2022-23 NCAA 157-Pound Preseason Preview: A Weight Up For Grabs
2022-23 NCAA 157-Pound Preseason Preview: A Weight Up For Grabs
Get ready for wrestling season with an early preview of the 2022-23 157-pound field.
With the 2021 champ moving up to 165 and the 2022 champ moving on to coaching, 157 has become a weight very much up for grabs. There will be some key guys hopefully healed up, moving up, and coming in. Let’s dig in!
Other preseason weight class previews: 125 | 133 | 141 | 174
Departed
2021-22 157-pound starters not returning
Ryan Deakin, Northwestern
Hunter Willits, Oregon State
Kaleb Young, Iowa
Brady Berge, Penn State
For first the time in five years we’ll be watching a 157 lbs weight class without Ryan Deakin. He was a 5X national qualifier, 3X All-American, and national champion. Hopefully, he still continues to compete while fulfilling his coaching duties.
Hunter Willits is one of the unusual cases of a really good guy still not using his extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA. He goes out as an All-American with a 7th place finish.
Returning 2022 All-Americans
157 lbs podium finishers from last season
Peyton Robb, Nebraska (4th)
Will Lewan, Michigan (5th)
Jacori Teemer, Arizona State (6th)
Austin O’Connor, North Carolina (8th)
These guys are going to be your main title threats.
Watch Jacori Teemer and Peyton Robb’s epic NCAA consi semi-final below.
Moving Out
2021-22 157 lb starters leaving the weight
David Carr, Iowa State (to 165)
Quincy Monday, Princeton (to 165)
It’s been known since his freshman year that David Carr wants to move up. After winning a national title and 3rd place medal while holding the weight for four years, Carr is throwing his hat in a loaded 165 field. Also doing so will most likely by Quincy Monday. Princeton head coach Chris Ayers confirmed this in a recent interview with David Bray. If Monday does decide to stay, he’s a for sure AA and title contender.
Hear why Quincy Monday is deciding to move to 165 below.
Moving In
Potential difference makers moving into 157 this season
Bryce Andonian, Virginia Tech (from 149)
Luka Wick, Cal Poly (from 149)
Isaac Judge, Iowa State (from 165)
The big mover here is obviously Bryce Andonian. The Virginia Tech Hokie took third last year at 149 lbs. Andonian’s skinny frame should allow him to put on plenty of muscle to easily make the transition up. Nicknamed AIRdonian, his throw-heavy style is always a crowd pleaser.
Isaac Judge was Iowa State’s 165 lb starter last year, but with Carr moving up, he will be competing with Cam Robinson, Jason Kraisser, and Grant Stotts for the 157 lb starting spot. Luka Wick competed at 149 lbs while in redshirt last season, but with Dom Demas coming in for the Mustangs, my prediction is he moves up and takes over the 157 lb starting spot.
Healed
The wrestlers who missed time or weren’t the same last year
Brayton Lee, Minnesota
Austin O’Connor, North Carolina
Minnesota’s Brayton Lee was unfortunately forced to undergo season-ending surgery last season after suffering an injury in the dual against Ohio State. While Austin O’Connor didn’t miss any time like Lee, he was clearly not 100% at the end of the year. The 2021 NCAA 149 lb national champion tore the anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, and lateral collateral ligament in his right knee in February, but was still able to tough it out enough to wrestle to a podium finish at the NCAAs. After securing AA status, O’Connor injury defaulted to 8th place.
Coming Off Redshirt
Potential 157-pound starters that were in redshirt last season
Paddy Gallagher, Ohio State
Luka Wick, Cal Poly
Jared Hill, Oklahoma
Alejandro Herrera-Rondon, Oklahoma
Caleb Rathjen, Iowa
Bretli Reyna, Iowa
Cam Robinson, Iowa State
Vincent Zerban, Northern Colorado
Paddy Gallagher is the biggest name of the bunch above. He was the #3 overall recruit in the class of 2021. He went 17-2 during redshirt last season. Tom Ryan recently informed Christian Pyles that Gallagher was slightly injured last season and couldn’t train the way he wanted to, which could have led to the losses. One of those losses came to incoming Penn State freshman, and high school senior at the time, Levi Haines.
Watch Levi Haines beat Paddy Gallagher at the 2022 Edinboro Open below.
True Freshmen
True Freshmen we could see make an impact right away
Levi Haines, Penn State
Hunter Garvin, Stanford
Daniel Cardenas, Stanford
Brendon Abdon, Little Rock
The win over Gallagher last year was no fluke for Haines, and with Brady Berge moving back to coaching, the Nittany Lions are in need of a 157 lb starter. It will most likely be between Haines, Terrell Barraclough, and Joe Lee for the starting spot.
Hunter Garvin and Daniel Cardenas are two other big-time recruits from this class. They both finished up their high school careers at 152 lbs and with All-American Jaden Abas still having a couple of years of eligibility left, they will probably both be looking to move up to 157 where Charlie Darracott is the returning starter.
Brendon Abdon was lower on the big board (#76) but a big pickup for a smaller school like Little Rock. This summer he won Fargo in Greco and took 7th in freestyle.
Title Contenders
The best wrestlers in the field
Austin O’Connor, North Carolina
Jacori Teemer, Arizona State
Will Lewan, Michigan
Peyton Robb, Nebraska
Bryce Andonian, Virginia Tech
Brayton Lee, Michigan
For the previous NCAA previews, we at Flo have been doing favorites, but at 157 there is no clear one, two, or even three guys at the weight. When the best two (maybe three) guys leave the weight, this leaves for a lot of legit title contenders.
O’Connor has been there and done that. He won the 2021 149 lb NCAA title over Sammy Sasso. If he’s 100% healthy, he’s probably the odds-on-favorite to win.
Excluding a healthy O’Connor, I think if you wrestle the NCAA tournament 10 times, you could get four or five different champs.
Watch Austin O’Connor win his 2021 NCAA title below.
All-American Contenders
The group that will present the most potential to All-American or challenge the favorites
Ed Scott, NC State
Jared Franek, NDSU
Josh Humphreys, Lehigh
Dazjon Casto, Pitt
Jacob Wright, Wyoming
Kendall Coleman, Purdue
Jake Keating, Virginia
Johnny Lovett, Central Michigan
Ed Scott is the wildcard of the group. If he shows as much improvement as he did from his freshman year in 2021 to his sophomore year once again, he could be a title contender.
Dazjon Casto was the shining star of the Citadel program, but after four years found a new home at Pitt for his final year.
Even if you’re one of the title contenders, you don’t want to go under Josh Humphreys, one of the meanest top wrestlers currently in NCAA wrestling.
Dark Horse AA Threats
They won't come into the season ranked in the top-15, but an eye should be kept on these guys
Levi Haines, Penn State
Paddy Gallagher, Ohio State
Andrew Cerniglia, Navy
Doug Zapf, Penn
Freshmen Levi Haines and Paddy Gallagher are absolutely threats to All-American if not even possibly contend for a title. Andrew Cerniglia and Doug Zapf both have two years of starting experience under their belts and two national qualifying finishes. If they got hot and the cards fall just right, they could sneak onto the podium come March.
Predictions
1) O’Connor 2) Teemer 3) Robb 4) Lee 5) Andonian 6) Haines 7) Lewan 8) Scott