WIN Magazine recently announced its first preseason NCAA Div. I Individual rankings, presented by Cliff Keen Athletic. This week we are taking a closer look at 133 and 174 pounds, where Lehigh’s Ryan Crookham and Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole are respectively rated No. 1 at those weight classes.
For more information on Rankings Sponsor Cliff Keen, go to CliffKeen.com.
To view a complete list of WIN’s preseason rankings and get updated rankings during the upcoming college season, click here or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe to WIN Magazine, which will unveil its college and high school season previews in the next issue, printed Sept. 26.
These rankings are subject to change as teams finalize their lineups before the season starts in October.
133 POUNDS
Rk.
Name
School
2024 NCAA
Year
1.
Ryan Crookham
Lehigh
3rd
Sophomore
The native of Hellertown, Pa., enjoyed a banner season in his first year with the Mountaineers as he was first named OW at the EIWAs (where he upset Cornell’s eventual two-time champ Vito Arujau). He later placed third at the NCAAs as the No. 2 seed, beating Little Rock’s Nasir Bailey in the consolation final. He won his first 21 bouts last winter to end with a 23-1 mark.
2.
Nasir Bailey
Little Rock
4th
Sophomore
As a true freshman in 2024, the native of Park Forest, Ill., became one of his school’s first All-Americans when he finished three spots higher than his No. 7 seed in KC. He compiled a 28-4 record last winter, including 5 of 7 NCAA bouts, including a 3-0 sudden victory in his R12 bout against Bucknell’s Kurt Phipps and 5-0 vs. Michigan’s Dylan Ragusin.
3.
Dylan Ragusin
Michigan
5th
Grad
The fourth NCAA was the charm for this native of Elk Grove Village, Ind., as the graduate of Montini Catholic won four of six bouts as a No. 5 seed and finished fifth in Kansas City. Ragusin has compiled a 74-27 record in his Michigan career, including an 8-5 true freshman season in 2021 when he came off the bench to qualify for the NCAAs at 125. He has competed at 133 since 2022.
4.
Evan Frost
Iowa State
6th
Sophomore
The native of Metairie, La., became the first Cyclone since 2016 to earn All-American honors at 133 pounds as he first finished second at the Big 12s, then won four of six bouts in KC as a No. 8 seed to place sixth. That included a 2-1 win over Minnesota’s Tyler Wells in the R12. His final record was 22-7.
5.
Drake Ayala
Iowa
2nd/125
Junior
The Hawkeye has moved up a weight after he finished second to Arizona State’s Richard Figueroa in last year’s NCAA final at 125 pounds. It was the second national tournament for the native of Ft. Dodge, Iowa, who subbed for an injured Spencer Lee in 2022 and went 1-2 in that national tournament. His overall record is 47-14.
6.
Dylan Shawver
Rutgers
7th
Senior
After an injury sidelined the native of Lorain, Ohio, in 2023, Shawver responded with a strong season last winter when he became his school’s first Big 10 champ since 2019, then claimed seventh place as a No. 4 seed in Kansas City. Two years earlier, Shawver also qualified for the 2022 NCAAs at 125 pounds where he split four bouts. His career record is 62-26.
7.
Kai Orine
NC State
8th
RS Senior
This winter marks the sixth season for this native of Imperial, Mo., in Raleigh, who is coming off his second straight ACC championship and All-American run; placing eighth in both 2023 and 2024. Orine also qualified for the NCAAs in 2022 and finished among the Top 16. His overall record is 71-27.
8.
Aaron Nagao
Penn State
R12
Junior
The native of La Habra, Calif., spent three seasons at Minnesota, highlighted by a fifth-place NCAA finish in 2023, before transferring to State College. Nagao, who is 46-16 in his career, finished 17-7 last winter with a third-place Big 10 finish. At the nationals, he lost his opening bout but came back to win three wrestlebacks before falling in the R12 to NC State’s Orine.
9.
Nic Bouzakis
Ohio State
R16
Sophomore
The Buckeye compiled a 23-11 record in his first season as a starter in 2024. That included a victory over NC State’s Orine in the Collegiate Duals, before Bouzakis qualified for the NCAAs and split four matches as a No. 16 seed. Originally a native of Tampa, Fla., he later moved to Pennsylvania to attend Wyoming Seminary. He has also excelled in freestyle, earning a bronze in the U20 Worlds in 2023 and will represent Team USA in the U23 Worlds this fall.
10.
Lucas Byrd
Illinois
Inj/2-time AA
Senior
An injury sidelined this native of Cincinnati, Ohio, last winter after he twice earned All-American honors — placing fifth in both 2021 and 2022 — and reached the R12 in 2023. Overall, his record is 79-19. What was remarkable about his AA finishes is that 11 of his 12 NCAA victories in those tourneys came in wrestlebacks and both of fifth-place victories were pins.
OTHERS RANKED AT 133 POUNDS
11.
Tyler Wells
Minnesota
R12
Sophomore
12.
Jacob Van Dee
Nebraska
R24
Sophomore
13.
Ethan Oakley
North Carolina (transfer/App State)
R16
Junior
14.
Julian Chlebove
Arizona State
R24
Senior
15.
Domenic Zaccone
Campbell
R24
Grad
16.
Braden Basile
Army West Point
R16
Sophomore
17.
Connor McGonagle
Virginia Tech (transfer/Lehigh)
3-time NQ
Grad
18.
Marlon Yarbrough
Virginia
R24
Senior
19.
Zeth Romney
Cal Poly
R32
Sophomore
20.
Dominick Serrano
Northern Colorado
R32
Junior
174 POUNDS
Rk.
Name
School
2024 NCAA
Year
1.
Keegan O’Toole
Missouri
3rd/165
Senior
Already a four-time All-American, the Hartland, Wis. native won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2022 and 2023 before he was dethroned in last season’s national semifinals by in-conference nemesis David Carr of Iowa State. Moving up a weight class for his fifth-year campaign, O’Toole and teammate Rocky Elam are on a quest to become Mizzou’s first-ever five-time All-Americans.
2.
Levi Haines
Penn State
1st/157
Junior
The Nittany Lion posted an unblemished 23-0 mark en route to winning his first NCAA title at 157 a season ago. The two-time national finalist may be making the jump to 174, setting up a potential collision course between former champs and two of the top pound-for-pound wrestlers, with O’Toole also moving up to 174.
3.
Rocco Welsh
Ohio State
2nd
Sophomore
Welsh, a native of Waynesburg, Pa., reached the NCAA finals at 174 as a true freshman last season for the Buckeyes, proving he could win the close matches with three consecutive sudden victory takedowns. The sixth-seed turned national finalist remains in a weight class vacated by four-time champ Carter Starocci but now inhabited by the likes of O’Toole and Haines.
4.
Cade DeVos
South Dakota State
5th
RS Senior
The fifth-year senior Jackrabbit entered the 2024 NCAA Championship as a No. 2 seed but was upset in the quarters by Lennox Wolak, then of Columbia, before avenging the loss in the fifth-place match. The Southeast Polk, Ia. native and four-time NWCA Scholar All-American will look to compete in his fifth NCAA Tournament this season.
5.
Dean Hamiti
Okla. State (transfer)
R12/165
Senior
The senior transfer from Wisconsin impressed from the start, as he was thrust into the Badger lineup at 165 as a true freshman and earned a sixth-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Championships. The Joliet, Ill. native followed that with another sixth-place finish in 2023 before falling in the round of 12 last season. With 81 career wins, Hamiti will exhaust his final season of eligibility under the tutelage of Olympic champion David Taylor in Stillwater.
6.
Lennox Wolak
Virginia Tech (transf)
6th
Grad
Transferring into a weight class manned for five of the past six seasons by former NCAA champ and four-time All-American Mekhi Lewis, the Columbus, Ohio native became just the sixth wrestler in Columbia history to earn All-American status. The seventh seed at the 2023 NCAA Championships, Wolak reached the semifinals before dropping three-straight bouts to finish sixth.
7.
Patrick Kennedy
Iowa
R12
Senior
The two-time NCAA qualifier from Kasson-Mantorville, Minn. returns to the Hawkeye lineup for his senior season after falling in the round of 2012 in 2024, finishing one win shy of All-American status. Kennedy dropped his first-round match to UNC’s Tyler Eischens before reeling off three-straight victories in the consolations. His AA hopes were dashed by four-time All-American and NCAA champ Mekhi Lewis.
8.
Gaven Sax
Oklahoma (transfer)
R12
Senior
Sax, who transferred to Norman from North Dakota State and will reunite with former head coach Roger Kish, improved vastly from a 12-12 sophomore season in 2022-23 to reach the NCAA round of 12 in his home state of Missouri last March. Entering as a No. 14 seed, Sax was pinned in the opening round by No. 19 Alex Cramer of Central Michigan before winning three-straight matches, two of which came via bonus points. Sax was eliminated in a border war matchup by SDSU’s Cade Devos.
9.
Danny Wask
Navy
R16
Sophomore
The Blair Academy grad hailing from Wantage, N.J. won 27 bouts as a freshman for the Midshipmen last season. Wask pushed No. 6 seed and eventual finalist Rocco Welsh of Ohio State in the opening round, falling 4-2, but went on to win two consolation matches including one over former All-American Peyton Mocco of Missouri. Wask enters the season as the top-ranked EIWA athlete in the weight class.
10.
Nick Incontrera
Penn
R16
Senior
After posting a 2-2 record at the 2024 NCAA Championships as a No. 10 seed, the three-time NCAA qualifier, and fellow Blair Academy grad out of Flemington, N.J., will make one final appearance for the Quakers in Roger Reina’s final season at the helm. The 68-match winner has improved his win total each season as a starter, accumulating 21, 23 and 24 victories, respectively.
OTHERS RANKED AT 174 POUNDS
11.
Danny Braunagel
Illinois
RS
Senior
12.
M.J. Gaitan
Iowa State
R12
Sophomore
13.
D.J. Washington
Indiana
Inj.
Grad
14.
Adam Kemp
Cal Poly
R16
Grad
15.
Luca Augustine
Pitt
R24
Junior
16.
Jackson Turley
Rutgers
R24
Grad
17.
Jared Simma
Northern Iowa
R12
Junior
18.
Clayton Whiting
Minnesota (transfer)
Res.
Sophomore
19.
Brady Baumann
Purdue
R33
Sophomore
20.
Brevin Cassella
Binghamton
R16/165
Senior
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