Despite the season ending not long ago, I thought it’d be a fun write up to look at what the lineup may look like next season. The Tigers are bringing in back to back top ten recruiting classes for the first time since I’ve been watching them and are looking to reload. They’ve had senior heavy classes the past two years but could have a youth filled lineup going into next year. The transfer portal seems to have slowed down as well
A couple interesting things to look out for are some incoming offseason rules. There are rumors about the NCAA doing away with redshirts and everyone getting just five years of eligibility. I know multiple teams are preparing for it and expect it to come into play but I haven’t heard details on it. Another thing is the 30 man roster cap for wrestling, which could force the coaches to really look at depth and flexibility in different weight classes. With the current state of NIL, transfer portal, and new rules, coaches are having to dissect the future even closer and prepare for a constantly changing system.
125lbs: Mack Mauger (Freshman)
Last season Walker had his redshirt pulled after Noah Surtin’s medical retirement. He had some solid moments and beat an NCAA qualifier but missed out on qualifying himself. I’m expecting Walker to redshirt this season, and potentially move up to 133lbs as he had a significant cut that was affecting him. I don’t expect him to stay at this weight but I’m not ruling it out for the future.
While Walker was starting, Mauger was redshirting. He finished with a solid 19-7 record against all divisions and was 12-6 against Division I opponents. Of his six D1 losses they included Noah Surtin, Kysen Terukina, Matt Ramos, and Stevo Poulin. Mauger was razor close against 3x NCAA qualifier Terukina, giving up a buzzer beater takedown at the Soldier Salute. The #125 recruit out of highschool, I have high expectations for Mauger. He was an impressive 5x Fargo champ, and came into college as a smaller 125. After a full season and now two offseasons to adjust, I think he’ll come in and be a consistent starter for the Tigers and expect him to qualify.
133lbs: Kade Moore (Junior)
Moore had a rollercoaster season last year, finishing with a record of 14-19 but coming on strong at conferences to become a 2x qualifier. He had a number of tough losses but beat All-American Evan Frost as a signature win. He is hard to gauge at times, often having very competitive matches or being close to his big moves but coming up short. His ceiling is a podium contender, but getting him to consistently hit his ceiling in matches could be difficult. I think he will be the starter again next season but he will have some quality challengers.
