The Michigan State Open is back November 6th-7th and is one of the staples of the first weekend of college wrestling. You can find every wrestler registered here but take a look at why 133, 157, and 197 are the weights to watch this weekend in East Lansing.

Foley And Byrd Lead The Way At 133

All-American’s Lucas Byrd and Rayvon Foley headline 133 at the MSU Open along with 4 others ranked in the top 25. Foley, a 2019 All-American, failed to pace last year at 125 after losing in the round of 16 but is making a permanent move up to 133 this year. Foley’s biggest competition this weekend will be Big 10 rival Byrd who was a revelation for Illinois last season. Byrd finished third at the Big 10 tournament and followed that performance up with 5th place All-American honors at NCAA’s. If Rayvon Foley can take out Byrd, he’ll be ready to compete against the best 133 has to offer.

Though Byrd and Foley are the most credentialed, the field at 133 is deep and prime for an upset or two. Dylan Ragusin leads the way in the “second-tier” guys and will be manning the spot at 133 this year for the Wolverines. Ragusin went 1-2 at last year's NCAA Tournament but had a breakout tournament at 2020 Senior Nationals where he took out national champ Darian Cruz and All-American Sean Russel. 4 other national qualifiers will also be dangerous "land-mines" in this field making 133 a lot of fun.

Top Guys at 133:

• #5 Lucas Byrd (Illinois)
• #14 (at 125) Rayvon Foley (Michigan State)
• #18 Dylan Ragusin (Michigan)
• #20 Mario Guillen (Ohio)
• #23 Tony Madrigal (Oklahoma)
• #24 Kyle Burwick (Wisconsin)
• Drew Mattin (Michigan)

Rayvon Foley's win over Ronnie Bresser in the 7th place match at 2019 NCAA's:

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Paddy Gallagher Makes College Debut

While 157 isn’t as deep as some of the other weights at the MSU Open, Ohio State true freshman Paddy Gallagher is entered in the open division. Gallagher is currently in redshirt but we could see him in the starting line-up by the end of the year. He won’t be tested by any All-Americans but 2021 national qualifiers Johnny Lovett and Chase Saldate will be in the bracket. Gallagher’s performance in this bracket will show us if Gallagher's is already a top 20 guy in the country and if he’s ready to start right away for Ohio State.

Top Guys at 157:

• #18 Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan)
• #20 Chase Saldate (Michigan State)
• Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State)

Paddy Gallagher's win at 2020 Who's Number One:

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Top 10 Showdown At 197

3 of the top 12 wrestlers in the country at 197 will be in action at the MSU Open. #6 Jakob Woodley is the only returning All-American from the 2021 NCAA Tournament. At 2021 NCAA's, Woodley made the semi-finals as the 26 seed and ultimately placed 6th. One of his many upsets from NCAA’s was a 4-3 decision over Cam Caffey in the round of 16. 

Patrick Brucki is the only other All-American in this bracket and is two years removed from placing 4th at the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Brucki, from Princeton, took last season off and will compete in his final season of eligibility for the University of Michigan. Brucki, Woodley, and Caffey will all be eyeing a national title this year and their performance this weekend will tell us who is a legitimate contender and who might only be vying for All-American Honors.

Top Guys at 197:

• #6 Jakob Woodley (Oklahoma)
• #8 Patrick Brucki (Michigan)
• #12 Cam Caffey (Michigan State)
• HM Matt Wroblewski (Illinois)
• Andrew Davison (Northwestern)

Patrick Brucki's win over All-American Ben Honis in the 2019 EIWA Finals:

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Honorable Mention

165 - Evan Wick's back in collegiate action! Wick will be a national title contender this year and brings a number of tricks to his folkstyle game. He's been on the shelf focusing on freestyle for the past 2 years but will finish his last year of eligibility at Cal Poly. While Wick is the big favorite at 165, 3 other ranked guys in the field could present some challenges.

Top Guys At 165:

• #4 Evan Wick (Cal Poly)
• #17 Izza Olejnik (Northern Illinois)
• #22 David Ferrante (Northwestern)
• #23 Danny Braunagel (Illinois)

285 - 4 guys ranked in the top 20 will make 285 a very interesting weight at the MSU Open. Matt Stencel is the only All-American in the field but Lucas Davison might be the most interesting guy to watch. He spent his first three years in college down at 197 but will now be taking over heavyweight for Northwestern. Davison looked great at U23 Nationals and even took one match from Anthony Cassioppi - by tech fall! 

Top Guys At 285:

• #10 Matt Stencel (Central Michigan)
• #14 (at 197) Lucas Davison (Northwestern)
• #16 Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma)
• #19 Luke Luffman (Illinois)