NCAA Wrestling preseason power rankings: Iowa or Penn State at the top?
By Chris Snyder
2021 Stats
Rank: 6
Dual Meet Record: 6-1
NCAA Champions: 0
All-Americans: 4
141 – Tariq Wilson (3rd)
157 – Hayden Hidlay (5th)
174 – Daniel Bullard (7th)
184 – Trent Hidlay (2nd)
2021 Recruiting
Rank: 4
Recruits: 9
Top 100 Recruits: 5
No. 20 Stevo Poulin (proj – 125)
No. 27 Jacob Null (proj – 174)
No. 42 Joey Milano (proj – 184/197)
No. 46 Derek Fields (proj – 165)
No. 69 Brock Delsignore (proj – 197)
Surely, with 4 All-Americans in 2021 and a top 4 recruiting class coming in, NC State is going to build on their 6th place finish last season. Right?
Not so fast. Let’s dive into some of the moving pieces going into the 2021-2022 season.
Tariq Wilson and Hayden Hidlay are using their extra year of eligibility to return to Raleigh. However, they are moving up to 149 and 174 respectively. Jumping weight classes can sometimes prove tricky and Hidlay is moving up 2 spots from 157 to 174.
In addition, NC State is going to lose one of their All-Americans from 2021 as Daniel Bullard is not returning for his extra year.
Will NC State still be a good team next year? Of course.
But I think they may fall a peg or two in the collegiate wrestling pecking order.