2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships Preview, Predictions

My 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championship preview and predictions are here for the latest edition of the tournament.

We’ll have coverage in Kansas City but first, let’s take a look at the landscape and see how it could all unfold. This was certainly a challenge this year.

I’ve done the unthinkable and predicted all 10 weight classes and their national champions and All-Americans.

125 pounds

1. Braeden Davis – Penn State
2. Luke Stanich – Lehigh
3. Matt Ramos – Purdue
4. Richie Figueroa – Arizona State
5. Jakob Camacho – NC State
6. Cooper Flynn – Virginia Tech 
7. Dean Peterson – Rutgers
8. Anthony Noto – Lock Haven

I have Davis winning the whole thing fresh off his Big Ten title. This weight class is full of landmines and it’s nearly impossible to pick.

We’ll go chalk at the top but anything can happen down below. I have Flynn making the semis but losing to Stnachi and Ramos losing to Davis. But the latter has to watch out for guys like Peterson and Figueroa on his side of the bracket.

133 pounds

1. Dylan Shawver – Rutgers
2. Ryan Crookham – Lehigh
3. Daton Fix – Oklahoma State
4. Vito Arujau – Cornell
5. Dylan Ragusin – Michigan
6. Nic Bouzakis – Ohio State
7. Sam Latona – Virginia Tech
8. Jacob Van dee – Nebraska

As noted in previous picks, I can’t go against Shawver anymore after his performance at Big Tens. Winning a loaded weight, the Scarlet Knight got the No. 4 seed. It’s hard to pick against Fix, the top seed and three-time finalist, but it shall be done as this year’s stunner.

Crookham has wins over Arujau and is the heavy favorite on the bottom side of the bracket. Bouzakis and Latona should make runs and Van dee will do the same as the No. 14 seed. This weight is wide open for placements outside of the top four or five.

141 pounds

1. Beau Bartlett – Penn State
2. Jesse Mendez – Ohio State
3. Real Woods – Iowa
4. Lachlan McNeil – North Carolina
5. Anthony Echemendia – Iowa State
6. Brock Hardy – Nebraska
7. Cael Happel – Northern Iowa
8. Ryan Jack – NC State

I have Bartlett getting payback on Mendez in the finals after losing the Big Ten title the other week. Woods finished third in the Big Tens and is the No. 3 seed. Very similar to the conference tournament.

I’m very high on McNeil to turn it around for NCAAs and actually have a run to the semis, beating Woods along the way, but the latter gets his payback in the 3rd place match. Echemendia is due for a big run after making the semifinals in my projections, falling to Mendez.

149 pounds

1. Ridge Lovett – Nebraska
2. Austin Gomez – Michigan
3. Kyle Parco – Arizona State
4. Caleb Henson – Virginia Tech
5. Jackson Arrington – NC State
6. Tyler Kasak – Penn State
7. Chance Lamer – Cal Poly
8. Casey Swiderski – Iowa State

Lovett and Gomez are due for a rematch after the Big Ten finals. It was a close one between the two high fliers, but Lovett has the edge at this point. I do have Parco making the semifinals, as well as Henson, and they’ll wrestle back for that third place match.

Kasak is due and I feel like he’s the quietest of the Penn State bunch. The freshman will have a great tournament. Don’t rule out Arrington coming out of the bottom side of the bracket, but I have the edge to Gomez in those quarterfinals right now.

157 pounds

1. Levi Haines – Penn State
2. Meyer Shapiro – Cornell
3. Jared Franek – Iowa
4. Will Lewan – Michigan
5. Ryder Downey – Northern Iowa
6. Michael Blockhus – Minnesota
7. Jacori Teemer – Arizona State
8. Peyton Robb – Nebraska

Haines is the heavy favorite here after winning his second Big Ten title and getting to last year’s national finals. It’ll be hard to top him at this point. Shapiro’s been impressive though and I have him getting clear of the bottom side.

Franek will finish third. I just have a feeling he gets by Teemer in the quarterfinals. Downey’s been a great story and I love Blockhus’ style and feel like he’s going to make a lot of noise on the backside.

165 pounds

1. Keegan O’Toole – Missouri
2. Mitchel Mesenbrink – Penn State
3. David Carr – Iowa State
4. Dean Hamiti – Wisconsin
5. Julian Ramirez – Cornell
6. Mikey Caliendo – Iowa
7. Cam Amine – Michigan
8. Antrell Taylor – Nebraska

O’Toole will get national title No. 3 this weekend and he’ll have to beat rival Carr in order to even get to the big stage. This is a loaded weight and Carr or Mesenbrink could win the whole thing.

Right now, I think O’Toole has the edge over the field, but if there’s one guy who’s ready to break into superstardom, it’s Mesenbrink. He’ll have to get through a bottom side that includes Amine, Ramirez and Caliendo.

174 pounds

1. Carter Starocci – Penn State
2. Cade Devos – South Dakota State
3. Mekhi Lewis – Virginia Tech
4. Shane Griffith – Michigan
5. Edmond Ruth – Illinois
6. Rocco Welsh – Ohio State
7. Patrick Kennedy – Iowa
8. Nick Incontrera – Penn

Starocci is the man until he isn’t. The problem is, he is the No. 9 seed after medically defaulting out of Big Tens. The three-time champion has to go through Lewis and Griffith, two former national champions, on that side of the bracket.

It’s a brutal draw, but if he’s close to fully healthy, he’s the pick. Griffith is banged up as well and his status is more up in the air. But if he’s able to go, he’s definitely semifinal worthy this week. Watch out for Incontrera to make some noise for the Quakers.

184 pounds

1. Parker Keckeisen – Northern Iowa
2. Bernie Truax – Penn State
3. Dustin Plott – Oklahoma State
4. Isaiah Salazar – Minnesota
5. Trey Munoz – Oregon State
6. Lenny Pinto – Nebraska
7. Aaron Ayzerov – Columbia
8. Chris Foca – Cornell

Keckeisen can be beaten, but he’s been the man at this weight. This is the best version of the Panther and I have him winning it all. Rolling with Truax to take out Plott and get revenge on Salazar on his side. Penn State just has that ability to turn it up one last time.

Ivy League guys to watch are Ayzerov and Foca, with the former owning this matchup this year. Foca had a great run at 174 last year but it might be a harder run to the podium in 2024.

197 pounds

1. Aaron Brooks – Penn State
2. Trent Hidlay – NC State
3. Tanner Sloan – South Dakota State
4. Michael Beard – Lehigh
5. Rocky Elam – Missouri
6. Jacob Cardenas – Cornell
7. Stephen Buchanan – Oklahoma
8. John Poznanski – Rutgers

This weight belongs to Brooks, so next topic. He’ll get his fourth national title and first at a new weight. Hidlay seems to be the only guy who can challenge him but I can’t see him winning at this point.

Would it surprise me? A little. That’s how dominant Brooks has been in his career. The race for the rest of the podium should be fun, including a fun run from Poznaanski, a former All-American at 184. Cardenas and Buchanan are great wild cards to shake up the bracket.

285 pounds

1. Greg Kerkvliet – Penn State
2. Yonger Bastida – Iowa State
3. Wyatt Hendrickson – Air Force
4. Cohlton Schultz – Arizona State
5. Zach Elam – Missouri
6. Nick Feldman – Ohio State
7. Nathan Taylor – Lehigh
8. Lucas Davison – Michigan

Kerkvliet and Bastida are destined to meet in the finals. Two undefeated guys going for it all. I wanted to pick Hendrickson to get to the finals, but Bastida beat him at the Big 12 finals and has been on another level since moving up a weight.

I love Feldman to get to the quarters and get a rematch with Kerkvliet. Davison could finish higher, but I at least have him on the podium to finish 2024.

The NCAA Wrestling Tournament is scheduled for March 21st to the 23rd in Kansas City (M.O.). 80 wrestlers will earn All-American accolades out of the 330 person field.