Intermat releases 2023-24 preseason wrestling individual rankings

Intermat released its 2023-24 preseason wrestling individual rankings ahead of the season. With preseason practice getting close as the fall comes into focus, it’s time to look at each of the 10 weights.

There are plenty of national champions back in the fold this season and many All-Americans. But with the transfer portal, graduations and weight movements, these weight classes could be wide open this year. In fact, we’re in for another wild season all the way up to the NCAA Wrestling Tournament in March.
Below are the top 10 wrestlers in each weight class, per Intermat.

125 lbs.

1. Matt Ramos – Purdue 
2. Anthony Noto – Lock Haven
3. Richie Figueroa – Arizona State
4. Eddie Ventresca – Virginia Tech
5. Eric Barnett – Wisconsin
6. Dean Peterson – Rutgers
7. Patrick McKee – Minnesota
8. Michael DeAugustino – Michigan
9. Stevo Poulin – Northern Colorado
10. Brett Ungar – Cornell

Gone is Spencer Lee (Iowa), but so is last year’s champion Pat Glory (Princeton). Ramos pulled off the stunning upset of Lee and is the early favorite, but watch out for a deep, but open weight class this year.

133 lbs.

1. Vito Arujau – Cornell
2. Daton Fix – Oklahoma State
3. Aaron Nagao – Penn State
4. Sam Latona – Virginia Tech
5. Kai Orine – NC State
6. Lucas Byrd – Illinois
7. Micahel Colaiocco – UPenn
8. Connor McGonagle – Lehigh
9. Nic Bouzakis – Ohio State
10. Brayden Palmer – Chattanooga

Arujau is the defending champion and this weight class might be a two-man race. Fix is a three-time finalist but has yet to get the gold, hence his No. 2 ranking. Nagao transferred into Penn State from Minnesota.

141 lbs.

1. Andrew Alirez – Northern Colorado 
2. Real Woods – Iowa
3. Beau Bartlett – Penn State
4. Lachlan McNeill – North Carolina
5. Brock Hardy – Nebraska
6. Jesse Mendez – Ohio State
7. CJ Composto – UPenn
8. Cole Matthews – Pitt
9. Clay Carlson – South Dakota State
10. Ryan Jack – NC State

Alirez is another returning champion and the preseason favorite. But Woods is ready to run it back and get another crack. Bartlett made huge leaps last year once he dropped down from 149 pounds.

149 lbs.

1. Ridge Lovett – Nebraska
2. Shayne Van Ness – Penn State
3. Kyle Parco – Arizona State
4. Caleb Henson – Virginia Tech
5. Brock Mauller – Missouri
6. Dylan D’Emilio – Ohio State
7. Graham Rooks – Indiana
8. Jackson Arrington – NC State
9. Chance Lamer – Cal Poly
10. Victor Voinovich – Iowa

Lovett gets the top of an open weight class this year after a year out of the lineup. He was the 2022 NCAA runner-up, but Van Ness broke out as a redshirt freshman. He could be very special this winter. Watch out for a riser in Rooks, he’s steadily improved at Indiana.

157 lbs.

1. Levi Haines – Penn State
2. Jared Franek – Iowa
3. Peyton Robb – Nebraska
4. Jacori Teemer – Arizona State
5. Ed Scott – NC State
6. Bryce Andonian – Virginia Tech
7. Will Lewan – Michigan
8. Michael Blockhus – Minnesota
9. Daniel Cardenas – Stanford
10. Chase Saldate – Michigan State

Haines almost won it all as a true freshman so naturally, he’s the preseason pick. Franek transferred to Iowa from North Dakota State and could make huge leaps in his wrestling. Robb, if healthy, is the next worthy challenger after a scary and potentially life threatening infection after last year’s tournament. Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso could be back on this list, and a title contender, barring a recovery from a gunshot wound this offseason.

165 lbs.

1. Keegan O’Toole – Missouri 
2. David Carr – Iowa State
3. Cameron Amine – Michigan
4. Dean Amiti – Wisconsin
5. Mikey Caliendo – Iowa
6. Izzak Olejnik – Oklahoma State
7. Julian Ramirez – Cornell
8. Matthew Olguin – Oregon State
9. Peyton Hall – West Virginia
10. Maxx Mayfield – Northwestern

O’Toole won two titles in a row and it’s hard to pick against him. He is two-for-two so why not make it three-for-three? Carr beat him handily last season, except for the NCAA finals. Those two could clash again on the big stage.

174 lbs.

1. Carter Starocci – Penn State
2. Chris Foca – Cornell
3. Mekhi Lewis – Virginia Tech
4. Shane Griffith – Michigan
5. Edmond Ruth – Illinois
6. Peyton Mocco – Missouri
7. Carson Kharchla – Ohio State
8. Cade DeVos – South Dakota State
9. Justin McCoy – Virginia
10. Donnell Washington – Indiana

Starocci is a three-time champion and could be a rare four-timer. Heck he actually has two years of eligibility left due to COVID, giving him a chance to be a five-time champ, but he’s likely done after this season. Foca, Lewis and Griffith are all worthy contenders. Griffith won a title for Stanford in 2021.

184 lbs.

1. Parker Keckeisen – Northern Iowa
2. Bernie Truax – Penn State
3. Trey Munoz – Oregon State
4. Dustin Plott – Oklahoma State
5. Will Feldkamp – Iowa State
6. Gavin Kane – North Carolina
7. Isaiah Salazar – Minnesota
8. Jonathan Loew – Cornell
9. Lenny Pinto – Nebraska
10. Brian Soldano – Rutgers

Aaron Brooks moved up, more on that in a second. This opens it up for Keckeisen, Nittany Lion transfer Truax and a bunch of other guys. This is one of the more wide open weight classes in the country. Feldkamp transferred into Iowa State and could be a monster.

197 lbs.

1. Aaron Brooks – Penn State
2. Stephen Buchanan – Oklahoma
3. Tanner Sloan – South Dakota State
4. Rocky Elam – Missouri
5. Trent Hidlay – NC State
6. Jacob Cardenas – Cornell
7. Silas Allred – Nebraska
8. Jaxon Smith – Maryland
9. Zac Braunagel – Illinois
10. Michael Beard – Lehigh

Brooks is a three-time champion as well and could win a fourth at a new weight class. Buchanan will wrestle for Oklahoma, rather than Wyoming and is a top contender. Sloan was last year’s runner-up to Nino Bonaccorsi (Pitt).

285 lbs.

1. Greg Kerkvliet – Penn State
2. Wyatt Hendrickson – Air Force
3. Lucas Davison – Michigan
4. Cohlton Schultz – Arizona State
5. Zach Elam – Missouri
6. Yaraslau Slavikouski – Rutgers
7. Younger Bastida – Iowa State
8. Owen Trephan – NC State
9. Dayton Pitzer – Pitt
10. Luke Luffman – Illinois

With no return of Gable Steveson, at least right now, the heavyweights are safe from the two-time champion from Minnesota and the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Gold Medalist. Michigan replaces last year’s national champion Mason Parris with Davison but Kerkvliet is the top dog here.

The top 10 are a good indication of the top contenders for the 2023-24 season. The top eight make the podium at the NCAA Wrestling Tournament when it’s all said and done. For the full slate of rankings (1-33), click HERE.