Overview

Head coach: Tony Ersland (10th season)

Assistants: A.J. Schopp, Jake Sueflohn, LeRoy Gardner, Leroy Vega

2023 NCAA tournament finish: T-20

2023 NCAA tournament points: 28

2023 NCAA tournament record: 10-7

2023 Big Ten tournament finish: 9th

2023 dual record: 4-11 (0-8)

Returning national qualifiers: 3 (Matt Ramos, Marcos Polanco, Hayden Copass)

Returning All-Americans: 1 (Matt Ramos)

Last NCAA champion: Charlie Jones (1992)

Highest NCAA team finish: 2nd (1950)

Highest NCAA team finish under Ersland: 20th (2023)

Most place winners under Ersland: 2 (2023) 

Last 10 NCAA Championships

2013: 31st (Scott Hinkel)
2014: 39th (Scott Hinkel)
2015: 42nd (Tony Ersland)
2016: 41st (Tony Ersland)
2017: 50th (Tony Ersland)
2018: 28th (Tony Ersland)
2019: 29th (Tony Ersland)
2020: Canceled (COVID)
2021: 26th (Tony Ersland)
2022: 30th (Tony Ersland)
2023: 20th (Tony Ersland)

Summary

Finally!

That’s the best way to describe Purdue’s 2022-23 season. Tony Ersland was hired in 2014 and, prior to 2023, was missing one thing: a place winner at the NCAA Championships. He had a loaded line-up for the 2020 NCAA Championships, and it surely would happen there, but the tournament was canceled due to COVID. 

Nine times a wrestler from Purdue reached the Round of 12 only to fall short. Earning a placer was a benchmark Ersland needed in the hypercompetitive Big Ten conference. 

The Boilermakers broke through when 125-pounder Matt Ramos won an 8-7 quarterfinal match over West Virginia’s Killian Cardinale then pinned Iowa’s Spencer Lee to earn a spot in the finals. Ramos finished second and Parker Filius finished seventh for the team’s best finish under Ersland. 

Ramos is back and is the early-season favorite to win the title, while two other national qualifiers return. Ersland will have lots of fresh faces, highlighted by 2021 U17 World silver medalist James Rowley. This team has potential but navigating a tough Big Ten schedule leads to misleading dual records at times. 

Don’t read too much into wins and losses. The Boilermakers can find the national podium again, which is a positive trend for a team that continues to make gains. 

Purdue’s Projected 2023-24 Line-up

125: Matt Ramos, SR (AA)
133: Dustin Norris, SO
141: Christian White, SO
149: Marcos Polanco, JR (NQ)
157: Kade Law, FR
165: Stoney Buell, SO
174: Brody Baumann, FR
184: James Rowley, FR
197: Ben Vanadia, SO
285: Hayden Copass, SO (NQ)

125: Matt Ramos, SR
2023 record: 35-5
2023 NCAA tournament record: 4-1 (2nd)

Ramos is the focal point of the team following a memorable season where he reached the national finals and put Purdue on the map with his pin over Lee in the semifinals. He enters the season ranked #1 and has a good chance of becoming Purdue’s first NCAA champion since 1992. The Lockport, Illinois, native was consistent all season and will keep the program in the spotlight.

Matt Ramos posted the biggest win of the 2023 NCAA Championships

133: Dustin Norris, SO
2023 record: 15-16

Norris returns as the starter and was consistently in the line-up last season. He wrestled in six matches at the Big Ten Championships but missed out on the NCAA Championships. There are several landmines in the conference but reaching the national tournament would be a big step for the Boilermaker sophomore. 

141: Christian White, SO
2023 record: 12-13

Ersland indicated that this weight is wide open and that everyone is in contention. Because of the recently implemented redshirt rules, true freshman Greyson Clark will get the nod for a few competitions to evaluate his readiness. For now, though, Christian White is the frontrunner and will be in the mix for the spot. This weight was vacated by All-American Parker Filius due to graduation. 

149: Marcos Polanco, SR
2023 record: 13-6

Polanco transferred from Minnesota and is the likely starter. He qualified for the 2021 NCAA Championships and looks to return a second time this season. The West Covina, California, native wrestled in three tournaments for the Golden Gophers last season but no D1 duals. Jayden Reynolds will also contend for the spot. 

157: Kade Law, FR
2023 record: 3-5

Law is the prohibitive starter but Ersland will give true freshman Joey Blaze a hard look following a solid summer of training. Blaze is a Super 32 champion with an upside at the college level. This will be a fun weight to watch play out for the Boilermakers. 

165: Stoney Buell, SO
2023 record: 12-16

Stoney Buell is in a tight battle with Cooper Noehre for the spot. Buell was the starter last season at 165 and Noehre started at 174 with an 8-14 season. 

174: Brody Baumann, FR
2023 season: 17-5

Bauman redshirted last season but saw action in four tournaments and three varsity duals. 

184: James Rowley, FR
2023 record: 8-8

Rowley transferred from Wisconsin where he was .500 during his true freshman season. He posted a 1-3 record during four varsity duals. The Corvallis, Oregon, native won a silver medal at the 2021 U17 World Championships at 80 kg. 

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Rowley reached the 2021 U17 World Finals with this win.

197: Ben Vanadia, SO
2023 record: 13-17

Vanadia was the starter at 184 last season and will move up a weight this year. 

285: Hayden Copass, SO
2023 record: 9-11
2023 NCAA tournament record: 1-2

Copass is a returning national qualifier but Tristan Ruhlman will fight for the spot following an 11-7 season.