Many top wrestlers have yet to step on the mat, which is normal for the first month or two of this two-semester sport. These rankings reflect those who have wrestled or are expected to suit up in the coming weeks.
Injuries can and do happen and, from week-to-week, especially this time of year, everyone is cautious with March in mind. Coaches nationwide are still trying to figure out who wrestles where, when and who. The next major event is the annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational which hits the mats Dec. 30. Expect a few battles and also expect some new faces to announce their arrival.
Here are our individual power rankings for each weight class in DI wrestling:
125 POUNDS
1 – Spencer LEE (Iowa, SO) … Off to a dominating start.
2 – Sebastian RIVERA (Northwestern, SO) … Can he challenge Mr. Lee?
3 – Ronnie BRESSER (Oregon State, SR) … Ready to win Vegas in a few weeks?
4 – Nick PICCININNI (Oklahoma State, JR) … Beat old rival Russell on Sunday.
5 – Louie HAYES (Virginia, SO) … Another favorite in Vegas if he suits up.
6 – Sean RUSSELL (Minnesota, SR) … Lost a tough 3-0 match to Piccininni.
7 – Ryan MILHOF (Arizona State, SR) … Two more wins last weekend.
8 – Sean FAUSZ (North Carolina, SR) … Hard not to rank an U23 World medalist.
9 – Rayvon FOLEY (Michigan State, SO) … Won his second tourney in as many starts.
10 –Brent FLEETWOOD (North Dakota State, SR) … Undefeated start for the former Chippewa.
RELATED: Five questions with returning national champion Spencer Lee
133 POUNDS
1 – Seth GROSS (South Dakota State, SR) … Nagging injury keeping him off the mat of late.
2 – Stevan MICIC (Michigan, JR) … Off to a good start.
3 – Nick SURIANO (Rutgers, JR) … The move to 133 obviously not a problem.
4 – Tariq WILSON (North Carolina State, SO) … Easy Wolfpack Open title over the weekend.
5 – Luke PLETCHER (Ohio State, JR) … Unbeaten start to 2018-19.
6 – Scott PARKER (Lehigh, SR) … All-American expected to be back sooner than later.
7 – Daton FIX (Oklahoma State, RS-FR) … Took out Lizak in Minneapolis.
8 – Ethan LIZAK (Minnesota, SR) … Top game couldn’t turn the young Fix.
9 – John ERNESTE (Missouri, SR) … A good win against Virginia Tech last Friday.
10 – Austin DeSANTO (Iowa, SO) … Should get tested against Purdue’s Thornton.
MORE: Five questions with returning national champion Seth Gross
141 POUNDS
1 – Yianni DIAKOMIHALIS (Cornell, SO) … Taking it easy first semester.
2 – Joey McKENNA (Ohio State, SR) … Wrestling with an attitude early.
3 – Jaydin EIERMAN (Missouri, JR) … Part of a really good Mizzou group.
4 – Nick LEE (Penn State, SO) … Easy win at Keystone Classic.
5 – Mitch McKEE (Minnesota, JR) … Found a way to beat OSU’s Brock.
6 – Kaid BROCK (Oklahoma State, JR) … Dropped a wild 6-3 match to McKee.
7 – Michael CARR (Illinois, SO) … Illini scheduled to end month in Vegas.
8 – Nicholas GIL (NAVY, SR) … Has won nine straight, including four at Navy Classic.
9 – Sa’Derian PERRY (Old Dominion, JR) … Liking his new home out east.
10 – Max MURIN (Iowa, RS-FR) … A Pennsylvanian in Iowa.
ALSO: Five questions with returning national champion Yianni Diakomihalis
149 POUNDS
Wins for the Tigers at 125, 149, 157 in this bout with Wisconsin. pic.twitter.com/0nJkXDxETa
— Princeton Wrestling (@tigerwrestling) November 18, 2018
1 – Matthew KOLODZIK (Princeton, JR) … Nice win inside Carver-Hawkeye.
2 – Anthony ASHNAULT (Rutgers, SR) … Just get me to March.
3 – Micah JORDAN (Ohio State, SR) … Nice win in Tempe on Sunday.
4 – Grant LEETH (Missouri, SO) … Another good middleweight for coach Smith.
5 – Justin OLIVER (North Carolina State, SR) … Part of a dangerous Wolfpack squad.
6 – Max THOMSEN (Northern Iowa, JR) … Will he be in Vegas with his teammates?
7 – Brock ZACHERL (Clarion, SR) … Trying to revive a once great program.
8 – Pat LUGO (Iowa, JR) … Hung with the top-ranked man.
9 – Mitch FINESILVER (Duke, SR) … Won the Keystone Classic over the weekend.
10 – Austin O’CONNOR (North Carolina, RS-FR) … Good rookie for coach Scott.
MORE: 25 wrestlers to watch
157 POUNDS
1 – Jason NOLF (Penn State, SR) … Does nothing but pin and tech opponents.
2 – Hayden HIDLAY (North Carolina State, SO) … Won a match at U23 Worlds.
3 – Tyler BERGER (Nebraska, SR) … With Manning as mentor, Berger always tough.
4 – Ryan DEAKIN (Northwestern, SO) … Looking forward to Vegas trip?
5 – Alec PANTALEO (Michigan, SR) … Tough workout partners in Ann Arbor.
6 – Ke-Shawn HAYES (Ohio State, JR) … Nice win against Sun Devils.
7 – Kennedy MONDAY (North Carolina, SO) … Getting better and better.
8 – Larry EARLY (Old Dominion, JR) … Moved to 10-0 with title at Navy Classic.
9 – Steve BLEISE (Minnesota, SR) … Rallied to stay unbeaten against OSU’s Shomers.
10 – Taleb RAHMANI (Pittsburgh, JR) … Huge pin in Panthers’ upset of UNI.
ALSO: Penn State wrestling looks almost unbeatable. Here are 3 teams that could unseat the champs
165 POUNDS
Vincenzo Joseph keeps the Penn State pin party going. pic.twitter.com/cr0lqPQoZQ
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) November 11, 2018
1 – Vincenzo JOSEPH (Penn State, JR) … OW at Keystone Classic.
2 – Evan WICK (Wisconsin, SO) … Going to be fun to watch.
3 – Chance MARSTELLER (Lock Haven, SR) … Champ at Black Knight Invite.
4 – Alex MARINELLI (Iowa, SO) … Like Wick, going to continue to get better.
5 – Chandler ROGERS (Oklahoma State, SR) … Point-scorer supreme.
6 – Logan MASSA (Michigan), JR) … Tough decision in Wolverines’ win over Lehigh.
7 – Josh SHIELDS (Arizona State, JR) … Dangerous at 157 or 165.
8 – Bryce STEIERT (Northern Iowa, JR) … Going to have a good season.
9 – Branson ASHWORTH (Wyoming, SR) … Edged Nebraska’s White; faces Rogers next.
10 – Isaiah WHITE (Nebraska, JR) … Tough early schedule.
MORE: 2018-2019 Team Power Rankings
174 POUNDS
1 – Zahid VALENCIA (Arizona State, JR) … Beating this dude isn’t going to be easy.
2 – Mark HALL (Penn State, JR) … Keystone champion.
3 – Myles AMINE (Michigan), JR) … Win over Kutler on Sunday.
4 – Daniel LEWIS (Missouri, SR) … Beat McFadden’s backup in Tigers’ win over Tech.
5 – Jordan KUTLER (Lehigh, JR) … Tough loss to Amine over the weekend.
6 – David McFADDEN (Virginia Tech, JR) … Missed facing Lewis at U23 Worlds.
7 – Michael KEMERER (Iowa, JR) … Part of a talented group of 174-pounders.
8 – Taylor LUJAN (Northern Iowa, JR) … Just wins matches.
9 – Jacobe SMITH (Oklahoma State, SR) … Two dominant performances last weekend.
10 – Ryan CHRISTENSEN (Wisconsin, SR) … Bono has the Badgers energetic early.
RELATED: Five questions with returning national champion Zahid Valencia
184 POUNDS
Myles Martin is headed to the 86-kilogram quarterfinals after defeating Uzbekistan's Javrail Shapiev. #BuchaWrestU23 pic.twitter.com/QwY5AQER8R
— Trackwrestling (@trackwrestling) November 17, 2018
1 – Myles MARTIN (Ohio State, SR) … Absent from lineup because he was in Bucharest.
2 – Emery PARKER (Illinois, SR) … 5-0 to win Lindenwood title.
3 – Taylor VENZ (Nebraska, SO) … Surprise, another solid big man in Lincoln.
4 – Zack ZAVATSKY (Virginia Tech, SR) … Unbeaten early.
5 – Max DEAN (Cornell, SO) … Can he join his brother as national champ?
6 – Shakur RASHEED (Penn State, SR) … Yet another PSU title contender.
7 – Drew FOSTER (Northern Iowa, SR) … Perfect so far.
8 – Nick REENAN (North Carolina State, SO) … ACC loaded at this weight.
9 – Ryan PREISCH (Lehigh, SR) … Had a win in Mountain Hawks’ loss to Michigan.
10 – Chip NESS (North Carolina, SR) … Dropped a 9-6 match to No. 1.
MORE: Relive Bo Nickal's dramatic title run capped by his clinching pin
197 POUNDS
Embracing change
— NCAA Wrestling (@NCAAWrestling) November 8, 2018
(hair color and all) 😱@PennStateWREST’s Bo Nickal switched to the 197 weight class this past summer (and switched from blond hair to blue, too!)https://t.co/he0nxUeaLz pic.twitter.com/GVVGjzfw0f
1 – Bo NICKAL (Penn State, SR) … A weight higher, still dominant.
2 – Kyle CONEL (Kent State, SR) … Staying healthy is job No. 1.
3 – Kollin MOORE (Ohio State, JR) … Earned silver medal in Bucharest.
4 – Willie MICKLUS (Iowa State, SR) … Five of eight wins by bonus.
5 – Jacob HOLSCHLAG (Northern Iowa, JR) … Hopes to be back soon.
6 – Preston WEIGEL (Oklahoma State, SR) … Hopes part II.
7 – Jacob WARNER (Iowa, RS-FR) … Like Holschlag, Weigel, thinking January?
8 – Patrick BRUCKI (Princeton, SO) … Unbeaten for a rising Princeton.
9 – Nathan TRAXLER (Stanford, SO) … Only loss is to Brucki.
10 – Stephen LOISEAU (Drexel, SR) … Just one loss in nine matches.
ALSO: DI power rankings for every weight class on Nov. 5
285 POUNDS
Another look back at Friday’s wrestling in Kent, Ohio. This Friday, we’ll see you at Carver-Hawkeye arena for Iowa vs. Princeton at 7:00 p.m! pic.twitter.com/3gLhr3n1CF
— Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling (@Hawks_Wrestling) November 11, 2018
1 – Sam STOLL (Iowa, SR) … Has to be healthy to win this weight.
2 – Jordan WOOD (Lehigh, SO) … Unbeaten early.
3 – Gable STEVESON (Minnesota, FR) … Might be No. 1 when all is said and done.
4 – Derek WHITE (Oklahoma State, SR) … Saw the Steveson hype was real.
5 – Youssif HEMIDA (Maryland, SR) … Medalist at U23 Worlds.
6 – Jere HEINO (Campbell, SR) … Finland’s man at U23 Worlds.
7 – Tanner HALL (Arizona State, SR) … lost to that Minnesota rookie stud in OT.
8 – Conan JENNINGS (Northwestern, SR) … Helped Wildcats edge Virginia Tech.
9 – Matthew VOSS (George Mason, SR) … A solid, veteran heavyweight is 9-0.
10 – Trent HILLGER (Wisconsin, RS-FR) … An unbeaten start for 6-0 Badgers.
MORE: NWCA rankings
