AMES, Iowa — Paniro Johnson’s ever-present smile conveys his sky-high confidence.

It’s almost time for the college wrestling season and we’re previewing every weight class before the season starts. In the below article, I preview 149-pounds by breaking down the names you need to know to help you get prepared for the college season.

One of the most underrated tournaments of the year kicks off this weekend as the U23 Men's Freestyle Nationals is set to begin Saturday, June 1 at 9:30 AM and conclude Sunday, June 2 with a best two of three series that will begin at 10:00 AM (all times eastern).

The U23 Nationals and U20 World Team Trials brackets will be both massive (mostly the U23 ones) and stacked with some of the most talented and credentialed college wrestlers in the country.

Iowa State posted their best NCAA finish in the Kevin Dresser era last season at 11th. Despite losing key performers Marcus Coleman and Sam Schuyler from the upper half of the lineup, the Cyclones should continue to rise and will once again be pushing for a top-ten finish. Some huge transfers and a lot of movement will give the Cyclones an almost entirely new lineup next season.

CP, JD, and Ben talk about Iowa State and Iowa's gambling situation and potential big changes coming to NCAA wrestling.

Criminal charges have been filed against Iowa State wrestler Paniro Johnson accusing him of tampering with records related to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s probe into sports gambling.

One of my favorite age-level tournaments of the year has arrived - the Junior World Team Trials. The nation’s best high school upperclassmen and college underclassmen putting it on the line for a chance to represent their country overseas.

U20 Nationals (formerly known as UWW Junior Nationals) is one of my favorite age-level tournaments every year. The top high school upperclassmen get to test themselves against the best first or second-year college guys who are often hungry to compete coming out of redshirt. It's the first step in making the Junior World Team as the winner of this event will earn an automatic berth to the best-of-three wrestle-off series against the World Team Trials challenge tournament champion in June.

U20 Nationals (formerly known as UWW Junior Nationals) is one of my favorite age-level tournaments every year. The top high school upperclassmen get to test themselves against the best first or second-year college guys who are often hungry to compete coming out of redshirt. It's the first step in making the Junior World Team as the winner of this event will earn an automatic berth to the best-of-three wrestle-off series against the World Team Trials challenge tournament champion in June.

The 2023 NCAA Wrestling National Championships saw Yianni Diakomihalis join the ultra elite club of four-time NCAA champs, of which only four other wrestlers can claim membership.

Cornell's Yianni Diakomihalis is chasing four-time NCAA champ status in a deep field. He's the clear favorite, but this bracket still has plenty of intrigue.

The Big 12 Wrestling Championships take place in Tulsa, Oklahoma March 4-5. Not only will team and individual conference champions be crowned, but 64 wrestlers will also automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships which will be held in Tulsa two weeks later.

It's the last big week of the NCAA season, and it should be a great one! We'll start off with the most anticipated match of the year between NCAA champions David Carr and Keegan O'Toole during an incredible Iowa State vs Missouri dual, we'll see Cornell vs Ohio State on Saturday, and we'll wrap up with a legacy dual between Oklahoma State and Iowa on Sunday.

Iowa State is making the 100 mile trek northeast on Friday evening to take on the UNI Panthers in the McLeod Center. With the increased level of both programs, this has become one of my favorite duals every year. This year will be no different.