It's finally here! Make sure you are prepared with our complete guide to the 2018-19 NCAA wrestling season. We've taken every individual weight class preview we did and mashed them into one monstrous preview. It's a veritable monsterous mash!

NCAA WEIGHT CLASS RANKINGS

125-Pounds

The Favorite: Spencer Lee, Iowa

Well, this one wasn't hard. The first true freshman champ in the 20-year-history of the 125lb weight class, he tied Matt McDonough's 2012 NCAAs for the most points by a 125 at the national tournament (27).

I don't think I'm alone in thinking that the Pennsylvania native can rip through this season and be a Hodge finalist. We still don't know Oregon State's schedule yet, but it would be fun to see if he can avenge his loss to Ronnie Bresser at Midlands. Bresser and (maybe, possibly, potentially) Fix are the only curiosities for Lee, who last beat Suriano 5-1, pinned Nick Piccininni, and majored Sebastian Rivera 12-0.

For the rest of Spencer's career, there will be questions like, can he have a season with 100% bonus? Can he be a four-time champ? Will he break Cael Sanderson's career NCAA tournament points record? All remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Spencer Lee is one of the heaviest favorites at any weight this season.

Down below, there are key dates for the heavy hitters, of which Lee factors heavily into three duals, plus of course Midlands at the end of December. But before we get there, here are your potential finalists opposite Lee.

The Clear #2: Nick Suriano, Rutgers

In two years in college, Surinao's only losses are to Hawkeyes: Thomas Gilman in 2017 and Spencer Lee in these past NCAA finals. But otherwise, he's beaten both of the 2017 NCAA finalists, and also has wins over last year's All-Americans Sebastian Rivera, Ronnie Bresser, and Zeke Moisey.

Some other stats for Suriano last year: 25-1 with 17 bonus point wins (6 majors, 8 techs, and 3 pinfalls). That was an improvement upon his freshmen year at Penn State, where he was 16-1 with 11 bonus point victories (7 majors, 2 techs, and 2 pinfalls). So roughly the same bonus rate, but picked up on his techs and pins.

There was a discussion as to whether Suriano should be in the 133lb preview or not. But we ranked him at 125, so he's going there for now. But to be very clear, even Rutgers, who Mike Mal and Ryan Holmes just visited, does not know which weight Suriano will be going this season. 

If you listened to FRL 303 when we did the 125 tiers, there were several guys mentioned as potential finalists if Suriano bumps up. Who are those guys? Glad you asked.

[Edit: Since original publication, it has been announced that Suriano will begin the year at 133. But will he stay there? We shall find out as the season continues!]

Best of the Rest

#3 Sebastian Rivera, Northwestern

#4 Ronnie Bresser, Oregon State

#5 Nick Piccininni, Oklahoma State

#6 Zeke Moisey, Nebraska

Between 2017 and 2018, this weight lost Thomas Gilman, Nathan Tomasello, Darian Cruz, Ethan Lizak, Joey Dance, and Jack Mueller. That's a good thing for a guy like Sebastian Rivera, who placed as a redshirt freshman and seems like a lock to place as long as he's in the tournament.

Is there anyone at 125 more difficult to take down than Ronnie Bresser? Going into NCAAs, he had only given up four takedowns on the year, but then gave them up that many between Elijah Oliver and Rivera. While the Lee upset in the Midlands semis showed his potential, he is more close to the guy who lost 9-4 to Ryan Millhof.

Piccininni had the misfortune of losing to 1st place Spencer Lee and 4th place Ethan Lizak in Cleveland, the year after he himself took fourth. Aside from Lee, Picc might have the best top game at 125, to go along with an extremely consistent series of leg attacks.

That's right, Zeke Moisey is still in the mix. The 2015 NCAA finalist is back for one more season, but is now at Nebraska. It seems odd to say for a guy whose career was defined by inconsistency, but Moisey might be one of the safer bets in this year's field.

Sleepers and Landmines

#15 Christian Moody, Oklahoma

#18 Rayvon Foley, Michigan State

Shakur Laney, Ohio

Alonzo Allen, Chattanooga

We're ruling out the term "darkhorses" here, because that gets too contentious. We have instead agreed upon the dual terms sleepers and/or landmines, and I set my criteria as such: ranked 15 or lower, has never made the Round of 12, and cannot have been in the Top-30 on their final Big Board in high school.

Essentially, these are people who might be able to pull a big upset during the season or at NCAAs, but have not yet done something of that magnitude. Also, there is a section right below this called "new blood" that will take care of the Big Boarders.

Shakur Laney was the last man out of the rankings after not wrestling last year, and has beaten 16 NCAA qualifiers in his career, as well as a 1-0 loss to Darian Cruz the year he won a national title. Rayvon Foley seems to be a popular choice and looked good in Vegas in April. Alonzo Allen is a multiple time qualifier entering his senior year. Moody had a 4-1 match with Suriano last year that he lost, and has beaten Allen and pinned Noah Baughman of Cornell, who was probably the 34th best guy at this weight for two straight years.

I'm also including Brandon Courtney of Arizona State and Austin Assad of Michigan in here as "sleepers" because they might steal starting spots and cause problems this season.

New Blood

Pat Glory, Princeton

Gavin Teasdale, Penn State

Two of the marquee recruits from the class of 2018, as well as guys who have been wrestling each other since middle school. Glory finally earned a win over Teasdale (watch their WNO match below), but Teasdale returned the favor at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic. I believe Teasdale will ultimately be the Nittany Lion's starter, but that we might not see him until the second semester, just in case they don't want to burn his redshirt.

With Glory, I see a lot of Jack Mueller in him. That's why I'm rolling the dice on him to place as a true freshman, which should also tell you that I wouldn't dismiss anyone who picks Teasdale to place. Glory was a four-time New Jersey state finalist and twice won Super 32, and for good reason. The kid scrambles at a college level, has a developed top game, and will be big for the weight. Oh, and his coach won a couple national titles at this weight.

The Delbarton product will be thoroughly tested this season in duals, as well as being able to hit several high level guys at Midlands. That might hurt his seed a little, but he might just ride into NCAAs on a double-digit winning streak having beaten a previous AA in Connor Schram in the EIWA finals. Teasdale won't be as heavily tested, even including the Scuffle, so leaning on his high school resume would probably be wise.

Key Dates

• Nov. 16th - Princeton at Iowa
• Jan. 6th - Northwestern at Nebraska
• Jan. 12th - Oklahoma State at Princeton
• Jan. 13th - Oklahoma State at Rutgers
• Jan. 18th - Rutgers at Iowa
• Jan. 20th - Nebraska at Penn State
• Jan. 27th - Iowa at Northwestern
• Feb. 3rd - Princeton at Rutgers
• Feb. 8th - Minnesota at Nebraska
• Feb. 24th - Iowa at Oklahoma State

Unfortunately, Oregon State's schedule is not out yet, so it's hard to pinpoint key dates for Ronnie Bresser. However, looks like basically all the top guys will get tested during the year, as well as the young bucks Glory and Teasdale.

I didn't include CKLV, Reno, Midlands, or Scuffle, however, those fields will be loaded and factor heavily into rankings and seeding. The two biggest dates to circle are January 13 (Oklahoma State at Rutgers) and February 24 (Iowa at Oklahoma State) if both Daton Fix and Nick Suriano wind up at 125.

Aside from those, I've highlighted Pat Glory's major tests, as well as Teasdale's showdown with Moisey. I also included a match between AAs Sean Russell and Moisey, as well as Rivera's opportunities to see Moisey and Lee in duals.

Nomad's Predictions

1. Spencer Lee, Iowa
2. Nick Suriano, Rutgers
3. Sebastian Rivera, Northwestern
4. Nick Piccininni, Oklahoma State
5. Ronnie Bresser, Oregon State
6. Pat Glory, Princeton
7. Zeke Moisey, Nebraska
8. Sean Russell, Minnesota

If Suriano bumps up, make Sean Fausz the eighth placer. There's a real question in my mind about Rivera vs Piccininni for that spot below Spencer and Suriano. Those two did not meet last year, but the Cowboy was probably a little better during his 2017 season than Rivera was during the 2018 season. For now, recency bias has me going with Rivera.

Bresser has too much upside and is so staunch defensively it's hard not to see him placing again in this sort of field. I like Glory to place for all the reasons mentioned above. For all that was made of Moisey's career, the young man is in position to end his career as a three-time placer.

The last spot was pretty difficult. I barely mentioned Russell at all and didn't bring up Fausz till this last portion of the preview. It's hard to pick Fausz given that there are always concerns his performance might be affected by weight cut. Fair or not, that is the perception of the NC State senior, who lost to Louie Hayes at the national tournament. Oh yeah, Hayes is ranked 8th to start the year.

Ultimately, it's Spencer Lee's world, and the rest of the 125s are just living in it.

133-Pounds

Like the preceding weight class, the 2018 NCAA champion returns to collegiate competition this upcoming season. Unlike 125-pound rising sophomore Spencer Lee, South Dakota State's Seth Gross is entering his final year of eligibility, so these are your last opportunities to catch Gross in a Jackrabbit singlet.  

133 pounds is a good one, but before we start digging into the minutiae, feel free to take a moment to peruse last year's 133-pound preview. Wow, I did not see Tariq Wilson coming. But you probably didn't either, so no shame there. 

OK, enough of the past — it's time to look to the future! 

The Favorite

Seth Gross, South Dakota State

No surprise here. Gross has been nearly invincible ever since making the move down from 141 after his redshirt freshman season. Following the drop in weight class Gross has lost just three times: once to Eric Montoya in sudden victory in the semifinals of the 2016 Midlands, once to Cory Clark in the finals of the finals of the 2017 NCAA Championship, and once after bumping back up to 141 for a supermatch against Bryce Meredith when both were ranked #1 in their respective weight classes. 

Watch Gross and Meredith's epic battle in its entirety below.

If Gross has a vulnerability, it's possible it's his susceptibility to leg attacks. But getting to Gross's legs is one thing, finishing is another. And you're going to need to score a lot of takedowns, because Gross is probably going to score some back points on you and pick up a riding time point as well. 

Past success is no guarantee for future results, but Gross just needs to maintain his current level of dominance to secure a third finals appearance and second straight 133-pound title. There will be no shortage of contenders looking to disrupt those plans, but Gross, already the first Jackrabbit champion in program history, will be added to his legacy in Brookings, South Dakota, with every match of the season. 

The Contenders

#2 Stevan Micic, Michigan

#3 Tariq Wilson, North Carolina State

#9 Daton Fix, Oklahoma State

Stevan Micic, the Serbian Sickle, reached the NCAA finals before falling to Gross 13-8. He's been keeping busy since then, winning a European bronze medal in freestyle while competing for Serbian Wrestling Federation. Though he stumbled at the CKLV early in the 2017-18 season, losing to Luke Pletcher and Austin DeSanto, he was perfect the rest of the way until the NCAA finals. Micic's freestyle success provides a glimmer of hope that he can make the necessary gains to overtake Gross.

Tariq Wilson had a prototypical breakout performance at NCAAs, reaching the semifinals without the benefit of a seed. It wasn't even clear Wilson would be the Wolfpack starter until late in the season. The redshirt freshman from Steubenville, Ohio, lost twice to his teammate, Jamel Morris, in two separate fall events, the Journeymen Collegiate Classic and the Wolfpack Open. Even after winning the starting spot, Wilson was very much a sleeper pick, finishing fourth in the ACC Tournament. 

But inside the Quicken Loans Arena, Tariq was a man on a mission. Not only did Wilson beat the #3, #4, and #5 seeds on his way to a third-place trophy, but he did so in a convincing manner, the smallest margin of victory being 8-3. Wilson feasted on legs the entire tournament and gave Seth Gross his toughest match of the season — against a fellow 133-pounder at least. 

Finally, we have Daton Fix, who is the biggest wildcard of our list of contenders. First, there is the possibility of him going 125 pounds. Second, there is his limited body of work in folkstyle at the collegiate level. However, winning three consecutive junior world medals in freestyle as well as U23 national title gives Fix enough credentials to know he is the real deal. 

Additionally, we should note that if Nick Suriano goes 133, as it is rumored he might, then he too would be a contender for the 133-pound NCAA crown. And if either Fix or Suriano would like to publically declare at which weight class they will be spending the next season competing that would be just super. 

Best of the Rest

#4 Luke Pletcher, Ohio State

#5 Ethan Lizak, Minnesota

#6 Scott Parker, Lehigh

#7 Montorie Bridges, Wyoming

#8 Austin DeSanto, Iowa

Everyone else in the top eight of our preseason rankings has shown flashes of brilliance that place them in our contenders' penumbra. Pletcher was undefeated until late in the season. Though he beat Micic in the CKLV, Micic would have his revenge in the next three consecutive matchups, culminating in an 8-4 win in the NCAA semifinals, putting some distance between him and his intraconference rival. 

Lizak is the most distinguished of this bunch, having reached the NCAA finals in 2017 and placing fourth last season, albeit at 125 pounds. If the one they call Backpack can continue stretching out and frustrating opponents up a weight class, he may move himself up into the contender category. 

Bridges and Parker are both All-Americans with many quality wins, however, they have not quite broken through to the top tier of the division, at least not yet. 

Finally, there is DeSanto, who last season was an electric factory from neutral but struggled mightily from the bottom position. If the move from Drexel to Iowa pays off, DeSanto could vault himself into title contention. However, that's a big if, as DeSanto's distinctive style will be thoroughly scouted, and the competition will be prepared for his tricep control fireman's carries and dumps. 

Sleepers and Landmines

#16 Josh Terao, American

#18 Micky Phillippi, Pittsburgh

Gary Wayne Harding, North Carolina

Brian Courtney, Virginia

Are these dark horses? Neigh, they are sleepers and landmines. To identify dark horses requires hindsight. Here we are identifying potential future dark horses. A subtle but necessary distinction. And to keep things interesting, we're limited ourselves to low or unranked wrestlers who were not at the top of the list of high school blue-chip recruits their senior year. 

Josh Terao appeared to be turning the corner with his finals appearance at the 2017 CKLV (a lot of stuff happens at the CKLV, you should tune in to this year's event on November 30th and December 1!) but the Flyin Hawaiin couldn't get over the hump at nationals. Even if he misses the podium again on his final attempt, Terao is no one's ideas of a lucky draw. 

I'm cheating on our own rules with Micky Phillippi, who was technically #16 on the Big Board, but that was back in 2015, and this will be Phillippi's first year of varsity action, so I think the world is due for a reminder that Micky is still very much in the mix at 133. 

Big Game Gary Wayne removed one piece of the puzzle from the lightweight log jam at Oklahoma State by transferring to North Carolina. He could benefit from the tutelage of Coleman Scott and Tony Ramos and make something happen in his senior season. 

And while not as big a name as some of the other folks in the section below, Brian Courtney was a sought after if not top 30 recruit. Given Virginia's recent track record with lightweights like Jack Mueller and Louie Hayes, it would be foolish to overlook Courtney's chances as he takes over 133 for the Cavaliers and a redshirting Mueller. 

New Blood

Roman Bravo-Young, Penn State

Austin Gomez, Iowa State

Vito Arujau, Cornell

I'm not sure if Nomad was or wasn't counting redshirt freshman in his 125-pound New Blood section, but I am in mine, because you need to know about all these guys and the Contender and Best of the Rest categories are already getting crowded. 

Bravo-Young is a true freshman who ended up ranked #12 in the class of 2018 Big Board. Penn State was all over that class, and the young man from Sunnyside, Arizona will likely be counted on by Cael and Co. to man the 133-pound weight class for the Nittany Lions this season. RBY has been making high school wrestling headlines for a while now, having participated in the last two editions of Who's #1. His long-awaited college debut cannot come soon enough.

Both Gomez and Arujau had solid if not spectacular seasons deferring eligibility. Arujau was ranked #4 on the Class of 2017 Big Board while Gomez was #11, however, Gomez recently gained the upper-hand by beating Arujau in two instant classic matches at the 2018 Junior World Team Trials. 

Speaking of the 2017 Big Board, that class is turning into a monster for the 133-pound weight class, as it also includes #1 Daton Fix and #17 Austin DeSanto, among others who are sure to emerge in the upcoming season. 

Key Dates

• November 16 - Lehigh at Michigan (Micic vs Parker)
• November 17 - Oklahoma State at South Dakota State (Gross vs Fix)
• November 18 - Oklahoma State at Minnesota (Lizak vs Fix)
• November 25 - South Dakota State at Minnesota (Lizak vs Gross, how's that for back-to-back duals for Gross and Lizak?)
• November 25 - Wyoming at Oklahoma State (Fix vs Bridges, how about Fix's back-to-back-to-back duals?)
• January 6 - North Carolina State at Ohio State (Pletcher vs Wilson)
• January 13 - Iowa at Minnesota (Lizak vs DeSanto)
• January 25 - Michigan at Ohio State (Pletcher vs Micic)
• February 1 - North Carolina State at Virginia (Courtney vs Wilson)
• February 10 - South Dakota State at Wyoming (Bridges vs Gross)
• February 24 - Iowa at Oklahoma State (every dang match will be fire)

Like my colleague Danie Lobdell, I did not include CKLV, Reno, Midlands, or Scuffle in the above list. Unlike my esteemed colleague, I will spell out the full names of the months of the year of our key dates like a real professional. Anyway, those events take place between November 30th and January 2nd and will greatly affect the rankings and NCAA seeds. 

Your pre-Turkey Day dual slate is a veritable cornucopia of juicy match ups. And even if Fix doesn't go 133, the Cowboys will still have some stud manning the weight class, so keeps those dates circled on your calendar regardless. 

And then, capping the regular season off with Iowa at Oklahoma State is just perfect. That dual meet will surely be making many appearances in this section of subsequent weight classes. 

Spey's Spredictions

1st: Seth Gross, South Dakota State

2nd: Stevan Micic, Michigan

3rd: Daton Fix, Oklahoma State

4th: Tariq Wilson, North Carolina State

5th: Luke Pletcher, Ohio State

6th: Ethan Lizak, Minnesota

7th: Austin DeSanto, Iowa

8th: Austin Gomez, Iowa State

R12: Vito Arujau, Cornell

R12: Roman Bravo-Young, Penn State

R12: Scott Parker, Lehigh

R12: Montorie Bridges, Wyoming

I predict all the way out to the Round of 12, unlike Nomad, who is a coward. 

Whilst gazing into my scrying pool, I see a repeat of Cleveland's finals happening in Pittsburgh. I also see a lot of youth being served. Fix at third may be a risky pick but I think based on talent, Fix is at least the third best wrestler in the weight. I think the size and experience of Gross and Micic get the better of Fix, though, and I could also see Wilson giving Fix problems. But for now, I think a wrestler of Fix's pedigree will be able to figure out the very talented Tariq Wilson. If Wilson does make the jump over Fix — or Micic or Gross — it will represent one of the most meteoric rises in wrestling history. 

There is absolutely zero disrespect intended by me in picking a pair of returning All-Americans to get stopped in the bloodround, but that's how much I think of the rest of the contenders. Luke Pletcher, entering his third year in Columbus, spent the entirety of last season in the top 10, and is expected to be a force all year. 

I think Lizak will continue to do Lizak things at 133, and I think DeSanto has found himself in a great spot to excel in Iowa City and finds a way into the final eight this time. 

I was torn on who to pick who for the final AA spot. I went with the guy who won the Junior World Team Trials, although I wouldn't be shocked in the slightest if the order got reversed and Arujau placed ahead of Gomez. Neither will I be shocked if Bridges and Parker wrestle on Saturday of the NCAAs once again.

Finally, while I would like nothing more than to see true freshman Roman Bravo-Young attain All-American status this season, at the moment I've simply run out of podium steps for them. 

The triumvirate of Yianni Diakomihalis, Joey McKenna, and Jaydin Eierman esnures that the fans will be locked in all season debating who’s going to come out on top in March. The 2019 NCAA tournament is in Pittsburgh, and 141 promises once again to be one of the most entertaining brackets.

The loss of Dean Heil, Bryce Meredith, and Kevin Jack to graduation has a bit of impact, and they will certainly be missed, but there are still plenty of able-bodied 141s ready to shine this year. We've included some sleepers and landmines to keep an eye on, as well as new blood ready to make an impact in their first seasons as starters.

141-Pounds

The Favorite: #1 Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell

Just like at 125 and 133, the champ returns. The tournament Yianni had in Cleveland will likely go down as the stuff of legend, winning the 2018 national title on a torn ACL, and knocking off a two-time defending champ and two-time finalist in the process.

Not just that, he was a true freshman, he also avenged his only loss of the season, and was trailing with fewer than 30 seconds to go in his quarter, semi, and finals matches. The 2017 high school class had some potentially transcendent talent, and both Yianni and Spencer Lee showed it right away.

At this time, there's no timetable for his return from the knee injury. Barring a major setback, he is absolutely going to compete this season, it's just a matter of whether it will be right away or if it will come some time after Cliff Keen Las Vegas.

Title Contenders

#2 Joey McKenna, Ohio State

#3 Jaydin Eierman, Missouri

Considering that McKenna has never wrestled Yianni in either folk or free, it's very easy to peg him as a guy who can unseat the defending champ, especially after his run to Final X - State College this summer.

Since Eierman knocked McKenna out of the 2017 tournament with an 8-0 major on the backside, the Buckeye has since beaten the Tiger 7-2 in the third place match at NCAAs and 7-3 in the U.S. Open finals. It's the Blair grad's final college season, having placed third as both a freshman and a junior last season.

Now a junior, Eierman was the one guy to beat Yianni last season. One of the most dynamic wrestlers in the country, he racked up 16 pins and is always a threat to put someone away early.

We'll get into this in the key dates portion, but Cornell duals both Missouri and Ohio State this year, and all three could be at CKLV. Could Yianni get trilogies with his two main rivals this season? We can only hope.

Best of the Rest

#4 Kaid Brock, Oklahoma State

#5 Nick Lee, Penn State

#6 Chad Red, Nebraska

Kaid Brock is bumping up from 133, where he twice finished on the podium. His low singles, slidebys, and inside trips pretty much allow him to take anyone down, but he has never been dominant on top and has sometimes given matches away late. However, he was the only Cowboy to improve year-over-year at NCAAs, scoring 11 team points in 2017 and 12 this past March.

When Yianni and Spencer Lee win titles as true freshman, it's easy to forget that Nick Lee pulled off the extremely difficult feat of placing in his first year of eligibility. He beat Kevin Jack and took McKenna to the brink, but also had freshman moments like getting pinned by Ryan Diehl and losing takedown battles to Brock Zacherl and Mikey Carr.

Red had a redshirt freshman season similar to Lee's when you look at some of his 11 losses in comparison to how he finished at the national tournament. His pin of Dean Heil was his signature moment of the season, and he beat Lee the last time they wrestled, but it will be interesting to see if he cleans up his offense to prevent some of those losses to non-AAs.

Sleepers and Landmines

#11 Ryan Diehl, Maryland

#14 Bryan Lantry, Buffalo

#16 Tristan Moran, Wisconsin

#18 Kanen Storr, Michigan

I changed my completely arbitrary rules for defining what a sleeper is from my 125 preview, and if you don't like it, well too bad. However, we are continuing to rule out the term "darkhorse" because it is too contentious.

Diehl falls firmly in the "landmine" category, as evidenced by his career pins over Nick Lee, Tommy Thorn, Jimmy Gulibon. But he ended last season with a losing record and has been majored by non-AAs, so it's hard to place him firmly in the camp of a likely All-American. Storr has always had potential, but has yet to get a chance to wrestle at a conference tournament. Hopefully we get to see the full range of his skills in his first season in Ann Arbor.

We've identified Lantry and Moran as potential sleepers, in part because they're transitioning from other weights. Lantry was Buffalo's 133 last season, while Moran manned 157 for Oklahoma State. Now at Wisconsin, Moran's best results came as a 141 and twice beat Matt Kolodzik in freestyle. Lantry might fall into the Tyler Smith prototype and ultimately not place, but Smith was a three-time bloodrounder who was Top-10 for most of the 2017-18 season.

New Blood

#17 Max Murin, Iowa

#20 Yahya Thomas, Northwestern

Two guys from the Big Ten who were featured in the redshirt report, Murin and Thomas can have huge impacts for their respective programs. Iowa enters the season ranked third as a team and has all 10 weights ranked, with Murin being the lowest among all his teammates. The heavy hands he displayed this summer in freestyle should transition well into the winter folkstyle season.

Thomas was a good under-the-radar pickup for coach Matt Storniolo's Wildcats, not landing on the final 2017 Big Board. Here's a guy who didn't place at Fargo in 2016 garnering a legitimate ranking after placing at Midlands during his redshirt year (one of his losses there was to Murin). Both of these guys were brought up by Willie in FRL 308 as being able to jump levels this season.

Key Dates

Dec. 14th - Arizona State at Penn State (Mason Smith vs Lee)

Dec. 30th - Cornell vs Missouri (Yianni vs Eierman)

Jan. 12th - Northern Iowa at Nebraska (Josh Alber vs Chad Red)

Jan. 20th - Nebraska at Penn State (Red vs Lee)

Jan. 27th - Illinois at Nebraska (Mikey Carr vs Red)

Feb. 8th - Penn State at Ohio State (Lee vs McKenna)

Feb. 16th - Oklahoma State at Missouri (Brock vs Eierman)

Feb. 17th - Nebraska at Ohio State (Red vs McKenna)

Feb. 22nd - Ohio State at Cornell (McKenna vs Yianni)

Nomad's Predictions

1. Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell
2. Joey McKenna, Ohio State
3. Jaydin Eierman, Missouri
4. Nick Lee, Penn State
5. Kaid Brock, Oklahoma State
6. Chad Red, Nebraska
7. Mikey Carr, Illinois
8. Mason Smith, Arizona State

Fight me for nearly going chalk once again. This is the inherent problem in making predictions several months out: you have to go on your most recent data. But this weight is a great example of why these picks will get blown to smithereens, as Sa'Derian Perry placed after going into NCAAs with a losing record and Chad Red finished on the podium while starting unseeded.

If there is one flaw in McKenna's game, it's scrambling, so I think Yianni is a bad matchup for him. He's shown himself to be better than Eierman, but we'll have plenty of data on those three against each other come mid-March. I'm betting on Nick Lee making a PSU jump in his second year.

Brock gets the movie phone number guy title for finishing 5-5-5 all in a row. Red was a blue chipper in high school and, while I think some people have caught or surpassed him, it's not by much, and he's closer to the Alll-American than the guy the with 11 losses.

Yes, Mikey Carr is on my fantasy team, but this isn't a homer pick. The kid beat Nick Lee and Chad Red, so that's enough wins over AAs to make me a believer. Based on the order here, that also means he's avenging a 3-0 loss to Mason Smith from Midlands last year.

I don't think Perry replicates his magical run again, and Alber is too limited offensively for me to feel he can knock off some of these guys in March. Ryan Diehl is more an upsetter than a placer.  Call me a doubting Thomas, but I need to see the coaches in Indiana get some placers before I'm predicting them, though I certainly would not mind if Cole Weaver or Nate Limmex gave Angel Escobedo or Tony Ersland an AA. Mitch McKee and Kanen Storr are very, very good, but it remains to be seen if they can be great in college.

Ultimately, my main takeaway from 141 is that we might get to see some of the best rivalries in college wrestling played out for a second year in a row. There aren't enough of them at the D1 level, so let's all pray Yianni, McKenna, and Eierman all wrestle against each other as many times as possible.

Two-time Hodge Trophy winner Zain Retherford's graduation left a gaping vortex in the 149-pound weight class. Into the breach will step a mighty band of glory seeking competitors in a division the Zain Train has completely owned the last three seasons. 

Four other All-Americans from 2018 besides Retherford also exhausted their NCAA eligibility, ensuring that 149 will be one of the most protean of all the collegiate divisions. 

149-Pounds

The Favorites

There are no favorites

Plenty of contenders, though. Alrighty, so much for this section! 

The Contenders

#1 Matt Kolodzik, Princeton

#2 Micah Jordan, Ohio State

#3 Anthony Ashnault, Rutgers

We limited these section to only three wrestlers, but consider that an arbitrary cutoff, as this is one of the more wide-open weight classes, and any number of competitors have a shot at the title. 

Matt Kolodzik is the highest-placing returning 149-er. Kolodzilla had a slow start to last season and entered the NCAA Tournament as an 11th seed. However, the Blair Academy product finished on the third place step of the NCAA podium. Matt's also got two wins over Anthony Ashnualt, the three-time All-American from South Plainfield, NJ, who was granted a medical redshirt to compete in the 2018-19 season. 

Ashnault will be mobbin' up a weight class from where he last competed collegiately. Anthony has two wins over the aforementioned Kolodzik, including their most recent meeting at the 2017 NCAA Tournament. The New Jersey native's addition to the weight class adds to what was already shaping up to be quite the party at 149. 

Additionally, pencil in Micah Jordan to the 149-pound guest list. Keep in mind, however, that the Buckeyes have not officially settled their lineup, and talented redshirt junior Ke-Shawn Hayes will have an opportunity to win the 149 spot in the lineup. Jordan has the pedigree, however, finishing fourth at 149 in 2017 and sixth last year at 157 pounds. 

None of these studs are locks to make the finals. I mean there are three of them, how would that even work? But what I mean is that there are scads of quality wrestlers in this weight class, and no one should be shocked if they see a Ronnie Perry 2.0 performance from a 15-seed or thereabouts in Pittsburgh.

Best of the Rest

#4 Grant Leeth, Missouri

#5 Boo Lewallen, Oklahoma State

#6 Pat Lugo, Iowa

#7 Justin Oliver, North Carolina State

#8 Max Thomsen, Northern Iowa

#9 Brock Zacherl, Clarion

#10 Mitch Finesilver, Duke

#11 Tommy Thorn, Minnesota

Despite the graduation of five of 2018's 149-pound All-Americans, this division remains very solid. Grant Leeth is the highest returning placer after Kolodzik. The neck-braced Missourian is pound-for-pound one of the strongest wrestlers in college and will look to improve on his sixth-place finish from Cleveland. 

Boo Lewallen had to fight his way through a crowded Oklahoma State roster just to make the postseason, but Boo made the most of his opportunity once he secured a spot in the lineup, finishing eighth at the NCAAs.

Pat Lugo has yet to make the podium, but a redshirt season after transferring from Edinboro to Iowa may be just what the doctor ordered to accomplish that.  

A prime illustration of how deep 149 pounds is a trio of All-Americans who all missed the podium last season. Justin Oliver is at NC State for his senior season but was an All-American in 2016 for Central Michigan; Max Thomsen placed fifth in 2017; and Tommy Thorn placed eighth at 141 pounds, also in 2017.

Last season, Brock Zacherl had just one loss on the year going into the NCAAs. As the seven seed, Zacherl won his first two matches, including a win over eventual All-American Chad Red, but then ran into the buzzsaw that was the 2018 141-pound weight class, dropping consecutive matches to Jaydin Eierman and Kevin Jack.

Mitch Finesilver rounds out our list. Finesilver has two wins over Pat Lugo, who beat our No. 1-ranked Matt Kolodzik last season. So you see, ranking this weight class is probably going to be an exercise in abject misery all season long.  

Sleepers and Landmines

#16 Baby J Bannister, Maryland

#19 Jared Prince, Navy

Davion Jeffries, Oklahoma

Khristian Olivas, Fresno State

Are these dark horses? Neigh, they are sleepers and landmines. A subtle but necessary distinction. 

Baby J Bannister is entering his fifth year in College Park, Maryland. He's won three matches over the last two NCAA tournaments and could be problems for anyone not accustomed with his stout and powerful frame. 

Jared Prince is also problems, notching wins over the likes of Ronnie Perry and Jarod Verkleeren in the last two years. Davion Jeffries notched an impressive upset at the Lindenwood Open where he beat Grant Leeth 3-1. And Khristian Olivas beat Jeffries in the NCAA tournament, once again demonstrating why 149 pounds provides nothing but endless torment for NCAA rankers.

New Blood

Austin O'Connor, North Carolina

Brady Berge, Penn State

Tanner Smith, Chattanooga

Austin O'Connor had one of the most impressive redshirt seasons of any 149-pounder, going 20-3, including a first-period pinfall over Minnesota's Steve Bleise. Brady Berge only wrestled in one tournament but he, along with O'Connor, were both blue-chip recruits, and it's no surprise that both respective fan bases are chomping at the bit to see these two in varsity action.  

Tanner Smith did not have the toughest schedule as a true freshman, but the young man from Ohio won every match he wrestled in last season. Eastern Michigan University shamefully folded their program before Smith could wrestle a dual meet, so now fans of the Chattanooga Mocs will get the pleasure of rooting for Tanner to stay undefeated. 

Key Dates

• November 16 - Princeton at Iowa (Kolodzik vs Lugo)
• January 3 - Northern Iowa at Missouri (Thomsen vs Leeth)
• January 6 - North Carolina State at Ohio State (Oliver vs Jordan)
• January 11 - North Carolina at Princeton (O'Connor vs Kolodzik)
• January 13 - Oklahoma State at Rutgers (Lewallen vs Ashnault)
• February 3 - Princeton at Rutgers (Kolodzilla vs Shnaulty ROUND 5)
• February 8 - Penn State at Ohio State (Berge vs Jordan)
• Febryary 24 - Iowa at Oklahoma State (Lugo vs Lewallen — told you this dual would be featured in many weight classes). 

We once again omit the CKLV, Reno TOC, Midlands, and Scuffle, but those are all awesome and critical college tournaments that you should definitely check them out as well. 

Ashnault hits a gnarly four week stretch of duals in early 2019 where he's scheduled to hit Lewallen, Lugo, and Kolodzik. Before PSU's showdown with tOSU in February, a good early test for Brady Berge could be December 2 when the Nittany Lions take on intrastate rival Lehigh and round of 16 finisher Cortlandt Schuyler. 

Boo Lewallen does not have an easy schedule, but then none of the Cowboys do. He'll see Kolodzik and Ashnault back-to-back on February 12 and February 13. And then, of course, his matchup with Iowa and Pat Lugo should be fire as well. 

It also appears that Princeton head coach Chris Ayers wanted to make sure his star wrestler would be battle-tested come March, as Kolodzik is slated to hit a murder's row of 149-pounders this season. 

Spey's Spredictions

1st: Micah Jordan, Ohio State

2nd: Anthony Ashnault, Rutgers

3rd: Matt Kolodzik, Princeton

4th: Grant Leeth, Missouri

5th: Pat Lugo, Iowa

6th: Justin Oliver, North Carolina State

7th: Austin O'Connor, North Carolina

8th: Boo Lewallen, Oklahoma State

R12: Brady Berge, Penn State

R12: Brock Zacherl, Clarion

R12: Max Thomsen, Northern Iowa

R12: Mitch Finesilver, Duke

I predict all the way out to the Round of 12, unlike Nomad, who remains a coward. 

While sussing my tea leaves, I see Micah Jordan putting it all together at his best weight for a championship senior season. My tasseographic training tells me that the tea leaves are also calling for Ashnault to outplace his intra-state rival Kolodzik. 

Of course, I have limited confidence in my ability look at some tea leaves and then accurately predict the NCAAs here in early October, but I will plow ahead with the predictions anyway.

I think Grant Leeth will power his way to a fourth-place finish and that Pat Lugo will get the better of Justin Oliver, who will go two for four in career bloodround matches. 

Lewallen should be able to once again do just enough to make the podium, while Tar Heel superfrosh Austin O'Connor earns All-American honors on his first attempt. 

Perhaps it was foolish of me to pick O'Connor over Berge after the latter beat the former to make the Junior World Team, but that was at 70 kg (or 154 pounds) and it remains to be seen if Berge can be effective at 149 pounds for a full season (Berge's one tournament last season was at 157 pounds). If the weight is no problem for Berge, however, then the sky is the limit for the young man from Minnesota. 

Zacherl, Thomsen, and Finesilver are all tremendous talents, all of whom I will be rooting for in March, but alas, I've once again run out of All-American places before I've run out of All-American caliber wrestlers.

157-Pounds

It's no secret that Jason Nolf is on pace to become an all-time legend in college wrestling, but these previews seek to go over more than just the top dog. Included will be other finalist contenders, strong All-American candidates, sleepers and landmines, as well as key dates to circle on your calendar.

Only one of last year's placers graduated, and that was surprise AA Luke Zilverberg of South Dakota State, who came into NCAAs as the 13 seed and finished the season with double digit losses. However, Michael Kemerer is moving up to 174, a guy who was third and fourth the past two years, and Micah Jordan is dropping back down to 149. Additionally, 2017 finalist and last year's two seed in Joey Lavallee has graduated, moving on to the Valley RTC.

There is still plenty of firepower at this weight though. Ryan Deakin, Ke-Shawn Hayes, and Steve Bleise are all bumping up, plus three of the four guys in the Round of 12 last year are back once again. I think there are five legitimate threats to make the finals against Nolf, with varying degrees of success against one another. On to the full preview.

NCAA Previews: 125 | 133 | 141 | 149

The Favorite: #1 Jason Nolf, Penn State

The last five years of NCAA champs at 157 is an absolute murderers row: Nolf in 2017 and 2018, Isaiah Martinez in 2015 and 2016, and Alex Dieringer in 2014. They've combined to make 10 NCAA finals, and Dieringer's third place finish as a freshman was the lowest any of them placed.

Along with Bo Nickal, he represents the co-favorite Hodge front-runner heading into his final season. He should be fully recovered from his knee injury, and I think 20 pins is very much in play this year. There's an outside shot he'll hit 100 career points at the NCAA tournament, but that would require a pretty Herculean effort.

There are certain athletes in any given sport that are appointment viewing. Fans tune in to watch their spectacular goals, or crisp passing, or mind boggling feats of athleticism. Nolf's reached that point in the wrestling community, someone who seems to be making up moves as he goes along, but is really just pushing the sport into new realms. Maybe it's the reminder that injuries can derail careers, but if I were you, I'd make sure to watch every time Nolf takes the mat this year.

Best of the Rest

#2 Hayden Hidlay, NC State

#3 Josh Shields, Arizona State

#4 Alec Pantaleo, Michigan

#5 Tyler Berger, Nebraska

#7 Ryan Deakin, Northwestern

The Wolfpack’s 2016 recruiting class is going to carry it into the next phase of the Pat Popolizio era. Mike Macchiavello, Kevin Jack, and Pete Renda have all graduated, leaving Hidlay, Tariq Wilson, and Nick Reenan to carry the load in Raleigh. Hidlay underhooked his way to the NCAA finals, his only loss of the season but one of the few guys who was able to hold Nolf to a decision. He also fell to Josh Shields at Midlands during his redshirt season, but he won’t get a chance to avenge that loss until March. However, he’ll still be battle tested as this is clearly the best weight class in the ACC.

Shields had a phenomenal season, only losing four times, all of which were against All-Americans. One of those guys (Michael Kemerer) is up at 174, another (Luke Zilverberg) has graduated, and Micah Jordan is dropping to 149. He had head-to-heads over both Pantaleo and Berger, things that won’t matter this year when it comes to seeding but points of note when Shields has to face them this season.

Since losing to Imar in the 2016 NCAA finals, no one has pushed Nolf like Pantaleo did in the Michigan/Penn State dual back on January 12th. The Wolverine senior also scored the first takedown of the match against Hidlay in both the NCAA semis and U.S. Open semis, but big moves came back to cost him. While Pantaleo has certainly taken some head scratching losses, it's clear he is one of the most talented guys at this weight, and the power and speed of his leg attacks are very difficult to stop.

At the beginning of the year, if you told college fans Berger would get third, it wouldn't have been a point that was laughed at. But then Berger had a tough season, losing to guys ranked well below him and having close matches with unranked guys. Now a senior, he, Nolf, and Pantaleo are the senior leaders of this weight.

Yes, Deakin failed to make the podium last year. But like Nick Piccininni at 125, you have to actually look at his bracket and see why that is. Losses to former NCAA champ Jason Tsirtsis and four-time AA Brandon Sorensen help explain it, and I think he is closer to the guy we saw the past two years on the freestyle scene than the non placer he was in Cleveland.

Sleepers and Landmines

#11 Larry Early, Old Dominion

#14 Taleb Rahmani, Pittsburgh

#15 Justin Thomas, Oklahoma

Andrew Shomers, Oklahoma State

Once a Top-20 recruit, it was expected that Early would make a national level impact after high school. But then he left Minnesota and failed to qualify for NCAAs in his first season at Old Dominion, at one point spending some time up at 165. But he went 157 full-time in 2018, going 2-2 at the national tournament and avenging a loss to Colin Heffernan from the previous year's MAC tournament.

Rahmani is the classic guy that looks good in losses to high level guys, which doesn't help your ranking but certainly shows a baseline level of talent and provides a reason for optimism. Berger showed flashes of brilliance at CKLV, beating Andrew Crone in overtime and nearly knocking off Berger.

Shomers represents a transfer to a big-time program that can have a major impact in Stillwater. While not necessarily an AA candidate, when you're in a room working out with guys who have placed, it makes it easier to jump levels.

New Blood

Zander Wick, Wisconsin

Cam Coy, Virginia

Quentin Hovis, Navy

David Carr, Iowa State

Wick is new blood in the sense that he is coming up in weight. His season was cut short after an injury at CKLV, but represents someone who can make a big jump into the rankings in Chris Bono's first year in Madison.

Coy and Hovis were the two highest rated 157s from the 2017 Big Board, so they are obligatory mentions here. Plenty of blue chips had redshirt seasons like theirs that weren't overwhelming but still went on to have very successful careers overall.

No one's sure yet if Carr will be wrestling right away or redshirting, but he's one of the few true freshmen at any weight that can have a legitimate impact this season.

Key Dates

Nov. 18th: Ohio State at Arizona State (Hayes vs Shields)

Dec. 14th: Arizona State at Penn State (Shield vs Nolf)

Dec. 16th: Nebraska at NC State (Berger vs Hidlay)

Jan. 6th: Northwestern at Nebraska (Deakin vs Berger)

Jan. 11th: Penn State at Northwestern (Nolf vs Deakin)

Jan. 20th: Nebraska at Penn State (Berger vs Nolf)

Feb. 1st: Michigan at Penn State (Pantaleo vs Nolf)

Feb. 10th: Northwestern at Michigan (Deakin vs Pantaleo)

Nomad's Predictions

1. Jason Nolf, Penn State
2. Hayden Hidlay, NC State
3. Alec Pantaleo, Michigan
4. Ryan Deakin, Northwestern
5. Josh Shields, Arizona State
6. Tyler Berger, Nebraska
7. Kennedy Monday, North Carolina
8. John Van Brill, Rutgers

NCAAs will be a coronation for Nolf.

Although Hidlay's offensive output worries me somewhat, he seems like one of those guys poised to have a career where he never places lower than third. I think that in part because he has beaten Pantaleo, Deakin, and Berger, but some guys certainly may be able to catch up to him.

Pantaleo joins a long list of Wolverines to place three times, but falls short of a title. Deakin rights the ship from last season, but is just a tad below those three guys above him, however, he's the one most likely to upset the apple cart. Shields is too consistent not to place again, and gets another win over Berger.

Kennedy Monday is ranked 9th, so he’s no longer a sleeper or a landmine. He beat three All-Americans last season and is perhaps the non-AA returning at this weight who is most widely recognized as someone with a great shot to place. At this point, it's no longer surprising when Rutgers gets guys on the podium, and I think that continues this year with Van Brill.

Ke-Shawn Hayes is tough to assess, because he was thinking about 141 at the start of last season and will likely be very undersized. Paul Fox is squirrelly and hard to read during the regular season, but has placed and made the Round of 12 in his past two trips to the national tournament. Luke Weiland is another guy who should in that Round of 12 mix.

165-Pounds

Savvy wrestling fans acknowledged that 165 was one of the deepest NCAA weight classes last season. The talent that did not reach the podium in Cleveland is both shocking and extraordinary.  

Isaiah Martinez, one of the best to ever lace them up in college, has graduated. IMar was a four-time finalist and two-time champ. His three career losses were twice to Vincenzo Joseph and once to Jason Nolf, both of whom are two-time NCAA champs and counting. Others significant departures from the weight class include the graduation of Rutgers' Richie Lewis, Rider's Chad Walsh. Two of last year's eight All-Americans, David McFadden and Chandler Rogers, are expected to bump to up to 174. 

Despite this exodus, 165 remains seemingly as deep as before.   

The Favorite

#1 Vincenzo Joseph, Penn State

Joseph is the two-time reigning national champion, but if he enters the 2019 NCAA Tournament as the #1 seed it will be for the first time, as he was seeded third in the previous two tournaments. Joseph also never won a Big Ten championship, though it's not like he nor any of the Nittany Lion faithful would trade conference titles or top seeds for the two national titles Cenzo's won.

IMar, the man who won the last two Big Ten 165-pound titles and has handed Joseph half of his six career losses, has run out of eligibility. 

Nevertheless, Joseph's path to a third consecutive championship will be anything but easy. As we shall soon see, hammers abound as 165 reloads for yet another monstrous middleweight season. 

The Contenders

#2 Evan Wick, Wisconsin

#3 Chance Marsteller, Lock Haven

#4 Alex Marinelli, Iowa

#5 Logan Massa, Michigan

Cradle-machine Evan Wick slapped on a farside variant of his favorite pinning combination to secure third-place at the NCAAs in dramatic fashion over Chance Marsteller, in what has to be one of the biggest disparities in height between opponents in NCAA history. Wick was down 4-1 before ensnaring Marsteller. Chance has one of the slickest elbow-post hi-c's in the game and is also an underrated scrambler, but it was all for naught once that vice-like cradle tightened up on him. 

Those two are the highest returning placers after Cenzo, and are a good bet to place highly again in Pittsburgh. 

Logan Massa got injured at the early season meatgrinder that is the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December of 2017. He had an uneven season upon his return, at least by his lofty standards, but if Massa regains his peak form 2016-17 form, when he only lost to national champions, he will be right there with the rest of the 165-pound contenders. 

Best of the Rest

#6 Joe Smith, Oklahoma State

#7 Bryce Steiert, Northern Iowa

#8 Jonathon Chavez, Cornell

#9 Isaiah White, Nebraska

Smith is coming off a redshirt season where he saw limited action. He reached All-American status his true freshman and sophomore season, however, and there is no doubt that he's talented enough to bang with anyone in the weight class. 

Bryce Steiert has yet to make the podium, but the Panther train was rolling full steam ahead at the 2018 Southern Scuffle where Steiert placed second, losing only in the finals to Cenzo. Like Smith, Steiert is also coming off redshirt, adding another hammer the weight class.

As the #16 seed, Chavez was not expected to finish seventh in Cleveland.  The Idaho native is a three-time age level national champion in Greco-Roman, though, so his performance should not have come as a shock, at least not to those who have seen him go toe-to-toe and throw-for-throw with the best in Greco wrestlers in the country. 

The cut off for this section is always the toughest to make, but alas there is only so much time in the preseason to pound away at the keyboard before the season starts, and so we've drawn the line here at Zay Zay. White arguably had the best season of any returning non-All-American, with wins over Evan Wick, Jon Chavez, and Richie Lewis, among others. He should be a factor in the top of the rankings all season long.

Sleepers and Landmines

#16 Zac Carson, Ohio

#20 Jon Viruet, Brown

Seldon Wright, Old Dominion

With such a solid top of the division, anyone who wants to be a 'March surprise' is going to have their work cut out for them. 

One wrestler who could cause problems is Ohio's national qualifier Zac Carson. The powerful Carson came to the Bobcat program by way of Eastern Michigan after that university dropped their wrestling program, bringing great shame to an otherwise proud institution. 

Jon Viruet has first-hand experience playing the spoiler, having upset two-time All-American Chandler Rogers in the first round of the 2018 NCAAs. The unseeded Viruet missed the podium while the eighth-seeded Rogers placed to his seed. Viruet nonetheless proved his landmine capabilities and will be a danger to all who are foolish enough to look past him.

After a year up ay 174, the two-time NCAA qualifier Seldon Wright is coming back down to 165. Wright is just outside the bubble of the top 20 rankings but he could change that in a hurry as the Monarchs will take on powerhouses NC State and Missouri before heading to the always difficult Midlands tournament. 

One name we purposely didn't include was Arizona State's Anthony Valencia, not because he is not talented enough to be a danger to anyone in the weight class, but because there are rumors he may redshirt this season. Valencia took an Olympic redshirt as a true freshman, so he still has a regular shirt to use. If Valencia does defer a year of eligibility, look for All-American Josh Sheilds to bump up to 165 and for national qualifier Christian Pagdilao to man the 149-pound slot. Or none of that could happen, we'll all have to just wait and see!

New Blood

#16 Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech

Stephan Glasgow, Rutgers

Kaleb Romero, Ohio State

Jake Allar, Minnesota

By my count, newly minted junior world champion Mekhi Lewis beat at least six national qualifiers last year as a redshirt true freshman. His only two losses were to Chance Marsteller, on the front and backside of the Southern Scuffle, where Lewis finished fourth. Lewis should be on every wrestling fan's radar this season.

Stephan Glasgow was Lewis' teammate at New Jersey high school powerhouse Bound Brook. He didn't see any collegiate action last season while taking a prep year at St. Benedict's in Newark, NJ, but Glasgow was only seven spot below Lewis on the 2017 Big Board, so the Scarlet Knight faithful should be pumped to see Glasgow finally get into the collegiate mix. 

Kaleb Romero is expected to earn the starting spot at 165 for last season's runner-up Buckeyes, allowing Te'Shan Campbell to move up to 174. Jake Allar is projected to start at 165 for the Gophers after the graduation of Nick Wanzek. Both are Big Ten names to remember.

Key Dates

• November 16 - Wisconsin at Nebraska (Wick vs White)
• January 12 - Northern Iowa vs Nebraska (Steiert vs White)
• January 13 - Wisconsin at Penn State (Wick vs Cenzo)
• February 1 - Michigan at Penn State (Massa vs Cenzo - in the Bryce Jordan Center)
• February 2 - Lock Haven at Cornell (Marsteller vs Chavez)
• February 17 - Iowa at Wisconsin (Marinelli vs Wick)
• February 24 - Iowa at Oklahoma State (Marinelli vs Smith - this dual once again!)

2018 will be light on big time duals for the 165-pound weight class, so make sure you tune into the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and Southern Scuffle, at which you should see most of the top contenders vying for medals.

January and February have the most enticing scheduled one-on-ones, with Iowa at Oklahoma State once again providing marquee matchups.

Spey's Spredictions

1st: Vincenzo Joseph, Penn State

2nd: Chance Marsteller, Lock Haven

3rd: Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech

4th: Evan Wick, Wisconsin

5th: Alex Marinelli, Iowa

6th: Logan Massa, Michigan

7th: Bryce Steiert, Northern Iowa

8th: Isaiah White, Nebraska

R12: Joseph Smith, Oklahoma State

R12: Jonathan Chavez, Cornell

R12: Branson Ashworth, Wyoming

R12: Connor Flynn, Missouri

I predict all the way out to the Round of 12, unlike Nomad, who remains a coward. 

As I gaze into my crystal ball, I see Vincenzo Joseph winning his third national title. But let's be honest, one does not need an orbuculum to call for a Cenzo-threepeat in his home city of Pittsburgh.  

Perhaps I'm letting personal bias factor into my pick of Marsteller to make the finals in his final year of eligibility, but it's hard not to root for the guy after hearing his life story. However, anyone who has seen Chance wrestle objectively knows he has the chops to reach the pinnacle of the sport. 

I'll also cop to a bias in picking Mekhi Lewis because I picked him on my fantasy wrestling team. But, the reason I picked the junior world champion on my fantasy team is because I've seen enough of his skills to be a believer. You could watch the gains Lewis made all year long, as he won every tournament he entered except the prestigious Southern Scuffle, where he took fourth. Winning a junior world championship in his third freestyle tournament EVER is also pretty impressive, I'd say.

I picked Evan Wick fourth with the caveat that he can potentially end any match with anyone in the weight class with his devastating cradling ability. Marinelli at fifth also comes with the caveat that he's got a win over Cenzo and definitely has the talent to win a national title in his third season in Iowa City. Massa, likewise, is better than his 1-2 record at last season's NCAAs, and I wouldn't be shocked for him to go all the way either. 

What I am saying is all these guys are really, really good, so I'm hedging my bets with all of them. 

I really liked what I saw of Steiert and White last year and though it feels too low, in this weight class, anywhere on the podium is a massive achievement. It's so crowded that Joseph Smith is the first one out of the top eight, although I expect I will come to regret this pick by the end of next March. Jon Chavez is right there with Smith for engendering the same sentiment. 

Flynn and Ashworth were right on the cusp of breaking through to the next level all last season. I could see them both turning the corner this year, and will be not-at-all displeased if they prove my non-placement predictions completely wrong.

Besides being the weight everyone debates is either the end of the middle weights or the start of the upper weights, 174 will also be a fascinating weight to watch this season. The injection of several All-Americans from 157 and 165 provides a bunch of and talent at the top, and the schedule shakes out in a way that nearly all of them wind up wrestling each other during the regular season.

174-Pounds

Last year's fifth placer in Bo Jordan and seventh placer in David Kocer have graduated, and Oklahoma State is still deciding if Jacobe Smith or Chandler Rogers will start here. In total, eight of last year's final Top-20 are out of eligibility. But the addition of Michael Kemerer and David McFadden, plus freshman Mikey Labriola, should make up for that somewhat.

Let's see how the perception of this weight has changed since FRL 313, when we did the 174lb tiers. On to the full preview.

The Favorite: #1 Zahid Valencia, Arizona State

Coming off an undefeated season in which he twice beat Mark Hall, Zahid Valencia went to the World Team Trials and beat Alex Dieringer, soundly. He also gave Kyle Dake a much tougher match at Final X than just about anyone expected, underscoring the level he’s reached at this point.

His only loss in two years is the infamous headgear pull against Hall in the 2017 NCAA semis. Since then, his shot count has only went up, and his setups and finishes keep Hall from doing what he does best: scoring off his opponent’s offense.

Valencia is of course not bulletproof, giving up the first takedown to Taylor Lujan in the CKLV semis and the first two takedowns to Myles Amine in the NCAA semis. However, he produces a stressful shot count that no one in the country was able to figure out last season. His title defense will be littered with challenges, as he could hit all the top contenders except for Rogers/Smith prior to the NCAA tournament.

The Clear #2: Mark Hall, Penn State

Aside from winning Pan Ams, Hall took a summer off of freestyle for the first time, well, ever. Penn State as a whole basically sat out the freestyle season, seemingly wanting to recover from a title defense that took every ounce of their energy both throughout the season and in Cleveland. We’ve never known Hall to be injured, at least not publicly, but an offseason off to rest up and get away from wrestling is a scary thought.

The next step in Hall’s game is to separate himself from other Top-10 guys. He averaged better than a major every time he stepped on the mat in the 2017-18 season, but putting at least 3-4 points between himself and the likes of Amine, Michael Kemerer, and Jordan Kutler would show Hall has reached a whole ‘nother level.

Unlike last season, when there was a controversy about who should be the top seed at NCAAs because Hall and Valencia did not have a regular season meeting, they will meet in December this year. The dual immediately before that will be against Lehigh, so if Hall beats both Valencia and Kutler, he won't have another "tough" match until seeing Amine in the dual at the Bryce Jordan Center on February 1.

Best of the Rest

#3 Myles Amine, Michigan

#4 Daniel Lewis, Missouri

#5 David McFadden, Virginia Tech

#6 Michael Kemerer, Iowa

#7 Jordan Kutler, Lehigh

#8 Chandler Rogers, Oklahoma State

There might not be a more defined Top-8 at any weight than 174lbs, considering each of them was on the podium in Cleveland. It could make for an anticlimactic NCAAs, or it could mean the upsets we might see will be even more dramatic and iconic.

In order for Amine to push himself into the national title conversation, he’ll have to improve his mat game. Riding time cost him matches against Mark Hall and Jordan Kutler, and he got ridden out in the second period against Daniel Lewis. However, he can legitimately win a takedown battle against anyone in the country at this weight.

Lewis is ahead of McFadden in the rankings, but it should be noted that McFadden beat Lewis 8-4 in their only folkstyle meeting, as well as twice in a row this summer in the 79kg finals of the U23 trials. They would have seen each other on November 16 in Columbia, MO, but U23 worlds will interfere with that.

Kemerer is perhaps the most fascinating wrinkle of the season, as he has zero results against any of these guys. His third and fourth place finishes at 157 are encouraging, but many wrestlers who bump up have some early struggles as their body adjusts to having to produce more oxygen for their muscles. For a guy whose pace is as high as Kemdawg's, that might come into play this season.

Kutler's jump from the 2017 to 2018 seasons should provide solace for Iowa fans, as the Lehigh junior was clearly able to succeed at a similar level to what he saw at 157. An injury at NCAAs ensured he placed sixth, having to forfeit his last match. He split with Amine during the year, beating him in Bethlehem and falling in the quarterfinals at the national tournament.

Again, we still don't know if two-time placer at 165 Chandler Rogers will start, or if it will be last year's eighth placer in Jacobe Smith. Either way, the Cowboys will have a very potent option here, both of whom can throw and should be a fixture in the Top-10, though Rogers probably has a little bit higher upside having beaten Lewis multiple times.

Sleepers and Landmines

#12 Ben Harvey, Army West Point

#15 Drew Hughes Michigan State

#18 Daniel Bullard, NC State

#20 Devin Skatzka, Minnesota

Harvey had a sneaky good season, beating the likes of Keaton Subjeck, Johnny Sebastian, Jadaen Bernstein, Ethan Ramos, and Seldon Wright. A perfect example of a "sleeper" pick in this weight, considering the eight All-Americans mentioned above, as well #9 Taylor Lujan and #10 Dylan Lydy, who we'll get to below.

Hughes is coming back from a serious injury that cut his season short last year, and is very good on top. After seeing what Tariq Wilson did at NCAAs and knowing the pedigree of guys coming out of that Wolfpack room, Bullard is a perfect sleeper pick. I clearly seem to like transfers, so why not extrapolate Skatzka qualifying twice at Indiana to increased success with the Gophers in 2019.

New Blood

#11 Mikey Labriola, Nebraska

Anthony Mantanona, Oklahoma

Travis Stefanik, Princeton

Marcus Coleman, Iowa State

A very fun group incoming at this weight, all of whom were mentioned in the redshirt report. The newcomers are very fun to follow as they transition into starters in their second year on campus.

Labriola was #5 on the 2017 Big Board for good reason, and he backed it up by beating two All-Americans during his redshirt year. He'll come in with some of the best leg attacks in the country, so it will be fun to see him matchup with those in the 7-15 range and see where he stacks up.

Mantanona's upside is off the charts and he can go upper body as well. Stefanik enjoyed a fine greyshirt year and looked solid in freestyle this spring. Coleman is part of a big change in Ames, as he, Austin Gomez, and David Carr could all make an impact this season.

Key Dates

Nov. 16th: Lehigh at Michigan (Kutler vs Amine)

Dec. 2nd: Lehigh at Penn State (Kutler vs Hall)

Dec. 8th: Lehigh at Iowa (Kutler vs Kemerer)

Dec. 14th: Arizona State at Penn State (Valencia vs Hall)

Dec. 29th: Missouri vs Lehigh (Lewis vs Kutler)

Jan. 5th: Michigan at Arizona State (Amine vs Valencia)

Jan. 26th: Arizona State at Lehigh (Valencia vs Kutler

Feb. 1st: Michigan at Penn State (Amine vs Hall)

Feb. 8th: Missouri at Arizona State (Lewis vs Valencia)

Feb. 16th: Oklahoma State at Missouri (Rogers vs Lewis)

Feb. 24th: Iowa at Oklahoma State (Rogers vs Kemerer)

As you can see, this season could not be any more jam packed with AAs facing each other at all points of the year. Hall and Kemerer seem to get the easier end, but even they will be tested throughout the year.

Additionally, all three of CKLV, Midlands, and Scuffle could see three or more Top-10 guys from this weight.

Nomad's Predictions

1. Zahid Valencia, Arizona State
2. Mark Hall, Penn State
3. Myles Amine, Michigan
4. Michael Kemerer, Iowa
5. David McFadden, Virginia Tech
6. Jordan Kutler, Lehigh
7. Chandler Rogers, Oklahoma State
8. Daniel Lewis, Missouri

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I will pick Zahid Valencia over Mark Hall for the rest of their college careers. How lucky are we that the top recruit from the Class of 2015 and the top recruit from the Class of 2016 ended up at the same weight?

Amine is too good on his feet to see him drop out of the top four. While I'm still hesitant on Kemerer, seeing how well Kutler did last year makes me feel confident he'll be at the same level he was at 157.

McFadden wins the all New Jersey battle for fifth in a match of the 2017 University nationals champ at 80kg against the 79kg champ from this year's U23 Trials. Rogers hasn't lost to Lewis, so why start now?

Taylor Lujan might go down as one of the best guys to never place. He's the easy choice to sneak in and fix that this season, but it's extremely difficult to see his results against last year's placers and picture that happening this season.

Dylan Lydy's wins over Amine and Labriola certainly warrant mention, but many of his 14 losses also give me pause when picking him to place. Labriola seems more likely than either Lydy or Lujan to place, and navigating that difficult Big Ten season will play a huge part in that.

With any luck, we'll get another two Hall/Valencia classics and the rest of this weight will play out in a much more interesting way than how I have it finishing here.

184-Pounds

It's not often that an updated roster provides the biggest news of the offseason, but that's what happened at 184-pounds when Penn State hit refresh on their website back in August. Two-time defending national champion Bo Nickal was listed at 197-pounds, while 2018's 197-pound seventh-placer Shakur Rasheed was penciled in at 184. 

Assuming those weights are accurate, and there is no reason to think they're not, then that would be a big name no longer competing at 184. Pete Renda and Domenic Abounader, both one-time All-Americans, also exit the weight class after completing their collegiate eligibility. Those departures will be offset by an impressive batch of new entrants to the weight class, making it once again one of the toughest and most exciting divisions in the NCAA.

The Favorite

#1 Myles Martin, Ohio State

Myles Martin spent every week of last season ranked #2. Bo Nickal was all steady and wavering at #1 from start to finish. But all signs point to Bo Nickal competing at 197 this season, and so Myles Martin now stands alone at the top of the 184-pound mountain. 

Can Martin go wire-to-wire at #1? Well, he is pretty good. And he did go undefeated against everyone not named Bo Nickal. And he's got that scary combination of strength, speed, and technique. So I like his chances. 

Here's Myles winning a convincing 8-4 match against Zack Zavatsky to make his second NCAA finals appearance:

The Contenders

#2 Emery Parker, Illinois

#3 Taylor Venz, Nebraska

#4 Zack Zavatsky, Virginia Tech

#5 Shakur Rasheed, Penn State

Emery Parker went "ultimate road warrior" at the 2018 NCAAs. He lost in the first round to Chip Ness and but then came storming back, winning seven straight consolation bouts to take third. Parker also avenged his loss to Ness in the process. Despite this, the Illinois native may still be a little under the radar. Martin and Parker didn't wrestle each other last season, but the season before that they split matches, and he should very much be considered a title threat.

Taylor Venz was also flying under the radar at the start of last season, after a solid yet unspectacular redshirt true freshman season against mostly inferior competition. Venz made his presence known at the CKLV, however, placing third in a loaded bracket.  The Minnesota native would rack up seven wins over All-Americans by the time the season was over, including a 9-4 decision of Emery Parker at Big Tens. Venz is as dangerous a 184-pounder as they come.

Zavatsky failed to place after receiving the fifth seed at both of his first two NCAA tournaments. The senior from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, finally got over the hump last season, placing sixth from the sixth seed. With that All-American monkey off his back, ZZ can let loose in his last go around the college circuit.

Shakur Rasheed drops down to 184 to fill the void left by Bo Nickal's climb up to 197, where Rasheed took seventh at the 2018 NCAAs. Rasheed has proven to be deadly with a cross-face cradle, and one would think he'd have no trouble hitting the same maneuver at a smaller weight class. But it's possible Rasheed will be better scouted this season, and we can see a wide range of results from him at the 2019 NCAAs. He's got the potential to win it all, but that's far from a sure thing at this point. 

Best of the Rest

#6 Chip Ness, North Carolina

#7 Ryan Preisch, Lehigh

#8 Max Dean, Cornell

#9 Nick Reenan, North Carolina State

#10 Jacobe Smith, Oklahoma State

#11 Drew Foster, Northern Iowa

It was tough leaving anyone of the guys in this section off the contender's list, as they are capable of doing big things in March. We did have an easier time drawing the line after Foster, as he was the lowest ranked All-American in the top 20, which made for a natural boundary to this section.

There are eight other All-Americans besides Drew Foster who are expected to compete at 184-pounds this season. Foster took seventh at the 2017 NCAAs. His rank of #11 tells you more about the depth of the division than it does about Foster's ability.

One of those All-Americans, Chip Ness, surprised a lot of people by making the podium last season as an unseeded competitor. He will likely not be able to take anyone by surprise this time in this his senior season. 

Ryan Preisch is also entering his final year of eligibility. The Pennsylvania native has made three consecutive NCAA Tournaments and agonizingly finished in the bloodround in the last two. He will be a sentimental favorite to finish in the top eight in Pittsburgh. 

Max Dean found a way onto the podium his freshman campaign despite not winning the EIWAs and going 3-3 in Cleveland. The Michigan native got it done when it mattered most, however, and helped Cornell finish yet again in the top 10, despite relinquishing the EIWA crown for the first time in over a decade. 

Nick Reenan's rise has been swift, from going 0-2 as a 174 pound true freshman at the 2017 NCAAs, to the bulking up to 184 pounds and going 21-4 during a redshirt campaign that included a win over Zavatsky, to making Final X at 86kg and finishing second on the USA team ladder behind David Taylor. Expect big things from the young Wolfpacker from Texas.

It remains to be seen how the Cowboys are going to manage their roster, which is overflowing with All-Americans. We're expecting to see Jacobe Smith, 2018's seventh placer at 174-pounds, bump up to 184 this season, but we will have to wait until the season is well underway to be sure.  

Sleepers and Landmines

#16 Corey Hazel, Lock Haven

Kordell Norfleet, Arizona State

Brandon Krone, Minnesota

Keegan Moore, Northern Iowa

Dakota Geer, Oklahoma State

We're including Brandon Krone and Keegan Moore here because they are both good enough to start and qualify for the NCAAs. I say that because both Krone and Moore qualified for the NCAAs last season. So how is that for expert analysis? But guys are not currently projected to start, however, as Moore has All-American Drew Foster to contend with at 184 and Krone will have Owen Webster in his path, the latter of whom is returning from injury and began last season as the Gophers' starter. 

Dakota Geer is in a similar situation a Moore and Krone. All-Americans above him, All-Americans below him, and here Geer is, stuck in the middle between Preston Weigel, Jacobe Smith, and Chandler Rogers. Geer, an NCAA qualifier in 2017, is the only Cowboy in that group yet to have climbed a podium step in March. He used his redshirt last season and will begin this season with sophomore eligibility. 

New Blood

#17 Louie DePrez, Binghamton

#18 Nino Bonaccorsi, Pitt

Jelani Embree, Michigan

Cameron Caffey, Michigan State

A very promising crop of youngsters shed their redshirts and enter the weight class with freshman eligibility. DePrez is the most credentialed of the bunch, having won the Wilkes, Edinboro and National Collegiate Open. Nino Bonaccorsi is right there with him. Those two have wrestled each other many times, from Super 32 in high school, to the aforementioned Edinboro Open, to the 2018 Junior U.S. Open. DePrez seems to always find a way to get his hand raised at the end of the match but it doesn't always come easy, as Bonaccorsi took DePrez to tiebreakers in the finals of the Edinboro Open. Their continued rivalry will be a joy to watch unfold at the NCAA level. 

Speaking of budding NCAA rivalries, the competition between Jelani Embree and Cameron Caffey mirrors that of DePrez and Bonaccorsi. It was Embree who won their most recent matchup, also at the Junior U.S. Open. There should be no shortages of opportunities for Caffey to get revenge, however, as Michigan and Michigan State show up on each other's schedule quite often. 

Key Dates

• December 2 - Lehigh at Penn State (Preisch vs Rasheed)
• December 16 - Cornell at Northern Iowa (Dean vs Foster)
• January 6 - North Carolina State at Ohio State (Reenan vs Martin)
• January 12 - Northern Iowa at Nebraska (Foster vs Venz at Tumble N Rumble, a wrestling and women's gymnastic co-event)
• January 20 - Nebraska at Penn State (Venz vs Rasheed)
• January 27 - Virginia Tech at Lehigh (Zavatsky vs Preisch)
• February 1 - Northern Iowa at Oklahoma State (Foster vs Smith)
• February 1 - Ohio State vs Illinois (Martin vs Parker)
• February 17 - Penn State at Illinois (Rasheed vs Parker)

As per every weight class, but especially for 184, don't sleep on the CKLV and Southern Scuffle. Ohio State and Nebraska, among many others, headline the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational at the end of November, while Penn State and Oklahoma State are the biggest team names scheduled to pay a visit to Chattanooga, Tennesee on New Year's Day. 

Big Ten dual meets dominate most of the year's marquee matchups, but stay woke on the ACC, as three contenders are expected to come out of that conference. 

Spey's Spredictions

1st: Myle Martin, Ohio State

2nd: Emery Parker, Illinois

3rd: Nick Reenan, North Carolina State

4th: Taylor Venz, Nebraska

5th: Shakur Rasheed, Penn State

6th: Zack Zavatsky, Virginia Tech

7th: Ryan Preisch, Lehigh

8th: Louie DePrez, Binghamton

R12: Chip Ness, North Carolina

R12: Max Dean, Cornell

R12: Drew Foster, Northern Iowa

R12: Jacobe Smith, Oklahoma State

I predict all the way out to the Round of 12, unlike Nomad, who remains a coward. 

Fortune's wheel is a fickle one, and only a fool would presume to know just how the fateful wheel will turn. Luckily I've no aversion to foolishness and calling the shots of outrageous fortune's slings and arrows comes naturally. 

I like Myles Martin to get back to the top spot of the podium for the first time in four years. I don't think it will be easy, though, as Emery Parker is a beast once he gets rolling. 

I expect Nick Reenan to continue his meteoric rise to the upper echelon, and for Taylor Venz to be right there with him. Both are entering their third year in a college room. 

Shakur Rasheed was the most difficult wrestler to place. He'll get plenty of opportunities to prove me wrong, as Penn State's dual meet schedule has Rasheed facing off against Big Ten rivals Parker, Martin, and Venz.  

Zach Zavatsky will also have opportunities to show that I am selling him short to start the season, as he's got a dual meet with North Carolina State and Nick Reenan slated for final dual of the year right before the conference championship. 

Louie DePrez will be able to prove his bona fides at the Southern Scuffle, with Rasheed and Zavatsky also expected to be in attendance. 

My four round of 12 picks all earned All-American status before, so it should shock exactly zero people if they all find their way back on the podium and make a mockery of my prognostication prowess. 

197-Pounds

After clinching Penn State's seventh title in eight years, Bo Nickal went on a somewhat iconic rant:

Let's get this. That's what I live for, alright. I train every day so I can come out here and be an NCAA champion. We can win team titles at Penn State, that's what we do!

Understandably, that ruffled quite a few feathers, especially in Columbus. But it's par for the course in the current landscape of college wrestling, in which it's easy to perceive PSU as the Yankees. The whole season built towards an epic back-and-forth team race between the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes, and it crescendoed with Nickal's pin in the NCAA finals.

That will no doubt be on the minds of Ohio State's athletes and coaches on February 8th when they host Penn State, with what very well could be a 1 vs 2 matchup happening at 197 pitting Nickal against Kollin Moore. The junior seems to be the most likely contender to knock off Nickal, but we'll get into some other potential finalists below.

For two straight years, the NCAA finals featured two seniors. All the other placers from Cleveland had eligibility left, but Ben Darmstadt is probably out for the year and Shakur Rasheed is down at 184. There is a lot of good, young talent coming up at 197 that will try to override the typical story of it being a weight class dominated by upperclassmen.

The Favorite: #1 Bo Nickal, Penn State

Nickal’s third weight change in his career does not change the fact that he’s the odds on favorite to win another NCAA title this season. There’s an argument to be made he was the most dominant wrestler in the country last year, as he spent less time on the mat than his Hodge winning teammate Zain Retherford due to how many first period pins he had.

There have been three 197lb All-Americans at PSU during the Cael era, with Quentin Wright being the Nittany Lion’s only champ at this weight since 2010. They followed that up with a 7-3-2 run by Morgan McIntosh, and then Shakur Rasheed’s seventh place finish last year.

The Hodge is likely a two-horse race between Nickal and Jason Nolf, with both looking to add their third career title. Nickal’s move signals a clear desire to get bigger and stronger for his senior level career at 86kg, but what remains to be seen is if he can hold the same level of dominance that he had at 184. Getting even 90% of that type of performance out of Nickal should help PSU cruise to their fourth straight team title.

Title Contenders

#2 Kyle Conel, Kent State

#3 Kollin Moore,Ohio State

#5 Willie Miklus, Iowa State

#6 Preston Weigel, Oklahoma State

The major question going into this season was how Conel would follow up his legendary performance in Cleveland. The same guy who beat Moore twice also took a slew of unranked losses in the regular season, and got teched by Weigel in the first period. He did make the U23 Trials finals, but fell in two matches to Moore.

Meanwhile, you've got the pedigree in Moore. Placing third and fourth, with two junior world teams under his belt, he's the clear best guy not named Nickal. For Moore, what needs to be seen is if his bonus rate can get back to where it was as a freshman. If so, I don't see any way how he isn't wrestling on Saturday night in Pittsburgh. Him being on the U23 world team should limit how much we see him in the first semester though.

Miklus is the steady veteran, having placed at every national tournament he's wrestled in, though never higher than sixth. Will the move to Iowa State, back close to this family, allow Miklus to see his full potential in his final year of eligibility? Or can the Cyclones come close to getting the same production out of him that the coaching staff in Columbia achieved these past few years? His body holding up should well determine both of those answers.

As a whole, Oklahoma State severely underperformed at NCAAs. Year-over-year, there were five Cowboys who wrestled at the 2017 national tournament that also wrestled in March a year later. Combined, they scored nearly 50 fewer points in 2018 than they did in 2017, a statistically significant number not helped by Weigel's body falling apart. He was completely hobbled by the end of the year, but might have the best top game of any 197 in the country.

Sleepers and Landmines

#10 Chris Weiler, Lehigh

#16 Tom Sleigh, Virginia Tech

#17 Eric Schultz, Nebraska

#20 Ben Honis, Cornell

In the ever moving target that is a sleeper and/or landmine, the undersized Weiler is a perfect candidate. He is a tremendous scrambler who proved an excellent foil for Darmstadt, nearly knocking off the Cornell freshman in the EIWA semis. Sleigh left the EIWA, making things a little easier for Weiler, and is now in Blacksburg. A three-time qualifier, the transfer has the opportunity to help ease the Hokies 197 transition in the post Jared Haught era.

Schultz was third at U23 Trials and was #35 on the 2016 Big Board. Working with NCAA fourth placer Taylor Venz every day doesn't hurt, and he could be the excellent example of someone who could sneak onto the podium in a weight that is known for such a thing. Rob Koll is too historically good at maximizing one or two guys and turning them into AAs, but the loss of Damion Hahn might mitigate that in the upperweights.

New Blood

#12 Jacob Warner, Iowa

#14 Jake Woodley, Oklahoma

Warner's redshirt season left us with some head-scratchers, just like his two trips to age level world championships. As a blue chip recruit, there is every possibility those were growing pains that have been sorted out and he is already the force many of us think he's going to become. He's unquestionably crucial to Iowa pushing for a second place finish behind Penn State in 2019, and then following that up with a title run in 2020, both of which aren't out of the question. If his bottom game has improved and he can stop duck unders, the sky is the limit for the Illinois native.

Woodley was a two-time Pennsylvania state champ who split with Warner last season. He had a decent spring on the freestyle circuit and is one of several key recruits for the Sooners entering their redshirt freshman season, at least one of whom is likely to make a breakthrough in 2019.

Key Dates

Nov. 9th: Iowa at Kent State (Warner vs Conel)

Nov. 11th: Kent State at Penn State (Conel vs Nickal)

Nov. 16th: Princeton at Iowa (Brucki vs Warner)

Dec. 1st: Iowa State at Iowa (Miklus vs Warner)

Jan. 12th: Oklahoma State at Princeton (Weigel vs Brucki)

Jan. 27th: Iowa State at Oklahoma State (Miklus vs Weigel)

Feb. 1st: Northern Iowa at Oklahoma State (Holschlag vs Weigel)

Feb. 8th: Penn State at Ohio State (Nickal vs Moore)

Feb. 22nd: Iowa State at Northern Iowa (Miklus vs Holschlag)

Feb. 24th: Iowa at Oklahoma State (Warner vs Weigel)

A pretty even distribution of top guys hitting, with no one getting slammed by facing Top-10s over and over. Penn State, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State will be at the Scuffle, while Iowa, Princeton, and Northern Iowa are going to Midlands.

Nomad's Prediction

1. Bo Nickal, Penn State
2. Kollin Moore, Ohio State
3. Preston Weigel, Oklahoma State
4. Pat Brucki, Princeton
5. Chris Weiler, Lehigh
6. Jacob Warner, Iowa
7. Willie Miklus, Iowa State
8. Kyle Conel, Kent State

Kollin Moore is a phenomenal wrestler, but Nickal is working on an all-time career. Nickal is an upgrade over Anthony Cassar, who beat Moore last season.

If Weigel's healthy, he's good enough to make the finals. His ability to pick up back points from a cross wrist tilt and riding time in general is an extremely valuable asset. But he's also coming off injury and has shown a few times that he'll have minor lapses which cost him against theoretically inferior opponents.

I'm very high on Brucki, but it is admittedly difficult to see Princeton placing a guy that high who is not named Matt Kolodzik. But the sophomore has a sneaky good resume and is likely part of that transition to a younger group of placers at 197 that I referenced earlier.

A beefed up Weiler is problems for the rest of this weight, but the real story here is picking Warner to finish sixth. I am on record that those saying Warner can make the finals need to pump the brakes, and that there's a really good chance he won't even place. But this is a hedge based on the arguments of my co-workers, as well as an indictment of the weight somewhat that it's just hard to trust some of those other guys in the Top-10 to land on the podium.

Jacob Holschlag is very tough, but for some reason I have views of Drew Foster and Max Thomsen placing in 2017 and not in 2018 going through my head. I don't feel comfortable about Miklus in spite of his stellar career thus far due to concerns that sixth year guys bodies might just be shot. Nathan Traxler is ranked eighth in the preseason, and I think he'll be one of those guys who is in the bloodround match in the third period, the place where a bit of randomness is to be expected.

Stephen Loiseau is one of the most unorthodox guys in the country and one who can finagle himself a high seed. Brunner's two wins over Warner, plus his major over Kyle Conel and victory over Nate Rotert, have been noted. But he's got enough losses in the other direction to give pause to place. What's clear though is that Purdue has a number of guys in the mix to be in the Round of 12, and to be honest, if you can make the bloodround you can make the podium.

285-Pounds

Last season's 285-pound finalists have graduated. You may be familiar with them: Kyle Snyder and Adam Coon? Both will be in Budapest this month, representing the USA. Snyder will be attempting to win his fourth consecutive world or Olympic gold medal in men's freestyle, while Coon will be trying to capture a medal in Greco-Roman.

Fourth and sixth-place finishers Jacob Kasper and Mike Hughes have also run out of eligibility. Third-place finisher Amar Dhesi has one more year of eligibility, however, it remains to be seen if he is returning to the Oregon State program for one final season. Dhesi will also be in Budapest, representing Canada at 125 kg in men's freestyle. If Dhesi returns to collegiate wrestling after seeking glory for our friendly neighbors up north, he would be one of the contenders to win an NCAA title. If he does not, then that weight class opens up that much more. 

The Favorites

#1 Sam Stoll, Iowa

#2 Nick Nevills, Penn State

Gable Steveson, Minnesota

Sam Stoll will miss the first dual of the Iowa schedule, but for disciplinary reasons rather than injury concerns. As such, the highest placing returning All-American should be in the hunt for the first Hawkeye heavyweight title since Steve Mocco.

Nick Nevills, the only returning competitor in the weight class with two All-American honors, will try and stop Stoll and become the first Nittany Lion since Kerry McCoy to hoist an individual heavyweight championship trophy. There is also the possibility that Anthony Cassar could start for PSU at 285-pounds, a talented New Jersey native who wrestled the previous season at 197-pounds. 

Gable Steveson's inclusion to the list of contenders is not warranted by his folkstyle results, of which he has few of any relevance, but because of freestyle results, of which he has many relevant and impressive results. Though they aren't considered for ranking purposes, which is why he's is unranked at the moment, Steveson has soundly beaten 2017 NCAA third-placer Tanner Hall twice in freestyle and split two close matches with USA National Team member and two-time All-American Dom Bradley. 

Although the USA National Team only goes three-deep, Steveson is unofficially fourth on the 125 kg ladder. Steveson is also a cadet and junior UWW world champion. Although Gable he is entering his true freshman year at Minnesota, his bona fides as a 285-pound NCAA title contender are undeniable. 

The Contenders

#3 Youssif Hemida, Maryland

#4 Derek White, Oklahoma State

#5 Tanner Hall, Arizona State

#6 Jordan Wood, Lehigh

With a two-time Olympian, two-time NCAA champion, Hodge trophy winner, and world silver medalist like Kerry McCoy running your practices every day, it's no wonder a guy who wasn't necessarily a blue-chip recruit like Youssif Hemida enters his senior season as an All-American and borderline title contender. 

Derek White bulked up from 197 to 285 last season and subsequently had the best season of his career. He'll be looking to improve on his round of 12 finish in this, his final year of eligibility at Oklahoma State.

Tanner Hall, as previously mentioned, finished third two seasons ago, but went 2-2 in Cleveland, despite being ranked in the top 10 all season long. Jordan Wood hovered around #10 for most of the season in the rankings, and will look to improve on his bloodround finish last season. 

Best of the Rest

#7 Billy Miller, Virginia Tech

#8 Jere Heino, Campbell

#9 Thomas Haines, Lock Haven

#10 Conan Jennings, Northwestern

#11 Shawn Streck, Purdue

No on this list has yet to climb a podium step in March, but they all spent significant time in the top 20 rankings last season. his a pretty tight cluster of heavyweights, as nearly everybody has both wins and losses against each other. Likewise for common opponents. 

Sleepers and Landmines

#12 Matt Voss, George Mason

#15 Matt Stencel, Central Michigan

Deuce Rachal, Illinois

Ian Butterbrodt, Brown

Matt Voss the Boss upended Conan Jennings at the NCAAs. The George Mason Fightin' Beasleys are expecting big things from the senior from Edgewood, Washington.

Mid-American Confernce champion Matt Stencel is poised for a big year for the Chippewas. Deuce Rachal is always ready to go big, as anyone who has ever watched any of his exhilarating matches can attest. And Ian Budderbrodt is on the cusp of breaking through for the Bears. 

New Blood

#16 Tate Orndorff, Utah Valley

Gable Steveson, Minnesota

Chase Singletary, Ohio State

Trent Hillger, Wisconsin

Brandon Metz, North Dakota State

Mason Parris, Michigan

Tate Orndorff holds the distinction as the only heavyweight coming off a redshirt season to have notched enough impressive wins to earn a spot in the preseason top 20.

Steveson has already been covered. He is capital-bold-letters 'the' new heavyweight name to follow this year. Singletary, Hillger and Metz all made appearances on the Class of 2017 Big Board, at numbers 10, 21 and 53, respectively. It will be fun watching their collegiate careers unfold. 

Another name to keep in mind is Michigan's Mason Parris. It's possible Parris takes a redshirt season as a true freshman, but it's also possible that Mason makes like his mentor, Adam Coon, and starts right away. Expect #3 on the Class of 2018 Big Board to be problems if he wrestles in his first year as a Wolverine. 

Key Dates

• November 18 - Oklahoma State at Minnesota (White vs Steveson, the first big test for Steveson comes early in the season.)
• November 30 - George Mason at Lock Haven (Haines vs Voss)
• December 2 - Lehigh at Penn State (Wood vs Nevills)
• December 8 - Lehigh at Iowa (Wood vs Stoll)
• December 14 - Arizona State at Penn State (Hall vs Nevills)
• January 13 - Iowa at Minnesota (Stoll vs Steveson)
• February 3 - Lehigh at Oklahoma State (Wood v White)
• February 10 - Maryland at Minnesota (Hemida vs Steveson)
• February 24 - Iowa at Oklahoma State (Stoll vs Steveson, count 'em up, this dual is must-see for almost every weight class!)

The big tounries like CKLV, Sucffle and Midlands remain events to circle on your calendar, but don't forget the Daktronics Open on Sunday, February 4, which will be the first time we should expect to see Gable Steveson wrestle a varsity match. 

285 is front-loaded this year, so make sure you are paying attention to the big dogs when the season begins!

Spey's Spredictions

1st: Gable Steveson, Minnesota

2nd: Sam Stoll, Iowa

3rd: Nick Nevills, Penn State

4th: Yousiff Hemida, Maryland

5th: Tanner Hall, Arizona State

6th: Derek White, Oklahoma State

7th: Billy Miller, Virginia Tech

8th: Thomas Haines, Lock Haven

R12: Jere Heino, Campbell

R12: Conan Jennings, Northwestern

R12: Shawn Streck, Central Michigan

R12: Chase Singletary, Ohio State

Is picking Gable Steveson to win an NCAA championship as a true freshman a bold move? I'm not so sure. On one hand, it's never been done before. On the other hand, no other heavyweight has accomplished what Gable Steveson has done before entering college. So given what we know, and with no disrespect to anyone else in the weight class, I'm comfortable with my pick for 2019 NCAA heavyweight champion. 

Stoll and Nevills are the next two most credentialed 285-pounders, and I'm likewise comfortable picking them to finish near the top of the division come March. 

I'm less sure of the exact finish of Hemida, Hall and White. They are very close in talent and have similar enough resumes that they'll all finish the season on the podium on consecutive steps. 

Miller and Haines are long overdue for wrestling in a Saturday afternoon match during the NCAA Tournament, even if it means keeping studs like Jere Heino, Conan Jennings and Shawn Streck off the podium. Chase Singletary hopefully has a very long heavyweight career ahead of him with several more opportunities to become an All-American, though I won't be disappointed if he proves me wrong and becomes one this season.