174 lbs is one of the deeper redshirt report weight classes. I won't lie -- there aren't a lot of head-turning wins that will make you say, "This guy will contend for a title next year." But a combination of watching these guys progress through the years and their recent seasons made them stand out. Sometimes, just beating who you should says a lot about a wrestler. A lot of guys can't consistently do that, but most of these competitors took care of business when they put it on the line this year.

Christian Brucki -- Central Michigan | 2016-2017 Eligibility Year - Redshirt Junior

Record: 30-6
Brucki had a better season than anyone else in this group. The Chippewa junior had to wait his turn behind three-time conference champion Mike Ottinger, but it appears next year will be all Brucki.

Last season, he took out Jadaen Bernstein, Dylan Wisman, Ben Stroh, Mitch Sliga and Myles Amine. That’s a long list of quality wins for a guy on the bench.  He will slot in nicely the next two years for Central Michigan.

Devin Skatzka -- Indiana | 2016-2017 Eligibility Year - Redshirt Freshman

Record: 26-8
We’ve continued to see development and improvement at Indiana, and I think Skatzka will keep that momentum headed in the right direction for the Hoosiers.  I'm unsure where we’ll see Skatzka weigh in, but I do believe we’ll see Nate Jackson move up. He's so darn big for his weight, I don’t know if he’ll be able to hold it again.

That would pave the way for Skatzka, who had an outstanding 26-8 season while redshirting for Indiana. He began at 165 lbs, but quickly outgrew it and moved to 174 for the remainder of the year.

On the year, he beat round-of-12 finisher Matt Reed as well as Wayne Stinson for his biggest wins.  

Ben Haas -- Lehigh | 2016-2017 Eligibility Year - Redshirt Senior

Record: 14-5
Lehigh's talent is so deep that they could have two, or maybe three, solid Division I teams in their room. As a result, there’s a chance that Haas, as good as he is, may not start this year. Last season, he took out Frank Affronti, Jadaen Bernstein and Elliot Riddick at 174 lbs before heading up to 197, where he defeated Frank Mattiace and Brad Johnson.  

His losses were more or less acceptable, and didn’t particularly stand out. Haas has shown he has the flexibility to compete at a variety of different weights, so seeing him between 174-197 next year shouldn’t surprise anyone.  

Bryce Carr -- Chattanooga | 2016-2017 Eligibility Year - Redshirt Junior

Record: 9-3
Carr only competed at three tournaments this season, but had a fair amount of success at each one. First, he beat his teammate and starter, Sean Mappes, at the Hokie Open. Then, he knocked off Stanford NCAA qualifier Keaton Subjeck. He did take a strange loss to Justin Brown of Campbellsville, but apart from that, he had a very strong season.

Carr transferred to Chattanooga after winning a national title at the NJCAA-level for Darton State. He will have to battle Mappes for a starting spot this year, but if his results from this season are any indication, he’ll have a strong chance at unseating Mappes.

Jake Resider -- Southern Illinois - Edwardsville | 2016-2017 Eligibility Year - Redshirt Senior

Record: 19-6
There’s mounting evidence that that Southern Illinois - Edwardsville is building a national-caliber team. They’re punching wrestlers through to the NCAA Championships and have a pipeline of talent coming into the fold. Residori will be a big part of that next year for the Cougars.

Residori hit six different tournaments and had deep runs in all of them. Not all of his wins were outstanding, but victories against Skatzka and Tim Miklus cannot be overlooked. With a year to go and the Cougars on the rise, don’t be surprised if a guy like Residori (and a few of his teammates) finds a way into the rankings next year.

Myles Amine -- Michigan | 2016-2017 Eligibility Year - Redshirt Freshman

Redshirt Record: 13-2
Amine didn’t have a particularly busy schedule this year for Michigan, but he was successful, losing only to the aforementioned Brucki. Despite getting majored by Brucki earlier in the year, he tightened it up to a 6-5 decision in the Edinboro Open semifinals. This demonstrated significant improvement for the true freshman.

In addition, he knocked off Dylan Wisman this season, which is likely his best win of his redshirt campaign. While questions circulate about Davonte Mahomes' health and future, we'll probably see Amine thrust into duty next year for Michigan.

Dylan Wisman -- Missouri | 2016-2017 Eligibility Year - Redshirt Freshman

Redshirt Record: 20-10
Wisman turned in a very busy redshirt campaign with a whopping 30 matches. Though he didn’t notch many elite wins, he had a nice one over Wisconsin’s Ricky Robertson. Additionally, he had two very close matches against Mike Ottinger.

A solid athlete who relies heavily on his great hips and defense, Wisman is the likely choice to replace Blaise Butler next year at 174 lbs, and I think we’ll see him continue to make strides with his leg-attacks. Wisman has the goods to not only get ranked, but potentially climb inside the top 12 by the year's end.

Wisman did everything but beat Ottinger here:

Taylor Lujan -- Northern Iowa | 2016-2017 Eligibility Year - Redshirt Freshman

Redshirt Record: 13-5
Although Lujan’s record doesn’t indicate this, I’m expecting a very nice season from him in his debut year for Northern Iowa. Lujan had a wild 13-12 loss to Weatherspoon, as well as losses to Barnes and Kocer. But he’s a phenomenal top wrestler, which will only improve as time goes on.

Powered by very strong hips that help him out defensively when guys get through his head hands, Lujan is also dangerous on offense with leg attacks. He can attack both sides and is good with elbow control, as well. His counters are impressively able to stop leg attacks with whizzers as well as funk counters. I love how he sprinkles in upper body stuff as well. Although he probably won't be ranked at the start, Lujan has a very bright future next year, and I think he will will insert himself into the All-American conversation quickly. He’s that talented.

Watch Lujan take out Dakota Geer at FloNationals here:


That throw-by, though..