We're going to take a deep dive into each NCAA weight class and review all the returning studs who didn't start this past year, whether due to taking a redshirt, injuries, or other reasons.

Now Up: 157 Pounds

You can find our redshirt reports on other weights here:
125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 165 | 174

Griffin Parriott, Purdue

The No. 7-ranked wrestler on the 2016 High School Big Board had a relatively quiet redshirt season, going 11-2 without any marquee victories. Parriott didn't suffer any bad losses either, only dropping close matches to All-American Jake Short and junior college champ and Ohio State transfer Dayton Racer.

Parriott has plenty of bona fides though. The Minnesota native is a 2016 Fargo champ in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. He also won the 70kg junior freestyle tournament last week at the U.S. Open after placing third in the 66kg weight class a year ago.

With Purdue senior Alex Griffin graduating, Parriott is in perfect position to take over the 157 weight class next season. The Boilermakers could also potentially save money by only having to replace half of the names in the programs when they list the starter at 157.

You can watch Parriott take the 70kg junior freestyle U.S. Open title over Joe Lee in convincing fashion in the video below.

Evan Wick, Wisconsin

The heavier of the two Wisconsin Wick brothers had an outstanding season of deferred eligibility, finishing the year with a 25-4 record and scoring wins over 2017 NCAA qualifiers TJ Ruschell (his teammate), Alex Griffin, Kyle Langenderfer, Clay Ream, and Colin Heffernan. Wick won seven straight matches in the consolation bracket at the Midlands to finish fourth.

With Ruschell graduating, the Badgers faithful should not expect a drop-off in production at 157 pounds next year with Wick in the lineup. The Californian can also boast of impressive freestyle credentials, having finished third in Las Vegas at the 74kg weight class in the junior freestyle division.

Wick took out ACC champ and NCAA qualifier Taleb Rahmani in his second match of the day at the U.S. Open. You can watch that victory in the video below.

Hayden Hidlay, North Carolina State

Wolfpack fans should be stoked about what they've seen already from Hayden Hidlay. The No. 6-ranked wrestler on the 2016 Big Board had a terrific redshirt season, winning 20 matches against just three losses, all to NCAA qualifiers.

Hidlay took first place at the National Collegiate Open and more recently placed fourth in the loaded 74kg weight class in the junior freestyle tournament at the U.S. Open in Las Vegas.

NC State head coach Pat Popolizio will now have to figure out how to accommodate Hidlay into a lineup that also returns NCAA qualifiers at 157 and 165 pounds, though surely many other programs wouldn't mind having similar problems.

Perhaps Hidlay's most impressive victory at the U.S. Open was his decision over NCAA All-American David McFadden, which you can watch in its entirety in the video below.

Jason Tsirtsis, Arizona State

Assuming he receives a hardship waiver from the NCAA, Tsirtsis will be able to bolster an already formidable Sun Devils lineup with one final year of eligibility. As a two-time All-American with both a third-place finish and an NCAA title, Tsirtsis has more accomplishments than we can fit into this article.

After a full year training with Zeke Jones in the Arizona State wrestling room, Tsirtsis could be ready to reclaim his championship form in 2017-18. Tsirtsis will still have to get past his teammate, Pac-12 champ Josh Shields, to earn the starting spot, but if he does, expect the Indiana native to inflict serious damage at  NCAAs next year.

Richie Lewis, Rutgers

The injury bug hit the Rutgers roster hard last season and senior Richie Lewis was a prime example of the Scarlet Knights' misfortune. Lewis had to shut down his season after just two matches. One of those matches was a 2-0 victory over 2017 NCAA finalist Joey Lavallee. Lewis also notched wins over All-Americans Brian Murphy and Tyler Berger during the 2015-16 season. Those victories and many others have Rutgers fans salivating about the thought of a healthy and hungry Lewis back in the lineup.

Lewis' return could mean either he or NCAA qualifier and rising junior John Van Brill bumps up to 165. Head coach Scott Goodale will have to juggle quite a few returning qualifiers, leaving some Scarlet Knights fans wishing there were more weight classes.

Below you can watch highlights from Lewis' last NCAA match, a drubbing of Joe Tavoso in front of 16,000 fans at an outdoor match held in Rutgers' football stadium.



While it's very early to be speculating on how next year's lineups and weight classes will shake out, we'll do our best to highlight everyone who we think will be jumping off the bench and on to the starting squad. Below is a non-exhaustive list of guys to keep in eye on who may have their breakthrough performance in the 2017-18 season.

• Jake Wentzel, Pittsburgh,
• Justin Thomas, Oklahoma
• Ricky Stamm, Hofstra
• Ryan Blees, Virginia Tech
• Mitch Finesilver, Duke
• Laken Cook, Appalachian State
• Garett Hammond, Drexel

Did we miss anyone? Keep letting us know in the comments!