At the conclusion of the NCAA Championships we all start taking a look at the landscape of the next season. Through the summer there are only minor factors that change things. And in the fall we carve out a new pecking order for the upcoming season.

Needless to say, throughout the course of the season, some wrestlers don't live up to that billing, while others exceed our expectations. While we often readjust and think about what the results mean to the future, we seldom reflect on what the hierarchy was in the past and how we got here.

Here we'll take a look at what the rankings looked like in Week 1 compared to now, and identify the biggest surprises.

125: Biggest Riser - #8 Brent Fleetwood, North Dakota State

If you give all wrestlers that were unranked in the preseason a value of 21, Fleetwood jumped 13 spots with wins over Louie Hayes and Travis Piotrowski. MSU's Rayvon Foley would be next going from #18 in the preseason to his current position at #9.

125: Biggest Fallers - Ryan Millhof, Arizona St.

This weight looks dramatically different than in the preseason. Two ranked at 125 (Suriano and Hayes) are now at 133. Five guys are still at the weight but have fallen out of the rankings completely. Ryan Millhof, the preseason #7 was the biggest faller. The other four were Gabe Townsell, Connor Schram, Christian Moody and Elijah Oliver. 

The biggest faller that's still ranked is Zeke Moisey (#6 to #14)

125: The Freshmen - #10 Patrick Glory, Princeton

Glory is the highest freshman. He has three wins over ranked wrestlers and he's lost only to Spencer Lee and Nick Piccininni. The only other ranked freshman is #13 Vito Arajau, who was #17 at 133 in the preseason.

133: Biggest Riser - #5 Mickey Phillippi, Pitt

Due to the bending of time and space, Phillippi is still consider a freshman by the NCAA. But he had two years of data to be ranked #18 preseason. He's been one of the country's biggest surprises with wins over Ethan Lizak, Luke Pletcher and Daton Fix.

133: Biggest Fallers - Dylan Duncan, Illinois

Dylan Duncan was #12. He's now not ranked. Others ranked in the preseason that are not ranked now are Collin Valdiviez and Josh Terao.

Of those that are still ranked, the biggest faller is Tariq Wilson (#3 to #11).

133: The Freshmen - #2 Daton Fix, Oklahoma State

Three freshmen are ranked. Along with Daton is Austin Gomez (#8) and Roman Bravo-Young (#16).

141: Biggest Riser - #5 Kanen Storr, Michigan

From a preseason ranking of 18, Storr is the biggest riser. He has wins over Chad Red, AC Headlee, Sam Turner and Josh Alber. But this is a weight full of overachievers. None of the wrestlers currently ranked 10-13 (Matt Findlay, Ian Parker, Dom Demas and Sam Turner) were ranked in the preseason. 

141: Biggest Fallers - Chad Red, Nebraska

Four wrestlers ranked in the preseason are no longer ranked: Chad Red, Ryan Diehl, Cole Weaver and Nate Limmex. Red was preseason #6.

Se'Derian Perry fell the most spots (#7 to #20) followed by Kaid Brock (#4 to #14).

141: The Freshmen - #12 Dom Demas, Oklahoma

Demas had an early season win over Kaid Brock. Max Murin is the only other freshman ranked at the weight. 

149: Biggest Riser - #11 Cole Martin, Wisconsin

Martin was unranked coming into the year. He's the biggest riser along with Josh Heil, who started #16 and is now #8.

149: Biggest Faller - #16 Patrick Lugo, Iowa 

This weight had a great deal of turnover. Grant Leeth, Brock Zacherl and Boo Leewallen were all derailed by injuries. 

There were five wrestlers ranked preseason who are now out. But all of them were ranked low (#14 and #17-20).

Lugo fell the most spots, from a preseason ranking of #6 down 10 spots to #16.

149: The Freshmen - #4 Kaden Gfeller, Oklahoma State

Youngin's at 149 are having a fine season. Gfeller won his second Scuffle already and is the highest at #4 followed by #5 Austin O'Connor, #9 Brock Mauller, #12 Brady Berge and #13 Anthony Artalona. 

157: Biggest Riser - #8 Eric Barone, Illinois

Barone is another big mover, emerging from unranked in the preseason after a 9-15 sophomore year. He just beat Kaleb Young. Young himself has moved up 10 spots from his initial ranking. Griffin Parriott (from #20 to #11) is the next biggest mover.

157: Biggest Faller - Paul Fox, Stanford

The former All-American started the season at #10 but has since fallen out. Others that fell out are Luke Weiland, Justin Thomas, Gordon Wolf, Tyler Marinelli and Hunter Willits.

157: The Freshmen - #10 Zach Hartman, Bucknell

Hartman was the surprise at Midlands as the true freshman took third. He's 18-4 and the highest ranked freshman at the weight. Two more freshmen, Jarrett Jacques and Josh Humphreys, are also ranked at 157.

165: Biggest Riser - #9 Demetrius Romero, Utah Valley

Romero has been fantastic this year. He's moved up seven spots from his preseason tag and has a win over Logan Massa. He hasn't lost since CKLV—a string of 14 matches. 

165: Biggest Faller - #20 Andrew Fogarty, North Dakota St.

Fogarty started the year at #12. There were three others farther down that are no longer ranked: Cole Walter, Quentin Perez and Jake Wentzel.

165: The Freshmen - #10 Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech

Lewis actually started the year at #15. He's 16-2 on the year and the only freshman ranked at the weight.

174: Biggest Riser - #12 Kimball Bastian, Utah Valley

Bastian was unranked to start the year and he's tied (with nine spots moved) with Devin Skatszka (#20 to #11), who he ironically is 0-3 against this season.

174: Biggest Faller - Ben Harvey, Army

The top 10-ish at the weight have stayed in the same approximate order. Harvey and Te'Shan Campbell (preseason's #12 and #13) are no longer ranked.

174: The Freshmen - #9 Mikey Labriola, Nebraska

"Labs" is already a top 10 guy after a great redshirt year and a 17-3 start to this season. Although he's the highest ranked frosh, the biggest frosh surprise at the weight is Brit Wilson, who's ranked #10 for Northern Illinois. Ethan Smith, who just got the starting gig for the Buckeyes, is the third and final ranked freshman at 174.

184: Biggest Riser - #2 Nick Reenan, NC State

Reenan isn't just the biggest mover at 184, he's among the biggest movers of anyone ranked in the top 5 (read below). He's beaten three ranked wrestlers, including #3 Venz, and his only loss is to #1 Myles Martin.

184: Biggest Faller - Canton Marriott, Missouri

This weight has been the most consistent. Sixteen of the original 20 are still ranked. Nick Gravina was removed for injury. Only Marriott (#14), Owen Webster (#15) and CJ LaFragola (#19) are out after being ranked preseason. 

184: The Freshmen - #8 Louie DePrez, Binghamton

Billy Baldwin would be impressed. Even beyond Reenan, DePrez is the truly the biggest mover. He's come up from a preseason ranking of #17. Three other ranked wrestlers at 184 are freshmen: Nino Bonnacorsi, Cameron Caffey and Tate Samuelson.

197: Biggest Riser - #4 Rocco Caywood, Army

The single biggest identity change in Division I wrestling belongs to Rocco Caywood and Army. Last year he was 18-14 and had no wins over ranked opponents. This year, he's 19-3 with a win over #5 Jacob Warner. He has company though. UVA's Jay Aiello was 13-15 last year and is currently #7 with an 18-5 mark. And Aiello didn't do it the easy way: he has wins over seven ranked foes.

197: Biggest Faller - Corey Griego, Oregon State

There are a few oddities at this weight. Kyle Conel hung up his shoes. Stephen Loiseau has been removed because he hasn't wrestled since the Scuffle. And Chris Weiler has oscillated between 184 and 197. That leaves Griego, who started the year ranked #13. Four others who began ranked are out now: Jake Woodley, Jackson Striggow, Garrett Hoffman and Zach Chakonis. 

197: The Freshmen - #5 Jacob Warner, Iowa

Warner placed fifth at Midlands and has a win over #6 Willie Miklus. He's one of the highest-ranked freshmen in the country. Noah Adams and Cale Davidson at #19 and #20 are the only other ranked freshmen at the weight.

285: Biggest Riser - #10 Demetrius Thomas, Pitt

A runner-up in NAIAs last year, Thomas has caught a lot of people off guard. He's 21-3 on the season. Jake Gunning (from #19 to #11) and David Jensen (NR to #14) are next best risers.

Of course, you could count Anthony Cassar here, as well. He was a backup to Shakur Rasheed at the conclusion of the 2018 season. Coming into this season it was far from a given that he could take the spot from Nick Nevills, who was ranked #2 preseason. He's gone from assumed backup to #3 in the country.

285: Biggest Faller - Thomas Haines, Lock Haven

I gotta get on Andrew Spey for this one! Haines started the season ranked #10. And while he doesn't have any significant wins this year, his losses are to #2, #12 and #16. There are four others who are no longer ranked that were in the preseason: Jeramy Sweany, Cory Daniel, AJ Nevills and Antonio Pelusi.

285: The Freshmen - #1 Gable Steveson, Minnesota

It didn't take long for perhaps the greatest high school recruit of all time to ascend to #1. Just three months into the season, to be precise, and he has a win over #2. 

But he's not the only young talent. We told you there was a youth movement coming at heavyweight and here we go...  Counting Steveson, there are six freshmen ranked at 285, the most of any weight: Mason Parris, Trent Hillger, Tate Orndorff, Chase Singletary and Zach Elam are the others. 

Biggest Risers Among Top 5 Guys 

*No Freshmen, Not Ranked counted as #21

Biggest Risers Overall

*No Freshmen, Not Ranked counted as #21

Biggest Drops Among Those Still Ranked

Highest Ranked Freshmen