Nebraska travels to Oklahoma State for top 3 showdown

At a glance:

Coming off a convincing 28-9 win over Wyoming, Nebraska looks to carry the momentum into one of its biggest tests of the season, a showdown in Stillwater against the No. 2 Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The dual will showcase the two highest-ranked teams scheduled to face one another, and feature upwards of 8 ranked matchups , barring any lineup changes to either side. Nebraska will be looking to avenge two losses to Oklahoma State from last season, falling 33-6 at the National Duals Invitational before dropping a much closer 22-12 dual about a month later. This years matchup features five rematches and five bouts between wrestlers who have yet to face each other, setting the stage for an intriguing dual from top to bottom. Bonus points could ultimately prove to be the difference, considering how many toss-up matches have the potential to swing the momentum in either team's favor. Many of these matchups feature familiar opponents with a history of close, one-score battles, making every point that much more important.

Oklahoma State returns six All-Americans from a season ago, including three national champions, all of whom were true freshmen. At the remaining four weights, the Cowboys will rely on three freshmen and a veteran transfer who is moving up two weight classes. That combination of proven talent and relatively inexperienced lineup spots could make for an interesting dynamic against the Huskers.

To make the stakes higher, the dual will be broadcast on ESPNU, a relatively rare occurrence in the wrestling world, indicating just how significant this dual is. With national rankings, All-Americans, and National Champions all battling, Nebraska and Oklahoma State are set for one of the most anticipated duals of the season.

Projected weight-by-weight breakdown:

125 pounds: #4 Vincent Robinson vs #7 Troy Spratley/Rocklin Zinkin

Oklahoma State returns two-time All-American Troy Spratley to Stillwater for his final year of eligibility. Across from him stands a familiar foe, Vincent Robinson. Robinson leads the series 4-1, including a 2-1 win in the National Championship match in 2025. Spratley could easily flip the script in this match, as all but one have been one score matches. A wildcard in this match could be true freshman Rocklin Zinkin taking the mat for the Pokes. Because this series is so lopsided, David Taylor and co. may want to shake things up and give Robinson a different look and give the freshman a chance to get high level competition before fully taking over for Spratley next season.

133 pounds: #8 Jacob Van Dee vs #1 Jax Forrest

The second National Champion of the night will take the mat as Jax Forrest faces the veteran Jacob Van Dee. These two have never wrestled before, but most predictions are pointing towards bonus for Forrest. Van Dee is really good about not giving up bonus points, but when you face a guy like Forrest it is hard to continue that streak with the pace he can put on guys. An interesting stat to watch here is out of Jacob Van Dee's 33 career losses, he has only been bonused in 4 of those matches. How will that hold up against Forrest's 92.1% college bonus percentage? We will find out on Friday night.

141 pounds: #30 Jake Hockaday/Lincoln Sledzianowski/Omar Ayoub vs #15 Jayden Raney

This is arguably the biggest swing weight of the meet. Two new competitors in a true toss-up match because of the limited results in their collegiate careers. Jayden Raney is 3-0 this year and also has a 6-5 win over teammate and former starter Tagen Jamison at Oklahoma State’s Cowboy Invite. As for Nebraska, there is still a three-way roster battle going on, but I would not be shocked to see freshman Lincoln Sledzianowski again after his 11-2 major decision over Derek Barrows of Wyoming. The other two options might be just as good, with Jake Hockaday and Omar Ayoub still in the mix at this weight. Whoever Nebraska sends out against Raney should push him for a good match, and whoever comes out on top will provide their team with hard earned team points.

149 pounds: #5 Anthony Echemendia vs #1 Sergio Vega

Another rematch occurs at 149lbs, with another Cowboy National Champion Sergio Vega taking on Anthony Echemendia. These two squared off twice last season, once in the dual meet and the other in the Big 12 Championship final. Vega won both contests, one by 4-2 decision in the dual, and by 2-1 tie breaker decision in the Championship. Both wrestlers are up a weight and are seemingly more dangerous, but Vega seems to be impossible to take down, and the extra eight-pound allowance may have brought him to a new level.

157 pounds: #3 Antrell Taylor vs #1 Landon Robideau

If there was a premier match to watch, it should probably be considered this one. A rematch of the National Championship bout last March, Antrell Taylor is looking to get revenge on Landon Robideau. The series is tied 1-1, with Taylor winning at the dual in Lincoln in tiebreakers, but with Robideau ultimately getting it done on the biggest stage. The wrestling world’s eyes will be focused on this match to see if Taylor can get one back or if Robideau has him figured out in potentially the biggest swing match of the night.

165 pounds: NR Meyer Shapiro vs #3 Casey Swiderski

With starter LJ Araujo out, Nebraska is turning to a big-name transfer who made his Husker debut on Sunday against the Wyoming Cowboys, Meyer Shapiro. Shapiro is currently unranked, but if he was the full-time starter he would be top 5, no doubt. Casey Swiderski is also a story for his team. After being projected as the backup to Dee Lockett in a loaded 165 room for the Pokes, Swiderski went out and beat two teammates in Kody Routledge and the projected starter Lockett in back-to-back matches. The story of two backups moving up weight classes serves as another crucial match for team points.

174 pounds: #2 Chris Minto vs #12 Alex Facundo

These two wrestlers also have a history, with the series split 1-1. The first match belonged to Alex Facundo of OSU, with a 2-1 decision at the National Duals that concluded with a rare illegal head scissor call coming on Chris Minto, giving Facundo the win. The second match came in Lincoln, with Minto walking away with the 4-1 decision win. Since these two last faced, it seems Minto has hit another level, but Facundo always serves as a tough match and can’t be counted out at home.

184 pounds: #18 Lucas Cochran/Ethan DeLeon vs #11 Mikey White/Bennett Berge

If there was a match with the most unknowns, it is certainly 184lbs. Both teams have two guys that are capable of going out and getting a win. For Nebraska, it will most likely be transfer Lucas Cochran, and for Oklahoma State it will most likely be freshman standout Mikey White. Cochran saw his first action in an open tournament while the rest of the team was facing Wyoming, going 4-0 with all bonus points against Division 2 opponents. In his place against Wyoming was Ethan DeLeon, facing a true test in Eddie Neitenbach. DeLeon shocked the crowd by getting the first two takedowns of the match and leading 6-2 but eventually fell 13-8. As for White, he broke onto the scene during the Cowboy Invite beating teammate and former All-American Bennett Berge 10-4. As mentioned previously, Berge is a former All-American at 184lbs when he was with South Dakota State, finishing fourth in 2024.

197 pounds: #5 Camden McDanel vs #2 Cody Merrill

Another weight with history between the two wrestlers is 197lbs, with Camden McDanel and Cody Merrill. Merrill leads the series 2-0, with both matches being 2-1 and having the riding time point be the deciding factor. A big hole in McDanel’s game is getting off of bottom, and I would not be shocked if he picked neutral during the match. The National Finalist Merrill is 3-1 on the year, with his only loss being an injury default against #3 Stephen Little. As for McDanel, he is 0-1 after losing a close match to Wyoming’s Joey Novak, another guy who has McDanel’s number recently. This should be a very close match that comes down to the wire as the last two have.

285 pounds: #14 Cade Ziola vs NR Dreshaun Ross

This match is for the sickos. It is one of the lowest ranked matchups of the night, but it is one of the most highly anticipated of the season. Second year Cade Ziola is stepping into the spotlight after redshirting last season, and he is already loved by Husker fans. Dreshaun Ross is no different for Oklahoma State fans. Two fan favorites will put it all on the line in Stillwater and for potentially a top 10 spot in the rankings. The two have never faced off before, and as the days go by fans get more and more excited to watch this bout.

Link to Intermat's Division 1 Rankings