It's way too early to be doing a redshirt report for the 2020-21 NCAA D1 season, but that won't stop us from publishing one anyway! Here is a preliminary look at some of the biggest names in college wrestling that sat out last season. 

Because it's so early in the year and there are so many unknowns, this will just be a cursory review, not the in-depth study that we will release closer to the season. As such, we will only highlight a few names per weight class, and many of those weight classes will end up changing once the season rolls around. These are the perils and pitfalls of doing something way earlier than is advisable. 

125 Pounds

Vito Arujau, Cornell

The Big Red All-American from Long Island immediately demonstrates one of the major problems with trying to do a redshirt report in the middle of April. Will Vito stay at 125, or will he move up to 133 where he started the 2018-19 season? Or will he return to an Olympic redshirt and skip another collegiate season? We don't know, and it's possible neither Arujau nor head coach Rob Koll knows at this point either. 

If Vito does return to NCAA action, you can bet on a deep run at the NCAA tournament, at either weight. 

Rayvon Foley, Michigan State

Foley placed seventh last year at 125 points. 

Michael McGee, TBD

McGee is a two-time national qualifier for Old Dominion who finished in the bloodround at the 2019 tournament. Following the shuttering of the Monarch program, McGee will be forced to find a new school to wrestle at his fall.  

Sam Latona, Virginia Tech

Latona amassed a 20-2 record in his inaugural season, including a third-place finish at the Southern Scuffle. 

Chris Cannon, Northwestern

Cannon impressed at the Midlands, where he took out talented senior Jay Schwarm in the championship rounds via pinfall.

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133 Pounds

Nick Suriano, Rutgers

We are still waiting on official word on whether or not Suriano will return to Rutgers for his final season of eligibility. If he does, he will have a good chance at becoming Rutgers' first-ever two-time champion, two seasons after becoming their first-ever champ.  

Daton Fix, Oklahoma State

A member of the 2019 USA men's freestyle world team at 57kg, Fix has the potential to add serious depth to either 133 nationally -- or 125? We don't know, we're asking! -- assuming he doesn't take another Olympic redshirt. 

Stevan Micic, Michigan

Micic has already qualified for the 2021 Olympics when he placed fifth, wrestling for Serbia, at the 2019 UWW senior men's freestyle world championships.

Matthew Schmitt, Missouri

Schmitt was inactive last season but made two consecutive NCAA tournaments will with West Virginia during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. 

141 Pounds

Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell

Yianni will be still be focused on making the 2021 Olympic Team at 65kg, but the Final X competitor stated that he will be back in a Cornell singlet looking for his third straight NCAA title in three attempts this fall. Like his teammate and fellow New York, Vito Arujau, Yianni may also bump up a weight class from where he last wrestled collegiately. 

Jaydin Eierman, Iowa

Three-time All-American Jaydin Eierman comes to Iowa City via the Missouri Tigers, where he spent the first three seasons of his career. The Hawkeyes also have two-time NCAA qualifier Max Murin returning, so expect either Murin or Eierman to bump up to take over for the departing Pat Lugo at 149.

Austin Gomez, Iowa State

We're making a guess that Gomez is up at 141, but naturally, it is too early to know for sure. Gomez made the 2019 NCAA round of 12 at 133 pounds before missing all of this last season due to injury. 

Kaid Brock, Oklahoma State

Good news from Stillwater, as John Smith revealed that Brock received a sixth year of eligibility after missing the entire 2019-20 season due to injury. If Daton Fix defers eligibility again to focus on the Olympics or drops down to 125, expect Kaid to drop back down to 133 and for true sophomore Reece Witcraft to take a redshirt. 

Anthony Echemendia, Ohio State

The Cuban sensation Echemendia will technically be a true freshman and will have redshirt to use, so he probably shouldn't be on this list, but he is almost certain to start immediately for the Buckeyes and be a force on the collegiate scene, either at 141 or 149, so he fits in with the spirit of the exercise. 

149 Pounds

Jaden Abas, Stanford

Abas established his bona fides by knocking off fellow true frosh phenom Andrew Alirez in the finals of the Southern Scuffle. 

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Kevon Davenport, Nebraska

Brock Hardy will also presumably be back from his two-year Morman mission to challenge Davenport for the starting spot, although Hardy will still have a conventional redshirt still intact. 

Peyton Omania, Michigan State

A Greco-Roman specialist, Omania won three different age level national championships and a UWW junior world bronze medal. 

Khristian Olivas, Fresno State

Olivas is another one who missed last season due to injury. He qualified for two NCAA tournaments in the seasons prior to that. 

157 Pounds

Brady Berge, Penn State

Berge missed all but a couple matches this season after making the round of 16 at the 2019 national tourney. If injuries are still keeping him from competing, looking for Adam Busiello or Jarod Verkleeren to man the position for the Nittany Lions. 

Cade DeVos, South Dakota State

DeVos placed eighth at a stack Midlands, which included a win over three-time NCAA qualifier AC Headlee.

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Hunter Willits, Oregon State

Willits placed sixth at the Southern Scuffle which included a win over four-time qualifier Taleb Rahmani. 

165 Pounds

Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech

New Jersey native Mekhi Lewis shares a conundrum with many fellow wrestlers who elected to defer eligibility for the Olympic Games which themselves have now been deferred until 2021. The rising sophomore will be a title contender if he suits up for the Hokies, at either 165 or 174. 

Carson Kharchla, Ohio State

Kharchla's weight class is likewise not yet carved in stone (it's April!) but the Who's #1 and Fargo champion proved he would be varsity ready this fall by going undefeated at 165 while on redshirt. 

Logan Massa, Michigan

The Wolverines also have Cam Amine, who competes internationally for San Marino, coming off Olympic redshirt and who could likely make 165. One would assume NCAA third-place finisher and three-time qualifier Massa would have the inside track, but either way, it's a good problem for the Wolverines to have.

Demetrius Romero, Utah Valley

UVU (who are also the Wolverines) had a snakebitten season when it came to injuries. Romero was poised for a breakout year when he too was put on the shelf by injuries. We hope to see him healthy and back in the lineup this fall. 

Joe Lee, Penn State

In his third year wrestling against NCAA competition, Lee placed fifth at the Southern Scuffle, knocking off a pair of national qualifiers along the way. He's been penciled in as the replacement for the legendary Vincenzo Joseph.

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Julian Ramirez, Cornell

Ramirez went 23-6 while referring enrollment at Cornell for a season and wrestling with the Finger Lake Wrestling Club. 

174 Pounds

Myles Amine, Michigan

Myles, like his brother Cam, competes internationally for San Marino. Amine qualified for the Tokyo games at 86 kilograms (about 189 pounds), and if he returns to NCAA action he'll create a logjam for the Wolverines as he, his brother, Massa and NCAA qualifier Jelani Embree all wrestle between 165 and 184 pounds. Does this portend a move all the way up to 197? Who knows, it's way too early to tell!

Carter Starocci, Penn State

Starocci has massive shoes to fill with the departure of superstar Mark Hall. But Nittany Lion faithful will breathe easier knowing blue-chip Starocci blitzed through the Souther Scuffle to claim a title as a true frosh. 

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Chris Foca, Cornell

Foca had a pretty good Southern Scuffle too, decking Dean Sherry in the consolations that put him in the third-place match. 

Matt Finesilver, Duke

Matt's brother Josh is also coming off a redshirt for the Blue Devils. That'll give Duke two Finesilver in their lineup, which is 50% less than Duke's peak Finesilver in 2019. 

Devin Kane, North Carolina

A bloodrounder in 2019, Kane missed all of last season due to injuries, but is hopefully healed up and ready to go for the Tar Heels in 2020-21.

184 Pounds

Max Dean, Cornell

The NCAA finalist will likely be rejoining Cornell's other Olympic redshirts in the starting lineup again, giving the Big Red a very formidable squad that should contend for a team trophy.

Parker Keckeisen, Northern Iowa

The graduation of Taylor Lujan opens up a spot for the blue-chip recruit from the state of Wisconsin who finished his redshirt campaign with a 16-1 record. 

Devin Winston, SIUE

One of the highest-ranked recruits in program history gets ready to take the mat for the Cougars.

Jake Logan, Lehigh

With two-time national qualifier Chris Weiler in the transfer portal, the path is clear for Logan to take the reigns at 184 for the Mountain Hawks. 

197 Pounds

Michael Beard, Penn State

Another example of the Nittany Lions reloading a weight class following the departure of a senior. It's almost as if the coaching staff had a plan for all of this! The Nittany Lions should be in good hands with Beard at 197. The Pennsylvanian native placed fourth at the Southern Scuffle, beating All-American Dakota Geer along the way. 

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Jacob Cardenas, Cornell

It will be tough for Cardenas to break into the lineup with All-Americans Dean and Ben Darmstadt at 184 and 197, respectively. Just another 'good' depth problem for Rob Koll to figure out.

285 Pounds

Greg Kerkvliet, Penn State

We think Kerkvliet technically used up a year of eligibility when he transferred from Ohio State to Penn State after the season had started, but in any event, Kerkvliet did not wrestle varsity last season and is expected to do big things on the collegiate circuit this upcoming season. The 2017 UWW cadet world champion finished the season 9-0 wrestling unattached for Penn State.

Lewis Fernandes, Cornell

Cornell has never had a heavyweight All-American in program history. New Jersey native Lewis Fernandes has the hopes high in Ithaca that he's the guy to break the streak. 

Zach Elam, Missouri

Elam turned some heads reaching the round of 12 last season as a true freshman. Another year of experience will make a top-eight finish that much more likely. 

AJ Nevills, Fresno State

Two-time national qualifier AJ Nevills deferred eligibility as senior All-American Josh Hokit bumped up from 197 to heavyweight last season. Look for Nevills to assume the role of anchor again for the Bulldogs this fall. 

Many of the other studly wrestling coming off redshirt that were not mentioned can be found on our high school class of 2019 senior Big Board, featuring the top 100 prospects from two years ago. We'll try to cover everyone later this summer, but if there is someone you want to make sure we don't forget, feel free to drop us a line on twitter @SpeyWrestle. Your feedback is always appreciated!