While the No. 1 spot for 197 pounds may not be in question, this weight could be an absolute game changer for the NCAA team landscape. A contending team that enters a quality competitor could see huge dividends. What I believe we'll also see in this weight is new names who climb up the rankings quickly. Any young talent will stand out in this weight, quickly.

Title Contenders:

J'den Cox, Missouri

Apologies to the rest of the field, but I can't put anyone else on this list. The one guy you could consider is Brett Pfarr. He was pinned by Cox and lost a very controlled 4-1 match. Maybe someone emerges and contends, but I don't see them coming if they're out there.

J'den Cox takes out Brett Pfarr at Cliff Keen Las Vegas:

CP's Predictions:

1. J'den Cox, Missouri
2. Brett Pfarr, Minnesota
3. Jared Haught, Virginia Tech
4. Brett Harner, Princeton
5. Aaron Studebaker, Nebraska
6. Preston Weigel, Oklahoma State
7. Kollin Moore, Ohio State
8. Malik McDonald, NC State

Round of 12: Marcus Harrington, Iowa State; Jake Smith, WVU; Ryan Wolfe, Rider; Nathan Rotert, SDSU

Nothing too terribly riveting here. If Cox wants the Hodge Trophy, this is the field to do it against in terms of bonus points. I wonder if anyone will be able to take down Cox this entire season. I doubt he gave up many (if any) a year ago. I bet the same will be true this year. Remember, he was taken down exactly zero times in the Rio Olympics. Every match is a must watch with Cox, because he will probably do something or try something you haven't seen before. An undefeated year is coming for Cox.

J'den Cox Ep. 1 | Ep. 2

Brett Pfarr is on his own island here, I believe. He won't be able to take out J'den, but I'd really be surprised if he dropped a match to anyone else in this field.  He really found his stride up at 197. He wrestles an aggressive style, frequently mixing it up with leg attacks and great counters. He's also a very strong top wrestler. Combine that with the standard-issue Minnesota gas tank, and you've got a guy primed for the NCAA finals.

Starting with Jared Haught, we could begin to see some guys able to knock each other off. Haught came on strong last year beating his longtime nemesis Conner Hartmann along with Aaron Studebaker of Nebraska. Haught has a good motor and a fantastic single leg. When you watch him fire it off, you wonder why he doesn't shoot it more often. He made a huge jump from his freshman to sophomore season. Even if he makes a jump about half as much this year, he could put himself in contention for the finals.  

Brett Harner was Princeton's breakthrough performer last year. The big man's move up from 184 pounds paid off. Though he suffered losses to both Ryan Wolfe and Michael Woulfe (seriously), those losses aren't so big and bad (I can't stop). Look for Harner to huff and puff his way to another All-American finish.

Studebaker has been a rock for Nebraska the last few years, but he has just fallen short. Studebaker isn't the biggest 197 around, but he's got very solid leg attacks. I don't see many guys with the tank and point-scoring potential of Studebaker.  

Preston Weigel was a late solution for Oklahoma State, but he came on extremely strong at the end. Weigel knocked off Pat Downey, Jake Smith, Sam Wheeler, and Nate Rotert. For his size, Weigel can really scramble and is a tough top wrestler. He is still young too -- people forget he's just a sophomore. There is a lot more time to improve.

Kollin Moore's name didn't start to ring out to the wrestling public until his run to the Junior World team. However, I have been hearing great stuff about the Buckeye since he first got on campus. Moore has a tremendous drive and work ethic. Combine that with pretty strong natural ability and upside, and there's a lot to be excited about. He's got some weird takedowns, including a drag/trip combo that I haven't seen much outside of little league rooms in rural Virginia.  However, it works for him, and it works against good guys. I mentioned this weight having a huge potential impact on the team race. For teams like Ohio State and Oklahoma State, there are some real opportunities. Moore isn't a superstar at this point, but he could be a difference maker for Ohio State.

Kollin Moore and Malik McDonald clash at Junior World Team Trials:


I'm taking a flier on McDonald. I was able to watch him a lot during my time at N.C. State. The coaching staff is especially high on him. He's got great size and will turn some heads from the top position this year. There are a number of guys in the Moore/McDonald tier. I've been consistently favoring the younger, unproven guys. We'll find out in March if that thinking is accurate.

I'll say this, it is a tad disingenuous to not have Matt McCutcheon included in any rankings. I firmly believe he gets in the lineup somewhere and has an impact.  I'd probably predict him to place at this weight. If he ends up down at 174, I think he is an impact guy as well. For my round of 12, Marcus Harrington, Jake Smith, Nathan Rotert, and Wolfe all have All-American potential. The prospect of Harrington is especially intriguing. If he emerged as a top 5-6 guy this year, I wouldn't be stunned given his skill set.

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