2018-19 Redshirt Report: 174 Pounds
2018-19 Redshirt Report: 174 Pounds
The 174 pound redshirt report covers one of the deepest weights in the country of guys who did not compete attached last season.
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Are you wearing your best red colored shirt right now? If not, that's OK, but we'll still be pressing on with Redshirt Report season!
For the fourth year in a row, FloWrestling will be doing a weight-by-weight breakdown of the best guys who did not wrestle last season. The word "redshirt" is being used as a catch-all term for pretty much every good non-starter from a year ago. This includes actual redshirts, injuries, and a few who just couldn't crack the starting lineup.
Previous Redshirt Reports
Some weights will have more names and more name cache than others, because not every weight is created equal. The group at 174lbs is probably the most consistent batch of the weights thus far, and should produce a number of NCAA qualifiers.
Keep your eyes peeled for more NCAA content this summer in the leadup to what promises to be an excellent 2018-19 season. Aside from Michael Kemerer coming into the weight, be sure to also give the wrestlers below a hearty welcome to the 174lb field.
Mikey Labriola, Nebraska
A kid like Labriola is exactly why these redshirt reports were created. The #5 recruit coming out of high school in 2017, he's done nothing but back up his blue chip persona. He started off his year beating David Kocer in the Daktronics Open finals, and also beat Jacobe Smith in the Bob Smith finals a few weeks later; both Kocer and Smith would place at NCAAs. Although he has always been a folkstyle hammer coming out of powerhouse Bethlehem Catholic, he showed some freestyle chops this spring in making the finals of both the Junior U.S. Open and Junior WTT. A whirlwind on his feet, Labriola's only losses were to Round of 12er Dylan Lydy in the Midlands quarters and then again for third.
Drew Hughes, Michigan State
It seems probable Hughes gets a medical redshirt for last season, when he only competed in one dual for the Spartans. He made the Round of 12 as a true freshman and was #16 the last time he appeared in the rankings. Hughes should once again be ranked to start the season and is one of the better guys from the top position at 174lbs.
Anthony Mantanona, Oklahoma
The California native just picked up a gold medal at the Junior Pan Am championships. Mantanona wrestled in three tournaments last season, going 13-2 with his losses coming to Joseph Smith and Devin Kane, who you will see below. Maybe even including Labriola, I don't know if there is a more talented wrestler in this article, as Mantanona showed Anthony Valencia like levels of athleticism in high school. If he can harness that, the Sooners will be set at 174 for the next four years.
Devin Kane, North Carolina
The National Collegiate Open champ comes from a family of athletes, with his father playing football for UMass and his mother was a gymnast at Texas Women's University. The Georgia native wrestled extensively in his redshirt year, going 24-10 while competing in seven tournaments. It should be noted that Kane went 86kg for U23 Trials.
Marcus Coleman, Iowa State
The Cyclones only had one NCAA qualifier last year, but Coleman was perhaps the most talked about guy on the Iowa State bench, outside of Austin Gomez. He went 24-2, picking up bonus in nearly 2/3 of his wins, only losing to Taylor Lujan. At the Open, he faced two guys on this list, beating Anthony Mantanona 23-13 and losing 10-0 to Travis Stefanik.
Travis Stefanik, Princeton
Coming from the same area as Labriola, Stefanik was a state champ in AAA Pennsylvania as a senior at Nazareth high school. The District XI upstart took a greyshirt year and should be the Tigers' starter this season. He finished fifth at the Junior Open, but went just 1-2 at Junior Trials, losing to Trent Hidlay, who he beat at the Open, and Beau Breske, who will likely sit behind Labriola this season.
Kaleb Romero, Ohio State
Romero went 10-1 during his redshirt season, losing to Evan DeLong of Clarion at the Cleveland State Open. Romero was the second highest rated prospect from the Buckeyes' 2017 recruiting class, and was projected as their starter at this weight. However, Romero did go 74kg for the Open and WTT, so he could possibly go 165 this season. Romero went to battle with Labriola in the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic to close out their high school careers.
Jacob Oliver, Edinboro
Along with Labriola, Romero, and Stefanik, Jacob Oliver also wrestled at the 2017 PWC. He was the 36th rated prospect on that year's Big Board, but did take a loss to Bryan McLaughlin of Drexel last season, who was 50 spots lower. Oliver was a four-time state placer at Huntingdon Area and holds the school record for career wins. He won AA state titles as a junior and senior, with the only loss of his senior year coming up a weight to Nino Bonaccorsi, who you'll see in the 182lb redshirt report.
Some other "redshirts" to look out for this year at 174 include but are not limited to:
- Bryan Mclaughlin, Drexel
- Jordan Pagano, Rutgers
- Brad Laughlin, Army
- AJ Pedro, Brown