Ohio State Buckeyes Wrestling: NCAA Tournament Predictions

125 Pounds

Coming into the season, it was seemingly up in the air who would earn the starting spot at 125 pounds for the Buckeyes. However, following the Clarion Open, it appears Vinny Kilkeary will be the guy. Kilkeary is entering his third season of eligibility, according to the Ohio State wrestling roster.

At the Clarion Open, Kilkeary faced true freshman Dom Munaretto, earning an 8-3 victory. The match featured several tough scrambles from start to finish, allowing Kilkeary to showcase his abilities against a legitimate opponent.

It would not be surprising to see Kilkeary finish on the podium in St. Louis. However, my prediction is that he comes up just short, falling in the blood round.

Official Prediction: Vinny Kilkeary R12

133 Pounds

Coming off a runner-up finish at the 2026 NCAA Championships and, more recently, a U23 gold medal, Ben Davino will be looking to build on those accomplishments. Davino finds himself in one of the most stacked weight classes in the country, featuring stars such as Jax Forrest, Aaron Seidel, and Ryan Crookham.

Last season, Davino made it all the way to the NCAA finals, picking up wins over Tyler Knox, Lucas Byrd, and Marcus Blaze along the way. In a close 4-2 decision, Davino fell just short against Jax Forrest. It will be interesting to see if he can get over the hump and defeat Forrest in what should be a highly anticipated folkstyle rematch.

There is no doubt Davino will be back with a vengeance, and it would not shock me to see him standing at the very top of the podium in March. However, it is hard to pick against Forrest at this point, leaving me with Davino coming up just short once again.

Official Prediction: Ben Davino 2nd Place

141 Pounds

Following the Clarion Open, there are plenty of question marks surrounding the 141-pound weight class for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Coming into the season, it seemed Nic Bouzakis would be the starter. However, after going 2-3 at the Clarion Open, including a loss to teammate Brogan Fielding, the starting spot is seemingly up for grabs.

Fielding went on to finish second at 141 pounds, suffering a 10-2 loss to returning All-American Carter Nogle. True freshman Karson Brown, who finished 2-2 at the Clarion Open, is also in the mix for the starting spot.

I predict Bouzakis will be the starter to kick off the season and ultimately believe the coaching staff will decide he is the right guy for the NCAA Tournament in March. His experience will certainly play a role in that decision. Along with that, Bouzakis has historically struggled in matches against teammates, with losses to former Buckeye Brendan McCrone and Ben Davino.

With that being said, it is difficult to have much confidence in whoever ultimately earns the starting spot at this weight. In a field featuring plenty of tough competition, it is hard to be overly optimistic. I could see Bouzakis's experience paying dividends in March, but more likely than not, he will struggle to win more than two matches in St. Louis. Ultimately, I predict Bouzakis will have an unfortunate end to his time as a Buckeye, finishing with just one win at the NCAA Tournament.

Official Prediction: Nic Bouzakis 1-2

149 Pounds

This is another weight class with plenty of uncertainty, although for different reasons. The biggest question surrounding the Buckeyes is whether Jesse Mendez will receive a fifth year of eligibility. If granted, it seems likely he would slot in at 149 pounds. It would be great to see someone of Mendez's caliber back on the mat. However, if he does not receive another year, Ohio State has two other solid options at 149.

The first is Kade Brown, who transferred to Columbus from Pitt. During his time at Pitt, Brown went 11-3 during his redshirt season, followed by a 14-10 campaign in which he qualified for the NCAA Championships. He is someone who appears capable of continuing to develop, especially after a solid summer in which he represented Canada at 70 kilograms.

The other option is Maddox Shaw, who is coming off a first-place finish at the Clarion Open. Shaw was a top recruit in the Class of 2025 and will have an opportunity to make an immediate impact if he earns the starting spot for the Buckeyes.

If Mendez is granted a fifth year, the Buckeyes will be in an excellent position at 149 pounds. As of now, Mendez is listed on the Buckeyes' wrestling roster. However, his eligibility remains uncertain, so I will be making predictions for both scenarios.

If Mendez is granted his fifth year, I believe he will finish second. It would be a difficult path, with stars such as Sergio Vega, Caleb Henson, Aden Valencia, and Shayne Van Ness standing in his way. However, Mendez is as tough as they come. With an opportunity to avenge his 2026 finals loss, he will certainly not back down.

If the starting spot comes down to Brown and Shaw, I predict Brown will earn the nod at 149 pounds. Time will tell whether he can continue to take the next step in his development, but for now, I project him to finish 1-2.

Official Prediction: Jesse Mendez 2nd Place / Kade Brown 1-2

157 Pounds

Moving to a weight class with little uncertainty surrounding the starting spot, Brandon Cannon will once again take the mat for the Buckeyes at 157 pounds. Cannon had a fantastic start to last season, earning a major decision over former national champion Antrell Taylor. Unfortunately, his season was derailed by an injury during the dual against Minnesota.

Cannon returned in time for the Big Ten Championships but was noticeably off his game. Heading into the NCAA Championships, it was difficult to predict how he would perform. Defying many people's expectations, Cannon went on to finish fourth, just a couple of weeks after returning to the mat.

This season, 157 pounds is loaded with talent, featuring top contenders such as Landon Robideau, Tyler Kasak, Antrell Taylor, and Kannon Webster, among many others. It will be no easy task for Cannon to finish near the top of the podium. However, if he can remain healthy, I believe he has the ability to knock off any of these top contenders.

Cannon has never shied away from a challenge and has improved tremendously since arriving in Columbus. I predict he will come just short of his dream of becoming an NCAA champion, likely falling to Landon Robideau in the finals.

Official Prediction: Brandon Cannon 2nd Place

165 Pounds

Taking the mat for the Buckeyes at 165 pounds this season is Ethan Stiles. Stiles transferred to Ohio State last season after previously finishing on the podium at Oregon State. Last season, he wrestled at 149 pounds, but the difficult weight cut ultimately contributed to his decision to move up to 165 this year.

Stiles recently finished first at the Clarion Open, where he defeated Moses Espinoza-Owens, ranked No. 24 at 165 pounds according to InterMat's most recent rankings.

Last season did not go according to plan for Stiles, but he will be looking to turn things around this year. With a much easier weight cut and a weight class that appears to be more wide open, Stiles has an opportunity to make some noise throughout the season.

I will need to see more from Stiles before making a more optimistic prediction for his NCAA finish. For now, I project him to reach the Round of 16, although I would not be surprised to see him finish higher.

Official Prediction: Ethan Stiles R16

174 Pounds

Coming in at 174 pounds for the Buckeyes this season is Maryland transfer Jaxon Smith. Smith was an All-American at 184 pounds in 2025, finishing sixth nationally. He will look to fill a significant void following the departure of Carson Kharchla.

Smith had a relatively disappointing performance at the Clarion Open, falling to Marcus Espinoza-Owens by a score of 4-2 in the finals.

As the season progresses and Smith becomes more comfortable at his new weight, he will undoubtedly look to open up his offense and become more aggressive. A change of scenery should also benefit Smith, as training alongside the likes of Kollin Moore, Dylan Fishback, Seth Shumate, and Bo Jordan should help sharpen his game.

The 174-pound weight class is incredibly deep this season, making it a difficult task for Smith to finish inside the top eight. More likely than not, I think he comes up just short, falling in the blood round.

Official Prediction: Jaxon Smith R12

184 Pounds

Returning at 184 pounds for the Buckeyes this season is Dylan Fishback. Last season did not go according to plan, as he fell short of his goal of finishing on the NCAA podium. However, his season was derailed by injuries, as he revealed he had suffered multiple broken ribs throughout the year.

Fishback has proven time and time again that he can compete with some of the best in the country, including Rocco Welsh, Max McEnelly, and Angelo Ferrari. He came up just short in close matches against each of those opponents.

I expect Fishback to bounce back in a big way during his final season of college wrestling. If he can avoid any major injuries, I believe very few wrestlers outside of the top four at this weight class (Rocco Welsh, Angelo Ferrari, Aeoden Sinclair, and Max McEnelly) will be able to keep him off the podium.

While I remain optimistic about his potential, I will take a more conservative approach with my prediction. I see Fishback ending his collegiate career with a seventh-place finish.

Official Prediction: Dylan Fishback 7th Place

197 Pounds

Another weight class that appeared to be locked in heading into the season, 197 pounds now has some uncertainty surrounding it following Seth Shumate's injury at the U23 World Championships.

Shumate had been on a tear throughout the summer, qualifying for the U23 World Championships and dominating the competition before suffering his injury. In his absence, longtime Buckeye Ryder Rogotzke has stepped into the lineup, showing he is always ready when his number is called.

For the purposes of this prediction, I am operating under the assumption that Shumate will return in time for the Big Ten schedule and be ready to go come March.

Shumate finds himself in another weight class that appears relatively wide open, particularly among the wrestlers ranked No. 7 through No. 15 in InterMat's rankings. Because of this, I think it is very possible he finds himself wrestling on Friday night with an opportunity to secure a spot on the podium.

Unfortunately, I think he comes up just short, but he will have put together a strong NCAA Tournament performance for the Buckeyes.

Official Prediction: Seth Shumate R12

285 Pounds

Last, but certainly not least, is Ohio State heavyweight Nick Feldman. Feldman has not had an easy or traditional path since arriving in Columbus. Seasons plagued by injuries have made it difficult for him to put together a dominant campaign from start to finish. However, I think it is difficult for anyone to deny that, when healthy, he has the ability to compete with the best in the country.

The heavyweight division is wide open from top to bottom, with several freshmen, including Cade Ziola, Coby Merrill, and potentially Dreshaun Ross, entering the picture. It should make for an interesting weight class to watch. Along with those newcomers, there are several returning threats, including Ben Kueter, Nathan Taylor, and potentially Konner Doucet. It should be noted that both Doucet and Ross are featured on the Cowboys roster, although Ross did get the start vs Drexel on November 8th. Either guy will be a strong contender at HWT.

I believe Feldman has the ability to compete with and defeat any of these opponents. However, his injury history is something that has to be factored into any prediction. That is why I will settle somewhere in the middle and predict that Feldman finishes his career in Columbus with a third-place finish.

Official Prediction: Nick Feldman 3rd Place