With the big news of Real Woods announcing that Iowa will be his transfer destination this might be the best time to do a team preview for the Hawkeyes next season.
125- Spencer Lee*
Assuming Spencer Lee comes back to wrestle next season there are a lot of questions that need to be answered. The main one being how healthy is he and will his body let him go through an entire wrestling season.
The only two real guys that could possibly knock him off are Vito Arujau and Pat Glory but at the end of the day I would not bet anything on that.
133- Cullan Schriever
Have not seen this dude wrestle too much in his redshirt year of college but I am already pretty high on him based off of what I have seen so far. He will be replacing Austin Desanto who was a staple and a fan favorite in Iowa. Desanto achieved big things for the Hawkeyes but was never able to get it done at the end.
Schriever in my eyes has the potential to become an All American. I might be getting ahead of myself but I like the lower weights in that room and I think should he develop well he will place next season.
141- Real Woods
Of course the transfer just happened. He will be filling in for Jaydin Eierman which are some big shoes to fill. Woods placed 6th this year at the national tournament and did not have the greatest showing but he definitely has the potential to win it all in a field with talent.
His main competitors would be Andrew Alirez, Cole Matthews, and CJ Composto. I like Composto and think there is a good chance that will be a national finals match next season.
149- Max Murin
Assuming Murin is coming back which he most likely will be he has been a staple in the lineup for the Hawkeyes the past couple of years. He should definitely get on the podium next season with no problem. He has had underwhelming performances in years past but it seems as though he is still improving at a solid pace.
157- Joe Kelly
With Kaleb Young being part of the big group that is leaving this season Joe Kelly will most likely be the one filling in at 157 pounds. He went 4-4 and placed 3rd at the Luther Open. Honestly seems like a guy that might have some trouble being 0-2 in Big Ten dual season.
165- Patrick Kennedy
This something a lot of Hawkeye fans have been waiting for is the debut of Patrick Kennedy. Kennedy has been stuck behind Alex Marinelli in the lineup, he is not that far behind as they wrestled a 3-2 match at the Luther Open. Kennedy will be looking to get himself on the podium next season for sure.
174- Nelson Brands
Brands was put in the rough situation the past couple years as he was the starter at 184 for a bit then Assad took over then he was behind Kemerer this season and got injured. Still has had some big wins in his career and he will be looking to get on that podium next season.
Right now it all depends on how he looks after his injury but most likely expect him to be around 10-15 in the country.
184- Abe Assad
Assad is very solid even though he had a pretty rough start to the season. He looked good with some solid matches against very tough opponents. He is one of those guys that will need to make some big changes should he want to get on that podium but for the time being he is still a top 20 guy.
197- Jacob Warner
The only real bright spot in the lineup this year for the Hawkeyes as Warner was able to punch himself a ticket into the national finals. However with this being said it comes down to matchup especially at 197 and with Ferrari returning it will shake some things up.
Warner is still most likely in the top 5 either way and will be looking to put a national title on his resume before his collegiate career comes to an end.
285- Tony Cassioppi
Did not have the greatest showing at nationals this season but with a torn mcl that is expected. Still finished on the podium placing 7th which in theory is not too bad considering his losses were to Jordan Wood and Mason Parris.
He will be looking to win this weight next season. He has beaten Greg Kerkvliet, and Cohlton Schultz. All he needs to do is stay healthy and wrestle to his potential.
