The 2023 NCAA D1 Wrestling Championships kick off on Thursday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the BOK Center. This is the country’s premier wrestling event, a date wrestling fans have marked down on their calendars. Today, I will preview every weight and give you wrestlers to watch out for come Thursday. To view brackets for the 2023 NCAA D1 Wrestling Championships, visit my bracket hub, where you will find brackets and other information. Now, let’s get started.

125-157 Preview

165 LBS

Title Favorites/Contenders

(1) David Carr (Iowa State)

(2) Keegan O’Toole (Missouri)

(3) Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin)

“Bracket Busters”

(6) Patrick Kennedy (Iowa)

(9) Shane Griffith (Stanford)

(13) Alex Facundo (Penn State)

(14) Peyton Hall (West Virginia)

Former All-Americans

(1) David Carr (Iowa State) – 3^rd in 2022 and 2021 National Champion

(2) Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) – 2022 National Champion and 3^rd in 2021

(3) Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) – 6^th in 2022

(5) Quincy Monday (Princeton) – 2^nd in 2022

(9) Shane Griffith (Stanford) – 2^nd in 2022 and 2021 National Champion

(10) Carson Kharchla (Ohio State) – 7^th in 2022

(11) Cameron Amine (Michigan) – 4^th in 2022 and 7^th in 2021

(14) Peyton Hall (West Virginia) – 8^th in 2022

(31) Wyatt Sheets (Oklahoma State) – 8^th in 2021

Top Potential Matchups

Round of 16 – (9) Shane Griffith (Stanford) vs (8) Matthew Olguin (Oregon State)

Round of 16 – (13) Alex Facundo (Penn State) vs (4) Julian Ramirez (Cornell)

Round of 16 – (11) Cameron Amine (Michigan) vs (6) Patrick Kennedy (Iowa)

Round of 16 – (7) Michael Caliendo III (North Dakota State) vs (10) Carson Kharchla (Ohio State)

Quarterfinals – (1) David Carr (Iowa State) vs (9) Shane Griffith (Stanford)

Quarterfinals – (3) Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) vs (6) Patrick Kennedy (Iowa)

Semi-Finals – (1) David Carr (Iowa State) vs (5) Quincy Monday (Princeton)

Semi-Finals – (3) Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) vs (2) Keegan O’Toole (Missouri)

Finals – (1) David Carr (Iowa State) vs (2) Keegan O’Toole (Missouri)/(3) Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin)

Top Half

What if I told you there were two national champions and a national runner-up on the same side of the bracket? Would you believe me? You do not need to because that is what this top half of the bracket contains. David Carr nabs the top seed and looks as good as anyone in this weight. He has two wins over the returning NCAA champ Keegan O’Toole and has been dominant all year, going 22-0. He could see former NCAA champ Shane Griffith in the Quarterfinals, who has gone 23-3 with two tight losses to the 8 seed Matthew Olguin to set up a great Round of 16 matchups. Julian Ramirez and Quincy Monday are on a collision path to the Quarterfinals to set up an EIWA Finals rematch, where Ramirez won 6-5.

Bottom Half

Keegan O’Toole is the returning NCAA Champ in this weight and has had a great 2022-2023 campaign going 15-2, with those losses coming to David Carr. His path looks favorable to make it to the Semi-Finals, where his most likely opponent is Dean Hamiti. Hamiti is 21-3 on the year, with great wins over Julian Ramirez and Patrick Kennedy. Hamiti could have a rematch with Patrick Kennedy in the Quarterfinals. This will be his first true test, even though he holds two tight wins over Kennedy.

174 LBS

Title Favorites/Contenders

(1) Carter Starocci (Penn State)

(2) Mikey Labriola (Nebraska)

(3) Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech)

“Bracket Busters”

(9) Edmond Ruth (Illinois)

(10) Rocky Jordan (Chattanooga)

(11) Nelson Brands (Iowa)

Former All-Americans

(1) Carter Starocci (Penn State) – 2x National Champion

(2) Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) – 7^th in 2022, 3^rd in 2021, and 6^th in 2019

(3) Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) – 2^nd in 2022 and 2021 National Champion

(5) Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) – 6^th in 2022

(6) Ethan Smith (Ohio State) – 5^th in 2021

(15) Demetrius Romero (Utah Valley) – 6^th in 2021

(30) Jackson Turley (Rutgers) – 8^th in 2021

Top Potential Matchups

Round of 16 – (1) Carter Starocci (Penn State) vs (17) Donnell Washington (Indiana)

Round of 16 – (9) Edmond Ruth (Illinois) vs (8) Bailee O’Reilly (Minnesota)

Round of 16 – (11) Nelson Brands (Iowa) vs (6) Ethan Smith (Ohio State)

Round of 16 – (7) Peyton Mocco (Missouri) vs (10) Rocky Jordan (Chattanooga)

Quarterfinal – (1) Carter Starocci (Penn State) vs (9) Edmond Ruth (Illinois)

Semi-Finals – (3) Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) vs (2) Mikey Labriola (Nebraska)

Finals – (1) Carter Starocci (Penn State) vs (2) Mikey Labriola (Nebraska)/(3) Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech)

Top Half

Carter Starocci nabs the top seed and looks primed for a third national title. The top side of this bracket is not as impressive as the bottom half and should be relatively easy to maneuver through. Starocci might have a rematch in the Round of 16 with Donnell Washington, which was not a close match but almost ended in a fistfight, so that could be fun. Then a matchup against Edmond Ruth in the Quarterfinals could be exciting.

Bottom Half

The bottom half of this bracket is exciting, with Mikey Labriola at the 2 seed and Mekhi Lewis at the 3 seed. Labriola is 26-1 on the year with a win over Mekhi Lewis and a loss to Carter Starocci in the Big Ten Finals. His win over Lewis came at the Cliff Keen Invitational in the Finals, where he won a 3-1 match in sudden victory. Mekhi Lewis also is having a good season going 18-1 on the year, including wins over Ethan Smith, Chris Foca, and Peyton Mocco. Those two look to be on a collision course to the Semi-Finals. Rocky Jordan and Nelson Brands could make some noise in this bracket and might knock off some top wrestlers along their way.

184 LBS

Title Favorites/Contenders

(1) Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa)

(2) Trent Hidlay (NC State)

(3) Aaron Brooks (Penn State)

“Bracket Busters”

(5) Marcus Coleman (Iowa State)

(7) Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech)

(13) Lenny Pinto (Nebraska)

Former All-Americans

(1) Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) – 3^rd in 2022 and 3^rd in 2021

(2) Trent Hidlay (NC State) – 5^th in 2022 and 2^nd in 2021

(3) Aaron Brooks (Penn State) – 2x National Champion

(5) Marcus Coleman (Iowa State) – 7^th in 2022

(6) Kaleb Romero (Ohio State) – 6^th in 2022

(7) Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) – 7^th in 2021

(10) Travis Wittlake (Oklahoma State) – 4^th in 2021

Top Potential Matchups

Round of 16 – (5) Marcus Coleman (Iowa State) vs (12) Abe Assad (Iowa)

Round of 16 – (13) Lenny Pinto (Nebraska) vs (4) Trey Munoz (Oregon State)

Round of 16 – (7) Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) vs (10) Travis Wittlake (Oklahoma State)

Quarterfinals – (1) Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) vs (8) Matt Finesilver (Michigan)

Quarterfinals – (3) Aaron Brooks (Penn State) vs (6) Kaleb Romero (Ohio State)

Quarterfinals – (7) Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) vs (2) Trent Hidlay (NC State)

Semi-Finals – (3) Aaron Brooks (Penn State) vs (2) Trent Hidlay (NC State)

Finals – (1) Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) vs (2) Trent Hidlay (NC State)/(3) Aaron Brooks (Penn State)

Top Half

Parker Keckeisen nabs the top seed and has been great all year. Keckeisen is 22-1 on the year with wins over Trent Hidlay, who he split matches with, Marcus Coleman, Kaleb Romero, and Lenny Pinto. Keckeisen is the favorite to come out of this side of the bracket, but he will have some good matchups along the way. Trey Munoz, who has been very good all year, is on upset alert with the possibility of a Round of 16 matchup with Lenny Pinto. Pinto has a win over Munoz this year in a 5-4 match at the Cliff Keen Invitational. Marcus Coleman can make some noise in this top half of the bracket holding arguably the best win in this weight over Aaron Brooks. He has faced Keckeisen twice and lost both times, though.

Bottom Half

The story of the bottom half of this bracket is Aaron Brooks falling to the 3 seed behind Trent Hidlay, who is the 2 seed. The two-time national champion can still pick up number three this year and has some really good wins over Kaleb Romero and Matt Finesilver. Hidlay has looked good all year, excluding that loss to Keckeisen; he is a Hunter Bolen magnet because they look like they will meet in the Quarterfinals. Brooks could see Romero in the Quarterfinals, which he has beaten twice this season.

197 LBS

Title Favorites/Contenders

(1) Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh)

(2) Bernie Traux (Cal Poly)

(3) Rocky Elam (Missouri)

“Bracket Busters”

(4) Ethan Laird (Rider)

(5) Michael Beard (Lehigh)

(8) Silas Allred (Nebraska)

(9) Max Dean (Penn State)

Former All-Americans

(1) Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) – 2^nd in 2021

(2) Bernie Truax (Cal Poly) – 4^th in 2022 and 4^th in 2021

(3) Rocky Elam (Missouri) – 4^th in 2022 and 5^th in 2021

(5) Michael Beard (Lehigh) – 7^th in 2021

(9) Max Dean (Penn State) – 2022 National Champion, 2^nd in 2019, and 8^th in 2018

(13) Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) – 5^th in 2022

(14) Jacob Warner (Iowa) – 2^nd in 2022, 4^th in 2021, and 7^th in 2019

(26) Gavin Hoffman (Ohio State) – 6^th in 2022

Top Potential Matchups

Round of 16 – (9) Max Dean (Penn State) vs (8) Silas Allred (Nebraska)

Round of 16 – (5) Michael Beard (Lehigh) vs (12) Zac Braunagel (Illinois)

Round of 16 – (13) Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) vs (4) Ethan Laird (Rider)

Round of 16 – (3) Rocky Elam (Missouri) vs (14) Jacob Warner (Iowa)

Quarterfinals – (1) Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) vs (8) Sillas Allred (Nebraska)/(9) Max Dean (Penn State)

Quarterfinals – (5) Michael Beard (Lehigh) vs (4) Ethan Laird (Rider)

Quarterfinals – (3) Rocky Elam (Missouri) vs (6) Isaac Trumble (NC State)

Semi-Finals – (3) Rocky Elam (Missouri) vs (2) Bernie Traux (Cal Poly)

Top Half

Nino Bonaccorsi nabs the top seed and has had a great year going 16-0. He probably was unhappy with his draw because he will have tough matches from the Quarterfinals. He could get the winner of the Big Ten Finals rematch between Max Dean and Silas Allred. Allred looked excellent in that final against Dean, but you cannot count out the returning champion. If he gets past the Quarterfinals, he could see Ethan Laird or Michael Beard in the Semi-Finals, who have beaten Dean this year.

Bottom Half

The bottom half of the bracket looks a little tamer than the top half, but it can still be very interesting. Rocky Elam is at the 3 seed with a 10-1 record on the year, with great wins over Tanner Sloan and Owen Pentz. His Round of 16 opponent could be Jacob Warner, who has not been as good as he was last year but is still dangerous. Then he gets a Quarterfinal matchup with Isaac Trumble, which could be a good match. Finally, Bernie Traux has an easier path to the Semi-Finals than anyone, with his biggest test coming in the Quarterfinals with a potential matchup with Tanner Sloan.

285 LBS

Title Favorites/Contenders

(1) Mason Parris (Michigan)

(2) Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force)

(3) Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State)

(4) Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa)

(5) Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State)

“Bracket Busters”

(7) Owen Trephan (NC State)

(9) Lucas Davison (Northwestern)

(10) Zach Elam (Missouri)

(11) Trent Hillger (Wisconsin)

Former All-Americans

(1) Mason Parris (Michigan) – 5^th in 2022 and 2^nd in 2021

(3) Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) – 4^th in 2022 and 7^th in 2021

(4) Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa) – 7^th in 2022 and 3^rd in 2021

(5) Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) – 2^nd in 2022 and 4^th in 2021

(9) Lucas Davison (Northwestern) – 6^th in 2022

(11) Trent Hillger (Wisconsin) – 6^th in 2021 and 8^th in 2019

(16) Tate Orndorff (Ohio State) – 8^th in 2021

Top Potential Matchups

Round of 16 – (9) Lucas Davison (Northwestern) vs (8) Sam Schuyler (Iowa State)

Round of 16 – (11) Trent Hillger (Wisconsin) vs (6) Yaraslau Slavikouski (Harvard)

Round of 16 – (7) Owen Trephan (NC State) vs (10) Zach Elam (Missouri)

Quarterfinals – (1) Mason Parris (Michigan) vs (9) Lucas Davison (Northwestern)

Quarterfinals – (5) Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) vs (4) Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa)

Quarterfinals – (7) Owen Trephan (NC State) vs (2) Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force)

Semi-Finals – (1) Mason Parris (Michigan) vs (4) Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa)/(5) Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State)

Semi-Finals – (3) Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) vs (2) Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force)

Finals – (1) Mason Parris (Michigan) vs (2) Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State)

Top Half

Mason Parris takes the top seed in this weight and has earned it. He is 28-0 on the year with wins over the 2, 3, and 4 seeds this year. Parris wants to get on a roll here on the top side but could run into Lucas Davison, who gave him a good match in the Quarterfinals. Anthony Cassioppi could also go on a run here with a 21-3 record on the year. Cassioppi has lost to Parris and Kerkvliet this season, but other than that, he has looked very good. He could have a monster Quarterfinal matchup with 20-2 Cohlton Schultz. The top half of this bracket could be entertaining each session.

Bottom Half

Greg Kerkvliet has been excellent this year and, despite being seeded behind 26-1 Wyatt Hendrickson, should be the favorite to come out of this half of the bracket. Kerkvliet is 15-2 on the year, with his losses coming to Mason Parris in the dual and in the Big Ten Finals. Kerkvliet could meet the Round of 16 winner of Trent Hillger and Yaraslau Slavikouski. Hillger has been good all year, but Slavikouski has been very good, going 27-4. He holds wins over Owen Trephan this season but was upset in the EIWA Semi-Finals by Nathan Taylor. Hendrickson has been the most dominant wrestler this year, at least statistically. He looks to have the smoothest path to a possible Semi-Final appearance but could run into Owen Trephan in the Quarterfinals, who looked good at the ACC Championships. The top and bottom half of this bracket will keep fans in their seats until the end.

All stats and records were provided by wrestlestat.com

The 2023 NCAA D1 Wrestling Championships kick off on Thursday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the BOK Center. This is the country’s premier wrestling event, a date wrestling fans have marked down on their calendars. Today, I will preview every weight and give you wrestlers to watch out for come Thursday. To view brackets for the 2023 NCAA D1 Wrestling Championships, visit my bracket hub, where you will find brackets and other information. Now, let’s get started.

165-285 Preview

125 LBS

Title Favorites/Contenders

(1) Spencer Lee (Iowa)

(2) Pat Glory (Princeton)

(3) Liam Cronin (Nebraska)

“Bracket Busters”

(9) Eric Barnett (Wisconsin)

(10) Brandon Courtney (Arizona State)

(11) Patrick McKee (Minnesota)

(12) Michael DeAugustino (Nortwestern)

(28) Killian Cardinale (West Virginia)

Former All-Americans

(1) Spencer Lee (Iowa) – 3x National Champion

(2) Pat Glory (Princeton) – 2^nd in 2022 and 6^th in 2019

(7) Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State) – 8^th in 2022

(9) Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) – 7^th in 2022 and 8^th in 2021

(10) Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) – 6^th in 2022 and 2^nd in 2021

(11) Patrick McKee (Minnesota) – 5^th in 2022 and 3^rd in 2021

(12) Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern) – 4^th in 2022

(28) Killian Cardinale (West Virginia) – 7^th in 2021

Top Potential Matchups

Round of 16 – (9) Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) vs (8) Anthony Noto (Lock Haven)

Round of 16 – (3) Liam Cronin (Nebraska) vs (14) Noah Surtin (Missouri)

Round of 16 – (11) Patrick McKee (Minnesota) vs (6) Stevo Poulin (Northern Colorado)

Round of 16 – (7) Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State) vs (10) Brandon Courtney (Arizona State)

Quarterfinals – (3) Liam Cronin (Nebraska) vs (11) Patrick McKee (Minnesota)

Semi-Finals – (3) Liam Cronin (Nebraska) vs (2) Pat Glory (Princeton)

Finals – (1) Spencer Lee (Iowa) vs (2) Pat Glory (Princeton)

Top Half

Three-time National Champion Spencer Lee highlights the top half of this bracket. He takes the one seed and looks like the clear favorite to come out. Lee has been the definition of dominant this season, with a significant bonus win percentage at 88%, and has gone 17-0. Matt Ramos is the favorite to challenge Lee in this half of the bracket. Ramos has had a great year after finishing as a Round of 12 guy last year. Ramos is 31-4 on the year with wins over Patrick McKee, Eric Barnett, Stevo Poulin, and Brandon Kaylor, to name the notable wins. Although the impressive season, we saw the Ramos vs Lee match in a dual back in January, with Lee winning by fall. Killian Cardinale is an interesting wrestler in this bracket at the 28 seed. Cardinale has had a very lackluster year despite the 10-1 record. Cardinale has put everyone on upset alert because he has been in the Quarterfinals before. Caleb Smith has to open up with Cardinale and could stumble out of the gates. Michael DeAugustino is someone who could flip this bracket because of his 12 seed. DeAugustino could make it to the Quarterfinals and might challenge Ramos Friday morning.

Bottom Half

The bottom half of this bracket holds a highly anticipated Semi-Final matchup with Cronin vs Glory. Liam Cronin has had a breakout year, and people really started paying attention to him after he beat Patrick McKee and Michael DeAugustino in back-to-back duals. Since December, Cronin only has two losses, with those coming to Spener Lee, including a loss to Lee in the Big Ten finals. Pat Glory is a returning NCAA runner-up and is off to a 20-0 start. However, Glory has had an incredible season with wins over Brandon Kaylor, Brandon Courtney, and Dean Peterson in back-to-back appearances. Patrick McKee and Brandon Courtney could make things interesting in this bracket. Both are former All-Americans and can beat just about anyone in this field and have a shot at Quarterfinal appearances. Courtney, however, would have a PAC-12 Finals rematch in the Round of 16 against Brandon Kaylor, where Kaylor won 3-2 in the second tiebreaker.

133 LBS

Title Favorites/Contenders

(1) Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State)

(2) Daton Fix (Oklahoma State)

(3) Vito Arujau (Cornell)

“Bracket Busters”

(8) Aaron Nagao (Minnesota)

(10) Lucas Byrd (Illinois)

(11) Dylan Ragusin (Michigan)

(13) Jesse Mendez (Ohio State)

(23) Brody Teske (Iowa)

Former All-Americans

(1) Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) – 2x National Champion and 8^th in 2019

(2) Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) – 3x National Runner-up

(3) Vito Arujau (Cornell) – 3^rd in 2022 and 4^th in 2019

(4) Michael McGee (Arizona State) – 4^th in 2022 and 6^th in 2021

(6) Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) – 6^th in 2021

(10) Lucas Byrd (Illinois) – 5^th in 2022 and 5^th in 2021

(12) Chris Cannon (Northwestern) – 7^th in 2022 and 7^th in 2021

(27) Taylor LaMont (Iowa) – 5^th in 2021

Top Potential Matchups

Round of 16 – (9) Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh) vs (8) Aaron Nagao (Minnesota)

Round of 16 – (13) Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs (4) Michael McGee (Arizona State)

Round of 16 – (7) Michael Colaiocco (Penn) vs (10) Lucas Byrd (Illinois)

Quarterfinals – (1) Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) vs (8) Aaron Nagao (Minnesota)

Semi-Finals – (3) Vito Arujua (Cornell) vs (2) Daton Fix (Oklahoma State)

Finals – (1) Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) vs (2) Daton Fix (Oklahoma State)

Top Half

The top half of the bracket is highlighted by back-to-back National Champion Roman Bravo-Young, who nabs the top seed. He has been having a great season going 16-0 with a 75% bonus rate. He holds wins over Aaron Nagao, Jesse Mendez, and Brody Teske, to name some of his notable. He does have a tough road to the finals with a Big Ten Finals rematch in the Quarterfinals against Aaron Nagao. Nagao gave Bravo-Young his most challenging match this season and has a great chance of doing it again Friday morning. Jesse Mendez has the opportunity to blow up this side of the bracket since he matches up well with Michael McGee in the Round of 16. If you are going to pick a high seed to make the Semi-Finals, he is a good pick.

Bottom Half

Maybe as anticipated as a Bravo-Young vs Fix rematch, Saturday night is the potential Semi-Final matchup between Daton Fix and Vito Arujau. Fix has been on a terror this year. He is off to a 26-0 record and has looked like a man on a mission to win a title. Unfortunately, his second test will not be pleasant, with Vito Arujau standing in his way in the Semi-Finals. Arujua is 20-1 on the year and has looked like a genuine title contender all year. Fix’s first test could come from Lucas Byrd in the Quarterfinals. Byrd has been solid all year with a 28-4 record, plus he is a two-time All-American.

141 LBS

Title Favorites/Contenders

(1) Real Woods (Iowa)

(2) Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado)

(3) Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh)

“Bracket Busters”

(6) Beau Bartlett (Penn State)

(9) Mosha Schwartz (Oklahoma)

(12) Parker Filius (Purdue)

Former All-Americans

(1) Real Woods (Iowa) – 6^th in 2022

(3) Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) – 5^th in 2022

(11) Clay Carlson (South Dakota State – 8^th in 2021

(20) Jake Bergeland (Minnesota) – 7^th in 2022

Top Potential Matchups

Round of 16 – (9) Mosha Schwartz (Oklahoma) vs (8) Allan Hart (Missouri)

Round of 16 – (11) Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) vs (6) Beau Bartlett (Penn State)

Round of 16 – (7) Vince Cornella (Cornell) vs (10) Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina)

Quarterfinals – (3) Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) vs (6) Beau Bartlett (Penn State)

Semi-Finals – (3) Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh)/(6) Beau Bartlett (Penn State) vs (2) Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado)

Finals – (1) Real Woods (Iowa) vs (2) Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado)

Top Half

Real Woods highlights the top half of the bracket. Woods is 16-0 on the year and has looked good all year. He has wins over a good chunk of the top half of the bracket, including wins over Parker Filius, Brock Hardy, and Carter Young. The redshirt freshman Brock Hardy looks like the best contender in the field. Although he has lost twice to Woods, they were tight matches that could have gone either way. Watch out for the 12 and 13 seeds in this bracket. Parker Filius has been excellent this season but does have to open up with Cleveland Belton, who he lost to this year at the Cliff Keen Invitational. But Filius has some great wins this year over Vince Cornella and Dylan D’Emilio. Carter Young can be sneaky good and could get hot this tournament. He has beaten some guys seeded ahead of him, like Allan Hart and Mosha Schwartz. Young will face Jake Bergeland in the first round a returning All-American.

Bottom Half

Some could argue that Andrew Alirez has been the best wrestler at 141 lbs this season, and I would hear your argument. Alirez has the best win of the year that did not even count, and that was the win over Cole Matthews at the 2022 NWCA All-Star Classic. Alirez has great wins over Allan Hart and Carter Young this season. After another great season, Cole Matthews will be Alirez’s best challenger on this side of the bracket. Matthews is a returning All-American with a 19-1 record on the year, with his lone loss coming via upset from West Virginia’s Jordan Titus. Despite that, Matthews has looked great all year with wins over Ryan Jack and Lachlan McNeil. The Beau Bartlett vs Cole Matthews Quarterfinal is potentially the best Quarterfinal this tournament with two high-quality wrestlers. Bartlett has the opportunity to bust this bracket wide open by taking out the three and two seeds in back-to-back matches. Watch out for the Vince Cornella vs Lachlan McNeil Round of 16 matchup. Both are young, talented wrestlers, and the winner of that matchup could give Andrew Alirez a difficult match in the Quarterfinals.

149 LBS

Title Favorites/Contenders

(1) Yanni Diakomihalis (Cornell)

(2) Sammy Sasso (Ohio State)

(3) Kyle Parco (Arizona State)

(4) Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech)

(14) Austin Gomez (Wisconsin)

“Bracket Busters”

(5) Paniro Johnson (Iowa State)

(14) Austin Gomez (Wisconsin)

Former All-Americans

(1) Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) – 3x National Champion

(2) Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) – 5^th in 2022 and 2^nd in 2021

(3) Kyle Parco (Arizona State) – 8^th in 2022 and 6^th in 2021

(6) Brock Mauller (Missouri) – 5^th in 2021 and 6^th in 2019

(7) Yahya Thomas (Northwestern) – 3^rd in 2021

(9) Jaden Abas (Stanford) – 7^th in 2021

(14) Austin Gomez (Wisconsin) – 4^th in 2022

(33) Dom Demas (Cal Poly) – 4^th in 2019

Top Potential Matchups

Round of 16 – (9) Jaden Abas (Stanford) vs (8) Max Murin (Iowa)

Round of 16 – (5) Paniro Johnson (Iowa State) vs (12) Shayne Van Ness (Penn State)

Round of 16 – (3) Kyle Parco (Arizona State) vs (14) Austin Gomez (Wisconsin)

Quarterfinals – (5) Paniro Johnson (Iowa State) vs (4) Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech)

Semi-Finals – (1) Yanni Diakomihalis (Cornell) vs (5) Paniro Johnson (Iowa State)/(4) Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech)

Semi-Finals – (14) Austin Gomez (Wisconsin) vs (2) Sammy Sasso (Ohio State)

Finals – (1) Yanni Diakomihalis (Cornell) vs (2) Sammy Sasso (Ohio State)

Top Half

Yanni Diakomihalis is the highlight of the top half of the bracket. He has had another impressive year going 16-1, with his lone loss coming to Austin Gomez, but he holds wins over Kyle Parco, Paniro Johnson, and Caleb Henson. The three-time National Champion has a challenging path back to the finals. Murin or Abas will be tough Quarterfinal matchups for Yanni to get through. Then we come to the outstanding young talents in this weight Paniro Johnson and Caleb Henson. Johnson has a rough path to the Quarterfinals, with Shayne Van Ness possibly waiting for him in the Round of 16, a 3-2 match in favor of Johnson at the Collegiate Duals. Henson started the year with a win over Sammy Sasso and has looked just as good since that win.

Bottom Half

Does Austin Gomez at the 14 seed make this half of the bracket prime for implosion? Yes. Gomez took some injury forfeits at Big Tens, which set him up as the 14 seed. Besides Gomez at the 14, Kyle Parco sits at the three seed, getting a massive matchup against Gomez in the Round of 16. That will be one of the premier matches for Thursday night. Sammy Sasso’s path looks the easiest out of anyone in this bracket. He may see Yahya Thomas in the Quarterfinals, which could be a tight match. The winner of that Parco vs Gomez match could be Sasso’s opponent in the Semi-Finals to set up a great matchup.

157 LBS

Title Favorites/Contenders

(1) Austin O’Connor (North Carolina)

(2) Levi Haines (Penn State)

(3) Peyton Robb (Nebraska)

“Bracket Busters”

(7) Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech)

(8) Ed Scott (NC State)

(22) Derek Holschlag (Northern Iowa)

Former All-Americans

(1) Austin O’Connor (North Carolina) – 8^th in 2022, 2021 NCAA Champion, and 3^rd in 2019

(3) Peyton Robb (Nebraska) – 4^th in 2022

(7) Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) – 3^rd in 2022

(9) Will Lewan (Michigan) – 5^th in 2022

Top Potential Matchups

Round of 16 – (9) Will Lewan (Michigan) vs (8) Ed Scott (NC State)

Round of 16 – (3) Peyton Robb (Nebraska) vs (14) Cobe Siebrecht (Iowa)

Round of 16 – (7) Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) vs (10) Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State)

Quarterfinals – (1) Austin O’Connor (North Carolina) vs (8) Ed Scott (NC State)

Quarterfinals – (7) Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) vs (2) Levi Haines (Penn State)

Semi-Finals – (3) Peyton Robb (Nebraska) vs (2) Levi Haines (Penn State)

Finals – (1) Austin O’Connor (North Carolina) vs (2) Levi Haines (Penn State)/(3) Peyton Robb (Nebraska)

Top Half

The top seed is Austin O’Connor, who has been on another level this year. He is 18-0 with a 78% bonus rate. Plus, he adds very quality wins over Ed Scott and Bryce Andonian. His path looks relatively easy until the Quarterfinals, where he could see a possible rematch with Ed Scott or Michigan’s Will Lewan. O’Connor won a tight match over Ed Scott last month in a 3-1 match. Will Lewan can make any match “interesting” because he seems to like overtime matches, with 9 overtime matches this year going 6-3. The 4 and 5 seeds should not have too much trouble making it to the Quarterfinals, with this being the most likely “chalk” bracket out there.

Bottom Half

Since the redshirt was pulled in December, Levi Haines has looked about as good as anyone in this field and picked up the best win in this field over Peyton Robb in the Big Ten Final. Haines is 23-1 on the year with impressive wins over Kendall Coleman, Cobe Siebrecht, and Will Lewan to go with that Robb win. Before his loss to Levi Haines, Peyton Robb looked like the best wrestler in this weight with some very impressive wins, including Ed Scott, Chase Saldate, Jared Franek, and Kendal Coleman. Those two appear to be on a collision course to the Semi-Finals but watch out for Bryce Andonian. Andonian can turn things on like he did last year and start picking off the top guys in the weight. Andonian vs Gfeller on Thursday night should be a good match.

All stats and records were provided by wrestlestat.com

The 2023 NCAA D1 Wrestling Championships kick off on Thursday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the BOK Center. This is the country’s premier wrestling event, a date wrestling fans have marked down on their calendars. Today, I will provide you with my full bracket predictions and what I believe the final team score will be. To view brackets for the 2023 NCAA D1 Wrestling Championships, visit my bracket hub, where you will find brackets and other information. Now, let’s get started.

125 LBS

1. Spencer Lee (Iowa)

2. Pat Glory (Princeton)

3. Liam Cronin (Nebraska)

4. Matt Ramos (Purdue)

5. Brandon Courtney (Arizona State)

6. Patrick McKee (Minnesota)

7. Anthony Noto (Lock Haven)

8. Dean Peterson (Rutgers)

133 LBS

1. Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State)

2. Daton Fix (Oklahoma State)

3. Vito Arujua (Cornell)

4. Jesse Mendez (Ohio State)

5. Aaron Nagao (Minnesota)

6. Michael McGee (Arizona State)

7. Lucas Byrd (Illinois)

8. Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh)

141 LBS

1. Real Woods (Iowa)

2. Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado)

3. Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh)

4. Ryan Jack (NC State)

5. Brock Hardy (Nebraska)

6. Beau Bartlett (Penn State)

7. Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina)

8. Carter Young (Oklahoma State)

149 LBS

1. Yanni Diakomihalis (Cornell)

2. Austin Gomez (Wisconsin)

3. Sammy Sasso (Ohio State)

4. Paniro Johnson (Iowa State)

5. Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech)

6. Brock Mauller (Missouri)

7. Max Murin (Iowa)

8. Yahya Thomas (Northwestern)

157 LBS

1. Austin O’Connor (North Carolina)

2. Levi Haines (Penn State)

3. Peyton Robb (Nebraska)

4. Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech)

5. Ed Scott (NC State)

6. Josh Humphereys (Lehigh)

7. Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State)

8. Will Lewan (Michigan)

165 LBS

1. David Carr (Iowa State)

2. Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin)

3. Keegan O’Toole (Missouri)

4. Patrick Kennedy (Iowa)

5. Quincy Monday (Princeton)

6. Shane Griffith (Stanford)

7. Carson Kharchla (Ohio State)

8. Michael Caliendo III (North Dakota State)

174 LBS

1. Carter Starocci (Penn State)

2. Mikey Labriola (Nebraska)

3. Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech)

4. Chris Foca (Cornell)

5. Edmond Ruth (Illinois)

6. Rocky Jordan (Chattanooga)

7. Ethan Smith (Ohio State)

8. Demetrius Romero (Utah Valley)

184 LBS

1. Aaron Brooks (Penn State)

2. Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa)

3. Trent Hidlay (NC State)

4. Kaleb Romero (Ohio State)

5. Marcus Coleman (Iowa State)

6. Lenny Pinto (Nebraska)

7. Abe Assad (Iowa)

8. Matt Finesilver (Michigan)

197 LBS

1. Rocky Elam (Missouri)

2. Michael Beard (Lehigh)

3. Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh)

4. Max Dean (Penn State)

5. Silas Allred (Nebraska)

6. Bernie Traux (Cal Poly)

7. Yonger Bastida (Iowa State)

8. Zac Braunagel (Illinois)

285 LBS

1. Mason Parris (Michigan)

2. Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State)

3. Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa)

4. Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State)

5. Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force)

6. Trent Hillger (Wisconsin)

7. Lucas Davison (Northwestern)

8. Sam Schuyler (Iowa State)

Team Score

1. Penn State – 145.5

2. Iowa – 116

3. Nebraska – 93

4. Iowa State – 75

5. Cornell – 74.5