A lot happened in Norman since the 2023 NCAA tournament - former head coach Lou Rosselli resigned, former North Dakota State head coach Roger Kish was selected as his successor, assistants Nick Heflin, Sam Hazewinkel and Mike Lightner left, new assistants Austin Marsden and Cam Sykora were brought in, seven wrestlers hit the transfer portal, and eight wrestlers transferred in. While a lot has happened, I still expect 70% of this year’s starting lineup to either be either back from last year’s lineup or coming off of a redshirt year in Norman.
Overview
Head Coach: Roger Kish
Assistants: Teyon Ware, Austin Marsden, Cam Sykora
2023 NCAA Tournament Finish: 40th
2023 NCAA Tournament team points: 6
2023 Big 12 Tournament finish: 4th
2023 Dual Record: 9-8
Returning national qualifiers: 6 (Mosha Schwartz, Jared Hill, Willie McDougald [in 2022], Gerrit Nijenhuis, Tate Picklo, Josh Heindselman)
Returning All-Americans: 0
New national qualifiers: 5 (Antonio Lorenzo, Jace Koelzer, Cael Carlson, Deanthony Parker, Guiseppe Hoose)
New All-Americans: 1 (Stephen Buchanan [for Wyoming in 2021 and 2022])
Last NCAA champion: Cody Brewer (2015)
Last 10 NCAA Championships:
2013: 12th
2014: 10th
2015: 18th
2016: 13th
2017: 32nd
2018: 56th
2019: 25th
2020: Canceled (COVID)
2021: 24th
2022: 29th
2023: 40th
125: Antonio Lorenzo
Antonio Lorenzo announced he would be coming to Norman on July 10th. He spent the first four years of his career at Cal Poly and graduated with a degree in business administration in the spring. While at Cal Poly, Lorenzo amassed a 49-31 record and was a two-time NCAA qualifier. With redshirting in 2020 and a free year in 2021, he still has two years of eligibility remaining.
Other Options: Christian Forbes, Derek Glenn, Conrad Hendriksen
133: Jace Koelzer
Jace Koelzer joins the Sooners from Northern Colorado where he spent the first five years of his college career. A three-year starter at 125 and one-year starter at 133, Koelzer was a national qualifier for the Bears in 2022. While competing at 133 last season, he went 19-11 but failed to qualify. Having competed in the Big 12 for a handful of years, Koelzer will face some familiar competition despite transferring this summer.
Other Options: Kaden Smith, Christian Forbes, Gabe Vidlak
141: #14 Mosha Schwartz
The first familiar face in the lineup will be Mosha Schwartz at 141. Similar to Koelzer, Schwartz is a transfer from Northern Colorado, he just did it back in 2021. Schwartz stood out for the Sooners last season going 22-6 and qualifying for the national tournament. Unfortunately, injuries hurt him in the postseason as he had to default out of the Big 12 Tournament and went 0-2 at NCAAs. With wins over Alan Hart, Casey Swiderski, Cael Happel, Carter Young, Malyk Hines, Clay Carlson, and others, Schwartz comes into the season ranked #14. An exciting wrestler with pinning capabilities, Schwartz should be right in the thick of it nationally and pushing for the Big 12 title come March.
Hopefully, Schwartz can stay healthy as the Sooners options are limited at this weight.
Other Options: Carter Schmidt (in redshirt), Nick LaMorte (in redshirt)
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Mosha Schwartz’s victory over 2023 All-American Clay Carlson last season.
149: #17 Willie McDougald
Willie McDougald came into the 2022 season as a relatively unknown wrestler to those outside of New York. However, after defeating Michael Blockhus, Jarrett Degen, Josh Edmond, Colin Realbuto, and more last season, the Niagara Falls native has become known nationwide as a prominent threat. After his breakout freshman season, McDougald took a redshirt last season and only competed at the Bobby Kauffman Memorial Open. I, and I assume most Sooner fans, are excited about his return to the lineup this season.
I’m also excited about freshman John Wiley. He had a rocky redshirt season last year going just 6-6. However, he did beat Paniro Johnson in the Iowa State dual. Wiley was the #41 overall recruit coming out of high school in 2022.
Other Options: John Wiley, Cam Picklo, Jackson Oplotnik
157: #21 Jared Hill
The first Oklahoma boy in the expected starting lineup will be Jared Hill at 157 lbs. The Broken Arrow native got the start last year as a redshirt freshman and went 18-13 including 1-2 at NCAAs. Entering his third year in Norman and first year under the new regime, this could be a big year for Hill.
While redshirting, I wouldn’t be surprised to see incoming freshman KJ Evans get to compete in a dual or two. Evans was a 3X state champion and nationally ranked for Heritage Hall. He competed at 149 lbs his senior season but is listed on the roster at 157 lbs.
Other Options: KJ Evans, Cam Picklo
165: #21 Gerrit Nijenhuis / Cael Carlson
There will be an interesting roster battle at 165 lbs between Gerrit Nijenhuis and Cael Carlson. Nijenhuis transferred in from Purdue last season and went 16-9 en route to his third-straight NCAA appearance. Carlson is an NCAA qualifier as well though. During his four years at Minnesota, Carlson only started one year. However, he went 18-17 and qualified for NCAAs. The other years he sat behind NCAA qualifier Andrew Sparks. Nijenhuis did wrestle at 174 during the 2021-2022 season, so he could potentially bump. However, that starting spot is going to be just as hard to earn.
Other Options: Alex Vislosky, Tyten Volk
174: #12 Tate Picklo
The #16 overall recruit in 2021, Tate Picklo was highly touted coming out of high school. However, injuries that occurred in senior year and redshirt season gave me my doubts about whether or not he was going to make it in college. The Mustang native put those doubts to rest last season, however, when he went 25-10 and qualified for NCAAs. Similar to teammate Jared Hill, this could be a big year for Picklo. A crazy athlete, Picklo is always entertaining and fun to watch compete.
Other Options: Gerrit Nijenhuis, Mannix Morgan, Gage Hockett
184: Guiseppe Hoose / #17 Deanthony Parker
Just two weeks after Oklahoma announced Kish as the new head coach, Guiseppe Hoose announced he would be transferring from Buffalo. Hoose spent the past three years at Buffalo and two years at Hofstra before that. Last season he went 21-9 and 1-2 at NCAAs. He was ranked as high as #23. This will be his last year of eligibility.
Another potential option is Deanthony Parker. Parker followed Kish from NDSU where he was 18-11 and an NCAA qualifier as a sophomore last year. However, I put him second as I think there is a chance he redshirts given Hoose is on a similar level and he’s got one to use as he never did so in Fargo.
Other Options: Grayden Penner
197: #3 Stephen Buchanan
What a ride for Stephen Buchanan. Buchanan followed coach Teyon Ware from Wyoming midway through last season only to have Rosselli resign after the season and a new coach come in. Luckily for Sooner fans, Kish is keeping Ware on as an assistant and Buchanan is staying in Norman. A 2X All-American, Buchanan is the most credentialed wrestler on the roster for the Sooners. He took 8th in 2021 and 3rd in 2022. In 2022, Buchanan only lost to AJ Ferrari, Jacob Warner, and Owen Pentz. Pentz is the only one still competing and Buchanan has also defeated him and had better results. Also in 2022, Buchanan went undefeated against SDSU’s Tanner Sloan and Missouri’s Rocky Elam, who finished in 2nd and 3rd at NCAAs.
Other Options: Carson Berryhill, Seth Seago
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Both of Stephen Buchanan’s wins over Rocky Elam from 2022 NCAAs.
285: #15 Josh Heindselman
Josh Heindselman had his best season yet last year going 26-12 and making the round of 16 at NCAAs. He had previously had a worse winning percentage and gone 1-2 at NCAAs both as a freshman and sophomore. Heindselman will be pushed by NDSU transfer Juan Mora, who took him to tiebreakers in the dual last season. However, I expect Heindselman to earn the spot. With four Big 12 opponents ranked ahead of him and WVU’s Michael Wolfgram at #16, Heindselman will be battle-tested come postseason.
Other Options: Juan Mora, Ryder Wiese
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