5 wrestling freshmen who could compete for national titles this season
Four freshmen won men’s DI NCAA titles last year. These are the freshmen who will be pushing to make similar history this year. The Oklahoma State Cowboys made headlines at last year’s NCAA DI men’s wrestling tournament when they became the first team in NCAA history to put three true freshmen on the top of the podium. Stanford also crowned a freshman national champ, meaning that four of the ten title winners from last season conquered their brackets in just their first seasons as varsity athletes. Three of those four freshmen also had to top former champs in their weight classes as well in order to claim their crown.
As the focus shifts to the start of the 2026-2027 college wrestling season, these are the rookies most likely to accomplish the same feat this year, ranked by weight class:
Anthony Knox, 125 pounds, Rutgers
Rutgers’ Anthony Knox is the only freshman on this list who will be looking to win his first title in a weight class that returns its champion from 2026, making his task one of the most difficult ones in the country. But Knox earned his spot here because of his relentlessness, his gritty style and experience taking on the best in the world, and he’s ready to take that mindset to the college landscape and become the third Rutgers wrestler in history to win a national title.
Knox, much like the other two Rutgers wrestling champs, comes to the Banks as a four-time state champion and a history of dominance in the Garden State. He posted a 144-1 record as a high school athlete and finished his career as the top-ranked athlete in his weight class in the country. Knox also has elite freestyle experience, finishing 11th at the U20 world championships in 2025 and earning a national team spot at 57kg this summer after picking up wins over All-American Liam Cronin, Vincent Kilkeary and Brody Teske.
The biggest barrier standing between Knox and a national title is 2026 NCAA champion Penn State’s Luke Lilledahl, who has a win over Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee — an athlete who pinned and teched Knox — earlier this summer. Knox does have a career win over Lilledahl that dates back to 2021, so while Lilledahl has proven himself to be a steady, dependable champion and has put a gap between himself and the Scarlet Knight rookie since then, Knox has the talent to compete. Penn State and Rutgers will dual on January 9, giving fans the first look at how Knox stacks up against last year’s title winner and what he would need to do to close any gaps between January and March in order to become a freshman champ.
The biggest name amongst this year’s class of freshmen is none other than Bo “Machine Gun Mindset” Bassett. The Pennsylvania native came to Virginia Tech as the highest ranked athlete in the Class of 2026 after a long recruiting process in which nearly every school in the country made a bid for him. Bassett has now settled into Blacksburg and immediately made a splash, earning a spot on the U20, U23 and now, most recently, senior world team at 65kg. He enters his first college season ranked No. 2 by FloWrestling and No. 5 by Intermat based on his wins in college opens against No. 9 Jaxon Joy at 149 pounds and No. 9 TK Davis at 133 pounds over his last two seasons as a high schooler.
Bassett’s biggest competition will be No. 1 Luke Stanich of Lehigh, … more at … https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling-men/article/2026-10-05/5-wrestling-freshmen-who-could-compete-national-titles-season?lid=r9vbo48km6wu&primo=
Talking North Carolina Wrestling with Rob Koll
North Carolina head coach Rob Koll joins us to talk about his team for the 2026-27 season. The Tar Heels start the year ranked 12th in InterMat’s national dual rankings. Coach Koll talks about some of the competition in the room, key parts of the schedule, the much-improved ACC, his coaching tree and much more! … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/acc/talking-north-carolina-wrestling-with-rob-koll-r101238/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Mat To Mission: Special Warfare Center & School Hosts Wrestling To Inspire Future Force Generation
By: Elvia Kelly – U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Public Affairs Office
FORT BRAGG, N.C. – When collegiate wrestling athletes meet Army special operations at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, the common ground is forged in sweat, performance, and the pursuit of excellence.
The Special Operations Center of Excellence welcomed 39 members from the University of North Carolina’s wrestling team to experience holistic approaches to physical training, cognitive exercises, virtual reality at the synthetic training environment, and nutrition Q&A sessions at the Human Performance Force Generation Training Center, commonly referred to as HP FORGE, at Fort Bragg, on Sept. 21, 2026.
While physical training and mental grit paralleled both institutions for preparation on the mat and in the operational environment, the visit embodied attributes that would inspire future force generation. “Taking our team to the Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg was eye opening,” said head coach Rob Koll. “A lot of our young athletes don’t necessarily appreciate the size and scope of the training and expertise that goes into preparing our special operations Soldiers. This put our guys through a small taste of it.”
By showcasing the state-of-the-art training center, the Special Operations Center of Excellence put the Department of War’s warrior readiness and human performance initiatives on display. The visit highlighted how both institutions utilize sports science, mental resilience, and advanced nutrition. “Seeing the science behind the methods, how carefully everything is structured for performance, recovery, and resilience, gave our team a whole new level of respect for the process,” Koll said.
Beyond tactical training, the engagement served as a pillar in the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School by informing and building trust with the American people. “The visit doesn’t just provide a tour of what we do here, but it shows the first SOF truth that people are more important than hardware,” said Michael Fields, Human Performance and Wellness deputy director. “We do that in a few ways by demonstrating metric-driven recovery and prevention methods, such as physical therapy, mental health, cognitive performance, and physical training. It’s a one-stop holistic shop for training, performance, and rehabilitation.”
During their visit, the wrestling team divided into three groups to experience a three-station rotation. Each station focused on a unique area: a 30-minute workout led by … more at … https://goheels.com/news/2026/9/30/mat-to-mission-special-warfare-center-and-school-hosts-wrestling-to-inspire-future-force-generation?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Penn State Wrestling, Chasing 6th Straight NCAA Title, Unveils 2026-27 Schedule
The Nittany Lions have won 86 consecutive matches and can reach the 100-win milestone this season.
The Penn State wrestling team is headed to Oklahoma this season, though not to face David Taylor’s Oklahoma State Cowboys. Instead, the Nittany Lions will complete their home-and-home series with the Oklahoma Sooners.
Penn State wrestling at last unveiled its 2026-27 schedule, just six weeks before the Nittany Lions begin pursuing their sixth straight NCAA team title. Penn State brings an NCAA-record 86-match win streak into the season, as head coach Cael Sanderson seeks to win his 14th national championship.
Here’s a breakdown of Penn State’s 2026-27 schedule.
Three matches at Bryce Jordan Center … more at … https://www.si.com/college/pennstate/wrestling/penn-state-wrestling-chasing-6th-straight-ncaa-title-unveils-2026-27-schedule?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Adams, Rowan & Wallace Tabbed 2026-27 Captains
DURHAM, N.C. — Duke wrestling head coach Glen Lanham announced Wednesday that Aidan Wallace, Raymond Adams and Riley Rowan will serve as team captains for the 2026-27 season.
The trio will provide leadership for a Blue Devil squad entering its 14th season under Lanham.
Adams, a product of Merrick, New York, is in his fourth season with the Blue Devils and was named captain for the second time in his career, having also served as one of Duke’s three captains during the 2024-25 season. The 141-pounder earned NWCA Scholar All-America honors in each of his first three seasons, while also being named to the All-ACC Academic Team and ACC Honor Roll three times. Adams started at 141 pounds for Duke in 2025-26 and totaled nine victories, including a 7-5 decision on the road against North Carolina’s Marco Tocci. The win marked his third consecutive season with at least one ACC victory.
Rowan enters his second season of competition with the Blue Devils. Competing at 125 and 133 pounds in 2025-26, Rowan earned NWCA Scholar All-America honors and All-ACC Academic … more at … https://goduke.com/news/2026/9/30/wrestling-adams-rowan-wallace-tabbed-2026-27-captains?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Senate Passes Protect College Sports Act, Moves On to House
The bill next goes to the House for a vote.
On Monday, the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) passed the Senate with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 77–22.
“We are here, at long last, on the verge of something historic,” PCSA co-sponsor, Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas), said Monday night.
The vote, which took six hours between debate and amendment consideration, was historic. Over the past six years, the NCAA and power conferences have spent well over $10 million combined lobbying for Congressional intervention in college sports. But no college sports bill has even made it to the floor of the House or Senate—until now.
The PCSA was introduced in May by Sens. Cruz, Maria Cantwell (D., Wash.), Eric Schmitt (R., Mo.) and Chris Coons (D., Del.). Cruz and Cantwell have been embroiled in negotiations over bill text for months. Cruz himself has been negotiating with various Democrats for the better part of three years.
A New Framework
The current version of the PCSA would:
Prohibit power conferences from merging or expanding beyond 20 members
Double the revenue-sharing cap and codify NIL (name, image, and likeness) rights for college athletes, but implement measures to limit cap-circumvention
Create a one-time transfer and implement a five-year, age-based eligibility policy
Impose restrictions on agents and limit coaching transfers
Offer a limited antitrust exemption and preemption of state laws to enforce transfer, eligibility, and player compensation restrictions
Require schools to maintain certain health and safety standards and require schools that make more than $80 million per year maintain Olympic and women’s sports participation … more at … https://frontofficesports.com/article/college-sports-bill-glides-through-senate-with-bipartisan-vote/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
North Carolina Wrestling Schedule 2026-27: Full Schedule & Key Matchups
View North Carolina’s complete 2026-27 schedule, featuring every dual, tournament and postseason event for the Tar Heels.
North Carolina wrestling has announced its 2026-27 schedule, a slate that features the annual rivalry dual against NC State, home matchups with Northern Iowa and Virginia Tech, and appearances at several major tournaments throughout the season.
- Subscribe To FloWrestling To Watch All The Action
- What’s Streaming On FloWrestling This Week? Take A Look At The Schedule
- IMG Academy Wrestling Partners with ONEV as Official Wrestling Shoe Partner
The 2026-27 season marks year four for the Tar Heels under the direction of head coach Rob Koll. Koll will look to guide a roster that welcomed nine newcomers in the offseason, including seven freshmen and two transfers, as they look to climb the ACC ranks. The Tar Heels bring back a core group of postseason veterans, anchored by three returning NCAA qualifiers from a season ago. The returning contingent includes Luke Simcox, Laird Root and Collin Carrigan. … more at …https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/16216527-north-carolina-wrestling-schedule-2026-27-key-matchups?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
App State Wrestling Announces 2026-27 Schedule, Season Ticket Details
BOONE, N.C. — App State Wrestling has announced its 2026-27 schedule, and season tickets are now available for the seven home dates in Varsity Gym.
Led by head coach JohnMark Bentley, who is entering his 18th season, the Mountaineers return three NCAA Championships qualifiers and the seven other wrestlers who were starters in the 10-man lineup for 2025-26 team that earned a share of another SoCon regular-season title and won a fourth straight SoCon tournament title.
In addition to home tournaments on Nov. 15 (Mountaineer Invitational for the home debut) and Jan. 30 (Appalachian Open), App State hosts duals against Duke (first home dual on Friday, Nov. 20), Campbell (Thursday, Dec. 10), national power Virginia Tech (Friday, Dec. 18) and SoCon regular-season co-champion Chattanooga (Sunday, Feb. 7) before welcoming Presbyterian and Davidson to Boone for a doubleheader on Sunday, Feb. 14.
App State’s nonconference road schedule also includes two ACC opponents, with visits to North Carolina (at Chapel Hill High School) on Dec. 20 and NC State on Jan. 22. In between those duals, the Mountaineers travel to face SoCon foes VMI (Jan. 8), The Citadel (Jan. 10) and Bellarmine (Jan. 17). The regular season ends with a Feb. 21 match at Gardner-Webb. … more at … https://appstatesports.com/news/2026/9/17/wrestling-announces-2026-27-schedule-season-ticket-details.aspx?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
10 Stats That Make Lee Kemp A Wrestling Icon
Lee Kemp is a groundbreaking wrestler in the United States. Here are 10 reasons why.
Lee Kemp remains one of the most important and transformative wrestlers in American history. Here are 10 stats that prove it.
From Worst To First
Kemp wasn’t the worst when he began his wrestling career as a high school freshman, but he wasn’t a transcendent star, either. The Chardon, Ohio, native was 14-2 on the freshman team (1970-71) and 11-8-3 on varsity as a sophomore (1971-72).
Then he took off.
He went undefeated the next two seasons and reached the 1975 NCAA Championship finals for Wisconsin as a true freshman, then won three straight (1976-78).
That means he went from a barely .500 varsity wrestler as a sophomore in high school (1972) to the 1975 NCAA finals in three years.
No One Is Safe
Take what we learned above and apply it to the 1975 Northern Open, one of the premier college tournaments at the time. Dan Gable entered the 158-pound bracket as the greatest American wrestler up to that point. He won the 1972 Munich Olympics without surrendering a point and was an assistant at the University of Iowa.
Gable hadn’t wrestled a competitive match in nearly three years when he entered, and Kemp hadn’t won his first NCAA title when they met in the finals. … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/16150177-10-stats-that-make-lee-kemp-a-wrestling-icon?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
2026-27 Boys National High School Wrestling Rankings: Preseason Update Brings Big Changes
The second preseason update moves wrestlers toward their projected starting weights as Dawson Youngblut, Austin Ellis, Mac Crosson and other national standouts find their places.
With this, the second update to the 2026-27 High School On SI Boys Preseason National High School Wrestling Rankings, we have begun moving wrestlers into the weight classes where we believe they are most likely to begin the upcoming season. We say begin for a couple of reasons. First, some wrestlers have a history of starting the season at a higher weight before working their way down. Second, some compete at a higher weight during the high school season than they do in national events.
Projecting the Right Weight Is Part of the Puzzle
A pair of wrestlers at 138 pounds are good examples of the latter: Iowa’s Dawson Youngblut and Utah’s Austin Ellis. Both spent the majority of their national competition at 138 pounds while wrestling at 144 during the high school season.
Where Does Mac Crosson Fit?
Another Iowan, Mac Crosson, presents a more complicated case. Crosson could make some appearances at 175 pounds this season, but for now we’ve placed him at 157, where he was the Junior National runner-up at Fargo. Last fall, Crosson competed at 157 in several events and even dropped to 150 for Super 32.
Crosson spent most of the high school season around 165 pounds while making a few appearances at 175. But because he competed at 157 nationally during the spring and summer, we’re projecting him to begin there again, including a likely appearance at that weight at Super 32. These are the kinds of decisions we’ve made throughout this second edition of the preseason rankings.
How We Project Each Wrestler’s Starting Weight
We’ve taken a close look at each wrestler’s recent history to determine where he’s most likely to begin the year. Of course, no projection can account for every growth spurt or the weight a high school wrestler might add as he matures. We’re using what they’ve done in the past to make the best educated guess about where they’ll compete next.
Current No. 1 Ranked Wrestlers
285: Lukas Zalota (Malvern Prep, PA) SR
106: Kooper Deputy (Chestnut Ridge, PA) SO
113: Caleb Noble (Warren Township, IL) SR
120: Landon Sidun (Norwin, PA) SR
126: Grey Burnett (Perrysburg, OH) SR
132: Paul Kenny (Christian Brothers Academy, NJ) SR
138: Dean Anderson (Valiant Prep, AZ) SR
144: Jesse Grajeda (St. John Bosco, CA) SR
150: Michael Romero (St. John Bosco, CA) SR
157: Mac Crosson (Indianola, IA) SR\
165: Melvin Miller (Bishop McCort, PA) JR
175: Jayden O’Farrill (State College, PA) JR
190: Salah Tsarni (Blair Academy, NJ) SR
215: Michael Boyle (Bishop Watterson, OH) SR … more at … https://www.si.com/high-school/wrestling/2026-27-boys-national-high-school-wrestling-rankings-preseason-update-brings-big-changes-01m0yyn0swkc?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
