is on the U23 world team. Perhaps the bump up may hurt McFadden slightly, but it seems wise to give him an easier cut AND allow Mekhi Lewis to be in the lineup.

Michael Kemerer, Iowa: 3, 4, ?, ?

As you can see, this middle portion of the article is for the weight jumpers. There's no question Kemerer was a force at 157 for two years, but it seems reasonable to be a little reserved about him coming up not one but two weights. If the pace he had when he was lighter holds, he won't be much fun for anyone to deal with. There will be no shortage of legitimate tests this year for the Hawkeye.

Chandler Rogers, Oklahoma State: DNP, 5, 8, ?

So, this one isn't set in stone. Could he stay at 165? Sure, but that puts him or Joe Smith on the bench. Here, Rogers very well may be beaten out by Jacobe Smith, last year's AA for the Cowboys at 174. But for now, we're operating that the man with 35 career pins will be dome tossing other 174s around Gallagher-Iba this season.

Daniel Lewis, Missouri: 4, 6, 4, ?

Yet another in the long line of Tiger AAs who stayed in-state, Lewis is an absolute hammer on top. He's close to 100 career wins, and 75 total bonus point victories. Lewis also made his way into the U23 Trials finals at the beginning of June. Brian Smith can rely on Lewis for team points in the teens once again this coming March in Pittsburgh.

Jordan Kutler, Lehigh: DNW, 6, ?, ?

Mountain Hawk fans have to feel some sort of way about the way Kutler's first two varsity years have ended. He didn't wrestle at EIWAs as a freshman when he would have been a very high seed at NCAAs, and then had to injury default out of his final matches in Cleveland this year. He also mysteriously defaulted out of U23s in the quarterfinals.

Brandon Womack, Cornell: 8th, DNP, ?, ?

When Brandon Womack beat Anthony Valencia 8-7 at the 2017 NCAA tournament in St. Louis, it not only avenged a loss earlier in the season, it also made him the first Division 1 All-American from Alabama since 1980. He did not have the same success up at 174 last year, but nonetheless the man has two years left to regain his spot on the podium. Womack wrestle for a big-time program in Cornell, and is crucial to their efforts at a team trophy in Pittsburgh.

184 Pounds

Now that preseason has officially started, pictures and videos are starting to filter in of teams practicing, all striving for the same goal: to win national championships and become All-Americans.

Some have already accomplished these goals but still have eligibility remaining. Continuing in our series of returning All-Americans is 184 pounds, where at least eight placers return. That could number could balloon to 10, depending on what Arizona State and Oklahoma State do with their lineups.

After much speculation about Zahid Valencia, we put him in the 174 returning AA article, but it is still possible he comes up to 184. That still leaves a tremendously deep weight, as you will see below. And this list doesn't even include Ryan Presich, last year's three seed, as well as Nick Reenan, coming off a Final X appearance.

Myles Martin, Ohio State: 1, 5, 2, ?

Martin is a three-time All-American without the benefit of a redshirt year. One of four seniors on this year's Buckeye team, Martin's leadership will be crucial as Ohio State begins a new era, ushering in a group of freshmen tasked with replacing six multiple-time placers. It's reasonable to expect Martin to be a Hodge finalist, particularly with Bo Nickal moving up to 197 and Zahid Valencia possibly staying down at 174.

Emery Parker, Illinois: DNQ, R12, 3, ?

The "Ultimate Road Warrior" after losing his first match in Cleveland and peeling off seven straight wins to get third, Parker's senior year will be bittersweet for the Illini. He worked his way up in high school, finally making the Illinois state finals as a senior and placing in Virginia Beach at NHSCAs. Then, he sat behind AA Zac Brunson for two years before bumping up to 184 and upsetting Martin at NCAAs. Now, after his performance last year and with no Isaiah Martinez in the lineup, Parker becomes the man in his final season in the orange and blue singlet.

Taylor Venz, Nebraska: 4, ?, ?, ?

A huge part of Nebraska placing in the top-10 at NCAAs was redshirt freshmen Chad Red and Venz over-performing their seed and winding up on the podium. Among guys he lost to last year, Dom Abounader and Pete Renda have graduated, and Nick Gravina may not be the same guy anymore due to shoulder issues. He also did earn a win against Parker, at Big Tens, so Venz has an outside shot at making the national finals.

Zack Zavatsky, Virginia Tech: DNP, DNP, 6, ?

The third time was the charm for Zavatsky at the big show; sometimes it takes a few tries to get it done. He was battle tested throughout the year, wrestling Venz, Abounader, Ness, Dean, Ryan Preisch, and Pete Renda. Now in his final year at Virginia Tech, he's on pace to have a Joey Dance-like career.

Chip Ness, North Carolina: DNQ, DNP, RS, 7, ?

Ness dropped down from 197 his first two years in Chapel Hill. After a redshirt season in his third year on campus, he turned himself into an AA as a junior. He started off his tournament with wins over Parker and Venz, ultimately beating three placers in a tremendously impressive tournament. He's the first Tar Heel since Ethan Ramos to place and be able to come back the next year.

Max Dean, Cornell: 8, ?, ?, ?

Dean was able to experience placing above two guys he lost to during the year in Preisch and Drew Foster, though he also beat Foster twice. As per usual, Rob Koll and his staff got the most out of the likes of Dean and Jon Jay Chavez at the national tournament, placing higher as a team than people would expect based on their seeds and regular season results. At the end of February, the sophomore has an excellent chance to raise his seed for NCAAs, as the Big Red finish their dual season with Virginia Tech (Zavatsky), North Carolina (Ness), and Ohio State (Martin).

Drew Foster, Northern Iowa: DNQ, 7, DNP

The story on Foster is well known: losing record as a redshirt freshman to AA as a sophomore. The Big 12 champ did not place after securing the nine seed at NCAAs last season, losing in the second round to Dean before catching Parker during his path of destruction on the backside. Coach Doug Schwab and the Panthers are leaning on the senior leadership of Foster and 141 Josh Alber this year, needing a lot of wins from both in duals and for them to place in Pittsburgh.

Shakur Rasheed, Penn State: DNW, DNW, 7, ?

All it took was a few years in the Penn State room and the freedom to not worry about cutting weight. Rasheed was perhaps the most crucial part of the seventh title of the Cael era in Happy Valley, placing seventh at 197 when most had him penciled in as the third string to start the year. Now switching weights with Bo Nickal, it's hard to figure out where he slots in at this weight. When doing the184 tiers on FRL 314, I placed him in the fifth spot. Place him wherever you'd like in your power rankings, Rasheed has huge team point potential once again.

Jacobe Smith, Oklahoma State: JUCO, JUCO, RS, 7, ?

The two-time NJCAA champ has had a winding but stellar college career. After initially verballing to the Cowboys, he found himself at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M for two years, winning a couple titles before transferring to Stillwater. An undefeated record during his redshirt year carried over to a finals appearance at University Nationals. Even an injury could not keep him off the podium last year at 174. There is a bit of guesswork in placing him in this article. Joe Smith is bumping up to 165, and Chandler Rogers wrestled up at U23 Trials. Jacobe could battle Rogers, or try to bump up to keep transfer Dakota Geer on the bench at 184.

197 Pounds

For the second year in a row, the 197lb NCAA finals featured two seniors. However, that does not mean this weight is without a national finalist, as Bo Nickal is bumping up and swapping with Shakur Rasheed.

Our series on returning All-Americans by weight class continues today with light heavyweight, where there are six placers coming back. That excludes Ben Darmstadt of Cornell, the only freshman to place at 197 last season, because we are unsure if he will be wrestling this year.

Although the Big Ten is far and away the best conference, it is actually the Big 12 who returns the most AAs, with three. Nickal and Kollin Moore give the Big Ten their two from the podium this past March, and Kyle Conel is the lone ranger from the MAC.

Bo Nickal, Penn State: 2, 1, 1, ?

Bo Nickal is following the Quentin Wright weight gain program, going up twice in his career, from 174 to 184 to 197. Fans will be treated to Nickal getting guaranteed matchups with the two highest returning placers in Kyle Conel and Kollin Moore, both of whom we will get into below. Much like his fellow senior Jason Nolf, Nickal can end his PSU career as one of the most decorated college wrestlers of all-time.

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Kyle Conel, Kent State: DNQ, DNP, 3, ?

Perhaps the best story of last year's national tournament in Cleveland, we'll get to see Conel tested early, having Nickal and Iowa stud freshman Jacob Warner on the second weekend of the season. It's hard to jive his 11 losses with his third place finish at NCAAs, but he did make the U23 finals in June. We also have yet to see where our esteemed rankers will have Conel start the year, so stay tuned for that. Last but not least, coming soon: the Kyle Conel FloFilm.

Kollin Moore, Ohio State: 3, 4, ?, ?

Moore's appearance on the U23 world team makes me think we won't see much if any of him in the first semester. His sophomore season was not quite as impressive as his freshman campaign, but that just meant finishing one spot lower on the podium and bonusing at a lower rate. He's still an elite 197, and most would say he'll be the biggest challenger for Nickal this season.

Jacob Holschlag, Northern Iowa: DNP, 5, ?, ?

I wonder how the Nittany Lion fans react to seeing Holschlag on this list, who beat Anthony Cassar controversially in the Scuffle semis and placed ahead of Shakur Rasheed at NCAAs in spite of losing in the first round, albeit not to Rasheed. In any case, he was UNI's 2018 version of Drew Foster in terms of surprise, not seeded AAs. The once young Panthers are now littered with upperclassmen, and will be counting on Holschlag to place again. He was a part of their crucial 2015 recruiting class that will produce six starters this year, including Max Thomsen, Taylor Lujan, and Bryce Steiert.

Preston Weigel, Oklahoma State: R12, 6, DNP, ?

I'm not sure why anyone chooses bottom against Weigel. The 2017 All-American is the king of 6-0 wins: an escape, four points off a cross wrist tilt, and riding time. It was difficult to watch him at the end of last year knowing he was severely hampered by injury. He teched Conel in the first period in January, but was not the same guy come March. If he's fully healthy, he can be a Top-3 guy all season.

Willie Miklus, Iowa State: 7, 6, 8, ?

Not only did Miklus receive a sixth year of eligibility, but he will be spending it back in his home state. He transferred to Iowa State to finish out his career as a Cyclone under Kevin Dresser and to be closer to his family. Even with the untimely departure of Mike Zadick, things are looking up in Ames, as they now have an All-American in the lineup, as well as a guy with three years left who made the Round of 12. Combine that with Austin Gomez and Marcus Coleman coming off redshirt, as well as bringing in David Carr this year and other good recruits in 2019, and Miklus can make a huge difference if he lays a strong foundation of senior leadership for his young core of teammates.

285 Pounds

We've finally gotten to the big boys, the heavyweights, the 285lb behemoths at the end of the lineup. Our series on returning All-Americans concludes with the largest guys on the team.

There's a small group coming back, but that is to be expected at a weight that is traditionally dominated by juniors and seniors. This year also is pretty much the demarcation point to a new era of excellent heavyweights about to join the college ranks.

The one big question mark is Nick Nevills. A two-time All-American for Penn State, he might end up on the shelf this year and apply for a medical redshirt, which was part of why Anthony Cassar is bumping up to wrestle heavyweight.

Aside from Nevills, the Big Ten returns two big guns in Sam Stoll and Youssif Hemida, the latter of which will be representing Team USA at the U23 world championships. If Amar Dhesi still has a year of eligibility left as we expect, then he is your highest returning placer, along with fellow Pac-12 star Tanner Hall, who was third in 2017 but did not place this past March.

Amar Dhesi, Oregon State: DNP, 5th, 3rd, ?

As mentioned above, we're still unsure if Dhesi has one final season of eligibility available to him. He alternated NCAA appearances in even years (2014, 2016, 2018) with "redshirt" seasons in 2015 and 2017. Along with Ronnie Bresser, the Beavers have excellent bookends to their lineup.

Nick Nevills, Penn State: DNW, 5, 7, ?

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but the tea leaves seem to be pointing to Nevills missing this year. With Cassar bumping up and Nick's younger brother Seth greyshirting, it just makes sense if Nick foregoes this year and gets a sixth year of eligibility. However, he has been a crucial piece in the Nittany Lion's past two titles, placing both years and scoring 18.5 total team points.

Sam Stoll, Iowa: DNW, DNW, 5, ?

There's a possibility Stoll becomes the de facto #1 if Dhesi is out of eligibility and Nevills doesn't wrestle. The Midlands champ was 1-2 vs Nevills, beating him at NCAAs and also placing behind Dhesi. We also must of course mention his issue with being shot in the kneethis summer, but that may not end up affecting his season much if at all.

Tanner Hall, Arizona State: DNP, 3, DNP, ?

Talk about a tough season for Hall. He was very highly ranked to start the year, and nearly beat Adam Coon at the CKLV. Then he took a controversial loss to Sam Stoll in the Midlands finals. And he was in the best weight in the Pac-12 with Dhesi and Nathan Butler in his way. He went from third in 2017 to not placing after losing to Derek White and Jere Heino at NCAAs, so Hall might have a bit of a chip on his shoulder this season.

Youssif Hemida, Maryland: DNQ, DNP, 8, ?

Hemida was the premier recruit of the past several years, and wrestles for one of the best heavyweights of the past two or three decades. So we probably should've seen this one coming, especially competing in the nation's toughest conference. It will be interesting to see how Hemida follows up his AA performance when he'll be coming off U23 worlds.