2024-2025 Big Ten Wrestling Preseason Power Rankings: Who is Penn State Wrestling’s Biggest Threat?
The 2024-2025 collegiate wrestling season is just around the corner and it’s high time for some Big Ten Wrestling Power Rankings, including a glance at who might be Penn State Wrestling’s biggest threat to a fourth consecutive National Championship.
Do you smell that?
Well, yes, that is the smell of Cool Ranch Doritos dust on my fingers.
But, I was referring to something completely different.
It’s almost wrestling season, baby!!
So with that, let’s take a long stroll through the Big Ten and how each team stacks up as we head into late October.
All rankings are based on the 10/30/24 InterMat rankings.
Pre-Season Big Ten Power Rankings for the 2024-2025 season
14 – Michigan State
Record Last Year: 10-6
Intermat Dual Ranking: NR
Ranked Wrestlers: 1
197 No. 26 Kael Wisler
Sparty has gone 10-6 in each of the past two seasons.
But mark my words, Michigan State is going to struggle mightily this year and if they even get to six wins, it’ll be a major upset. Because when you look at their roster makeup and their schedule, boy does it look rough.
First up: November 2nd – Home dual against American
13 – Wisconsin
Record Last Year: 9-7
Intermat Dual Ranking: NR
Ranked Wrestlers: 1
125 No. 29 Nicolar Rivera
The bottom of the B1G has been graced by the presence of several of the same programs in the past decade. I’m looking at you, Maryland, and Indiana.
However, the Wisconsin Badgers were nowhere near this list (I’m throwing out the 2020 season for obvious reasons).
Well, that changes this season as Chris Bono and his staff will need to earn their pay if the Badgers are going to win two or more B1G duals. Thankfully for them, Michigan State is on their schedule, so I’m going to chalk that up as a “W”.
But wins are going to be few and far between.
Up first: November 1st – Home dual against Ohio
12 – Purdue
Record Last Year: 6-10
Intermat Dual Ranking: 29
Ranked Wrestlers: 5
125 No. 4 Matt Ramos
141 No. 27 Greyson Clark
157 No. 18 Joey Blaze
165 No. 23 Stoney Buell
174 No. 31 Brody Baumann
In my preseason B1G Power Rankings from last season, I pegged the Boilermakers as the caboose.
And while this wasn’t exactly the worst prediction I’ve made in my writing career, it simply wasn’t correct. Thanks to Northwestern’s injury-riddled room, Maryland’s down year, and Illinois’s underperformance, Purdue made its way out of the basement.
But I don’t see much of an improvement this year. Even with Matt Ramos returning and a handful of up-and-coming sophomores in Greyson Clark, Joey Blaze, and Brody Baumann, the Boilermakers will still take their lumps in dual meets.
First up: November 1st – Home dual against Gardner-Webb
11 – Northwestern
Record Last Year: 1-9
Intermat Dual Ranking: 26
Ranked Wrestlers: 5
141 No. 10 Chris Cannon
149 No. 19 Sam Cartella
157 No. 12 Trevor Chumbley
165 No. 18 Maxx Mayfield
197 No. 24 Evan Bates
Chris Cannon makes his triumphant return to Evanston after transferring to Michigan following the 2023 season. Injuries completely derailed him last year and with his final year of eligibility on the line, I’m betting on him to be more on par with his back-to-back All-American finishes from the 2021 and 2022 campaigns.
As a true freshman, Sam Cartella turned some heads last year by compiling a 21-8 record. He could certainly make some noise at 149 again this season.
And between the experience of Trevor Chumbley, Maxx Mayfield, and Evan Bates, Northwestern could pull some upsets this season.
First up: November 9th – Michigan State Open
10 – Indiana
Record Last Year: 7-5
Intermat Dual Ranking: 30
Ranked Wrestlers: 7
125 No. 26 Jacob Moran
133 No. 27 Angelo Rini
141 No. 32 Henry Porter
165 No. 15 Tyler Lillard
184 No. 23 DJ Washington
197 No. 26 Gabe Sollars
285 No. 16 Jacob Bullock
By my count, Indiana’s seven ranked preseason wrestlers are the most I can ever remember. However, this hinges solely on one major factor: my memory.
Some days I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast let alone what the Hoosiers’ record was back in the 2014-2015 season.
But I digress.
Angel Escobedo has compiled one of his best and most complete lineups since taking over the reins in 2018. Furthermore, Indiana has a pretty favorable schedule this season. Their non-conference slate is comprised of Cal Baptist, Cal Poly, Central Michigan, Columbia, Cleveland State, and Chattanooga. And they don’t have to face either Iowa or Penn State.
Peering into my crystal ball, I’m seeing double-digit wins this year.
First up: November 5th – Away dual against Cal Baptist
9 – Maryland
Record Last Year: 5-7
Intermat Dual Ranking: 27
Ranked Wrestlers: 5
133 No. 15 Braxton Brown
149 No. 27 Kal Miller
157 No. 19 Ethen Miller
184 No. 9 Jaxon Smith
285 No. 15 Seth Nevills
The Terrapins flipped a solid 2022-2023 campaign where they went 10-9 and were ranked for the majority of the year into a somewhat disappointing 5-7 record last season.
The biggest reason for the drop in performance on the mat was essentially two-fold.
First and foremost is the fact Maryland only scheduled four non-conference duals last year. They went 3-1 with their only loss at the hands of No. 18 Pitt (21-16). This meant the bulk of their schedule was against the B1G.
For programs that are on the fringe of trying to crack the top 30, this isn’t a great recipe for success. Maryland navigated this portion of their season at 2-6 with their lone wins against Northwestern and Michigan State.
The second reason came down to several of Maryland’s returning starters not taking a bigger leap forward in terms of their progress.
As redshirt freshmen in the 2022-2023 season, Braxton Brown (24-8), Ethen Miller (27-9), and Jaxon Smith (23-8) went a combined 74-25. However last year this trio combined for a record of 56-28. So yeah, not exactly the improvement Maryland fans would have hoped for.
This year’s version of the Terrapins is full of experience with each of their ranked guys being a junior or older. But the big question is whether or not this will lead to more tallies in the win column.
Time will tell.
Up first: November 3rd – Home dual against Kent State
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8 – Michigan
Record Last Year: 8-4
Intermat Dual Ranking: 12
Ranked Wrestlers: 6
133 No. 4 Dylan Ragusin
141 No. 8 Sergio Lemley
157 No. 13 Chase Saldate
165 No. 13 Beau Mantanona
184 No. 15 Jaden Bullock
197 No. 3 Jacob Cardenas
The Wolverines have finished in the top six in each of the last four NCAA Championships (5th-2021 2nd-2022 6th-2023 3rd-2024). But Michigan will be lucky if they even finish in the top six in the B1G.
And that’s even after Sean Bormet and his crew brought in four-time national qualifier Chase Saldate (Michigan State) and two-time All-American Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) from the transfer portal.
It’s going to be some tough sledding for Michigan and there’s honestly not much more I can say about them. They’ll win some decent duals and they’re probably going to drop some head-scratchers along the way.
Up first: November 3rd – Clarion Open
7 – Illinois
Record Last Year: 5-9
Intermat Dual Ranking: 13
Ranked Wrestlers: 9
125 No. 17 Ramazan Attasauov
133 No. 3 Lucas Byrd
141 No. 19 Danny Pucino
149 No. 10 Kannon Webster
157 No. 23 Jason Kraisser
174 No. 20 Danny Braunagel
184 No. 8 Edmond Ruth
197 No. 10 Zac Braunagel
285 No. 13 Luke Luffman
For the past four years, the Fighting Illini wrestling program has essentially been spinning its wheels. During this stretch, Illinois compiled an overall record of 19-26.
So not exactly something to write home about.
But going into this season it looks like they’re going to turn the corner a bit. Mike Poeta has been a solid recruiter and he was able to bring both Ramazan Attasauov and Jason Kraisser over from Iowa State.
This portion of my B1G Wrestling Power Rankings also marks the point between teams who would beat Chattanooga but struggle in the process versus teams who would blow the doors off Chattanooga.
Just wanted to throw that out there. And sorry you had to catch a stray Chattanooga.
Up first: November 2nd – Away dual against SIUE
6 – Rutgers
Record Last Year: 12-5
Intermat Dual Ranking: 18
Ranked Wrestlers: 8
125 No. 11 Dean Peterson
133 No. 6 Dylan Shawver
141 No. 22 Joey Olivieri
149 No. 26 Michael Cetta
174 No. 13 Jackson Turley
184 No. 21 Brian Soldano
197 No. 12 John Poznanski
285 No. 5 Yaraslau Slavikouski
For the life of me, I have no idea why InterMat has the Scarlet Knights ranked so low in their dual rankings.
Because based on the makeup of their lineup, Rutgers should be a tough matchup for almost every team on their schedule not named “Penn State”.
If Dean Peterson and John Poznanski can shake some of their past underperformances and if Jackson Turley is finally healthy, then Rutgers could make some noise in both the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA’s.
Up first: November 9th – Journeymen WrangleMania
5 – Minnesota
Record Last Year: 11-2
Intermat Dual Ranking: 9
Ranked Wrestlers: 10
125 No. 9 Cooper Flynn
133 No. 12 Tyler Wells
141 No. 5 Vance Vombaur
149 No. 22 Drew Roberts
157 No. 8 Tommy Askey
165 No. 11 Andrew Sparks
174 No. 15 Clayton Whiting
184 No. 12 Max McEnelly
197 No. 8 Isaiah Salazar
285 No. 22 Bennett Tabor
Through a mix of both really good recruiting and some timely additions via the transfer portal, Brandon Eggum has assembled perhaps Minnesota’s best team during his time there.
Eggum brought in Cooper Flynn (Virginia Tech), Tommy Askey (Appalachian State), and Clayton Whiting (Missouri) to fill in some holes in the Gopher’s lineup. And this group represents the first team in my power rankings to have all 10 of their guys ranked.
Additionally, the Golden Gophers sport six guys ranked inside of the top 12. Each of the guys could make waves once the postseason rolls around.
Do you know the last time Minnesota finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships? Yep, it was back in 2021. But make no mistake about it, Minnesota is going to be a dangerous team this year and I wouldn’t be surprised if they crack the top six nationally when the dust finally settles.
Up first: November 9th – Mountaineer Invite
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4 – Ohio State
Record Last Year: 15-2
Intermat Dual Ranking: 6
Ranked Wrestlers: 10
125 No. 15 Brendan McCrone
133 No. 14 Nic Bouzakis
141 No. 2 Jesse Mendez
149 No. 11 Dylan D’Emilio
157 No. 10 Paddy Gallagher
165 No. 27 Bryce Hepner
174 No. 3 Rocco Welsh
184 No. 17 Ryder Rogotzke
197 No. 11 Luke Geog
285 No. 3 Nick Feldman
Tom Ryan has the Buckeyes’ wrestling program rolling.
Ohio State has all 10 of their guys ranked in the preseason. And between Jesse Mendez, Rocco Welsh, and Nick Feldman, they have three national title contenders.
And yeah, this can certainly be filled under the “Captain Obvious” category as Mendez won a title last year and Welsh finished runner-up to Carter Starocci.
If the Buckeyes see marked improvement from Brendan McCrone, Bryce Hepner, and Ryder Rogotzke, then the B1G and the rest of the nation will need to officially “Watch Out” for OSU.
Up first: November 3rd – Clarion Open
3 – Nebraska
Record Last Year: 12-2
Intermat Dual Ranking: 3
Ranked Wrestlers: 10
125 No. 3 Caleb Smith
133 No. 13 Jacob Van Dee
141 No. 4 Brock Hardy
149 No. 5 Ridge Lovett
157 No. 4 Antrell Taylor
165 No. 20 Bubba Wilson
174 No. 7 Lenny Pinto
184 No. 7 Silas Allred
197 No. 33 Camden McDanel
285 No. 28 Harley Andrews
Nebraska is now the third straight program to have all of their starters ranked. And during my time doing wrestling power rankings, it wasn’t uncommon for one or maybe two teams to have their entire lineup ranked.
But to have three?
This just further proves the point that in collegiate wrestling, it’s the B1G and everyone else.
And it will be must-see-tv when the Cornhuskers host Penn State on January 17th and when they travel to Iowa City on February 7th. Nebraska is going to topple many programs this year and if everyone can remain healthy, these two duals will potentially be electric.
Up first: November 8th – Home dual against Utah Valley
2 – Iowa
Record Last Year: 12-2
Intermat Dual Ranking: 2
Ranked Wrestlers: 9
125 No. 31 Kale Peterson
133 No. 7 Drake Ayala
149 No. 4 Kyle Parco
157 No. 1 Jacori Teemer
165 No. 2 Mikey Caliendo
174 No. 8 Gabe Arnold
184 No. 6 Nelson Brands
197 No. 2 Stephen Buchanan
285 No. 11 Ben Kueter
This past offseason, Tom Brands completely torched the transfer portal as the Hawkeyes brought in the following guys:
Kyle Parco (Arizona State) – 4x All-American
Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) – 3x All-American
Stephen Buchanan (Oklahoma) – 3x All-American
And all I can say are two things:
No. 1 – This year’s Iowa Hawkeyes are going to be incredibly good.
No. 2 – Tom Brands, I hope it was worth it.
In regards to my second “thing”, here is the byproduct of bringing in all of those prize transfers. The list of guys who transferred out:
-Zach Glazier
-Cobe Siebrecht
-Cade Siebrecht
-Drake Rhodes
-Joel Jesuroga
-Carson Martinson
-Carter Martinson
-Bretli Reyna
Look, Iowa is still going to bulldoze the vast majority of their competition. But will it mean they win another national title? …
Up first: November 2nd – Away dual against Oregon State
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1 – Penn State Wrestling
Record Last Year: 12-0
Intermat Dual Ranking: 1
Ranked Wrestlers: 9
133 No. 10 Braeden Davis
141 No. 3 Beau Bartlett
149 No. 2 Shayne Van Ness
157 No. 5 Tyler Kasak
165 No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink
174 No. 2 Levi Haines
184 No. 1 Carter Starocci
197 No. 22 Josh Barr
285 No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet
… Nope. It doesn’t.
Cael Sanderson and his coaching staff have displayed no signs of slowing down whatsoever.
Their current lineup boasts three NCAA champions and 15 All-American finishes. And if InterMat ranked true freshman, then it’s highly likely that Luke Lilledahl would have been given a top-five ranking.
This year’s version of the Nittany Lions is not much different than the previous three and there’s no reason to think they won’t be hoisting their fourth straight team title come late March.
The only real question is how much hardware will Penn State bring home and how many records will they be rewriting.
Up first: November 17th – Home dual against Drexel
MORE: Are James Franklin, Penn State Football Ready to Finally Become Elite?
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Education: Penn State University
Location: State College, PA
Even though he had no prior journalism experience, Chris has now covered Penn State Wrestling and Penn State Football for the past three years, including as the Penn State Wrestling Beat Writer for VictoryBellRings.com, part of the FanSided network.
And it's clear he also likes constant torture as he's been a PSU Basketball fan for way too long.
Several years back, Chris made the seamless transition from PGA Professional to computer programmer and thoroughly enjoys following and writing about all things related to Penn State sports during his spare time.
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