NCAA Prospect Rankings

NCAA Prospect Rankings - 125 Pounds

There are many ways to rank prospects, starting with the Big Boards. But it's also valuable to project the top 20 wrestlers in a given weight as they jump from high school to college.

The lightest college weight is the most difficult to rank. This is because guys quickly outgrow it and it's hard to project even freshman 106-pounders to stay light forever.

Two-time Cadet world champ Kurt McHenry takes the pole position here, but he is still a bit undersized for the weight. However, the main point of discussion is that it has been years since a legitimate high-level DI prospect was too small for 125.

Patrick McKee takes the second spot and may very well start right away for Minnesota. His resume this year shows he has either made great leaps or just revealed the level he already had reached. Alex Thomsen may also go right away for Nebraska in his first year on campus.

There are a couple hard decisions to be made, such as not including Gavin Teasdale or Pat Glory here, even though they may start their careers at 125. The other issue is between Joey Melendez and Eric Barnett: One of them won't start at North Carolina, but they're both excellent prospects, so luckily that's not our call to make.

Super 32 champ Antonio Lorenzo is the second-highest ranked prospect to not yet commit (behind McHenry) and is a fascinating prospect to dissect. There are four prospects from Illinois, with the Land of Lincoln teeming with lightweights right now.

Please remember that these are prospect rankings and not the same as the high school weight class rankings. Wins and losses play a part, but this is more about the long-term potential for these young men. If you have any questions or concerns, please DM @wrestlingnomad on Twitter or email me at daniel.lobdell@flosports.tv.

Watch Willie and Nomad discuss the 125lb prospects on this episode of Who's #1 The Show.