The 149-pound bracket at the 2008 NCAA Championships holds the title of Toughest Bracket Ever. Six of the eight placers won at least one NCAA title, and the other two reached the finals. 

Here’s a rundown of each wrestler with national tournament placings. 

2008 NCAA Championships: 149 Pounds

1. Brent Metcalf (Iowa), 1st-2nd-1st
2. Bubba Jenkins (Penn State), 2nd-1st
3. Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska), 3rd-1st-1st
4. Josh Churella (Michigan), 4th-2nd-8th
5. Darrion Caldwell (NC State), 5th-1st
6. J.P. O’Connor (Harvard), 5th-6th-1st
7. Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota), 1st-3rd-7th
8. Lance Palmer (Ohio State), 4th-8th-4th-2nd

International Credentials
Burroughs: Six-time World champion, 2012 Olympic gold medalist, 2016 Olympian, three-time World bronze medalist, 2024 World Team (upcoming).

Metcalf: Four-time World Team member

Schlatter: One-time World Team member

Is it the toughest bracket ever? It’s hard to argue otherwise.

The 285-pound bracket at the NCAA tournament could make a run at the title in the next decade. Here are the top eight with current national placings. More credentials will be added after this season. 

2022 NCAA Championships: 285 Pounds

1. Gable Steveson (Minnesota), 3rd-1st-1st
2. Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State), 4th-2nd-7th-6th
3. Jordan Wood (Lehigh), 4th-3rd
4. Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State), 7th-4th-2nd-1st
5. Mason Parris (Michigan), 2nd-5th-1st
6. Lucas Davison (Northwestern), 6th-5th-2nd
7. Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa), 3rd-7th-4th
8. Christian Lance (Nebraska), 8th

Based on college credentials alone, the Class of 2022 doesn’t compare. Digging deeper paints a different picture. Here are age-level and Senior World credentials factored in, including wrestlers who didn’t finish in the top eight. 

Gable Steveson
— 2020 Olympic gold medalist
— 2015 Cadet World champion
— 2016 Cadet World champion
— 2017 Junior World champion

Cohlton Schultz
— 2021 and 2023 Senior Greco World team
— 2017 Cadet World champion
— 2018 Junior World bronze medalist

Jordan Wood
— 2014 Cadet World silver medalist

Greg Kerkvliet
— 2017 Cadet World champion
— 2018 Cadet World silver medalist

Mason Parris
— 2024 Olympian
— 2019 Junior World champion
— 2023 Senior World bronze medalist

Lucas Davison
— 2019 Junior World silver medalist

Anthony Cassioppi
— 2021 U23 World champion
— 2022 U23 World silver medalist

Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force)
— 2023 U23 World champion

Zach Elam (Missouri)
— 2018 Junior World silver medalist

Tate Orndoff (Oregon State)
— 2019 U23 World team

The 2008 bracket holds a commanding lead with NCAA titles won (8 to 4) and finalists (12 to 7).

The 2022 bracket has nine wrestlers with 14 age-level World medals (not including Steveson’s Olympic gold and Parris’s Senior bronze) compared to one for the 2008 team (Bubba Jenkins’s Junior World gold). Metcalf, Burroughs, and Churella made age-level teams but didn’t place. 

Watch Flo’s two-part series on the 2008 bracket and decide for yourself. 

Toughest Bracket Ever: Episode One

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Toughest Bracket Ever: Episode Two

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