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Gable Steveson announces return to Minnesota wrestling for final year of eligibility

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko11/12/24nickkosko59
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Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Gable Steveson, an Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time NCAA champion for Minnesota, announced his return to college wrestling for his final season.

Steveson hasn’t wrestled collegiately since March of 2022, his last NCAA title. He previously left his shoes on the mat, symbolically retiring from the sport.

Since then, he had a brief stint trying to climb the WWE ladder and was apart of the Buffalo Bills roster during NFL training camp, despite never playing organized football.

But he’s back and you can see the announcement in the video below.

Steveson should immediately factor into the national title picture. Returning champion Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) is also in his final year of eligibility and ranked No. 1 at heavyweight.

Steveson is also 2-0 against Kerkvliet in their careers.

Despite not wrestling folkstyle in two years, Steveson should immediately be the favorite to win it all in Philadelphia come March. Other contenders such as Wyatt Hendrickson (Oklahoma State), Nick Feldman (Ohio State), Yaraslau Slavikouski (Rutgers), Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) and Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) should factor in.

But, Steveson’s only two career losses are to 2019 NCAA champion Anthony Cassar (Penn State).

The NFL was Steveson’s latest venture, after a disappointing stint with the WWE. He initially retired from wrestling after the 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships, after he won his second national title.

Steveson teased a collegiate return following his victory at Final X, where he earned the United States World Team spot at 125 KG, but it never occurred. At the college level, Steveson finished with 86-2 over the course of four seasons at Minnesota.

“The itch and fire will never go away,” Steveson said in June 2023 regarding wrestling. “And I feel like if you ask any competitor, old or young, I think it’s always there.

“But some people just don’t have the bodies to do it because they’re a little older. But I think me just turning 23, I still had that extra fire and I want to see what I could do. I wanted to test my limits. And so I stayed ready just in case the time came where I could come back.”