2020 Honey Badger Team Released

2020 Honey Badger Team Released

Bratke releases his 2020 D1 Honey Badger team.

Apr 10, 2020 by Kyle Bratke
null

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Get Started

Already a subscriber? Log In

In 2011, most people didn't know what a honey badger was, myself included. That all changed after one beautifully narrated YouTube video. 

Unlock this article, live events, and more with a subscription!

Get Started

Already a subscriber? Log In

In 2011, most people didn't know what a honey badger was, myself included. That all changed after one beautifully narrated YouTube video. 

Be careful where you watch this and who you watch this with.


Bees, king cobras, and six lions. The honey badger will take on anyone, anytime, anywhere. In the video above, Randall eloquently says, "The honey badger is really pretty badass. They have no regard for any other animal whatsoever." That is the perfect description of the team you will find below. 

Not only did that video inspire the nickname for NFL star Tyrann Mathieu, but it once again inspired me to me pick select all honey badger team for the first time since 2015

Each wrestler on this team is must-watch every time they step on the mat and they all enjoy scoring points, pinning people, and not caring.  

125: Jay Schwarm, UNI

You remember those terrible shirts you could get at any youth wrestling tournament that said, "Pin 2 Win" in some awful font? That was Jay Schwarm's motto this season. The UNI senior wrestled 31 matches this season and 19 of them ended in a fall, 17 in his favorite. Only four of Schwarm's win didn't come by fall. That's absurd. 

null

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Get Started

Already a subscriber? Log In


133: Austin DeSanto, Iowa

You knew this was coming, right? The man is the captain and heart and soul of Team Honey Badger. Sometimes he calls his own stall calls, shows the ref he was in bounds, or tries to jump over his opponents, and that's just scratching the surface. The Hawkeye All-American is also a scoring machine and six times this season scored at least 20 points. In matches that didn't end in a fall, DeSanto averaged 13 points a match. That's the same amount of points Rutgers football team averaged a game last season and three more than Akron averaged a game. 

null

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Get Started

Already a subscriber? Log In


141: Nick Lee, Penn State

While he may not come with all of the antics that DeSanto does, Nick Lee is one of the few wrestlers in the country that could score on the same level as DeSanto. Like the Hawkeye, Nick Lee also averaged 13 points a match which means he too is a more potent scorer than Rutgers or Akron football. The Penn State All-American scored at least 15 points four times and at least 20 points three times. 

null

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Get Started

Already a subscriber? Log In


149: Jarrett Degen, Iowa State

Have you ever watched a Jarrett Degen match? It's a wild ride. The Iowa State All-American is consistently involved in high-scoring affairs and they are often seven straight minutes of scrambling. During his three seasons as a varsity starter, Degen has been involved in 22 matches in which the match was a regular decision and he and his opponent combined to score over 15 points. 

null

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Get Started

Already a subscriber? Log In


157: Quinn Kinner, Ohio State

Quinn Kinner began the year at 141 where he wrestled Luke Pletcher off for the Buckeyes starting spot. After failing to win the spot over Pletcher, who would spend almost the entire season ranked #1, Kinner tried to cut down to 133. However, after the Michigan State Open and two duals, Kinner couldn't hold the weight. Unable to beat Pletcher and Sammy Sasso at 149, who also spent part of the season ranked #1, Kinner did what any honey badger would do and bumped all the way up to 157. Not only did he bump up to 157 but he was good there. Kinner won over 15 matches at the weight and beat Brady Berge. Bumping up three weight and still winning matches in the Big Ten is what being a honey badger is all about. 

null

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Get Started

Already a subscriber? Log In


165: Tanner Cook, South Dakota State

Coming into this season, I didn't know who Tanner Cook was. That's on me, but heading into next season I'm the leader of the fan club. Dylan Ness included, I've never seen a better gator bacon. Cook can hit it so fast and before his opponents know it, the match is over. Fourteen of his 22 wins this year came by fall and the majority of those were pinfalls by gator bacon. Cook wasn't afraid to get in shootouts either. Throughout the season he won matches that ended 10-7, 18-12, and 12-10. If you made the same mistake as me and don't know about Cook, educate yourself right now. 

null

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Get Started

Already a subscriber? Log In


174: Anthony Mantanona, Oklahoma

Anthony Mantanona has been a honey badger since his high school days. The Oklahoma Sooners is an incredible athlete and scrambler, has big move potential from anywhere, and is a very good upper body as evident by the face he made the Junior Greco-Roman world team in 2018. Like Tanner Cook, Mantanona isn't afraid to get in high scoring affairs. During the past two seasons, Mantanona has been in matches that ended 14-13, 13-11, 18-14, 17-14, and 14-12 just to name a few. He's must-see TV every time he steps on the mat. 

null

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Get Started

Already a subscriber? Log In


184: Taylor Lujan, UNI

The moment Taylor Lujan put on a UNI singlet four years ago he instantly became one of the most exciting wrestlers in the country. When you watched Lujan wrestle, you saw someone who was trying to score for seven straight minutes, wasn't afraid to give up points, and could pin anyone at any time. It was oftentimes a scramble fest and that lead to matches that ended 12-9, 10-8, 13-8, and 11-10. We are certainly going to miss watching Lujan on the collegiate level.

null

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Get Started

Already a subscriber? Log In


197: Ben Darmstadt, Cornell

The favorite 197-pounder of Ben Askren and Chrisitan Pyles began the year down at 184, but after CKLV made the move back up to 197 where for the most part he was much better. However, part of what makes Ben Darmstadt a honey badger is you never knew what version of Darmstadt you were going to get. Sometimes he gets pinned in a minute by Owen Webster or loses to Brandon Whitman. Other times, he nearly majors Pat Brucki or bonuses his way through EIWAs. Darmstadt is a monster on top as well with half of his wins this season coming by fall. 

null

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Get Started

Already a subscriber? Log In


285: Brandon Metz, North Dakota State

Much like almost every wrestler on this team, watching a Brandon Metz match is an experience. For a heavyweight, he's great upper body and that was on full display at the Southern Scuffle when he picked up three electrifying falls. Sometimes, things didn't go as well for Metz like when Brian Andrews pinned him in under a minute while using no arms. Such is life for a honey badger. Sometimes you're the cobra, sometimes you're the honey badger. 

null

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Get Started

Already a subscriber? Log In