Antrell Taylor conquers on, off the mat challenges to reach NCAA Wrestling finals for Nebraska

Antrell Taylor conquered a lot on and off the mat to get to the 2025 NCAA Wrestling finals Saturday night. The Nebraska 157 pounder dealt with personal tragedy and all of his hard work paid off big time this weekend in Philadelphia.

Taylor, just a redshirt sophomore, took 8th last year and is an All-American for the second time this year. But he upset Cornell’s Meyer Shapiro, one of the title favorites, in the semifinals 7-2.

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Now, he’s ready to give back and honor his family on the biggest stage. Taylor is one of three Huskers in the NCAA finals.

“I just give all the props to my mom,” Taylor said Friday night after his semifinal win. “She stepped in and took the mother and father figure. When I was 7 years old my dad unfortunately got killed. So since then I honestly wanted to quit wrestling when all that happened, but I just kept pushing and kept going, because I know that’s what he wanted me to do.

“About a year and a half ago, my brother passed away. He got killed also. So fighting through that, all the scars that I’ve gotten, and things I’ve had to fight through since then made me the person I am today.”

Taylor embodied the hard work and grit it takes to wrestle at the Division I level. Perhaps he is the true representative of what Nebraska wrestling is about.

“I just know a lot of people haven’t been through that and can’t really go through that,” Taylor said. “People quit when they go through a death in the family. So for me to be here and be doing what I’m doing is crazy, surreal, man, I honestly still can’t believe it.”

Taylor is 48-14 in his career and will take on Purdue’s Joey Blaze for the crown Saturday night inside the Wells Fargo Center. Blaze was seeded 8th while Taylor was 3rd, but the Husker seems to be a man on a mission.

“We put in the work,” Taylor said. “We put in the work that’s needed and we peaked at the right time. I just think you work hard, go out there, fight, fight for every little position you’re going to get out on top.

“I love the brotherhood that we have at Nebraska. It makes the wrestling part so much easier, because I know I got guys to the left and right of me that will fight for me, you know, so I really love this team; wouldn’t trade it for anything. No money, nothing.”