2018-19 Depth Chart: Iowa Hawkeyes Have Strong Bookends
2018-19 Depth Chart: Iowa Hawkeyes Have Strong Bookends
A deep dive into the 2018-19 depth chart for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and what their long term plans might be for all 10 weights.
Unlock this article, live events, and more with a subscription!
Already a subscriber? Log In
Right as we're about to enter the hottest part of summer, the NCAA content is heating up as well. Today's piece fresh out of the oven: a depth chart for the Iowa Hawkeyes, with more depth charts for the top teams coming in the not too distant future.
One of the most storied programs in college wrestling, the Black and Gold faithful are a rabid fan base that eats up any nugget on recruiting and loves to project forward what their team will look like in 2020 and beyond. Below is a rough sketch of the Hawkeyes' 2018-19 roster.
As you can see, this is broken down by grade, all of which are taken directly from Iowa's roster on their athletic site. Guys in bold are starters, and those in red still have redshirts available. It also includes recruits who are already committed, even though they are just verbals and have not signed national letters of intent.
This list is malleable. The spreadsheet will be updated throughout the year as guys compete at different weights, and if someone's redshirt is pulled, or if it becomes clear someone is no longer the starter. Take it with a grain of salt. But it's a good primer for the rest of the article, which examines this season and the longer term outlook for all 10 weights.
P.S. — Coming soon will be Willie's breakdown of potential recruiting targets for Iowa! We've got you covered both ways: what's already in the oven, and who they might add to the mix over the next several years.
125 Pounds
Weight | Spot | Name | Grade |
125 | 1 | Spencer Lee | SO |
125 | 2 | Perez Perez | SR |
125 | 3 | Cam Shaver | FR |
This Season: When you've got the returning NCAA champ, you tend to feel pretty good about your situation at that weight. When that guy tied for the most team points scored in the 20-year history of that weight, and half of the All-Americans are going up or graduated, you feel even better.
Long-Term Outlook: When you've got three years left of Spencer Lee, you've got to feel pretty good about your 125lb situation. The only long-term question involves him redshirting: will Lee take an Olympic redshirt in 2019-20? And/or will he use a regular redshirt later in his career, a la Nico Megaludis for Penn State? Cam Shaver is the only option on roster now if Lee does either of those, though Justin Stickley could also drop back down for a year if need be. Aaron Cashman may also be an option for a year at 125 if necessary.
133 Pounds
Weight | Spot | Name | Grade |
133 | 1 | Austin DeSanto | SO |
133 | 2 | Jason Renteria | SO |
133 | 3 | Paul Glynn | JR |
133 | 4 | Justin Stickley | SO |
133 | 5 | Aaron Cashman | FR |
This Season: The Hawkeyes beefed up their 133 situation by adding two NCAA qualifiers this summer, both of whom still have three years of eligibility remaining. The indications out of Iowa City are that DeSanto is the favorite to start while Jason Renteria redshirts.
Long-Term Outlook: The coaching staff has no shortage of options at this weight, even with one of Renteria or DeSanto likely to move up to 141 at some point. They can spread the redshirts out in such a way that neither has to lose a year until 2021, and that's only if a spot at 141 doesn't open up. If Cashman redshirts, that makes him eligible to compete through the 2023 season.
141 Pounds
Weight | Spot | Name | Grade |
141 | 1 | Max Murin | FR |
141 | 2 | Vince Turk | JR |
141 | 3 | Carter Happel | SO |
141 | 4 | Danny Murphy | SO |
141 | 5 | Stephen Alvarez | SO |
This Season: We covered this a little in the roster battle article, but Iowa once again has a good problem on their hands. It's not a situation where the team has two or three backups fighting for the starting spot, but rather three qualifier-level or better guys when you include Carter Happel. Now, that's not necessarily cutting it when you're contending for a team trophy like Iowa is, but at least improving upon last year's situation is a must.
Long-Term Outlook: If Murin emerges as the guy, they're fine. If not, it won't be much more than qualifier level for the next 2-3 years until some reinforcements come into play. Again, it's hard to determine what's "good" and what "needs improvement" when you're a group like Iowa pushing for a team trophy. The other question becomes, will Murin eventually bump to 149 after Lugo leaves, and if so, can DeSanto or Renteria make a matching bump to 141?
149 Pounds
Weight | Spot | Name | Grade |
149 | 1 | Pat Lugo | JR |
149 | 2 | Keegan Shaw | JR |
149 | 3 | Aaron Meyer | JR |
149 | 4 | Zach Axmear | FR |
This Season: Edinboro transfer Pat Lugo slots right in for four-time All-American Brandon Sorensen. He's never placed at NCAAs, but his wins indicate that Lugo is good enough to land on the podium. The only caveat might be that this could be the toughest 149lb field in years as guys move up or down to avoid Yianni and Nolf.
Long-Term Outlook: This is a weight that may have to be addressed by the coaching staff immediately in recruiting, especially if Murin bumping up is out of the question. If that's the case, they either need to get a 149 from the class of 2019 who can redshirt, or a 2020 guy who can go right away. A less sure bet is to get a junior college or DI transfer who can fill in for a year or two if the 2019/2020 high school options don't fall into place.
157 Pounds
Weight | Spot | Name | Grade |
157 | 1 | Kaleb Young | SO |
157 | 2 | Jeren Glosser | JR |
157 | 3 | Joe Kelly | FR |
This Season: The fact that Young is dropping down and Michael Kemerer is going up is still puzzling to me, not in the sense that it's a blunder on the part of the coaching staff, but because I never thought Kemdawg would get that big. If Young has any trouble making the weight, Glosser will need to fill in.
Long-Term Outlook: Tough to make sense of this for them long term. Can Nelson Brands make 157 for several years? Will Young be transformative for three seasons? Is neither the answer and does a better option need to be sought via recruiting? Could be a pivotal weight for the Hawkeyes moving forward.
165 Pounds
Weight | Spot | Name | Grade |
165 | 1 | Alex Marinelli | SO |
165 | 2 | Jeremiah Moody | JR |
165 | 3 | Nelson Brands | FR |
This Season: Even in a bear of a weight like 165, Marinelli is a returning AA who was highly ranked coming out of high school. There's little to suggest he will be anything but a solid threat to go deep at the national tournament and put up team points in the teens once again. If his knee injury re-surfaces, Moody's performance at the Junior U.S. Open in April was very encouraging.
Long-Term Outlook: Having three years left of Marinelli, plus the growth projection Brands is on bodes well for this weight being a low priority for the Hawkeyes for the next couple recruiting cycles. The primary question is if 2020 recruit Patrick Kennedy (Kasson-Mantorville, MN) is able to hold 165 after he graduates high school.
174 Pounds
Weight | Spot | Name | Grade |
174 | 1 | Michael Kemerer | JR |
174 | 2 | Mitch Bowman | SR |
174 | 3 | Myles Wilson | FR |
174 | 4 | Tristan McDonald | SO |
This Season: Is it odd to think that Kemerer might be in the same boat at 174 as he is at 157? A strong podium threat with an outside shot at a national title, it might be the most interesting weight change in all of Division this season.
Long-Term Outlook: Kennedy, last year's Super 32 champ at 170, factors in here as well. It's always hard to project where certain kids will end up, but Kennedy or 2019 commit Zach Glazier (Albert Lea, MN) will likely take over this spot if the Hawkeyes can't land another prospect. Wilson might be a stopgap, but it's clear they need to find one more upper middleweight to shore up every spot in the lineup.
184 Pounds
Weight | Spot | Name | Grade |
184 | 1 | Cash Wilcke | JR |
184 | 2 | Cade Brownlee | SO |
This Season: For a guy who wasn't supposed to be a 197, Wilcke performed the job well. The junior won Midlands last season and made the Round of 12 in both of his NCAA appearances, scoring six team points total. Those stats might not burn the world up, but Wilcke is exactly the kind of guy you can depend on to overperform in March.
Long-Term Outlook: While I mentioned Glazier in the 174 outlook, I think his frame is more suited to 184. That means a couple more years of Wilcke before Glazier takes over, with Brownlee waiting in the wings if they need him as a spot starter for a dual or two.
197 Pounds
Weight | Spot | Name | Grade |
197 | 1 | Jacob Warner | FR |
197 | 2 | Steven Holloway | JR |
197 | 3 | Connor Corbin | FR |
197 | 4 | Sam Cook | SO |
This Season: Warner's Midlands gives me a little bit of pause that he can come out right away and be a top-10 guy immediately. But when he beat Willie Miklus, you saw his potential as the #7 recruit from the class of 2017. If Warner can turn guys as effectively in folkstyle as he does in freestyle with his gut wrench, any potential age or strength gaps will be made up for, and quickly.
Long-Term Outlook: Warner is going to be the starter at this weight for the next four years, barring injuries and/or an Olympic redshirt. Odds are, he'll place, and more than once.
285 Pounds
Weight | Spot | Name | Grade |
285 | 1 | Sam Stoll | SR |
285 | 2 | Anthony Cassioopi | FR |
285 | 3 | Aaron Costello | FR |
This Season: Given Stoll's recent situation, as well as the fact that Costello has already used his redshirt, it's fair to ask if Costello could be used in some duals at the start of the year. But unless Stoll reinjures his knee, he should be considered one of the best three or four heavyweights in 2019.
Long-Term Outlook: Cassioppi will take over as the closer next year, giving the Iowa lineup a very strong 1-2 punch from the neighboring state of IIlinois at 197 and heavyweight. In becoming just the second wrestler to ever win back-to-back Junior triple crowns, combined with his Super 32 title, the tea leaves are all reading as favorable for the big man.