Way Too Early Lineup Look: 2021-2022 Ohio State Buckeyes
Way Too Early Lineup Look: 2021-2022 Ohio State Buckeyes
Bratke breaks down what Ohio State's lineup could look like next season.
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Ohio State is coming off yet another top 10 finish at the NCAA Championships. Since 2007, the Buckeyes have finished in the Top 10 at the NCAA Championships in all but one season. Tom Ryan and company have turned Ohio State into one of the nation's blue blood programs, and next year the Buckeyes are once again poised for another top 10 run.
2021-22 Ohio State Projected Lineup
125: Malik Heinselman
133: Will Betancourt/Anthony Echemendia/Dylan Koontz
141: Dylan D'Emilio/Jordan Decatur/Anthony Echmendia
149: Sammy Sasso
157: Paddy Gallagher/Isaac Wilcox/Kevon Freeman/Potential Transfer
165: Ethan Smith/Carson Kharchla
174: Kaleb Romero/Ethan Smith
184: Rocky Jordan/Kaleb Romero
197: Gavin Hoffman/Rocky Jordan
285: Tate Orndorff
Other Lineup Looks: Iowa | Penn State | Cornell | NC State | Arizona State | Oklahoma State
125: Malik Heinselman, SR
While his NCAA Tournament didn't go the way he wanted, last season was arguably Heinselman's best in the scarlet and gray. The Colorado native beat All-Americans Rayvon Foley and Eric Barnett and knocked off Justin Cardani, Robert Howard multiple times, and Nic Aguilar. Heinselman will begin the season ranked in the top 15 and will once again be an All-American threat. With last season not counting toward any athlete's eligibility, Heinselman could have two seasons left to compete.
133: Dylan Koontz, JR/Will Betancourt, FR/Anthony Echemendia, SO
While Jordan Decatur has been the starter the past two seasons, after missing weight at the Big Ten Championships, I would expect him to move up to 141. This opens the door for Pennsylvania state champion and Lock Haven transfer Will Betancourt and Dylan Koontz, who has wins in his career over Josh Kramer and Jarrett Trombley.
I know seeing Echemendia down at 133 might seem crazy, but if he isn't the man at 141, this could be an opportunity to get in the starting lineup.
141: Dylan D'Emilio, SO/Jordan Decatur, JR/Anthony Echemendia, SO
After battling with Echemendia for the starting spot at the beginning of the year, D'Emilio became the man in mid-February and made the most of his opportunity. The redshirt freshman qualified for the NCAA Championships, won two matches in St. Louis, and will begin the season ranked inside the top 20. However, he will once again be pushed for the starting spot.
Echemendia will continue to improve as he gets more folkstyle experience, and it will be interesting to see if Decatur is betting not having to cut as much weight.
149: Sammy Sasso, JR
No question who the man is at this weight. Sasso spent all season ranked #1 and was undefeated until the NCAA finals when he nearly finished a takedown in the final seconds on Austin O'Connor to win the national title. Sasso is 40-4 in his first two years in the varsity lineup, will begin the season ranked #2, and will once again be a title contender.
Watch Sasso pin Boo Lewallen in the NCAA Championship semifinals.
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157: Paddy Gallagher, FR/Isaac Wilcox, SO/Kevon Freeman, JR/Potential Transfer
If Ohio State wanted to wrestle the current top-ranked pound-for-pound high school wrestler in the country, Paddy Gallagher, I'm sure he would be more than ready. However, I would guess that he redshirts like Sasso did.
Isaac Wilcox and Kevon Freeman are options on the roster, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Buckeyes dip into the transfer portal to fill this spot for a year.
165: Carson Kharchla, SO/Ethan Smith, SR
This won't be the first time these two battled for a starting spot. Prior to the 2019-20 season, Kharchla and Smith battled at the Ohio State wrestle-offs. Kharchla won the match, but eventually redshirted and put together a perfect 16-0 record. The two were expected to battle again for the spot last year, but Kharchla tore his ACL just before the start of the season. Just prior to being injured, Kharchla beat NCAA champion Mekhi Lewis and All-American Tommy Gantt at the RTC Cup.
Smith was outstanding last season going 15-4 and finishing fifth at the NCAA Championships beating Anthony Valencia, Travis Wittlake, and Zach Hartman. This should be one of the best roster battles in the country, and as you'll see below, could set off a chain reaction in the back half of the Buckeye lineup.
Watch Kharchla and Smith battle at the 2019 Ohio State wrestle-offs.
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174: Kaleb Romero/Ethan Smith, SR/Carson Kharchla, SO
After struggling down at 165, Kaleb Romero has put together two great seasons up at 174. Romero was the #6 seed at the canceled 2020 NCAA Championships and was ranked as high as third this season before falling in the blood round of the 2021 NCAA Championships to Logan Massa. Romero will begin the season ranked in the top 10 and once again be a threat to finish on the podium.
However, I would imagine whoever does not earn the starting spot at 165 will make the move up to try to get into the lineup. Ethan Smith does have some experience up at 174. During the 2018-19 season, he put together a 19-12 record and won two matches at the NCAA Championships. Kharchla wrestled up at 170 during his senior year of high school.
Learning from a world champ. pic.twitter.com/0SyAoVbhsb
— Anthony Echemendia (@AnthonyEchemen1) August 5, 2020
184: Rocky Jordan/Kaleb Romero
Sensing a pattern? Like the loser of the 165-pound wrestle-off, should Romero not win the spot, I would expect him to bump up and challenge Rocky Jordan, who has been the starter the past two seasons. Romero is known for getting massive in the offseason as you can see from the post below back in June of last year, he is as big as Kollin Moore.
Last season, Jordan faced an absolutely loaded schedule, only losing to nationally ranked wrestlers, but still managed to make the bloodround falling to Hunter Bolen.
Watch Romero beat Peyton Mocco at the NCAA Championships.
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197: Gavin Hoffman/Rocky Jordan
Like Romero, if Jordan were to lose his spot at 184, I believe he's big enough to bump and challenge at the weight above. A year ago, this was one of three weights that the Buckeyes failed to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
Much like Jordan, Hoffman faced a loaded schedule and just missed out on getting an at-large selection to the big dance. In a non-shortened season, I believe he would have put together a resume strong enough to receive an at-large bid.
285: Tate Orndorff, SR
While Orndorff's Ohio State career didn't begin the way he wanted, he finished strong down the stretch. The Utah Valley transfer avenged a loss to Luke Luffman at the Big Ten Championships and then earned All-American honors by knocking off Ethan Laird in the bloodround. Orndorff will return looking to climb the podium and improve upon his eighth-place finish.
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