Hey man, we don’t need the Ferrari anus polluting another thread!
EARLY 2026-27 lineup projections/discussions
- Thread starter backdrft76-1
- Start date
Assuming Levi returns,
We have the same line up that scored 181.5 points at NCAA last year, except: Ono and Desmond battle Davis for the 141 spot. Seems likely we get more points out of 141; Kasak comes off redshirt and battles Duke for the 157 spot…we are probably a little better here than last year..but third place is hard to improve much upon but maybe we get a few more points here;
Conner Battles his brother Cole and Elajah Brown (a very tough rapidly improving 235lbs EB) for 285. Likely we improve here as well. I don’t see the sky falling yet.
We have the same line up that scored 181.5 points at NCAA last year, except: Ono and Desmond battle Davis for the 141 spot. Seems likely we get more points out of 141; Kasak comes off redshirt and battles Duke for the 157 spot…we are probably a little better here than last year..but third place is hard to improve much upon but maybe we get a few more points here;
Conner Battles his brother Cole and Elajah Brown (a very tough rapidly improving 235lbs EB) for 285. Likely we improve here as well. I don’t see the sky falling yet.
So, per CP on FRL, it sounds like a very good chance we get Ono at 133 and Blaze at 141.
Spicy
Spicy
Yep that's new in the last 5 days . Blaze must be getting bigger which is good.
Blaze looked long and lean last year like he would be able to hold more weight pretty easily. It makes sense to move up and quit cutting weight if he's thinking 65 for the Oly trials instead of 57, which would be a pretty nasty cut.
I love Levi…… but let’s get the next guys in the lineup? Maybe?
I am a massive Levi fan, how can he not be one of your all time favorites despite "only" snagging two titles?
If getting Levi back for his 3rd title is what it takes to push James to de-enroll, I'll be even more stoked!
Then 5 straight for JJ to match Carter.
PS - I don't think any of the Oky State boys end up with 5.
If getting Levi back for his 3rd title is what it takes to push James to de-enroll, I'll be even more stoked!
Then 5 straight for JJ to match Carter.
PS - I don't think any of the Oky State boys end up with 5.
The weigh-in for the medal round for 61 kg [134.5lb.] at the 2026 World Championships is on Oct. 31. If Marcus does go 141, he won't be able to work on adding good weight until after the World Championships. I'm sure he would take that trade-off any day.
Local guy that has some Desmond connection is of the thought that Nate is going to be in the line up when season starts. No other details given.
Blaze will probably take a break since he's training all summer for Worlds which is late October
Not sure where to drop this. Dang... if this all plays out, 149 would be absolutely bananas this year.
If Mendez went 149 that weight would've 4 Ncaa Champs and a runner up at the weight with 9 guys who have been an AA in the past. I still think we see Mendez at 141 but 149 will be the deepest weight this year
Tend to agree, Mendez 141, though he has definitely earned the right to pick his weight if Ryan allows that.
It does pose an interesting question: would Ohio State rather have Bouzakis 141 or Shaw 149? Not sure there's a good answer to that. Bouzakis would be up 2 weights and has been a lot better Nov-Feb than in March. Shaw went 16-6 last year but it was extremely empty, no good wins and a few bad losses (at least for a potential power school starter) -- not a year that would inspire confidence.
125 Bouzakis 141 Mendez 149 Shaw probably scores more then 125 Kilkeary 141 Bouzakis 149 Mendez. In the Flo interview with Tom which was before the judge in Colorado ruled he did mention Bouzakis going back to 125 with Mendez 141 and Shaw 149.
Wow, he’s looking to starve Nicky out again. Great call, Tommy. The kid will be a Zombie at the tournament.
Well, yeah, but if Mendez goes 141, then what's Bouzakis supposed to do? He's not beating out Davino, and he's not a 149. Doesn't leave a lot of options.
Plus he'd outscore Kilkeary at 125 unless the refs forget to call illegal cutbacks.
Can’t disagree with any of that. Also can’t see how it’s good for Nick (who’s apparently been a good soldier). Maybe he needs a change of scenery though because the quarter tank-Nick we saw in last year’s tourney isn’t winning anything. Good for us I guess…
My opinion this year you limit his weigh ins and use Kilkeary/Muneretto I think Mills is a 133. Let Bouzakis do a few Friday/ Sunday in January but before that I would limit him to one every few weeks 2 in November and 2 in December
Seems as reasonable as anything could be when it comes to his weight management. Just hated the way he looked in last year’s tournament. That’s saying a lot, because it’s hard for me to not wish ill on anything even remotely related to anOSU.
Caleb Henson is not going 149, I believe his red shirt was for moving up I dont think that has changed......im rarely ever right with wrestling news. I think this time I am.
Definitely was hard to watch. I want him to AA and his best chance is at 125 . He's always been respectful and been a team player
Plan is Seidel 133 Bassett 141 Henson 149 Gaj 157 Nininger 165Caleb Henson is not going 149, I believe his red shirt was for moving up I dont think that has changed......im rarely ever right with wrestling news. I think this time I am.
. Miller will enroll next August
Not specific to this situation but the new 5 in 5 eligibility rules with its elimination of bout limits for redshirts makes the entire roster available. Coaches can rest starters that need a break, using the rest of the roster as a sort of bullpen, giving the starter a bit of a break approaching the post season.
We shouldn't see FF in duals with everyone available for every dual
They would also need to lift the size restrictions on travel for that to be true.
Will be interesting to see if conferences do that .
That depends a lot on what version of Bouzakis you get at 125, the November thru January version or the mid-February thru March version. In an interview shortly after the 2025-26 season, Bouzakis seemed to indicate that the 125 experiment was thankfully over. And looking just at 141 and 149, Bouzakis-Mendez seems better than Mendez-Shaw.
I would be surprised if Bouzakis wrestled at 125 again. But then, I was surprised when he went 125 in 2025-26.
He was gonna go 141 but now with Mendez back he won't have a spot . So sounds 125 is back on the table . Gotta limit his weigh ins and keep him as fresh as possible for March
i want to see basset vs mendez
Mendez Stanich Blaze Bassett can't wait for all of those guys to wrestle each other
Really don't have a choice. You can argue pitch counting Bouzakis from making weight is setting him up for failure but making him make 125 the entire year will almost certainly burn him out even worse. Just have to hope for a high seed and the best.
Why not just have him pull a Haselrig and not wrestle at all until the postseason?
B10 typically gets around 37 auto-qualifiers at 125, and if he can't break thru that, then he's not making the podium at NCAAs anyway so who cares about an at-large.
And it probably won't make much difference with his NCAA seed. If he's on a limited pitch count, then he won't get a top 16 seed anyway unless he makes the B10 finals. So might as well dispense with the regular season.
I‘m feeling Corby’s plan a little more. First, you gotta give Nick a feel outside the room just from a competition rust perspective. And two, you have to get some data on what his chances are so a guy like Kilkeary can prepare mentally if he’s gotta go at B1Gs. It doesn’t seem like the way Tom would handle it (with Kilkeary) to go all-in with Nick only to see him fall on his face.
But how many can travel with the team for away duals? I expect to see occasional FFs similar to what occurred when PSU's streak was broken vs ASU.
It should happen a lot less often, but it'll still happen in some way we haven't imagined.
Around 15 or so years ago Pitt had to forfeit 125 despite having 4 or 5 guys on the roster. IIRC it was: a road weekend so only the travel roster was available. Starter got injured in the Friday match and the backup missed weight in the Sat/Sun match.
I'd love to see it, if it means bringing back the Covid-era extra matches.
Extremely skeptical that it happens. Conferences cap football travel rosters. Even if they lifted that cap for non-revenue sports, the schools themselves will impose their own caps on a sport that loses money.
If I'm Pat Kraft, I'm OK with sending the full team to NCAAs, probably B10s, and some regular season tourney where most/all of the guys can compete. I'm not approving the flights and hotels for 15 extra guys to sit on the bench in Madison and Minneapolis on an extended weekend. And that's for a very well funded program.
I asked a few people and no one has heard anything about any travel restrictions being lifted. I agree most ADs won't approve it if flights are involved. But if it's a bus that cost some extra hotel rooms maybe
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