2023-24 Ohio State Wrestling Team Set For Massive Lineup Changes
2023-24 Ohio State Wrestling Team Set For Massive Lineup Changes
A look at the 2023-24 starting lineup for the Ohio State wrestling team filled with big changes.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are coming off a 4th place finish at the 2023 NCAA Tournament and look poised to have another strong season in 2023-24. You can get to know the 2022-23 Ohio State team in our latest documentary series, "Young Bucks" where we embedded with the team throughout the season. Check out the trailer for the series and read the below article for a look at the 2023-24 Ohio State wrestling team.
Projected Ohio State 2023-24 Lineup
125: Brendan McCrone/Andre Gonzales/Vinny Kilkeary
133: Nic Bouzakis
141: Jesse Mendez
149: Dylan D’Emilio
157: Sammy Sasso/Paddy Gallagher
165: Bryce Hepner/Paddy Gallagher
174: Carson Kharchla
184: Seth Shumate/Luke Geog
197: Gavin Hoffman/Luke Geog
285: Nick Feldman
125: Brendan McCrone/Andre Gonzales/Vinny Kilkeary
125 has some big question marks for Ohio State that Coach Ryan didn’t provide much clarity. True freshman Vinny Kilkeary was the #34 overall recruit in the class of 2023 and likely has the most potential out of any of the above wrestlers. However, will Ohio State want to pull his redshirt right away and will Kilkeary be ready to contend with the best in the nation at 125 pounds? Those are the questions that need to be answered for Kilkeary and we’ll likely see him tested in some big duals and at the CKLV.
McCrone and Gonzales are both solid options if Kilkeary isn’t ready to go next year. McCrone went 15-4 in his redshirt year but didn’t record any ranked wins. The most notable results for McCrone were a win over Lehigh’s Sheldon Seymour and a close loss to Michigan’s Jack Medley (8-7). Gonzales competed at the Big Ten tournament after Malik Heinselman went down with a late injury but failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament after going 0-3. Gonzales’ best win last year was over Michigan’s Kurt McHenry and also lost a number of close matches against NCAA qualifiers.
133: Nic Bouzakis
Coach Ryan confirmed that Nic Bouzakis will be in the lineup for the Buckeyes next year at 133 and has made incredible progress during his time in Columbus. Bouzakis was the #4 overall recruit in the class of 2022 and won a bronze medal over the summer at the U20 World Championships in Amman, Jordan. Last year, Bouzakis was 11-1 in his redshirt year with his only loss coming at 141 against #17 Tom Crook. Bouzakis also notably defeated NCAA qualifiers Gable Strickland and #10 Kyle Biscoglia (round of 12) last season. Those wins earned Bouzakis the #9 ranking in our early NCAA rankings and put Bouzakis as a clear All-American threat.
Bouzakis' win over Cael Hughes to make the 2023 U20 World Team:
141: Jesse Mendez
Coach Ryan confirmed a number of weight changes in Ohio State’s lineup - the first being All-American Jesse Mendez’s move up to 141. Coach Ryan made it clear that Mendez will never touch 133 pounds again however he was unsure if Mendez will start next season for the Buckeyes or redshirt. Mendez won a silver medal at the U20 World Championships over the summer and has been vocal about his Olympic aspirations. If Mendez isn't in the lineup, the Buckeyes will likely roll out one of their true freshman wrestlers Brandon Cannon or Boede Campbell.
Jesse Mendez's win over Tyler Kasak to make the 2023 U20 World Team:
149: Dylan D’Emilio
With Sammy Sasso moving up, Dylan D’Emilio will take Sasso’s place at 149 pounds. D’Emilio had a breakout 2023 NCAA Tournament getting on the podium and finishing 8th place at 141 pounds and will look to replicate that success at 149 pounds. He should be a top-10-ranked wrestler from the start of the year and will be interesting to watch as he transitions up into a new weight class.
157: Paddy Gallagher
Sammy Sasso was originally planning on moving up to 157 pounds this season but tragically suffered a gunshot wound this past August during a carjacking. Sasso is reportedly on the road to recovery but will unfortunately miss the 2023-24 season. This means Paddy Gallagher will once again man the 157 spot for the Buckeyes this year. For the past 2 years, Gallagher has been at 157 pounds and even made the round of 16 at the NCAA Tournament last year. Gallagher showed potential last season losing close matches to All-Americans Josh Humphreys (3-0), Will Lewan (6-4, OT), and Peyton Robb (5-4). Ohio State will depend on Gallagher to make a step forward and contend for All-American honors this year.
165: Bryce Hepner
Bryce Hepner announced his presence last year in Ohio State’s wrestle-offs when he defeated All-American Carson Kharchla in a tight, 2-1 match. Then a few weeks later Hepner took out 3-time All-American Cam Amine at the Cleveland State Open. Hepner should be an All-American contender at 165 pounds but could be challenged for the starting spot by teammate Paddy Gallagher.
174: Carson Kharchla
Carson Kharchla is making the move up to 174 pounds after wrestling the first four years of his college career at 165 pounds. Kharchla placed 7th at the NCAA tournament in 2022 but finished in the round of 12 last year. Coach Ryan shared that the weight cut was taking its toll on Kharhcla and he was walking around at 178-179 pounds while wrestling 165. At U23 Nationals, Kharchla made the finals in the 79kg bracket (174.2 pounds) but 2 straight matches to 2-time All-American Dustin Plott. Despite dropping those matches to Plott, Kharchla held early leads in both matches proving he can go with some of the top wrestlers in the country at 174 pounds.
Hear Carson Kharchla talk about his collegiate career and his move up to 174:
184: Seth Shumate/Luke Geog/Ryder Rogotzke
With two-time All-American Ethan Smith graduating, the Buckeyes will see a new face in the starting lineup at 184 pounds. Coach Ryan shared that this will likely be either Seth Shumate or Ryder Rogotzke with an outside chance at Luke Geog. Shumate had a solid redshirt year losing only at 197 pounds (to Luke Geog and Nick Willham) and defeating 2021 All-American John Poznanski.
Ryder Rogotzke is entering his true freshman year for the Buckeyes and was the #19 overall recruit in the class of 2023. We’ll likely see Rogotzke wrestle at a few early opens to see how he fares against collegiate competition. However, it’s most likely that we see Rogotzke remain in redshirt this year.
197: Gavin Hoffman/Luke Geog
Gavin Hoffman is the favorite to start at 197 pounds but Coach Ryan shared that Luke Geog will begin the year at 197 pounds to challenge the 2022 All-American for the starting spot. Last year, Geog recorded a win over national qualifier Andrew Davision (9-5) but lost to eventual All-American Jacob Cardenas (7-1) and #6 Silas Allred (10-2). Coach Ryan shared that there’s a chance Geog might move down to 184 pounds if he were to lose the wrestle-off to Gavin Hoffman.
Luke Geog's win over Seth Shumate to win the 2022 Michigan State Open:
285: Nick Feldman
Nick Feldman is back to 100% after undergoing neck surgery last season. Not only is Feldman healthy, but according to Coach Ryan, he’s also stronger, faster, and quicker than many Ohio State linebackers. That’s bad news for the rest of the heavyweight field and though he’s not ranked now, we should expect Feldman to jump into the top 10 and challenge the best in the country at 285 pounds.