2025-26 Iowa men's wrestling roster breakdown

Yes, it’s that time again Iowa wrestling fans.

As per annual tradition, the start of the fall semester brings with it an officially updated roster for the upcoming season.

And as per our own budding tradition here at Hawkeye Report, that means we’ve got full roster breakdown(s) for both Iowa programs.

Earlier this week we detailed the 2025-26 Hawkeye women. And now, with the men’s roster subsequently published on the team website, it’s time to highlight Tom Brands’ latest squad.

The purpose of this article is to present an overarching look at this season’s 32-man roster. It is NOT a depth chart preview.

(Though if you’re curious for my way-to-early musings on that subject you can check out this Google spreadsheet, where I do entertain it.)

As always with these early roster releases, keep in mind that listed weight classes are hardly binding.

Frankly, I’d be stunned if a few of them hold up once the season begins – i.e. Dean Peterson at 133 pounds.

Did the three-year Rutgers starter (at 125) really transfer to Iowa for his final year of eligibility just to sit behind entrenched starter Drake Ayala at 133? Let’s just say I have my doubts…

That said, we’re honoring the ‘official’ team roster for now and slotting guys at their currently listed weights.

(We’ll get a much clearer idea of how things are really shaking out come Media Day in October.)

So, with all the preamble out of the way, let’s introduce your 2025-26 Iowa men’s wrestling team.

Absences

Claudio ‘CJ’ Torres (FR) – ranked #69 OVR, #7 at 165lbs

Paolo Ciatto (FR) – not ranked at 165/174lbs

Will Carano (RS SR) – New York native *0-0 in 2024-25

Aidan McCain (RS JR) – Illinois native *1-4 in 2024-25

Notes:

OK, so I lied.

Before we get into who’s on this year’s Hawkeye roster, some housekeeping on several names that did not appear in the recent release.

We’ll start with a pair of freshmen from Iowa’s 2025 recruiting class – both of whom will greyshirt this season and ‘officially’ join the Hawkeyes in 2026-27.

Claudio ‘CJ’ Torres first confirmed that news to IA Wrestle’s Ross Bartachek – and later to Hawkeye Report as well. The seventh-ranked 165-pound prospect in America was the final addition to Iowa’s freshman class in late May – when he flipped to the Hawkeyes from Virginia Tech.

Meanwhile, fellow frosh Paolo Ciatto – who committed to Iowa last November – confirmed the same to Hawkeye Report shortly thereafter.

The unheralded prospect from New York likely projects in the 165/174 range when his Iowa career eventually gets underway.

Also unlisted on the 2025-26 roster were Will Carano and Aidan McCain – a pair of veteran reserves.

Carano (165/174) – a redshirt senior from New York – sports a 9-5 career record (all from the 2023-24 season).

McCain (184) – a redshirt junior from Illinois – was 1-4 a year ago, and 4-7 in his Iowa career.

Both Carano and McCain are still enrolled at Iowa – per the school’s student directory. So far, neither has responded to inquiries as to their status with the wrestling program.

By Weight Class

125 pounds

• Joey Cruz (RS JR)
• Keyan Hernandez (RS FR)
• Dru Ayala (RS FR) – also listed at 133
• Anthony Lavezzola (RS FR)
• Leo DeLuca (FR)

133 pounds

• Drake Ayala (RS SR)
• Dean Peterson (RS SR)
• Kale Petersen (RS Soph) – also listed at 141
• Jace Rhodes (RS JR)
• Koye Grebel (RS Soph) – also listed at 141

141 pounds

• Nasir Bailey (JR)
• *Ryder Block (RS Soph)                *medical redshirt available?

149 pounds

• *Victor Voinovich III (RS SR) – also listed at 157         *medical redshirt available?
• Miguel Estrada (Soph) – also listed at 157
• Kael Voinovich (RS FR)

157 pounds

• Jordan Williams (RS JR)
• Isaiah Fenton (RS Soph)
• Joseph Kennedy (RS FR)

165 pounds

• Michael Caliendo (RS SR)
• Sebastian Robles (RS SR)
• Leister Bowling IV (FR)

174 pounds

• Patrick Kennedy (6^th YR SR)
• Tyrel Miller (FR) – also listed at 184

184 pounds

• Angelo Ferrari (RS FR)
• Gabe Arnold (RS Soph)
• Brody Sampson (RS FR) – also listed at 197
• Jake Howell (RS FR) – also listed at 197

197 pounds

• Massoma Endene (6^th YR SR)
• Harvey Ludington (FR)

285 pounds

• Ben Kueter (RS Soph)
• Easton Fleshman (RS JR)
• Gage Marty (RS JR)

Notes:

I mentioned my surprise to see Dean Peterson listed at 133 – and I’ll be even more surprised if that’s where he wrestles this season.

I’ll be similarly surprised if Ryder Block – whose status for this season is unclear after another significant injury – ever competes at 141 again.

Aside from Peterson’s curious listing, Iowa’s three other transfer additions all appear primed for starting roles at more or less the weights we expected:

• Nasir Bailey (141)
• Jordan Williams (157)
• Massoma Endene (197)

Bailey is up from 133 – where he starred for Little Rock as a freshman/sophomore. Williams is up from 149 – where’s he’s made both of his NCAA appearances for Oklahoma State/Little Rock. And Endene – the fascinating DIII transfer – slides in at 197.

Re: Williams – it’s possible he could be amongst some potential shuffling/sorting out when it comes to 149/157, along with the Voinovich brothers and Miguel Estrada.

And finally, after the odd offseason saga involving Gabe Arnold, the redshirt sophomore remains listed at 184 pounds (for now).

By Home State

Iowa (x10) – Dru Ayala, Drake Ayala, K. Petersen, J. Rhodes, R. Block, I. Fenton, B. Sampson, B. Kueter, E. Fleshman, G. Marty

New Jersey (x4) – D. Peterson, A. Lavezzola, L. DeLuca, H. Ludington

Ohio (x3) – K. Voinovich, V. Voinovich, T. Miller

California (x2) – J. Cruz, M. Estrada

Colorado (x2) – L. Bowling IV, J. Howell

Illinois (x2) – N. Bailey, M. Caliendo

Minnesota (x2) – J. Kennedy, P. Kennedy

Texas (x2) – A. Ferrari, M. Endene

Arizona (x1) – S. Robles

Georgia (x1) – G. Arnold

Montana (x1) – K. Hernandez

North Dakota (x1) – K. Grebel

Oklahoma (x1) – J. Williams

*32 total athletes*

Notes:

13 different states are represented on the 2025-26 roster – led by the home (Hawkeye) state with 10.

Of interest, New Jersey has jumped all the way up to #2 on the list after not having a single representative as recently as two years ago.

Iowa added Anthony Lavezzola in the 2024 recruiting class, then hauled in a pair of top-ranked prospects from the Garden State (Leo DeLuca – 120, and Harvey Ludington – 190) this past cycle.

Add in Rutgers transfer Dean Peterson and suddenly there’s a quartet of ‘Jersey Boys’ repping the Black & Gold in 2025-26.

By Eligibility

Freshmen = 12 (four true, eight redshirt)

Sophomore = 7

Junior = 6

Senior = 7

Notes:

As many as six of Iowa’s seven seniors could be starters in 2025-26, leaving a lot of production to replace the following year.

That said, there are several internal replacement candidates who could be primed to step in next season. Plus, you can expect the Hawkeyes to be active in the transfer portal just as they’ve been so often in recent years.

Speaking of which…

Transfers

Little Rock (x2) – Nasir Bailey, Jordan Williams

North Dakota State (x1) – Michael Caliendo

Oklahoma (x1) – Joey Cruz

Oklahoma State (x1) – Victor Voinovich III

Rutgers (x1) – Dean Peterson

Wartburg College (x1) – Massoma Endene

Notes:

All seven wrestlers on this list either have or project to play significant roles for the Hawkeyes during their careers.

(Let that be a reminder that Iowa has tended to be very intentional with whom it brings into the program via transfer.)

They’re also all upperclassmen – and will need to be replaced/replenished in the near future.

Class of 2026 commits

Michael Mocco (Florida)

• Ranked #3 nationally at 285lbs
• #15 OVR in Class of 2026

Owen McMullen (Pennsylvania)

• Not ranked at 150lbs
• NR in Class of 2026

Notes:

In what has certainly been an ‘eventful’ 2026 recruiting cycle to date, Iowa has a pair of commits on board in the senior class.

Michael Mocco headlines the pair – giving the Hawkeyes another wildly talented, athletic heavyweight to eventually follow in the footsteps of current starter Ben Kueter.

He’s joined by Owen McMullen – an under the radar Pennsylvania prep who became Iowa’s first 2026 pledge last October.

McMullen missed all of his high school junior season due to injury.

Most of the top 2026 prospects are already committed somewhere, so any more high-profile additions to Iowa’s 2026 class will likely have to come in the form of a flip.

2027 recruiting, however, is very much ramping up this fall – and the Iowa staff has already been on the road visiting numerous top-shelf prospects around the country these past few weeks. Many of those same prospects figure to take official visits to Iowa City during the football season – which we’ll continue to monitor and keep Iowa fans updated on here at Hawkeye Report.