#15 Mizzou (1-3) vs Binghamton (1-1), #16 Little Rock (5-0), #1 Penn State (3-0)
Where to Watch: Dec. 22 on Rokfin
Mizzou wrestling hits up Nashville for Collegiate Duals just a few days before Mizzou football’s Music City Bowl. The Tigers will have three separate duals on day two of the event. Starting with Binghamton, Little Rock, and finishing with a dual against returning champs Penn State.
The lineup is in a bit of flux right now, with injuries hitting the team hard early. Noah Surtin unfortunately announced his medical retirement from wrestling, likely leaving the team pulling true freshman Gage Walker’s redshirt. At 149 it sounds like there’s a chance that we see Seltzer going forward. I’m not expecting Cam Steed back just yet, and with Colton Hawks and Seth Nitzel missing the Cougar Clash their status could be up in the air. Rocky Elam is a question mark, but Aeodon Sinclair has one date left and all three duals would count as one so this could be a good spot to use him at.
Binghamton is 1-1 on the year, beating Long Island University but dropping a 30-10 dual to Illinois early in the year. They’ve got a handful of ranked wrestlers and are strong in their upperweights.
Little Rock has had a strong year and seen Mizzou at the Tiger Style Invite and Cougar Clash. They recently beat Central Michigan and Chattanooga in duals. They have two returning All-Americans in Nasir Bailey and Stephen Little but have a deep lineup this season.
Every wrestling fan knows the dominance of Penn State, who broke the scoring record last season and won 11 of the past 13 NCAA tournaments. They have All-American contenders at every weight, and return champs at 184 and 285. They’re coming off a blanking of Wyoming 54-0. They don’t always put out their full lineup but their depth is absurd and could be ranked as well.
Due to the nature of this event, I’ve decided to group it all together for a mega preview of the duals and a more general look at matchups.
125lbs: Gage Walker (5-3)
- Binghamton: #33 Carson Wagner (9-5)
Wagner is a true sophomore who started for Binghamton last season and went 14-17. This year he is looking solid and just beat a ranked Robbie Sagaris with a quick fall. This should be a good chance for Walker to get a ranked win and potentially push for bonus. Wagner lost 10-5 to Illinois’ Caelen Riley while Walker majored Riley 13-1.
- Little Rock: Jeremiah Reno (0-0)/Reid Nelson (4-2)
Walker hasn’t wrestled either of these opponents but outplaced Nelson at the Tiger Style Invite. Reno could make his debut here but hasn’t yet so he’s a question mark. Walker is certainly favored against Nelson, but Reno could be a tough test. He hasn’t qualified yet but I’m high on him to make a jump at some point as a four-time Missouri State Champ. Look for Walker to get the dual started with a win here.
- Penn State: #12 Luke Lilledahl (6-0)
A Missouri native who competed for PA’s Wyoming Seminary in high school, Lilledahl was one of the top recruits coming out of high school. He was a 2024 U20 World Champ in 2024 and a runner-up in 2023. He won just about every high level tournament you can name and a title threat as a true freshman. He’s lanky and does just about everything right, especially in neutral. I think Walker can keep this close and if he’s wrestling confident could make things interesting but I’m high on Lilledahl this season.
133lbs: Kade Moore (5-6)
- Binghamton: Micah Roes (5-4)
Roes is a solid wrestler in his 5th and final year at Binghamton. He was a true freshman qualifier in 2021 at 125 but hasn’t made it back yet. Last season was his first at 133 and he had a respectable 23-11 record.