The Iowa Hawkeyes are coming off a fifth-place performance at the 2024 NCAA Championships. They return a good portion of their lineup and picked up a 4X All-American transfer, but will lose key starters in Brody Teske, Real Woods, and Jared Franek. Below is a breakdown of what their lineup will look like and some of the big questions that remain.

Projected Hawkeye Lineup

125: Drake Ayala/Joey Cruz

133: Kale Petersen/Cullan Schriever/Drake Ayala

141: Ryder Block

149: Kyle Parco

157: Cobe Siebrecht/Caleb Rathjen

165: Michael Caliendo

174: Nelson Brands/Gabe Arnold/Patrick Kennedy

184: Nelson Brands/Gabe Arnold

197: Zach Glazier

285: Ben Kueter

125: Drake Ayala/Joey Cruz

With Drake Ayala going 61 kg (134.4 lbs) at U23 Nationals, there has been speculation about whether he will go 133 for the upcoming NCAA season. He went 7-1 and took 3rd place in Ohio. Many people, myself included, think he will be back down at 125. If the Fort Dodge native can make it and be as effective as he was last season, that is the best option for both himself and the team. 

If Ayala has outgrown 125, the Hawks will likely put out Joey Cruz. Cruz was the #33 overall recruit coming out of high school in 2022 but has gone just 3-8 so far in his college career. 

Watch Drake Ayala make the NCAA finals with a win over Eric Barnett below.

133: Kale Petersen/Cullan Schriever/Drake Ayala

If Ayala has outgrown 125, he will get the 133 lb spot. But if Ayala returns to 125, as I believe he will, we could get an all-Iowa roster battle for the 133 lb spot. Mason City native Cullan Schriever has seen a good amount of time in the starting lineup throughout his four years in Iowa City but has never been the starter come Big Tens. He defeated other potential 133 lb starter Kale Petersen at the Soldier Salute last year 2-1. However, the team might be slightly better if he were up at 141

A native of Rockwell, Iowa, Petersen was a 3X state champion and the #52 overall recruit in the class of 2023. Petersen went 4-3 against D1 competition last year as a redshirt. His best win was over national qualifier Angelo Rini.

141: Ryder Block

Another familiar name to Iowans will be Ryder Block. Block was a 3X undefeated state champion at Waverly-Shell Rock with a high school record of 159-1. He was a 2X Fargo champion on the national scene and finished his career #22 on the 2023 Big Board. While he more than excelled at the high school level, there are still questions as to whether he can repeat the success in college as we have yet to see him wrestle a college match. Block spent last season recovering from ACL surgery and did not compete. I, like many fans, have high expectations and am eagerly awaiting the debut of Ryder Block.

Listen to Block talk about getting onto campus and recovering from ACL surgery below.

149: Kyle Parco

As stated above, Parco will likely be back at 149 lbs where he has spent the last four seasons of his career. During those four years Parco has put together quite an impressive resume going 91-18 and earning All-American honors all four years.

157: Cobe Siebrecht/Caleb Rathjen

The return of Cobe Siebrecht from suspension and Caleb Rathjen being forced up from 149 by transfer Kyle Parco presents an interesting wrestle-off situation at 157 lbs for the Hawkeyes. Siebrecht was a 2023 national qualifier at 157 for the Hawkeyes and is currently ranked #19 in the country. Rathjen was a national qualifier last season at 149 and finished the season ranked #18. Rathjen just competed at 70 kg (154.3 lbs) at the U23 National Championships where he took fifth place losing to Iowa State’s Paniro Johnson and NC State’s Ed Scott.

165: Michael Caliendo

Michael Caliendo transferred to Iowa last year and proved to be a great pickup for the Hawks. He went 24-6 and finished in 6th place at the NCAA tournament. With some of the top guys at this weight from last season graduating and/or moving up to different weights, Caliendo is ranked #2 in the preseason rankings behind Mitchell Mesenbrink. Caliendo was 0-3 against Mesenbrink last season with the closest match being 12-6. 

174: Nelson Brands/Gabe Arnold/Patrick Kennedy

This is the biggest question mark for the Hawkeyes - who is going to go 174? Most people assumed it would be 2023 bluechip recruit Gabe Arnold. The Georgia had the best redshirt year of any first-year college wrestler this season going 8-1 with wins over All-Americans Lennox Wolak, Travis Wittlake, and Will Feldkamp. His only loss came at 184 lbs to Oklahoma State’s Dustin Plott, 5-1.

However, Monday morning 2023 All-American Nelson Brands confirmed on FRL that he will be taking his final year of eligibility and planned to do so at 174 lbs. Brands took 5th place at the NCAA tournament at 174 lbs in 2023 before being forced to sit out last season while suspended.

The Hawkeye's third option is 2024 U23 World Team member Patrick Kennedy. Kennedy was the 174 lb starter for the Hawkeyes last season while Brands was suspended and Arnold redshirted. He had previously spent time at 165 lbs where he was a national qualifier in 2023. There was speculation whether he would consider trying to cut down to 157 lbs to try and make the lineup, but when he competed at 79 kg (174.1 lbs) two weekends ago at U23s, that would seem to indicate he will be back at 174 this season.

184: Nelson Brands/Gabe Arnold

While Kennedy is likely too small to make the jump up to 184 lbs, Brands spent two years there and Arnold wrestled three duals at 184 lbs for the Hawkeyes last season. Do they wrestle off at 174 lbs and the loser moves up? Does one concede the 174 spot and move up without a wrestle-off? I’m not sure. It seems like 174 would be the best weight class for both of them.

197: Zach Glazier

Zach Glazier was one of the biggest surprises in all of NCAA wrestling last season. After wrestling just 16 matches in his first four years at Iowa including 1-3 in duals, he started the season 19-0 and got as high as #10 in the national rankings. After going 1-2 at the NCAA tournament, he’s preseason ranked #12.

285: Ben Kueter

Hawkeye fans have good reason to be excited about their closer this season. Ben Kuter was the #2 overall recruit coming out of high school. After making his second U20 World Team, Kueter announced he would be taking off a year of football to focus on his wrestling career. In September, Kueter will attempt to win his second U20 World title before moving on to folkstyle and the college season. Kueter wrestled in four duals for the Hawks last season while in redshirt and only lost to national champion Greg Kerkvliet.