Iowa legacy Michael Mocco adds to rousing 2026 recruiting class

The future continues to brighten for the University of Iowa men’s wrestling program.

On Monday afternoon, the latest source of ‘illumination’ was added thanks to the commitment of prized 2026 prospect Michael Mocco.

That last name may be familiar to fans of Hawkeye wrestling – and will be covered further in a bit – but the most important aspect of this news is that another supremely talented/credentialed grappler will be headed to Iowa City.

Mocco, ranked #15 overall in the high school junior class by FloWrestling, already has a lengthy list of accolades to his name at this stage of his young career:

• 2024 U17 World champion (110kg)
• 2023 16U Fargo national champion (Freestyle and Greco)
• Three-time Florida state champion
• 2024 Ironman champion
• Two-time Super 32 finalist

Chief among them is the U17 World title he won last summer in Amman, Jordan.

In part, that’s because the accomplishment (in any fashion) is incredibly impressive. But it’s all the more so when one considers how Mocco steamrolled through all four of his opponents en route to the title.

Not only did he win each bout, but he terminated each bout early via technical fall. And not only was each bout won via technical fall, but each took less time than the previous effort – capped by an 18-second victory in the gold medal match.

Needless to say, that’s an atypical route for a World Champion to take. And it also reflects the skillset that made the young heavyweight such a coveted target during his recruitment – which included visits to NC State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State and Penn State.

How we got here

That Mocco was a major priority for the Iowa coaching staff has never been in question.

Last October, he joined a collection of star-studded recruits on a bonanza of an official visit weekend for the Hawkeye program.

And with the Cardinal Gibbons (FL) prep having now announced his commitment, it’s a strategy that has increasingly paid off for the Hawkeyes.

Mocco becomes the fourth Iowa pledge from that fall weekend in Iowa City, and the third in an ever-exciting 2026 Class.

Top-ranked overall junior Bo Bassett arguably became the present/future talisman for the Iowa program after committing in early February.

But it was actually Bassett’s high school teammate, Owen McMullen, who first announced his intention to don the Black & Gold singlet.

Mocco further bolsters a 2026 haul that Iowa will hope to add even more firepower to in the coming months.

Family ties

In the intro I mentioned the possible familiarity with the ‘Mocco’ name for some Hawkeye fans.

That’s because Michael’s father, Steve, was a pretty good grappler in his own right.

In fact, some of the elder Mocco’s greatest hits were played in an Iowa singlet – where he posted a 73-3 record over the course of two seasons (2002-03).

Twice, Steve reached the NCAA finals at heavyweight – winning a 2003 national title.

Mocco – a 2008 Olympian for Team USA – ultimately transferred to Oklahoma State, basically mirroring his Iowa career with two more finals appearances, one (2005) NCAA title and a 64-3 record.

Over two decades later, his son will begin his own college career in Iowa City.

(Although I’m sure Tom Brands & Co. are hoping Michael makes his stay a permanent one.)

And who knows, perhaps down the road the son can surpass the father’s prodigious achievements?

I’m not about to personally set those lofty expectations for the young man, but I won’t place any limitations on him either. Let his own talents/efforts determine the outcome for the career ahead of him.

Future fit

At present, Iowa has its current/future heavyweight in place thanks to redshirt sophomore-to-be Ben Kueter.

The returning All-American will have two years of eligibility remaining by the time Michael Mocco steps on campus. And while Mocco would presumably take a redshirt in Year 1, that still leaves one potential season of overlap.

Having said that, 2027-28 is A) years down the line, and B) navigable thanks to the U17 World title Mocco won last summer.

Mocco could take an ‘Olympic redshirt’ in 2027-28 (ahead of the Los Angles Games) to further preserve his eligibility. Then with Kueter graduating, he’d have a full four-year runway to make his mark on NCAA competition.

Furthermore, the developmental timeline (be it two or three years) could be beneficial as Mocco is still growing into a full-sized heavyweight.

His U17 World title was won in the 110-kilogram weight class (~242.5 pounds). But as recently as last December, Mocco was still only tipping the scales at 235 during his title run at the prestigious Walsh Ironman tournament.

Simply put, there’s no reason to rush the talented (growing) youngster until he’s ready. And even if that comes sooner than later Iowa still has wiggle room with its roster to maximize his collegiate eligibility.

In the meantime, Iowa fans can justifiably daydream about what Mocco will eventually look like when it comes time for him to compete as a Hawkeye.

Because if his results/performances to date are any indication, it could be a whole lot of fun.