For the past three months, Michigan coach Sean Bormet has been watching his lineup grow ever stronger.

A cascade of good news began on Sept. 9 with Olympic bronze medalist and four-time All-American Myles Amine announcing he would be returning for one more season.

Roughly two weeks later, fellow Olympian Stevan Micic, a three-time All-American, revealed on Instagram his intentions of returning to Ann Arbor for "one last dance" with the program. 

On Nov. 28, the Wolverines sent shock waves through the collegiate wrestling world by landing the biggest available transfer prize -- former NCAA champion Nick Suriano.

And that's not all. 

A little more than a week following the Suriano bombshell, Bormet ended speculation about the return of two-time All-American Logan Massa, announcing he was back in the fold by tweeting a photo of Micic, Amine and Massa with the caption "Those who stay...".

As a result, the Wolverines now have a lineup boasting a combined 14 All-American finishes and 34 NCAA Championships berths.

That stacks up favorably with Big Ten rivals Iowa (23 All-American finishes, 28 NCAA berths) and Penn State (11 All-American finishes, 17 NCAA Championships appearances).

Amine, Micic, Suriano and Mason Parris are ranked among the top 19 pound-for-pound. Only Iowa also has four wrestlers in the top 19. 

Amine, Micic, Suriano and Massa could all see their first dual match action of the season Monday when fifth-ranked Arizona State hosts the No. 3 Wolverines.

"I am really excited about our lineup and the experience and success that we have from top to bottom," Bormet said. "We haven't seen it altogether in competition yet, but based on what I've seen in the practice room, there's a very strong confidence -- both within themselves and with each other. They're really pushing each other at a high level and feeding off each other. I anticipate that will translate to competition."

Amine returned to competition with a bang at this week's Illinois Matman Open which non-collegiate wrestlers were permitted to enter.

None other than NCAA champion and three-time All-American Mark Hall, now a Penn State volunteer assistant, joined Amine in the 184-pound bracket. 

Both reached the final as expected and fireworks erupted. Amine took control with a decisive takedown in the final 10 seconds of the opening period on the way to a 4-2 win.

Standing atop the podium was especially exciting for Amine, who went 0-5 against Hall when both were wrestling collegiately.

"Consistency over time. Great work, Myles Amine," 2012 Olympian and 2009 Hodge Trophy winner Jake Herbert tweeted following Thursday's match. "Back at it in 2022. Crazy thing is both (Hall and Amine) are probably better humans off the mat than they are wrestlers."

Overall, Amine went 4-0, including opening with a 7-0 shutout of All-American Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois), who is currently ranked No. 9 at 184 pounds. Amine is ranked second behind Penn State's Aaron Brooks, whom he has never wrestled, and No. 12 pound-for-pound.

Massa, a four-time NCAA qualifier with a 91-23 career record, has entered the 174-pound rankings at No. 6. 

He returned to the mat by easily winning the Dec. 11 Cleveland State Open. Massa went 5-0, including two pins and two technical falls. 

Bormet figured Massa would not be able to stay away. 

"Logan's return was not a surprise and obviously he is an exciting and welcome addition," he said. "Conversations with Logan started early in the fall after Myles and Stevan announced they were returning. Those three came in together, so I think there was an interest among all three to finish together.  I think Logan realized there was a really special opportunity this season with those teammates and with the team as a whole, and he started to get more and more excited about being a part of it."

Suriano, a two-time All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier while wrestling for Penn State and Rutgers, is ranked No. 2 at 125 pounds and No. 5 pound-for-pound, but has not wrestled a college match since decisioning two-time All-American Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) for the 2019 NCAA title at 133. 

He would likely face fifth-ranked, 2021 NCAA runner-up Brandon Courtney against Arizona State. 

Micic has also not wrestled collegiately since the 2019 NCAA Championships where he placed third, his third top-four finish. He is ranked fourth at 141 and 19th pound-for-pound and would probably take on No. 16 Jesse Vasquez against the Sun Devils.

Parris is No. 2 at 285 pounds and No. 17 pound-for-pound. 

The three-time NCAA qualifier and 2021 NCAA runner-up, saw his first action of the season at the Cleveland State Open and rolled through the competition with a 5-0 mark. He pinned two foes and decisioned three others by a combined 48-10 margin. 

Parris will probably tangle with No. 3 Cohlton Shultz, fourth at the 2021 NCAA Championships, on Monday. 

Dylan Ragusin has enjoyed arguably the most success of any Wolverine thus far this season.

Ranked ninth at 133, the sophomore has won 10 straight following a 1-2 start and captured the Cliff Keen title earlier this month.

Ragusin, an NCAA qualifier last season, knocked off 10th-ranked, 2021 All-American Chris Cannon (Northwestern) in the title match. He also bested No. 15 Haiden Drury (Utah Valley) and No. 22 Josh Koderhandt (Navy) to reach the final. 

Ragusin will likely face his stiffest test so far Monday against No. 6 Michael McGee, a 2021 All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier.

"Dylan is adjusting well to 133 pounds and to the energy that he can compete with up at that weight class," Bormet said. "He is confident in his conditioning, and that added energy allows him to let his high-scoring style and intensity really come through in his matches."

Patrick Brucki, ranked 10th at 197, is 10-4 and owns a win over No. 20 Gavin Hoffman (Ohio State) and lost to fellow All-Americans Stephen Buchanan (Wyoming) and Jake Woodley (Oklahoma) by a combined 6-3 margin. His other two losses were by injury default. 

Brucki will likely meet No. 9 Kordell Norfleet Monday. 

Cam Amine, an All-American last season, is ranked 11th at 165 and has started 7-2. He has knocked off No. 14 Phillip Conigliaro twice and No. 23 Josh Ogunsanya (Columbia).

Amine will probably square off against ninth-ranked All-American Anthony Valencia against the Sun Devils.

Will Lewan, a two-time NCAA qualifier, is No. 13 at 157 and has beaten No. 22 Andrew Cerniglia (Navy). He will likely tangle with fourth-ranked All-American Jacori Teemer Monday. 

After tearing through their first three dual opponents by a combined 104-9 score, the Wolverines begin a brutal stretch starting with Arizona State, followed by Ohio State (Jan. 14), Penn State (Jan. 21), Rutgers (Jan. 23) and Minnesota (Jan. 28).

"I think we got off to a strong start in the fall, and I think that started in the practice room," Bormet said. "Our guys are training hard and competing hard, and they're making gains in the areas that we're really emphasizing and focusing on. So, we're eager to continue building off of that."

Even with their formidable lineup, overcoming the likes of Iowa and Penn State and winning the Big Ten remains a monumental task for the Wolverines. 

"We have to continue to improve in key individual areas between now and March," Bormet said. "We need to stay healthy, and that's a really big part of it. I want our guys to continue to enjoy and embrace the opportunities in front of them. That will be how we give ourselves the greatest chance for success."