Takedown Report

College stars prepare for action at the 2026 Galaxy U23 World Championships in Las Vegas

The turn to Fall signals the start of the NCAA wrestling season. While we still must wait a few more weeks for Division I men’s action to begin, this weekend in Las Vegas we will get a sneak preview of some of the top collegiate stars in international freestyle action.
The 2026 Galaxy U23 World Championships are currently underway in Las Vegas, and men’s freestyle action takes place October 16-18.
The U.S. squad is loaded as it looks to repeat as team champions, and college wrestling fans will recognize a lot of names, as these athletes are also expected to compete for NCAA titles at the 2027 NCAA Championships in St. Louis in March.
Here is a look at the collegiate status of the 2026 U23 U.S. men’s freestyle World Team.
57 kg – Luke Lilledahl (Penn State)
The list of accolades is long for Lilledahl. On the international level, he is the reigning U23 World champion and a three-time age-group World champion overall. In two seasons at Penn State, he has won an NCAA title (2026) and finished third (2025). He was the No. 1 seed in both of his NCAA runs and a two-time Big Ten champion. What will he do in season three? Even with five of the other seven All-Americans from 2026 returning this year, he is a heavy favorite to repeat as the NCAA champion at 125 pounds.
61 kg – Ben Davino (Ohio State)
In his first year in the Ohio State lineup last year, Davino was an NCAA finalist as the second seed, going 31-2 overall, and captured the Big Ten Championship. He enters his third year on campus ranked second, behind defending champion Jax Forrest of Oklahoma State. Like 125 pounds, six of the eight 2026 All-Americans return at 133 pounds, including the top four placers.
65 kg – Bo Bassett (Virginia Tech)
One of the most decorated high school recruits of all time, Bassett will look to make an impact at 141 pounds as a true freshman at Virginia Tech. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2026/october/13/college-stars-prepare-for-action-at-the-2026-galaxy-u23-world-championships-in-las-vegas?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

One of the most decorated high school recruits of all time, Bassett will look to make an impact at 141 pounds as a true freshman at Virginia Tech. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2026/october/13/college-stars-prepare-for-action-at-the-2026-galaxy-u23-world-championships-in-las-vegas?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

October 26, 2026 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | college-football, ncaa-football