It is a tradition for me to take a look at the lineup for next year on the Monday after the NCAA Championships.
Iowa will have to replace four starters from the lineup for graduating seniors Cullan Schriever(141), Kyle Parco(149), Jacori Teemer(157) and Stephan Buchanan(197).
I can only speculate the lineup for the 2026 season with the existing roster and incoming recruits.
Returning All Americans and NCAA Qualifiers
125 – Joey Cruz NCAA Qualifier
133 – Drake Ayala 2nd
165 – Michael Caliendo 2nd
174 – Patrick Kennedy 4th
184 – Gabe Arnold NCAA Qualifier
Hwt – Ben Kueter 8th
125 – Joey Cruz was an NCAA Qualifier with a 16-14 record and went 0-2 at Nationals. I was impressed with the development of Cruz throughout the season that included three wins over ranked opponents.
In the final InterMat Rankings on March 4 Cruz was ranked #15 at 125.
Iowa has elite recrute Leo DeLuca in the Recruiting Class of 2025. DeLuca is ranked #1 in the country at 120 lbs. and looks to have all of the tools to carry on the great tradition that Iowa has at 125.
As a fan I hope DeLuca gets a year to redshirt and grow into 125.
Possible weight for Iowa to bring in a one year transfer at a high level that will allow DeLuca to redshirt.
133 – Drake Ayala will return for his senior season. Ayala placed second at 125 in 2024 and second at 133 this season.
On the season Ayala was 21-3 with seven tech falls and five major decisions.
I look for Ayala to have a great senior year and go out as a national champion.
141 – Cullan Schriever was our varsity wrestler at 141 at Big Tens but did not qualify for Nationals. Schriever will graduate this spring.
Ryder Block was our top wrestler at 141 earlier this season. He had surgery last week. I am unsure when Block will be ready to return to action as he also had surgery in the offseason last year.
This is a wide-open weight with a potential transfer situation.
149 – If you have been reading my blog you know that I am high on true freshman Miquel Estrada who moved up to compete at 157 this season. I believe Estrada used up a year of eligibility as a true freshman and he will have three years remaining.
On the season Estrada was 13-3 with three pins, four tech falls and three major decisions.
At 149 Estrada won titles at the Luther Open and Grand View Open.
At 157 in the starting lineup Estrada lost 4-2 to national champion Antrell Taylor of Nebraska and 4-1 OT to NCAA semifinalist Trevor Chumbley of Northwestern.
We know Estrada was close to the best at 157 this year. At 149 I believe Estrada can have a real breakout season next year for the Hawks.
157 – This is a wide-open weight for Iowa next season. For right now the frontrunners would be Victor Voinovich and Kael Voinovich. Victor did not compete this season due to injury as a junior. Younger brother Kael was 12-4 as a true freshman at 149.
165 – Michael Caliendo will return for his senior season. He placed seventh as a freshman at North Dakota State and was an NCAA finalist this season and last year at 165 for the Hawks.
This year Caliendo was 24-3 with eleven tech falls and six major decisions.
Caliendo will be ranked #2 at 165 heading into next season.
174 – Patrick Kennedy will return for his final season as a Hawk. It was great to see Kennedy place fourth at Nationals.
This season Kennedy was 18-7 with one pin and eight tech falls.
I believe 174 is the natural weight of Gabe Arnold who was an NCAA Qualifier at 184 this year. Will we see Kennedy and Arnold battle it out for the top sport at 174 next season?
184 – Elite recruit Angelo Ferrari will be ready to go next year. As a true freshman at 184 Ferrari was 11-1 with four tech falls and three major decisions.
The only loss on the year was a 2-1 loss to five-time NCAA national champion Carter Starocci at Penn State in the dual meet.
Ferrari served notice of his potential with a 6-3 SV1 win over previously undefeated and #3 ranked Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State.
I am hoping we see Ferrari make a run at the U20 World Freestyle team this spring.
The anticipation for Ferrari entering the lineup full time as a redshirt freshman next season is sky high.
197 – As with 157 this is a wide-open weight. Iowa will welcome in elite recruit Harvey Ludington from New Jersey next season. Ludington looks to be a great prospect for the Hawks in the Recruiting Class of 2025.
As with DeLuca I am hoping he gets to redshirt next season and grow into 197. Ludington has a great future, and he is a pinner.
Jarell Miller of St. Ed’s is also in the Recruiting Class of 2025. He won a state title at 190 this season. Along with his brother Ty who won a state title at 175 the Millers have a lot of potential and I would not count them out for a future spot in the lineup.
I am anticipating a transfer to fill the varsity spot at 197 for the 2026 season.
Hwt. – Ben Kueter placed eighth at a tough Hwt division as a freshman this season. Kueter was 21-9 this season with one pin, one tech fall and three major decisions against the toughest competition for any Hwt in the country.
I believe the game plan was for Kueter to return to football full time this spring and next fall and to return to the wrestling team in January of 2026.
We will have to wait and see about that. Kueter definitely has a great future at Hwt for Iowa.
As with other wrestling fans I will wait for any news about transfers. Last year the news about Kyle Parco, Jacori Teemer and Stephan Buchanan was announced in May through August.
The 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships will be in Cleveland, Ohio on March 19-21.
The 2025-26 season began today.
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
