2020 Title Contenders: 133 Pounds
2020 Title Contenders: 133 Pounds
Who will win an NCAA championship at 133 pounds in 2020? We take an early look at the contenders.
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For as gnarly as the hunt for the 125-pound NCAA title looks to be, 133 is going to be an absolute bloodbath. Although the weight class loses two All-Americans to graduation in John Erneste and Ethan Lizak, and it looks like 2018 third-placer Tariq Wilson will be bumping up to 141 for the 2020 season, the weight class does expect to see the return of Seth Gross, the 2019 133-pound champ.
Plenty may change between now and March, but that won't stop us from running down the way-too-early list of title contenders at what may be (if you will allow us to indulge in some potential hyperbole) the most insane weight class in NCAA history.
Nick Suriano, Rutgers
The first of two NCAA champs expected to be in contention for a second individual title. Nicky Pushups avenged several regular-season losses on his way to a perfect March. Suriano's title was not without controversy, but his name was nonetheless etched in the record books as the first champion in Rutgers program history.
Daton Fix, Oklahoma State
The aforementioned championship controversy was due to what Cowboy fans saw as a blatant disregard of a headgear pull in overtime of Fix' finals match with Suriano. Fix shook off the loss and proceded to win Final X and make his first ever senior world team in freestyle just a few months later. If Fix doesn't take an Olympic redshirt year, he will be even-money with Suriano to take home his first NCAA crown.
Seth Gross, Wisconsin
The only reason Gross is not favored to win 133 after making two consecutive finals and winning the whole dang thing in 2018 is that we've hardly seen him compete over the last year. After falling just short of making the 2018 senior freestyle world team, Gross wrestled just one folkstye match before pulling the plug on the season due to injuries. Having recently transferred to the Badgers from South Dakota State to be reunited with his old coach, Chris Bono, Gross and his two finals appearances will add to an already stacked weight class.
Stevan Micic, Michigan
Micic might also take an Olympic redshirt season as he tries to qualify for Tokyo with the Serbian National Team, for whom he wrestles internationally. If he does compete, expect him and his three All-American honors and one finals appearance to contend for an NCAA title.
Austin DeSanto, Iowa
You can't count DeSanto and his indefatigable motor out of the equation. The Midlands champ and All-American does have a win over Suriano last season on his resume. People forget that.
Luke Pletcher, Ohio State
Is this the year the two-time fourth-place finisher from Latrobe, PA finally break through? Or might we the Buckeye senior finally take a redshirt season. If he's in the lineup, expect Pletcher to be a force.
Roman Bravo-Young, Penn State
RBY showed he could contend in one of the deepest weights in the NCAAs as a true freshman. With another year of experience under the tutelage of Coach Sanderson, there's no reason the young Arizona native can't compete for a title.
Apologies to anyone we've left off the list. Of course, we mean no disrespect to any competitor, however, if someone we don't mention does win a national title, we will gladly take credit for providing the motivation.