The NCAA wrestling season has finally come to resurrect our passions and deliver us from the autumnal doldrums. Our job, as the first whistle draws ever closer, is to illuminate the most important storylines of the season. Forewarned is forearmed, so arm yourself with our warnings of what to watch for in the 141-pound weight class next season.

Previous Previews: 125 pounds | 133 Pounds

The unknown can be terrifying, a dizzying fear inexorably crawling upon your consciousness, rising above every other impression. A fear made all the greater because, without knowledge, there can be no analysis. And without analysis, the fear becomes a stealthily approaching menace — not death, but some nameless, unheard-of thing inexpressibly more ghastly and abhorrent.

But that's why we're here! To assuage your fears by shining the beacon of wisdom on any unfamiliarities you have regarding the impending 2019-20 NCAA season.

Contenders

#1 Dom Demas, Oklahoma

#2 Nick Lee, Penn State

#3 Luke Pletcher, Ohio State

You'll likely first notice the names not on the contenders list. Two-time defending champion Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell and three-time All-American Jaydin Eierman of Missouri will most likely elect to exercise their Olympic Redshirt eligibility. With those two removed and Joey McKenna completely out of NCAA eligibility, the top three placers from 2019 will not be in contention for a title in 2020. 

As the respective returning fourth- and fifth-place finishers from Pittsburgh, Demas and Lee are undoubtedly the next guys up on the list of contenders. One could argue Lee had a more consistent season, but at NCAAs it was inside trips and upper body throws from the dynamic Dom Demas that made the difference, as the Sooner prevailed over Lee the consolation semifinals.

For more dynamic demonstrations from the dangerous Dom Demas, watch him avenge a regular-season loss to Iowa State's Ian Parker in the Big 12 semifinals in the video below:

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Speaking of consistency, Luke Pletcher finished fourth at NCAAs in the last two years. That was down at 133 in both instances, but Pletcher is no stranger to 141, having wrestled there as a true freshman in the 2016-17 season. 

We have this trio as in the most elite tier for the weight class, but that is by no means an unimpregnable position. 141 is shaping up to be one of the wildest in memory. 

The absence of Yianni and Jaydin opened up a pandora's box of lower weight chaos. As we will explore further in the next section, there are contenders coming from every direction, all with their eyes on the main prize and the means to secure it. 

Other Contenders

#4 Mitch McKee, Minnesota

#5 Grant Leeth, Missouri

#6 Kyle Shoop, Lock Haven

#7 Chad Red, Nebraska

#8 Tariq Wilson, NC State

#9 Max Murin, Iowa

#10 Kaden Gfeller, OK State

We will only indulge ourselves with so many words to clutter your screen, and so we draw a line in the pixels at seven other contenders, with a sentence or two on each of them. 

McKee had a breakout season in his third year in Minneapolis. The true senior could have a similar jump this year, which would put him in the upper echelon of the weight class.

Leeth is a brick house coming down a weight class. One shudders to think of the pressure he will be able to apply his opponents at 141 after seeing what he could do at 149. 

All-American Shoop was criminally slept on last season, present company included. We will not make the same foolish mistake this season. 

Speaking of All-Americans, Chad Red has climbed the podium steps twice in two attempts. If the redshirt junior can avoid an early-season slump like the one he suffered last season, he'll earn a higher seed and make his third attempt at a medal less of a chore.

We don't expect perpetual shot machine Tariq Wilson to have any trouble filling out 141-pounds after two seasons at 133. He may have the highest ceiling (and longest reach) of anyone in the division.

If Murin can emerge out the Iowa wrestling room that includes Austin DeSanto, Gavin Teasdale, and Vince Turk with the Hawkeye 141 varsity gig, he will no doubt be a force to be reckoned with.

Gfeller gave Hodge trophy finalist Anthony Ashnault all he could handle at home in the RAC last season, up at 149-pounds. There is no one he can't hang with at 141. 

Best of the Rest

We stopped at 10 other contenders, but that cuttoff point was admittedly arbitrary. We are more than sympathetic to arguments that #11 Tristan Moran (wins over Lee and McKee), #13 Ian Parker (win over Demas), #15 Sa'Derian Perry (2018 All-American plus a win over Demas), #18 Real Woods (Scuffle runnerup and a top redshirt freshman), among many others are all capable of a deep NCAA run in March. 

Furthermore, if Dom Demas is the top contender, and Ben Freeman beat him last year, who's to say Michigan likely 141-pound starter doesn't have a shot at the title? Certainly not us.

Sneaky Blinders & Landmines

Nomad calls them "sleepers," CP and Bratke call them "sneakers," and we call them "sneaky blinders" because it sounds like the show Peaky Blinders and that show rules and everyone should watch it. 

Grant Willits, Oregon State

Corey Shie, Army

Sal Profaci, American

Willits will enter his redshirt sophomore season as a Beaver and is primed to make a big third-year jump after going 1-2 at the NCAAs last year. The 2019 Pac-12 champ has a long frame but also possesses the strength to power his way to a surprise trip to the podium. 

Shie is one of six returning national qualifiers for head coach Kevin Ward's seasoned Black Knight squad. With multiple wins over fellow qualifiers, Shie could sneak his way into the final eight in Minneapolis. 

Profaci was a qualifier for Michigan in 2017. Now a graduate transfer at American, the change of scenery could be would the New Jersey native needed to find his groove again. 

New Blood

Real Woods, Stanford

Cole Matthews, Pitt

Brian Courtney, Virginia

You may think we'd be above making a "real deal" pun about Real Woods, and boy would you be wrong. Woods, in fact, is the real deal, and the highest-ranked redshirt freshman for a reason. A full year in the Cardinal wrestling room can only have elevated his already high wrestling IQ. Do not be surprised if Woods is in the hunt for a podium step. 

Watch Woods defeat three-time NCAA qualifier Nick Gil in the semifinals of the 2019 Southern Scuffle, and get comfy, this match includes multiple overtime periods:

Cole Matthews went 21-4 last season while redshirting, which included two wins over Cozy Boy and fellow redshirt freshman, Quinn Kinner of Ohio State. 

Courtney has a redshirt freshman season truncate due to injury. He got that year of eligibility back and will be key cog in the formidable Cavalier lightweight battery that includes Jack Mueller and Louie Hayes. 

Key Dates

Sunday, November 10: Stanford at Ohio State

The debut of the Covelli Center will feature a marquee match between freshman #18 Real Woods and senior #3 Luke Pletcher. 

Friday, November 15: NC State at Old Dominion

An early-season clash that could feature two All-Americans in #8 Tariq Wilson and #15 Sa'Derian Perry. 

Friday-Saturday, December 6-7: Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational

This tourney should appear as a key date in every weight class preview, as this event is a veritable beast, likely to feature more All-Americans than any other tournaments save the NCAAs and maybe Big Tens. Slated to appear in Vegas are #1 Dom Demas, #3 Luke Pletcher, #4 Mitch McKee, #7 Chad Red, #12 Sam Turner, #13 Ian Parker, #17 Mitch Moore, #22 Ben Sherman, #23 Ben Freeman, and #25 Nate Limmex. It will be an excellent opportunity for someone to score an upset or two and make a claim for a high ranking, or for one of the big dogs to firmly establish themselves in the upper echelon. 

Wednesday-Thursday, January 1-2: The Southern Scuffle

Like the CKLV — and the Midlands — the Southern Scuffle is one of the NCAA wrestling calendar's premier tournaments. This year's edition will be especially crucial for #6 Kyle Shoop, as it will be Lock Haven's toughest tournament of the season, and give the redshirt senior ample opportunities to prove his bona fides. 

Sunday, January 24: Penn State at Nebraska

There is a good chance #2 Nick Lee will be undefeated when this match goes down. #7 Chad Red, however, will have had the benefit of enjoying a more robust schedule which includes the monstrous CKLV. Lee's schedule doesn't get any easier after this All-American showdown, with #9 Max Murin the week after, then #4 Mitch McKee and #3 Luke Pletcher in the final month leading up to the postseason. 

Sunday, February 2: Missouri at Oklahoma State

#5 Grant Leeth and #10 Kaden Gfeller are both dropping down a weight class. Additionally, Leeth is coming off an injury. Hopefully, both are healthy and ready to go in this late-season dual, as major NCAA seeding implications will be on the line. 

Spey's Spredictions

1) Dom Demas, Oklahoma

2) Nick Lee, Penn State

3) Mitch McKee, Minnesota

4) Kaden Gfeller, Oklahoma State

5) Luke Pletcher, Ohio State

6) Kyle Shoop, Lock Haven

7) Tariq Wilson, North Carolina State

8) Grant Leeth, Missouri

R12) Chad Red, Nebraska

R12) Max Murin, Iowa

R12) Tristan Moran, Wisconsin

R12) Real Woods, Stanford

Unlike the coward Daniel Nomad, we predict bloodrounders in these previews. 

I'm very keen on the possibility that Nick Lee wins this national championship. Penn State wrestlers under Cael Sanderson's tutelage have a pretty good track record with this kind of thing. But ultimately, we're going with the guy who beat Lee the last time they wrestled at the NCAA tournament.

See below:

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Demas' inside trip/throw by/merkle series is second to none. And while Dom hit a rough patch in the middle of last season, where he dropped four dual meet matches in a row, he was able to get back on track by March. We expect more of the same this season. 

On the other hand, Lee will likely have a better record than Demas when NCAA seeds are announced, and his pace and attack rate is a sight to behold. Between Demas' arsenal and Lee offensive pressure, neither one is ever out of a match until the final whistle blows. 

As such, we'd like to propose to the NCAA that if Lee and Demas both make it to the finals, that their match be turned into a best-of-seven series, World Series style. Seems reasonable and fair to us.

The rest of the All-Americans and bloodrounders were absolute torture to pick. We want to see Chad Red on the podium, and he clearly has the talent to get it done, but his inconsistency made it impossible to pick him over the rest of the field. 

Pletcher at fifth is almost definitely underselling him, but we witnessed as McKee made such huge strides last season that we won't be surprised if he forced his way into the finals in his senior campaign. McKee's style may be more suited to freestyle, but he's been working on making his front head pinch long enough to make it equally effective in folkstyle as well. 

Tariq Wilson could also make a mockery of these projections. Following up a season where injuries affected his performance and changing weights makes his future doubly tough to predict. You could say the same thing about Kaden Gfeller. 

And while we're making excuses for our picks, we couldn't force ourselves to pick Wood to break through the bloodround, no matter how hard we tried, but it certainly has a possibility of happening. 

We hope you have enjoyed this illuminating journey through a part of the heretofore inky void of the impending NCAA season. Join us tomorrow as Nomad blazes a perspicacious trail through the murky abyss known as 157-pounds.