Replacing a pair of graduating wrestlers with a combined seven All-American finishes and four Big Ten titles is no small task. With Luke Pletcher heading to the Steel City to join the Pitt coaching staff and Kollin Moore itching to train for the coronavirus-delayed Olympic trials, a good chunk of Ohio State’s (projected) NCAA tournament scoring has left the roster.

Finding a 141-pounder to compete with the likes of Penn State’s Nick Lee or a 197 guy who can step into the void left by a Hodge Trophy finalist is daunting, to say the least. The good news for Tom Ryan and his staff is that they have options at both spots.

Starting with 141, Ohio State only listed one other man at the roster at the weight besides Pletcher last season, and that’s redshirt freshman Dylan D’Emilio. D’Emilio saw limited duty, injury-defaulting out of the Storm Open in November and then going 5-1 at the Edinboro Open in February.

A four-time Ohio high school champion, Fargo champ and three-time finalist, and Cadet Pan-American Games silver medalist, D’Emilio has the pedigree to step into a critical spot for the Buckeyes, even if there wasn’t much tape of him in open tournament action last season.

The man most likely in the driver’s seat to be Pletcher’s successor, however, is incoming recruit Anthony Echemendia. The Cuban immigrant is a highlight reel of raw talent, and has said more than once via social media that he wants to wrestle 141. When asked specifically about his preferred weight in an interview, he doesn’t hesitate before saying, “That’s all on Tom Ryan . . . he’s going to be the one telling me my weight class, because he’s the coach. I’m the athlete.”

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Given that Echemendia has been training at Planet Fitness and/or with big logs on suburban patios, how his body responds to the Buckeye strength and conditioning and nutrition programs could play a role in where he best fits on the roster and what a cut might look like. But if you were laying odds today on who would take the spot, the smart money is probably on the new man in the room.

Other scenarios include Quinn Kinner making a run at the spot again, but it seems more likely that he challenges Elijah Cleary again for the 157-pound spot. Jordan Decatur might like to follow Pletcher’s lead and bump up from 133, but the Buckeyes need his talent there, assuming he manages the cut better after a full offseason planning to man the starting spot.

Next (Big) Man Up?

As tough as it will be to replace Luke Pletcher’s production last season, replacing Kollin Moore’s is even harder. Moore would have been Ohio State’s next four-time All American, and instead finishes his career as one of the best Buckeyes to never win a national title.

He has been an anchor for the Buckeyes for four years, and a consistent scorer in duals and in tournament action.

Prior to Greg Kerkvliet’s precipitous defection last season, Tom Ryan’s succession plan at 197 pounds had been for heavyweight Chase Singletary to take an Olympic redshirt this season and then drop down a class to take Moore’s spot.

Singletary sustained an injury at the Cliff Keen last November that sidelined him for the season, ushering in the era of Gas Tank Gary, the man who was quickly certified a living legend of the inaugural season inside Covelli Center.

With Tate Orndorff making his way to Columbus as a certified heavyweight, the plan for Singletary to move back to 197 seems like smart money again. Prior to his injury, Singletary was ranked inside the top 10 at 285, and represented Team USA on the U23 World Team at 97kg. 

Here's Orndorff giving Wisconsin's Trent Hillger a run for his money:

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As with 141, Ohio State only listed one other wrestler at 197 last season: two-time Ohio high school state champion Tyler Stein. The redshirt freshman had a rough season, going just 6-8 in open tournament action.

Another big man expected to take a crack at 197 is redshirt sophomore Gavin Hoffman. After an ill-fated attempt at wrestling 184, Hoffman finished his season wrestling heavyweight in open tournaments, winning the Ohio Intercollegiate Open, Storm Open, Purple Raider Open, Greyhound Open, and JCU Open. While Singletary is almost certainly the man to beat for Moore’s spot in the lineup, Hoffman is a guy who could make it an interesting battle at wrestle-offs.

With Moore continuing to train at the Ohio RTC after graduation, whoever ends up filling his shoes will have the man himself as a training partner any time he likes. There are certainly worse mentors to have than a four-time Big Ten finalist.

Ohio State’s roster will have several new faces next year up and down the lineup. The new starters at 141 and 197 may or may not live up to the standard set by Luke Pletcher and Kollin Moore, but the Buckeyes have the options to make it interesting.

Andy Vance is a Columbus-based journalist who covers the Ohio State University wrestling program for Eleven Warriors, the largest independent sports site on the internet for Ohio State news, analysis, and community. He is co-host of the site’s Eleven Dubcast podcast. Follow him on Twitter @AndyVance.