125 pounds
Anything can happen at 125 pounds — we’ve seen the chaos of this weight all season long. But, here we are, in the postseason, and Purdue’s Matt Ramos is the one who has managed to climb his way to the top of the rankings. The junior Boilermaker is 22-3 on the year with Big Ten wins over starters Tristan Lujan, Dean Peterson, Drake Ayala, Eric Barnett, Massey Odiotti and Pat McKee. His lone conference loss came against Nebraska’s Caleb Smith, the No. 5 seed. Smith will be on the opposite side of the bracket too, giving Ramos a good path towards his first Big Ten Final.
With his No. 1 seed, Ramos earns a buy to the second round along with No. 2 seed Drake Ayala of Iowa. These two athletes will therefore wrestle their first matches against the winner of Brendan McCrone vs. Dean Peterson and Tristian Lujan vs. Michael DeAugustino, respectively. Ramos has created some separation between him and the rest of the field, but if we’ve learned anything about 125 pounds this year it’s that this weight class rarely goes chalk.
PRE-SEEDS
1. Matt Ramos (PUR)
2. Drake Ayala (IOWA)
3. Eric Barnett (WIS)
4. Patrick McKee (MINN)
5. Caleb Smith (NEB)
6. Braeden Davis (PSU)
7. Michael DeAugustino (MICH)
8. Brendan McCrone (OSU)
9. Dean Peterson (RUT)
10. Tristan Lujan (MSU)
11. Justin Cardani (ILL)
12. Massey Odiotti (NU)
13. Tommy Capul (MD)
14. Blaine Frazier (IND)
133 pounds
The 133-pound bracket this year at the Big Ten tournament may look less credentialed than 125 pounds on paper, as Penn State’s Aaron Nagao is the lone All-American at the No. 5 seed, but this weight has the potential for some particularly intriguing matchups, starting with No. 3 Nic Bouzakis of Ohio State vs. No. 14 Brody Teske of Iowa. Teske’s No. 14 seed generated great conversation earlier this week, given the success of the veteran Hawkeye earlier this year, but the seed is a result of a clerical error by Iowa in which Teske’s name was submitted after the Big Ten deadline, leading him to be pushed into the last spot. Teske’s a warrior though, and his match against the always entertaining Nic Bouzakis will be can’t-miss wrestling.
IOWA VS. MICHIGAN: Ragusin’s pin headlines the Wolverines 24-11 win over the Hawks
This bracket could also feature a rematch between Nebraska’s Jacob Van Dee and Penn State’s Nagao, assuming they both make it past their first round opponents in Patrick Adams and Andrew Hampton. If Nagao survives Hampton and the winner of Van Dee vs. Adams AND if Michigan’s No. 1 Dylan Ragusin wins his second-round match, he could get a rematch against another athlete who bested him this year. Ragusin put Nagao on his back in overtime in their last meeting, the match itself was full of excitement and pace. A rematch would be great entertainment for wrestling fans. Much like 125 pounds, none of the athletes in this bracket have ever won a Big Ten title, so whoever wins etches his name in history. Get ready for some elite-level scrambling, high-paced offense and relentless attacks — these lightweights are tough.
PRE-SEEDS
1. Dylan Ragusin (MICH)
2. Dylan Shawver (RUT)
3. Nic Bouzakis (OSU)
4. Jacob Van Dee (NEB)
5. Aaron Nagao (PSU)
6. Tony Madrigal (ILL)
7. Braxton Brown (MD)
8. Tyler Wells (MINN)
9. Nicolar Rivera (WIS)
10. Cayden Rooks (IND)
11. Dustin Norris (PUR)
12. Andrew Hampton (MSU)
13. Patrick Adams (NU)
14. Brody Teske (IOWA)
141 pounds
Penn State’s Beau Bartlett earned his No. 1 spot in this weight without a doubt. The 2023 All-American beat No. 2 Jesse Mendez 4-1, No. 3 Real Woods 7-2, No. 4 Brock Hardy 9-6 and No. 5 Sergio Lemley 7-5. He’s been tested each and every week, and he’s emerged victorious regardless of the opponent. With an 18-0 record on the season overall, Bartlett is in a good position to chase his first national title.
But first, he’ll want to tackle his conference. If the seeds go chalk, Bartlett could see No. 8 Jordan Hamdan, No. 4 Brock Hardy and No. 2 Jesse Mendez over the weekend, and that’s quite the lineup. Last year’s Big Ten finals featured No. 3 Real Woods vs. No. 4 Brock Hardy with Woods getting the win, but Woods will now have to go through No. 13 Kolby McClain and No. 5 Sergio Lemley, if the brackets go chalk, to even make it to the semifinals. Lemley famously picked up an upset win over Woods earlier this year, so if that rematch happens, pay attention to see what kind of adjustments, if any, the Hawkeye has made. Woods does have a career win over Bartlett, despite his loss this year, and while Bartlett is the clear leader heading into this year’s tournament by nature of his record, don’t be surprised if Woods, Hardy, Lemley or Mendez ended up taking home top honors.
PRE-SEEDS
1. Beau Bartlett (PSU)
2. Jesse Mendez (OSU)
3. Real Woods (IOWA)
4. Brock Hardy (NEB)
5. Sergio Lemley (MICH)
6. Danny Pucino (ILL)
7. Mitch Moore (RUT)
8. Jordan Hamdan (MSU)
T9. Dan Fongaro (IND)
T9. Vance VomBaur (MINN)
11. Kal Miller (MD)
12. Greyson Clark (PUR)
13. Kolby McClain (NU)
14. Felix Lettini (WIS)
149 pounds
The leaders at 149 pounds in the Big Ten are familiar names to long-time wrestling fans: 2022 NCAA finalist Ridge Lovett and 2022 Big Ten champion and 2024 Olympian Austin Gomez. Lovett beat Gomez 11-4 earlier this year to hold down his spot seed in the weight, but Gomez does also have a pin over Lovett in the 2022 conference tournament. If we see this rematch in the finals, expect these guys to put points on the board.
GOMEZ OVER YIANNI: How Austin Gomez earned the lone win over four-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis last year
Some potential bracket busters to watch here though are No. 8 Graham Rooks and No. 5 Dylan D’Emilio. Rooks will have Minnesota’s Drew Roberts first in what should be a winnable match for the Hoosier before potentially getting a shot at Lovett in the quarterfinals. Lovett is 1-0 against Rooks following a 6-1 decision in 2021, but Rooks held Gomez to a one-point match earlier this year, and he’s sneaky dangerous. Lovett cannot overlook this match. A win for Lovett against Rooks (or Roberts) would put him in the semifinals, where, if seeds hold, he could see Tyler Kasak or D’Emilio, both tricky competitors as well. D’Emilio earned All-American honors last year at 141 pounds and is 20-8 on the year with a 4-2 loss to Lovett as part of that mix. Kasak, meanwhile is 13-3 with a 7-3 loss to the Cornhusker. These results and records show that the margin for error at 149 pounds, even for the best athletes, is razor thin.
PRE-SEEDS
1. Ridge Lovett (NEB)
2. Austin Gomez (MICH)
3. Caleb Rathjen (IOWA)
4. Tyler Kasak (PSU)
5. Dylan D’Emilio (OSU)
6. Ethen Miller (MD)
7. Joseph Zargo (WIS)
8. Graham Rooks (IND)
9. Drew Roberts (MINN)
10. Michael Cetta (RUT)
11. Marcos Polanco (PUR)
12. Braden Stauffenberg (MSU)
13. Aiden Vandenbush (NU)
14. Jake Harrier (ILL)
157 pounds
Penn State’s Levi Haines earned his first Big Ten championship last year at 157 pounds and picked up Big Ten Rookie of the Year honors as a result. Now he’s back looking for more. The sophomore All-American holds a perfect 15-0 record with notable wins against No. 5 Peyton Robb, No. 7 Will Lewan, No. 4 Jared Franek and No. 6 Chase Saldate, but those wins were far from blowouts. In fact, against Saldate, Haines squeaked out a 7-6 win in tiebreakers, so while winners win, this result reinforce the notion that nothing is guaranteed at this level.
In addition to Saldate, Nebraka’s Peyton Robb is also someone who could pose a risk to Haines. Robb looked so sharp when he won the Cliff Keen Invitational, and while he’s hit some speedbumps since then, a healthy Robb is a dangerous thing. Minnesota’s Michael Blockhus is also worth mentioning, as he has also been particularly impressive this year and is flying under the radar, despite his 15-1 record. Haines may be the undisputed No. 1 in the rankings, but several of these top guys have shown flashes of greatness that suggest they belong in this title conversation too.
PRE-SEEDS
1. Levi Haines (PSU)
2. Michael Blockhus (MINN)
3. Brayton Lee (IND)
4. Jared Franek (IOWA)
5. Peyton Robb (NEB)
6. Chase Saldate (MSU)
7. Will Lewan (MICH)
8. Joey Blaze (PUR)
9. Trevor Chumbley (NU)
10. Isaac Wilcox (OSU)
11. Al DeSantis (RUT)
12. Michael North (MD)
13. Luke Mechler (WIS)
14. Logan Swaw (ILL)
165 pounds
This is the weight of weights. Enter 2023 Big Ten champion and 2022 Big Ten Rookie of the Year Dean Hamiti and freshman phenom Mitchell Mesenbrink. It’s the match everyone wants to see. Hamiti is 24-1 on the year with his lone loss coming against 2021 NCAA champion David Carr 2-0 while Mesenbrink is 19-0 with 73% bonus. Both of these athletes are strong, fast and athletic, and a match between the two of them would be a treat for fans.
To make it to the finals though, Mesenbrink will have to navigate a tougher side of the bracket that includes All-Americans Michael Caliendo and Cameron Amine. He’s beaten both of them already this season, majoring Amine, but now he’ll have to do it on a bigger stage. If Mesenbrink runs the table and takes down everyone else in his bracket, he has a case to be the No. 1 seed in the country for NCAAs, particularly if David Carr beats two-time NCAA champion Keegan O’Toole at this weight at the Big 12 championships like did last year. There are plenty of guys in the Big Ten though who would like to prevent Mensenbrink from even entertaining this possibility, and they’ll get their chance to try and stop him this weekend.
PRE-SEEDS
1. Dean Hamiti (WIS)
2. Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU)
3. Michael Caliendo (IOWA)
4. Caleb Fish (MSU)
5. Antrell Taylor (NEB)
6. Cameron Amine (MICH)
7. Stoney Buell (PUR)
8. Bryce Hepner (OSU)
9. Tyler Lillard (IND)
10. Blaine Brenner (MINN)
11. Chris Moore (ILL)
12. Maxx Mayfield (NU)
13. Anthony White (RUT)
14. AJ Rodrigues (MD)
174 pounds
The big story at 174 pounds in the Big Ten centers around one athlete: three-time NCAA champion Carter Starocci. Penn State’s Starocci won this tournament in 2022 and 2023 and was the clear front runner to take home another title until injuring his knee in his senior day dual against Edinboro two weeks ago. The Penn State coaching staff has not provided a definitive answer on how many, if any, matches Starocci will wrestle this weekend or how severe his injury is. If Starocci is at full health, he’s the favorite to win Big Tens, NCAAs and potentially the Hodge Trophy, but, without him, the weight becomes a little more open.
No. 2 Shane Griffith has a good path to win his first Big Ten title this year without the Nittany Lion (though Michigan is no doubt preparing to have Griffith ready for anyone). Griffith’s best win came against Iowa’s Patrick Kennedy, but he does also have a win over Nebraska’s Bubba Wilson and Ohio State’s Rocco Welsh. Griffith is known for his clutch performances in March, and a Big Ten title would put him in great seeding position for another championship run in Kansas City.
PRE-SEEDS
1. Carter Starocci (PSU)
2. Shane Griffith (MICH)
3. Patrick Kennedy (IOWA)
4. Edmond Ruth (ILL)
5. Rocco Welsh (OSU)
6. Jackson Turley (RUT)
7. Max Maylor (WIS)
8. DJ Washington (IND)
9. Andrew Sparks (MINN)
10. Brody Baumann (PUR)
11. Dominic Solis (MD)
12. Bubba Wilson (NEB)
13. DJ Shannon (MSU)
14. David Ferrante (NU)?
184 pounds
This weight is full of intrigue. Minnesota’s Isaiah Salazar leads the weight with an 18-1 record and a win over No. 2 Lenny Pinto, though Pinto comes into the conference with the best win nationally against No. 2 Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State. Then there’s Penn State’s Bernie Truax, the only All-American in the group at the No. 3, despite being pinned by No. 4 Ryder Rogotzke of Ohio State. Rogotzke is 13-6 and just took a loss to Rutgers’ Brian Soldano, the No. 8 seed, by fall. Talk about unpredictability.
Salazar and Pinto will both get byes into the second round while Truax will wrestle Chase Mielnik of Maryland and Rogotzke will get Aiden Riggins of Iowa. If seeds hold, fans could see a Truax-Pinto rematch in the semifinals with Truax looking for revenge after dropping 8-6 to the Cornhuskers. Salazar will be expected to meet Rogotzke in the semis, if the bracket goes chalk. This is another weight where none of the athletes in the field have ever won a Big Ten title at 184 pounds, so pride, history and national seeds will be on the line here once again.
PRE-SEEDS
1. Isaiah Salazar (MINN)
2. Lenny Pinto (NEB)
3. Bernie Truax (PSU)
4. Ryder Rogotzke (OSU)
5. Jaden Bullock (MICH)
6. Layne Malczewski (MSU)
7. Shane Liegel (WIS)
8. Brian Soldano (RUT)
9. Troy Fisher (NU)
10. Roman Rogotzke (IND)
11. Dylan Connell (ILL)
12. James Rowley (PUR)
13. Aiden Riggins (IOWA)
14. Chase Mielnik (MD)
197 pounds
The 197-pound bracket has the potential to be the Aaron Brooks show. This isn’t to say that there aren’t other competitive athletes at the weight — there absolutely are — but Penn State’s Brooks is a tier above the rest on paper. The three-time NCAA champ is 14-0 on the year with a 92.86% bonus rate. The only athlete to hold Brooks to a decision this year? Iowa’s Zach Glazier, a surprise breakout star who is 16-1 this season with his lone loss coming in that 5-1 decision loss to Brooks.
Glazier comes in as the No. 3 with a great chance to qualify for his first NCAA tournament, while Brooks holds the No. 1 seed and Maryland’s Jaxon Smith, a 2023 Bloodround finisher gets the No. 2. The 2023 Big Ten champion at 197 pounds, Silas Allred, sits at No. 4 after taking a major decision loss to Glazier earlier this year.
Don’t count out No. 7 John Poznanksi of Rutgers either! The 2021 All-American could make some noise in this bracket, though he is on a collision course with Brooks if Poznaski wins his first-round match against Gabe Sollars of Indiana.
PRE-SEEDS
1. Aaron Brooks (PSU)
2. Jaxon Smith (MD)
3. Zach Glazier (IOWA)
4. Silas Allred (NEB)
5. Garrett Joles (MINN)
6. Luke Geog (OSU)
7. John Poznanski (RUT)
8. Evan Bates (NU)
9. Ben Vanadia (PUR)
10. Gabe Sollars (IND)
11. Kael Wisler (MSU)
12. Isiah Pettigrew (ILL)
13. Bobby Striggow (MICH)
14. Josh Otto (WIS)
285 pounds
Heavyweight in the Big Ten is top-heavy with NCAA finalist Greg Kerkvliet pacing the group followed by Ohio State freshman Nick Feldman and All-American Lucas Davison. Feldman earned the No. 2 seed after beating Davison head-to-head in the Michigan vs. Ohio State dual 4-3 to seal the win for the Bucks, and he’ll now carry that momentum and his 21-4 record into his first conference tournament.
LIFE AS A HEAVYWEIGHT: How Lucas Davison and Seth Nevills manage strength training and nutrition as 285-pound athletes
One interesting wrinkle this year at heavyweight is the inclusion of two former collegiate football players, Seth Nevills of Maryland and Nash Hutmacher of Nebraska, in the mix. Both will be looking to qualify for their first NCAA tournament from the No. 5 and No. 10 seeds respectively in a weight where the conference has seven allocation spots. Nash Hutmacher will take on Iowa’s Bradley Hill first round (Hill earned the win in their last encounter), while Nevills will see Gannon Rosenfeld of Wisconsin.
While the top, proven elite wrestlers like Kerkvliet, Feldman and Davison will be fun to watch, pay special attention to some of these new names in the mix. This is a weight full of strong athletes, and they know how to put on a show.
1. Greg Kerkvliet (PSU)
2. Nick Feldman (OSU)
3. Lucas Davison (MICH)
4. Yaraslau Slavikouski (RUT)
5. Seth Nevills (MD)
6. Nick Willham (IND)
7. Bradley Hill (IOWA)
8. Bennett Tabor (MINN)
9. Josh Terrill (MSU)
10. Nash Hutmacher (NEB)
11. Jack Jessen (NU)
12. Gannon Rosenfeld (WIS)
13. Peter Marinopoulos (ILL)
14. Hayden Filipovich (PUR)