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Looking ahead to 2025-26 for Iowa men's wrestling

by:Tanner Lafever•03/26/25•

TannerLafever

Angelo Ferrari
Before wrestling a single postseason match, Angelo Ferrari has already captured the imagination/expectations of Iowa fans. (Photo Credit: Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen)

With the 2024-25 Iowa men’s wrestling season having just reached its conclusion, there’s only one logical next step:

It’s time to look toward the future.

Many of the primary components from a fourth-place NCAA team finish will return for the Hawkeyes in 2025-26.

  • 2/3 NCAA finalists
  • 4/5 NCAA All-Americans
  • 6/9 NCAA qualifiers

They’re going to need them all (and then some) in order to try and mount a campaign against the Penn State dynasty that has a firm grip on the sport at present.

And the same goes for keeping pace with a supercharged Oklahoma State program that has its sights set on the Nittany Lions as well.

As is always the case with Iowa wrestling, championships are the expectation. And thus, time is of the essence as Tom Brands looks to build his latest title contender in Iowa City.

This article will provide a snapshot of where the Hawkeyes are at post-NCAAs.

Who are the key returnees/additions to the 2025-26 roster? Where might Iowa be looking to bolster its lineup this offseason? And how does it all fit within a pending 30-athlete ‘roster cap’ – the first of its kind for college wrestling?

As we saw last year (i.e. 149/157/197 pounds), just because you’ve previously represented Iowa in the postseason doesn’t mean your spot in the lineup is secure. Be it an incoming recruit or a transfer portal addition, the top option for the Hawkeyes may not even be on campus yet.

But before looking ahead, we begin with a summary of what Iowa will lose from the 2024-25 team.

Departing – The Champ

Stephen Buchanan (197 pounds)

  • 2025 NCAA champion
  • 4x All-American
  • 126-27 career record (26-1 in 2025)

It’d be almost impossible to make a greater impact during one’s single season as a Hawkeye than what Buchanan just did.

Iowa’s first individual NCAA champion since 2021 – and its first not named Spencer Lee since 2017 – the grad transfer from Oklahoma (by way of Wyoming) was a godsend for the program.

Even before finishing atop the podium in Philadelphia, the Loyal, Wisconsin native was everything Iowa fans could’ve asked for.

Buchanan was a catalyst for several high-profile dual wins. He was a calming, reliable presence all season long. And beyond the mat, his humble nature did nothing but represent the program in a positive light.

The Hawkeyes will do well to find themselves even a reasonable facsimile of Buchanan in the future. But if they were to be so fortunate, hopefully the next time they’ll have him in the Black & Gold singlet for more than just a single season.

Departing – The ASU Duo

Kyle Parco (149 pounds)

  • 2025 NCAA qualifier, seeded fifth (DNP, 1-2)
  • 4x All-American (1x Fresno State, 3x Arizona State)
  • 115-23 career record (21-5 in 2025)

Jacori Teemer (157 pounds)

  • 2025 NCAA qualifier, seeded 18th (DNP, 0-2)
  • 4x All-American (all at Arizona State)
  • 85-21 career record (8-6 in 2025)

Iowa’s two other high-profile additions from last offseason didn’t quite get the storybook ending of Buchanan.

Both Kyle Parco and Jacori Teemer had their moments – particularly at Carver-Hawkeye Arena:

But both ultimately saw their season(s) come to an unceremonious end – in no small part due to injury.

Teemer never quite looked the same after returning from a two-month-long absence post-Cy-Hawk dual. In fact, he’d trade one heavy (leg) wrap for another (shoulder).

Meanwhile, Parco entered NCAAs with a 20-3 record – and, I thought, a strong semifinal path ahead of him. Unfortunately, he’d suffer what appeared to be a serious knee injury in his second bout of the tournament.

Yes, it’s disappointing that of Parco/Teemer’s 200 combined career wins and eight All-American honors just 28 of the former and zero of the latter were tallied as Hawkeyes.

But I’d like to think that most Iowa fans recognize there are no guarantees with wrestling as it pertains to good health – regardless of whether you believe certain (rumored) NIL deals to be accurate or not.

All season long both Parco and Teemer expressed tremendous gratitude for the opportunity to compete for the Hawkeyes.

It’d be cool if they were shown similar appreciation for the efforts they could give (healthy or not), as opposed to disappointment for not reaching the expected results/performance that said injuries ultimately robbed from them.

Departing – Senior Six-Pack

Nelson Brands (174 pounds)

  • 2x NCAA qualifier (2021/2023)
  • 2023 All-American (5th at 174)
  • 41-21 career record (4-2 in 2025)

Cullan Schriever (141 pounds)

  • 2025 postseason rep
  • 39-25 career record (6-10 in 2025)

Aidan Harris (141 pounds)

  • 3-7 career record (3-3 in 2025)

Charles Matthews (133 pounds)

  • 14-17 career record (4-1 in 2025)

Leif Schroeder (141 pounds)

  • 5-3 career record (0-0 in 2025)

Jesse Ybarra (133 pounds)

  • 14-13 career record (2-2 in 2025)

Among the other half-dozen Hawkeyes who exhausted their eligibility this season one clearly stands out.

You could probably write a book about the ups and downs of Nelson Brands’ Iowa wrestling career. He bounced around several weight classes, suffered/recovered from several serious injuries and persevered through an NCAA gambling-related suspension that only grows more baffling (in many ways) with the passage of time.

Through it all he gave it all, both for himself and the Hawkeyes. And after seven circuitous years in the program, I’m not sure what more you can ask for than that.

Remember him for those reasons, and for the 2021 NCAA team title he helped Iowa win as well as his own All-American triumph (5th) in 2023.

He earned it.

None of the other five wrestlers listed (above) competed for Iowa at a single national tournament.

However, Cullan Schriever was Iowa’s Big Ten Championships entry a few weeks ago. After earning the spot at 141 pounds late in the season, he scrapped with several eventual All-Americans, helping his team in dual competition.

Ultimately, the Mason City native earned neither an NCAA allocation/wild card and saw his Hawkeye career come to an end.

Portal-ing Elsewhere

Caleb Rathjen (149 pounds) *RS Junior

  • 2024 NCAA qualifier (DNP, 1-2)
  • 32-13 career record (8-3 in 2025)

Besides the exiting class of seniors/graduates, Iowa will lose at least one other member of its 2024-25 roster.

That’s because Caleb Rathjen announced on Sunday that he’d be entering the transfer portal to finish his college career elsewhere.

The redshirt junior competed in one dual for Iowa this season – an opening weekend loss (at 157 pounds) at Oregon State. Besides that, he went 8-2 across a pair of November/December open tournaments.

Previously, Rathjen was Iowa’s starter at 149 pounds, qualifying for the 2024 NCAA Championships. The Ankeny native did not place at the national tournament and was supplanted in Iowa’s lineup this season by incoming transfer Kyle Parco.

Rathjen doesn’t figure to be the last transfer from the program either, as there are currently 33 athletes on next year’s projected roster.

Only 30 will be allowed per pending NCAA rules. And as we’ll detail for several weight classes to come, the expectation is that the Hawkeyes will be bringing in some outside transfer help as well.

125 pounds

Returning

Joey Cruz (RS JR)

  • 2025 NCAA qualifier (DNP, 0-2)
  • 25-24 career record (16-14 in 2025)
  • #5 seed at Big Tens (finished 10th)
  • #29 seed at NCAAs

Keyan Hernandez (RS FR)

  • 7-6 career record

Dru Ayala (RS FR)

  • 12-7 career record

Anthony Lavezzola (RS FR)

  • 2-8 career record

Joey Cruz certainly improved throughout his first season as a Division I starter – earning the #5 seed at Big Tens and qualifying (via wild card) for the NCAA Championships.

The question is: Is another big jump coming ahead of next season?

Wins against the #11, #19 and #20 seeds in the NCAA tournament field are nice, but Cruz was also soundly beaten in matchups against the very best competition he faced.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if he faced internal and/or external challengers for the starting spot at 125 – speaking of which…

Newcomers

Leo DeLuca (FR)

  • Ranked #1 at 120 pounds
  • #8 overall in the Class of 2025
  • 2023 Fargo JR champ

Wrestling for prep powerhouse Blair Academy, DeLuca has the high-level experience and credentials to potentially start in Year 1.

We all know Iowa’s conservative history of wrestling true freshmen. That said, perhaps this one’s talent/performance simply wins out?

College football/wrestling seem analogous in that it’s typically easier to have an impact as a true freshman at a ‘skill position’ (lighter weight) than it is on the ‘line of scrimmage’ (upper weight).

If DeLuca really is that good, that early, standing apart from even Cruz, maybe Iowa lets him run with the job?

Portal Probability = Medium

And then there’s always Option C, if Iowa feels it’s able (and prefers) to both upgrade from Cruz and redshirt DeLuca.

After last offseason, it wouldn’t surprise me whatsoever if they took this route.

133 pounds

Returning

Drake Ayala (RS SR)

  • 2x NCAA runner up (2024-25)
  • 65-16 career record (21-3 in 2025)
  • #1 seed at Big Tens (finished 2nd)
  • #2 seed at NCAAs

Kale Petersen (RS Soph)

  • 8-5 career record (5-3 in 2025)
  • Competed at 125/133
  • Teched by Ayala (20-5), pinned by NCAA qualifier Braxton Brown (Maryland)

There’s no big surprise when it comes to 133 pounds.

A year after bumping up to the weight class, Drake Ayala showed he was just as suited to it as he ever was 125. Unfortunately, his national tournament performance (once again) left one final hurdle to overcome.

Now a two-time NCAA runner up, the Fort Dodge native has one season left to finish atop the podium.

There are a lot of Cory Clark parallels being drawn if you take a close look. And Iowa fans surely remember how Clark’s final year as a Hawkeye turned out.

Elsewhere at the weight, it’ll be interesting to see how/where Kale Petersen fares in Year 3.

He gave 125 a run early last season but finished the season at 133 – which feels more suitable for his frame.

Petersen was a top 50-ish recruit coming out of high school. It may not be in 2025-26, but he still has three more years to make his mark as a Hawkeye.

Portal Probability = Low

141 pounds

Returning

Ryder Block (RS Soph)

  • 2-4 career record

Jace Rhodes (RS JR)

  • 24-11 career record (5-3 in 2025)

Similar to a year ago, there may be no weight class more up in the air for Iowa than 141.

Coming off 2023 ACL surgery, Ryder Block represented the greatest hope entering the season.

But per IA Wrestle’s Ross Bartachek, Block would suffer another torn ACL – which the Waverly-Shell Rock grad finally underwent surgery for last week:

Injury aside, 141 didn’t feel like a tenable weight for Block going forward anyway.

(It wouldn’t shock me to see him compete at a weight class or two above when he returns to the mat.)

That leaves Jace Rhodes as the lone returnee – whose best win as a Hawkeye was over 2025 NCAA Round of 16 finisher Julian Tagg (South Dakota State).

Portal Probability = High

If this isn’t Iowa’s biggest priority in the transfer portal then its right near the top.

Not only do the Hawkeyes lack a clear-cut starting option at present, but option(s) altogether.

Of course, that doesn’t mean a ready-made solution is just going to fall into their lap.

Iowa can only develop the wrestlers it currently has, recruit those who become available, and bring in those who want to be Hawkeyes.

We’ll see how things play out between now and November. But you can probably rest assured knowing every nook and cranny is being searched for a solution in the interim.

149 pounds

Returning

Miguel Estrada (Soph)

  • 14-5 career record (11-2 at 149lbs, 3-3 at 157)

Victor Voinovich III (RS SR)

  • 28-19 career record
  • Missed 2025 season due to injury
  • 2023 NCAA qualifier for OK ST (R16 as #23 seed)

Kael Voinovich (RS FR)

  • 17-6 career record (0-1 at 157)

Koye Grebel (RS Soph)

  • 11-5 career record (3-3 in 2025)

A weight class with no shortage of options – even after the departures of Parco/Rathjen – is 149.

The question is, do Tom Brands & Co. feel confident about what they have, or will they look for more?

Miguel Estrada just burned a year of eligibility in what amount to a stand-in role for Jacori Teemer at 157. His three losses in that role – all one-takedown matches – came against the following:

  • NCAA champion Antrell Taylor (Nebraska)
  • NCAA fourth-place finisher Trevor Chumbley (Northwestern)
  • Big Ten Championships #1 seed Ethen Miller (Maryland)

Meanwhile, his losses at 149 (where he appears the most natural physical fit) were also narrow decisions. One of them was to North Carolina’s Lachlan McNeil (5th at NCAAs), the other to fellow first-year Hawkeye Kael Voinovich.

Do either Estrada or Voinovich – a one-point loser to both Rathjen and 2025 NCAA qualifier Gabe Willochell (Wyoming) – seize the job? Do either bump up to 157 instead?

The same question goes to the elder Voinovich brother, Victor. A past NCAA qualifier (2023) for Oklahoma State, he lost a down-to-the-wire battle at 149 with Rathjen in 2024 then missed this past season due to injury.

Again, Iowa doesn’t lack in-house options here.

Portal Probability = Medium

That said, if an appealing outside candidate does become available, Iowa has shown it’s more than willing to investigate.

157 pounds

Returning

Isaiah Fenton (RS Soph)

  • 9-5 career record (4-4 in 2025)

Joseph Kennedy (RS FR)

  • 0-0 career record

You can copy and paste most of what was just written about 149 pounds here at 157.

However, it comes with the caveat that were any of the 149-pounders to bump up there’d be another element of uncertainty given the change in weight class.

Neither of the two Hawkeye returnees listed at 157 fit the bill of a starting-caliber option for a top-tier program.

(That’s not to say they couldn’t become such, just that it’d seem like a leap to predict for next season.)

Portal Probability = High

At worst tied atop the portal probability leaderboard, it’d be a major surprise if Iowa didn’t add a 157-pounder.

I tell you who’d be a great fit – this year’s ‘version’ of Jacori Teemer (pre-injuries, of course).

165 pounds

Returning

Michael Caliendo (RS SR)

  • 3x NCAA All-American (2025 runner up)
  • 81-14 career record (24-3 in 2025)
  • #2 seed at Big Tens (finished 2nd)
  • #3 seed at NCAAs

Sebastian Robles (RS SR)

  • 4-4 career record

Brady Benham (RS FR)

  • 9-5 career record

Caliendo’s only career losses against the most recent NCAA field at 165 pounds (six) have all come against Mitchell Mesenbrink.

He’s now 28-0 against the rest of this year’s bracket – including 13-0 versus wrestlers who just placed 12th or better.

There are only two goals left to accomplish for the senior-to-be, and both (a Big Ten/NCAA title) figure to go through the same guy.

After the two most recent Caliendo/Mesenbrink matchups were their most competitive to date, I’m certainly not going to rule out Mikey’s chances of finally flipping the script next season.

Portal Probability = Low

Based on the depth currently behind Caliendo at 165, expect to see a vastly different likelihood of portal exploration some 12 months from now.

174 pounds

Returning

Patrick Kennedy (6th-Year SR)

  • 2025 NCAA All-American (4th)
  • 58-21 career record (18-7 in 2025)
  • #4 seed at Big Tens (finished 5th)
  • #11 seed at NCAAs

Gabe Arnold (RS Soph)

  • 2025 NCAA qualifier (DNP, 2-2)
  • 27-8 career record (19-7 in 2025)
  • #4 seed at Big Tens (finished 5th)
  • #11 seed at NCAAs

Will Carano (RS SR)

  • 9-5 career record

What the heck, why not make it back-to-back years of rampant speculation as to how 174 will shake out for the Hawkeyes?

It sure seems like we’re headed in that direction again as Kennedy and Arnold both return after manning 174/184 respectively.

It’s long been assumed that Gabe’s most ideal collegiate weight is 174. Meanwhile, already competing at the weight, PK just put together the best postseason performance of his career.

Because of that – and because a certain freshman named Ferrari is coming off redshirt as a bona fide title contender at 184 – it could be a battle royale between Iowa teammates at 174 once again.

Some fans were critical of Arnold’s performance this season. Though not necessarily unfair in some instances – at least in this writer’s opinion – I would remind them that Arnold did still defeat three eventual All-Americans and another Round of 12 finisher.

I’m itching to see how he looks competing down at a (presumably) more ideal weight class. And I’m also fascinated to see what jumps Kennedy may still have in store after his breakthrough performance last weekend.

Newcomer(s)

Leister Bowling IV (FR)

  • 2x Colorado state champ (2024-25)

Paolo Ciatto (FR)

  • 8th place at 2023 New York State Championships

At the moment, both incoming freshmen appear to be developmental prospects at 174 pounds.

Portal Probability = Low

184 pounds

Returning

Angelo Ferrari (RS FR)

  • 11-1 career record
  • Only loss to 5x NCAA champ Carter Starocci (3-1)

Aidan McCain (RS JR)

  • 4-8 career record (1-4 in 2025)

Jake Howell (RS FR)

  • 0-0 career record

There probably wasn’t a wrestler Hawkeye fans were more looking forward to seeing in 2025-26 than Angelo Ferrari – and that was before he went out and defeated #3 Dustin Plott in Iowa’s regular season finale:

Now, Ferrari has already reached a sort of cult status amongst the Black & Gold faithful. He’s going to put butts in seats, and those butts will be attached to bodies with minds that expect him to compete for, if not win an NCAA title next season.

That’s a lot to handle for a redshirt freshman. However, he’s shown himself capable of meeting pretty much every moment in his Iowa career thus far.

Despite his youth, Ferrari is the only 184-pounder on the roster with returning varsity experience.

Newcomer(s)

Tyrel Miller (FR)

  • Ranked #16 at 174 pounds (Flo)
  • #71 overall in the Class of 2025
  • 2025 Ohio state champ (DNP/3rd/2nd from 2022-24)

Half of the latest twin tandem set to wrestle for the Hawkeyes, (Tyrel) Miller won his first Ohio state title earlier this month in dramatic fashion.

Portal Probability = Low

197 pounds

Returning

Brody Sampson (RS FR)

  • 9-5 career record

The fact that redshirt freshman Brody Sampson is Iowa’s lone ‘returnee’ at 197 should tell you about the present uncertainty of this spot in the Iowa lineup.

Because of that, I’d expect Iowa’s 2025-26 starter to be someone who isn’t on campus yet.

Newcomer(s)

(Harvey Ludington (FR)

  • Ranked #1 at 190 pounds
  • #14 overall in the Class of 2025
  • 2024 Fargo JR champ, 3x single-class New Jersey state champ

Jarrel Miller (FR)

  • Ranked #9 at 190 pounds
  • #67 overall in the Class of 2025
  • 2024 Fargo 16U champ, 2025 Ohio state champ (3x runner up)

As far as freshmen go, you could do a lot worse than the two Iowa has coming in next fall.

Both Ludington and Miller have a Fargo title to their name, as well as strong folkstyle success in tough wrestling states.

The former currently resides as the top-ranked 190-pound prospect in the country according to FloWrestling. The latter just broke through for his first Ohio State title after three-consecutive runner-up finishes.

Neither would surprise me if they became excellent collegiate wrestlers. But how soon does Iowa want to test that theory?

I made the wrestling/football comparison way back at 125 pounds, and I think the inverse holds true here:

Young upper weights may take more time to adapt to the college level than their smaller counterparts.

That’s why I think Iowa would prefer to redshirt both in Year 1.

Portal Probability = High

Assuming Ludington/Miller do in fact redshirt, there’s still a gaping hole at 197.

If Iowa can fill it with a high-level transfer – particularly of the one-year, graduate variety – I think it’d be thrilled.

We’ll just have to wait and see.

285 pounds

Returning

Ben Kueter (RS Soph)

  • 2025 NCAA All-American (8th)
  • 24-10 career record (21-9 in 2025)
  • #7 seed at Big Tens (finished 3rd)
  • #5 seed at NCAAs (finished 8th)

Easton Fleshman (RS JR)

  • 13-12 career record (2-3 in 2025)

Gage Marty (RS JR)

  • 14-11 career record (1-3 in 2025)

There’s no question as to who Iowa wants its starter at heavyweight to be next season.

The only question is whether that guy – Ben Kueter – will be available in a full-time capacity.

Based on some comments from head coach Kirk Ferentz at today’s football press conference, it feels like Kueter’s dual-sport participation may be nearing a conclusion.

But until that moment comes in an official capacity, folks will continue to wonder.

(And if you’ve seen the Hawkeye Report message boards, boy do they wonder.)

Staying on the mat though, Kueter will find himself in a vastly different heavyweight landscape next season.

Gone are six of the eight All-Americans from this year’s podium, meaning Kueter could begin 2025-26 ranked as high as #2 in the country.

After a solid national tournament performance earned him just eighth place last week, he could be vying for an individual title with a similar effort next March.

Portal Probability = Low

Short time

Some seven months from the official start of next season, there’ll be plenty of time between now and then to further dissect the 2025-26 Hawkeyes.

But in the interim, the transfer portal is buzzing with activity around the country. And there’s a very good chance – several of them in fact – that Iowa will be quite active in it.

So, stay tuned to Hawkeye Report. Because while the wrestling season may be over, there’s really no such thing as an ‘offseason’ when it comes to this brutal, beautiful sport we all love.

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