Taking 5th place, the Nebraska Cornhuskers had their highest finish as a team at the NCAA tournament since 2009 when they took 4th. Losing the likes of Chad Red, Taylor Venz, Eric Schultz, and Christian Lance, it will be hard to repeat such a performance. A couple of All-Americans and an NCAA finalist still highlight a tough starting lineup.

Other way too early lineup looks: Penn State, Iowa, Arizona State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Cornell, Michigan, Michigan State

2022-23 Nebraska Cornhusker Lineup

125: Liam Cronin

133: Boo Dryden

141: Brock Hardy, SO

149: Ridge Lovett

157: Peyton Robb

165: Bubba Wilson / Jagger Condomitti

174: Mikey Labriola

184: Nathan Haas

197: Silas Allred

285: Cale Davidson

125: Liam Cronin, SR

After seven years, Liam Cronin’s college wrestling career is finally expected to come to an end next season. He spent the first four years of his college career at Indiana before transferring to Nebraska in the 2020 offseason. In his first year as a Husker, he was a national qualifier. After suffering a season-ending hand injury early last year, Cronin was granted a medical redshirt and one more year of eligibility. 

True freshman Jeremiah Reno stepped up for the Huskers last year at 125 lbs but went just 4-15 and is not expected to return as he entered the transfer portal shortly after the season ended. If not Cronin the Huskers could be in a similar position as last season with redshirt freshman Quinton Chavez or true freshman Jake Van Dee having to take the starting role.

Other Options: Quinton Chavez, Jake Van Dee

133: Boo Dryden, SR

There have been talks about Boo Dryden moving down to 125 lbs, but I just don’t understand the thought behind that other than Dryden thinking that gives him a better shot at succeeding individually. Dryden hasn’t competed at 125 lbs since his first year at Northeastern Oklahoma which was the 2017-2018 season. Since then he has competed at 133 lbs. Plus Dryden is legitimately 6’2”. I have no idea how he would be able to make 125 lbs once let alone for an entire season.

Anyway, Dryden is a decent option for the Huskers at 133 lbs and a small step up from the starter last year, Dom Serrano. Serrano went 13-13 last season and failed to qualify for NCAAs. Dryden took a redshirt last season after qualifying for nationals at Minnesota two years ago. During his redshirt last year, Dryden went 14-0 winning the Grand View, Doane, and Hastings Opens.

Other Options: Dom Serrano, Alex Thomsen

141: Brock Hardy, SO

Chad Red has held down the 141 lbs starting spot since the fall of 2017. A 3X All-American and a 5X national qualifier is not an easy person to replace. The man I believe will be tasked with this job is Brock Hardy. Hardy graduated from high school in 2018 before serving a two-year LDS mission in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While in Lincoln, Hardy was the 149 starter in 2021 before Ridge Lovett moved up and secured the spot. The Utah native went 3-3 in duals across January and February. Last season Hardy moved down to 141 and won the only event he competed at, the Missouri Valley Open.

Other Options: Blake Cushing, Daniel Monahan

149: Ridge Lovett, SR

Ridge Lovett made jumped serious levels in between his sophomore and junior seasons. From going 1-2 at nationals in 2021 to a national finalist in 2022, Lovett is arguably the brightest spot of the entire Husker lineup. He gave national champion Yianni Diakomihalis his toughest match all season at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December, taking him to sudden victory. Going 24-4 on the season, Lovett’s only losses besides CKLV and the NCAA finals were to Austin Gomez. The first was 4-2 in the dual and the second was by pin at the Big Ten Championships. A budding rivalry that could go on for two more years.

Watch the highlights from Ridge Lovett’s NCAA semifinal win over Bryce Andonian below.

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As of right now, there are now other 149 wrestlers listed on the roster and I don’t see any available recruits being able to be successful at 149 lbs next season either. So, Husker fans need Lovett to stay healthy.

Other Options: bump up a 141

157: Peyton Robb, SR

Similar to Lovett, Peyton Robb jumped levels between 2021 and 2022. After making the round of 16 at 165 lbs in 2021, Robb moved back down to 157 where he finished 4th last year. And 4th is exactly where he’ll be ranked pre-season, so expectations are high. With wrestlers like Jacori Teemer, Brayton Lee, Ed Scott, Austin O’Connor, and more ranked BELOW Robb, getting 4th again won’t be an easy task.

Watch Peyton Robb pin Ed Scott at the NCAA Championships below.

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Other Options: Jagger Condomitti, Nic Stoltenberg

165: Bubba Wilson, SO / Jagger Condomitti, FR

I think this will be the most highly contested weight for the Cornhuskers. I’m sure most Nebraska fans are now very familiar with Bubba Wilson. He was the starter at this weight last year and went 14-14 including 1-2 at NCAAs. However, I think there is a good chance freshman Jagger Condomitti pushes Wilson, if not takes over the spot. 

A Pennsylvania state champion, Condomitti was the #13 overall recruit coming out of high school in 2021. Last season he redshirted and went 8-2 before being sidelined with concussions. If he can stay healthy, I’m still high on Condomitti.

Other Options: Adam Thebeau, Tahjae Jenkins-Harris

174: Mikey Labriola, SR

Already a 3X All-American and 4X national qualifier, Mikey Labriola has been a core part of the Husker lineup for the past four years. While Labriola is coming off of his lowest finish at the NCAA tournament (7th), I would like to remind everyone that he only lost to Carter Starocci and Michael Kemerer at NCAAs. That’s just a tough draw. Labriola is coming into the season ranked #3 behind Starocci and Mekhi Lewis, the two returning finalists.

Hear what Mikey Labriola had to say after his 7th place finish at NCAAs.

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Who’s behind Labriola is a bit of a mystery. Pennsylvania state champ Lenny Pinto was a top-20 recruit coming out of high school in 2021. However, he didn’t wrestle his senior year of high school or freshman year last year due to injury. So, it’s hard to say exactly where he’s at both competitively and weight-wise. Another option could be Millard South recruit Antrell Taylor. Taylor just completed his high school career at 170 lbs, so it is to be seen whether he will be a 165 or 174 in college.

Other Options: Lenny Pinto, Antrell Taylor

184: Nathan Haas, JR

With the departure of Taylor Venz, I expect California native Nathan Haas to move up into the starting lineup. A 2X California state champion, Haas was the #29 overall recruit coming out of 2020. Has went 9-0 while competing at Grand View and Doane Opens last season. In 2021, he stepped in for a couple duals and went 2-1 with a win over Minnesota’s 2X national qualifier Owen Webster. This offseason Haas made it to the semifinals of the U20 World Team Trials at 86 kg.

Other Options: Lenny Pinto, Brandyn Van Tassell

197: Silas Allred, SO

Similar to Venz at 184, an All-American is leaving quite the whole at 197, but the Huskers have a highly touted recruit waiting in the wings to take over. This time it’s Indiana native Silas Allred. A 2X Indiana state champion, Allred was the #17 overall recruit in the class of 2020. He went undefeated last year while competing at the Hastings and Daktronics Opens and even picked up a win over Yonger Bastida. This off-season Allred made the finals of the U20 WTT, but fell to Maryland’s Jaxon Smith. Expectations are quite high for Allred.

Watch Silas Allred make the 2022 WTT finals below.

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Other Options: Zak Taylor, Nathan Wemstrom

285: Cale Davidson, SR

Christian Lance making the podium was one of the more heartwarming stories of the 2022 NCAA tournament. However, 2022 was his last year of eligibility and the Huskers now need a new big man. They have three options, but my money’s on Cale Davidson. 

Davidson spent the first two years of his college career at Wyoming before transferring in 2019. He’s seen limited action in Lincoln, and didn’t compete at all this past season, but went a combined 16-1 the two years before that. 

Fifth-year senior Austin Emerson is another option. He has a career record of 33 - 14 but has gone just 3-4 the past two seasons. The third option would be to roll out true freshman Harley Andrews. A native of Tuttle, Oklahoma, Andrews is the #36 overall recruit in the class of 2022. While I think he is the future for the Cornhuskers, I would assume he redshirts his first season in Lincoln. 

Other Options: Harley Andrews, Austin Emerson