Led by seven nationally-ranked wrestlers, eight returning unbeatens and a stable of future Division I talent, Michigan is stocked with wrestlers to watch this season. 

Penn State recruits Josh Barr and Braeden Davis have a lengthy list of victories against high-level opponents. So do Michigan-bound Kaden Horwath and Dylan Gilcher, and Michigan State recruit Remy Cotton has been surging up the national rankings. 

Here’s a look at those five and 20 others to keep an eye on this season in Michigan:

Josh Barr (Davison) — Senior, 175 pounds 

Barr defeated two-time Michigan state champion and current Iowa State freshman Manny Rojas for his third Division 1 state title last season. He owns a 95-1 career mark. Ranked #9 pound-for-pound and #2 in the nation at 170, Barr spent the offseason knocking off noteworthy opponents, sometimes in thrilling fashion. Barr and Pennsylvania's Rocco Welsh (#8 pound-for-pound, #1 at 170) split a pair of entertaining matches with Barr taking an 8-5 in Fargo before Welsh edged him, 5-4, thanks to a riding-time advantage at Who's Number One. 

Barr, a Penn State recruit and #5 on the Class of 2023 Big Board, became the sixth Michigan wrestler to win two Fargo Junior freestyle titles. He bested Wisconsin's Noah Mulvaney (#10 at 170) and New Jersey's Simon Riuz (#11 at 170) on the way to the Fargo finals. At U20 World Team Trials, Barr beat  four-time Georgia State champion and 2021 Super 32 winner Matt Singleton, four-time Oregon state champion James Rowley and Joey Milano, who went 23-6 in open competition during his true freshman season at North Carolina State. 

Manus Bennett (Marlette) — Senior, 144 pounds

Bennett enjoyed his best season yet as a junior, finishing 47-0 and capturing the Division 4, 140-pound state championship, his second title in three years. He was also third in the state as a sophomore. Bennett brings a 116-5 high school record into the coming season.

Jackson Blum (Lowell) — Sophomore, 120 pounds 

Blum, ranked #17 at 120, had an outstanding freshman campaign, going 40-3 and winning the Division 2, 112-pound state championship while racking up 25 pins. In October, Blum won his second straight Grappler Fall Classic title. In July, he became a Fargo All-American for the second time, placing seventh in 16U freestyle competition. Blum also went 5-0 at Junior National Freestyle Duals and was named to the All-Tournament team. He owns wins over fellow nationally-ranked Michigan wrestlers Drew Heethius (#14, 126) and Marello Milani (#6, 120). Blum is #32 on the Class of 2025 Big Board.

Cameron Chinavare (Dundee) — Junior, 126 pounds

Chinavare shined after breaking into Dundee's starting lineup last season, finishing 39-2 and taking the Division 3, 125-pound state championship. He recently placed eighth at 125 at the Grappler Fall Classic.

Kaden Chinavare (Dundee) — Senior, 132 pounds

Chinavare will be going for a second state championship in three years after winning the 119-pound title in Division 3 as a sophomore before placing third at 130 last season and finising 36-4. Chinavare was also third in the state as a freshman and has a 95-13 high school record.

He recently finished fifth in the 130-pound division of the Grappler Fall Classic. 

Remy Cotton (Traverse City Central) — Senior, 190 pounds 

Ranked #11 at 195, Cotton captured his first state championship (Division 1 at 189) last season and finished 27-3 with 17 bonus-point wins. The recent Michigan State commit was seventh in the state as a freshman and second as a sophomore. He boasts a 97-14 high school record, including 55-4 the past two seasons. Cotton was a Fargo All-American, placing eighth in junior freestyle competition, including a win over two-time Oklahoma state champion Jersey Robb (#17, 195). Cotton is #62 on the Class of 2023 Big Board.

Aiden Davis (Dundee) — Junior, 144 pounds

Davis recently placed second at the Grappler Fall Classic, reaching the podium for a second straight year. The Bucknell recruit finished 45-0 last season, winning a second Division 3 state championship. He was also second in the state as a freshman and boasts a 114-6 high school record, 72-1 the past two seasons. 

Braeden Davis (Dundee) — Senior, 126 pounds 

Ranked #6 at 126, Davis won his third Division 3 state championship last season, finishing the season 41-2. He owns a 108-6 high school record and is #28 on the Class of 2023 Big Board. This fall, the Penn State recruit took third at Super 32, knocking off California's Aden Valencia (#8 at 126) and New York's Max Gallagher (#12 at 126) in the process. After winning Cadet and Junior freestyle titles in his previous two trips to Fargo, Davis finished fourth in Junior freestyle this year, including a wins over two-time Minnesota state champion Alan Koehler (#4 at 120) and Nebraska's  Kael Lauridsen (#13 at 120).

Justin Gates (Davison) — Junior, 132 pounds 

A Division 1 state champion as a freshman, Gates was second last season to Detroit Catholic Central's Drew Heethius, currently ranked #14 in the nation at 126. Gates finished the season 30-4 and has gone 56-4 the past two seasons. He won this year's Grappler Fall Classic title at 135, defeating Georgia state champion Blue Stiffler along the way. Gates also beat 2022 Division 2 state champion Owen Segorski (Lowell) at the Beat the Streets Gala in Detroit in June. Last year, Gates took third at both the Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals and IndianaMat Hoosier Preseason Nationals.  

Brayden Gautreau (Gaylord) — Senior, 175 pounds

Gautreau has gone 66-1 the past two seasons at the high school level, winning last season's Division 2, state title at 171. Gautreau recenlty took third at the Grappler Fall Classic, beating two-time Wisconsin state medalist Silas Dailey in the third-place match. In July, Gautreau became a Greco-Roman All-American in Fargo, placing fifth at 170 pounds. Along the way, he twice beat Iowa state champion Nick Fox and defeated Georgia state champion Tyler Secoy. 

Dylan Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central) — Senior, 144 pounds 

The future Michigan Wolverine is ranked third nationally at 145 after an outstanding offseason which included being the only state of Michigan wrestler to win both Super 32 and Grappler Fall Classic titles. The three-time Division 1 state champion also finished sixth in Junior freestyle in Fargo and took fourth at the U20 U.S. Open freestyle competition, where his most stunning offseason win took place — a victory over NCAA qualifier Ryan Jack of North Carolina State. 

At the Super 32, Gilcher, #39 on the Class of 2023 Big Board, took care of Florida's Cooper Haase (#8 at 145) and Pennsylvania's Collin Gaj (#13 at 145). Gilcher also owns wins over Arizona's Tyler Kasak (#2 at 145), Iowa's Ryder Block (#2 at 138) and three-time Minnesota state champion Jore Volk. Gilcher went 41-0 last season and boasts a owns a 108-4 high school record. 

Adam Haselius (Jackson Northwest) — Senior, 190 pounds

Haselius hopes to cap off his prep career with a second straight Division 2 state championship. He took the 189-pound title last season, finishing 45-1. Haselius was also fourth in the state as a sophomore and a state qualifier as a freshman. He boasts a 107-17 high school record, including a 72-3 mark the past two seasons.

Drew Heethius (Detroit Catholic Central) — Senior, 126 pounds 

Ranked #14 in the county at 126, Heethius is seeking a third Division 1 state championship this season after going 32-3 last year. The Princeton recruit also placed third in the state as a freshman and owns a 102-11 high school record, 62-3 the past two seasons. Heethius, #85 on the Class of 2023 Big Board, recently captured his second straight Grappler Fall Classic title, knocking off Georgia's Jake Crapps (#7 at 120) in the 126-pound final. He was second in the 2020 GFC. Heethius was also sixth at Super 32, including a win over Georgia's Drew Gorman (#17 at 126). He was a Fargo All-American in 2021. 

Cole Hopkins (Evart) — Senior, 175 pounds

Hopkins capped an unbeaten season (54-0) with the 171-pound state championship in Division 4. He was also second in the state as a sophomore and seventh as a freshman. Hopkins brings a 114-7 high school record into the coming season and has gone 72-1 the past two years.

Caden Horwath (Davison) — Senior, 126 pounds 

Ranked fifth in the country at 126, the future Michigan Wolverine is seeking a fourth Division 1 state championship this season after going 30-0 last season, including 20 pins. Horwath boasts a 100-2 high school record, 57-0 the past two seasons, including multiple wins over three-time Division 3 state champion and 2021 Fargo winner Braeden Davis of Dundee (#6 at 126).

Horwath, #18 on the Class of 2023 Big Board, recently won the 130-pound Grappler Fall Classic title. In July, Horwath become a Fargo All-American for the third time, placing second in Junior Freestyle, 120-pound competition. In June, he knocked off Ohio's Marcus Blaze (#8 at 120) at Beat The Streets Detroit Gala. Horwath was also a Super 32 champion in 2020.  

Clayton Jones (Detroit Catholic Central) — Senior, 132 pounds

Jones finished 38-3 last season, including 27 bonus-point wins, and captured his first Division 1 state championship. He was sixth in the state as a sophomore after cracking the Shamrocks' lineup and has gone 63-10 the past two seasons. During the offseason, Jones notched wins against Division 2 Michigan state champion Louden Stradling (Gaylord) and Colorado state champion Ramon Salazar. 

Kade Kluce (Dundee) — Junior, 120 pounds 

Kluce is on pace to become a four-time state champion after winning his second straight Division 3 title last season at 112 pounds. He finished 41-6 and has gone 59-8 the past two seasons.

Aaron Lucio (Stevensville Lakeshore) — Senior, 138 pounds

Lucio was dominant last season, going 54-0 and capturing a Division 2 state championship.  He was also second in the state as a sophomore and third as a freshman and boasts a 116-8 high school record. In Fargo, he knocked off three-time Wisconsin state champion Brayden Sonnentag. Lucio has also beaten two-time Kansas state champion Tucker Cell and Georgia state champion Logan Paradice, who’s ranked 15th at 138. Lucio was a U16 Greco Roman All-American in Fargo in 2021. 

Darius Marines (Detroit Catholic Central) — Junior, 150 pounds 

Marines remains on pace to become a four-time state champion. He captured his second Division 1 state title last season, finishing 35-4 with 22 bonus-point wins. In 2021, Marines was one of only two Division 1 freshmen state champions. He takes a 52-6 high school record into this season. 

Conor McAlary (Hudsonville) — Sophomore, 113 pounds

McAlary put together a brilliant freshman season, winning the Division 1, 103-pound state championship and finishing 45-1. He recently decisioned New York state champion Austin Zimmerman to take third place in the 112-pound varsity division of the Grappler Fall Classic.

Connor Owens (Flint Powers) — Senior, 165 pounds

After steady improvement his first two high school seasons, Owens broke through and won the Division 3, 160-pound state championship last season. He finished 18-0. Owens was also second in the state as a sophomore and fourth as a freshman. His boasts a 75-11 high school record, 42-1 the past two seasons.

Talan Parsons (Ovid-Elsie) — Junior, 106 pounds

Parsons went 37-1 last season, capturing a Division 3 state championship. He was 24-1 as a freshman when he placed second in the state. Parsons took fourth at the 2021 Grappler Fall Classic. 

Jarrett Smith (Rudyard) — Freshman, 106 pounds 

Smith made serious noise in Fargo, placing third in the 88-pound junior freestyle competition. After dropping his opening match, Smith reeled off six straight wins by a combined 43-3 margin to become an All-American. He also went 9-0 competing for Michigan Blue at the USA Wrestling National Duals 16-Under event and was named to the All-Tournament team. Smith went 6-3 in Greco during the tournament as well. 

Louden Stradling (Gaylord) — Senior, 132 pounds

Last season's Division 2 130-pound state champion finished 24-1. He was also second in the state as a freshman and sophomore and owns a 104-4 high school record. 

Caleb Weiand (Macomb Dakota) — Senior, 126 pounds 

Weiand was unbeaten (48-0) last season, winning his first state championship after finishing second in the state as a junior. He also a state qualifier as a freshman and boasts a 116-16 career record. Weiand went 7-1 at AAU Scholastic Duals as well.