2024-25 Oklahoma State Wrestling Early Lineup Look
2024-25 Oklahoma State Wrestling Early Lineup Look
A breakdown of the potential starting lineup for the 2024-25 Oklahoma State Wrestling Team.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys have been one of the biggest stories this off-season with legendary coach and wrestler John Smith retiring and David Taylor taking the reigns as head coach. On top of that, Oklahoma State added four, huge transfers to an already-loaded lineup that have propelled them to the top 3 in the team rankings. Check out the below article for a full breakdown of the 2024-25 season for the Cowboys.
Projected 2024-25 Oklahoma State Lineup
125: #9 Troy Spratley
133: Cael Hughes
141: #19 Tagen Jamison
149: #19 Jordan Williams/Carter Young
157: #13 Teague Travis/Cam Amine/Caleb Fish
165: #6 Cam Amine/Caleb Fish
174: #5 Dean Hamiti/Brayden Thompson
184: #2 Dustin Plott
197: #20 Luke Surber/Cody Merrill
285: #2 Wyatt Hendrickson
125: #9 Troy Spratley
Troy Spratley had a solid redshirt freshman year last season finishing one win shy of All-American honors. Spratley went 2-2 at the NCAA Tournament and lost in overtime to NCAA runner-up Drake Ayala in the quarter-finals (4-1) before losing in the round of 12 to Tanner Jordan (9-3). Despite the disappointing end to the season, Spratley had victories over numerous All-Americans including wins against Luke Stanich, Tanner Jordan, and NCAA champion Richard Figueroa. Spratley’s currently ranked #9 in the country but he’s capable of defeating anyone in the country at 125 pounds.
133: Cael Hughes
Redshirt freshman Cael Hughes will be the front-runner to start at 133 next year for the Cowboys. Hughes wrestled most of his redshirt last season at 141 pounds but won the U20 US Open in April at 61 kg (134 pounds) with notable wins over Kyler Larkin and Cory Land. Hughes looked great at the Open, but his biggest challenge next season might be making 133 considering he missed weight at the World Team Trials in May. If Hughes can hold 133 all year, he’ll be an interesting addition to the weight and has the potential to score meaningful team points for OK State at the NCAA Tournament.
141: #10 Tagen Jamison
Tagen Jamison went a disappointing 0-2 at the NCAA Tournament after earning the #10 seed. Despite that performance at the end of the year, Jamison had a quality redshirt freshman season with several quality wins. Jamison rose as high as #6 in the country and recorded wins over 2024 All-Americans #4 Brock Hardy and #7 Anthony Echemendia along with other ranked wins over #7 Sergio Lemley, #11 Josh Koderhandt, #16 Vince Cornella, Cole Matthews, #14 Jordan Titus, and Clay Carlson. If Jamison can perform his best at the end of the season, he’s an All-American contender and could climb fairly high up the podium.
Tagen Jamison's win over Brock Hardy at the 2023 CKLV:
149: #19 Jordan Williams/Carter Young
Jordan Williams finished in the round of 16 at the 2024 NCAA Tournament after going 2-2. Williams had his highs and lows in his first year starting for the Cowboys and even defeated All-American Casey Swiderski on his way to a runner-up finish at the Big 12 Championships. Williams showed potential last season but he’ll have to make some notable improvements if he hopes to score any significant team points for the Cowboys next year.
Highlights of Jordan Williams win over Caleb Rathjen at the 2024 NCAA Tournament:
Carter Young started at Oklahoma State for two years at 141 pounds but will likely contend with Williams at 149 pounds last year. Young suffered a knee injury at the end of the 2023 season and spent last year in redshirt so he didn’t have many notable results. Williams will be the front-runner to start at 149 but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Young get a shot to prove himself as the starter.
157: #13 Teague Travis/Caleb Fish
Teague Travis will likely start at 157 pounds next year and had a solid first season in the Cowboy lineup last year. Travis finished in the round of 16 at the 2023 NCAA Tournament in what may have been the deepest weight in the country. Travis surprised many last season with wins over All-Americans Ed Scott, Brock Mauller, and several other ranked wins. 157 pounds will be deep again in 2025 with a potential 6 All-Americans in the field however Travis will be right in the mix.
Teague Travis' win over Brock Mauller:
There is an outside chance we see a roster battle at 157 pounds with Caleb Fish transferring in from Michigan State. Fish was notably a 165-pounder in East Lansing and still has a redshirt available. However, if Oklahoma State wants to put out the best lineup, it might be with Fish making the cut down to 157 pounds. Fish was ranked as high as #8 in the country last year and has notable wins over Julian Ramirez and Cameron Amine. If he can cut down effectively, Fish might be the best option for the Cowboys at 157 pounds.
165: #6 Cameron Amine
Cam Amine was one of the biggest transfers of the off-season coming from Michigan where he earned All-American honors three separate times - 7th in 2021, 4th in 2022 & 2023. However, Amine had his “worst” finish last year when he fell one win shy of All-American honors last season losing to Hunter Garvin in the round of 12, 4-2. Despite that, Amine will be a difference-maker for the Cowboys next year at 165. Mitchell Mesenbrink is currently ranked #1 and defeated Amine twice last year (6-1 and 11-1). However, after Mesenbrink, Amine lost to #2 Caliendo twice in overtime last year proving Amine is right there to make a national final.
174: #5 Dean Hamiti/Brayden Thompson
Dean Hamiti was another huge transfer for the Cowboys in the off-season and will likely move up to 174 pounds next season. Hamiti is a two-time All-American for Wisconsin placing 6th in both 2022 and 2023 at 165 pounds. However, similar to Amine, Hamiti had the worst finish of his career last season when he finished in the round of 12 last year at the NCAA Tournament. Now up at 174 pounds, Hamiti has the potential to score significant team points for the Cowboys, especially considering his ability to secure bonus-point wins. Hamiti has almost a 70% career bonus-point rate and had a career-high 78% bonus rate last year with 10 pins, 8 techs, and 6 majors.
Dean Hamiti's win over Caleb Fish from the 2023 Michigan State Open:
Dean Hamiti does have a redshirt available and if he chooses to use it next year, Brayden Thompson will likely start at 174 pounds. Thompson was an NCAA qualifier last year as a true freshman and ultimately went 0-2 at the NCAA Tournament. Thompson showed promise last year with a win over All-American Peyton Mocco and peaked in the rankings at #20. If Thompson does start next year, expect him to make improvements and climb even higher in the rankings.
184: #2 Dustin Plott
Dustin Plott looked as good as ever last season on his way to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Tournament. Plott, now a three-time All-American, went 31-4 last season with a career-best 71% bonus rate - 8 pins, 9 techs, and 8 majors. Plott’s season was even more impressive considering the competition he faced. Throughout last season, Plott only lost to national champ Parker Keckeisen (three times) and Lenny Pinto while recording ranked victories over Trey Munoz, Isaiah Salazar, Bernie Truax, Bennett Berge, Clayton Whiting, Will Feldkamp, Dylan Fishback, Reece Heller, Lenny Pinto, Aaron Ayzerov, and Sam Wolf. Plott has firmly established himself as the second best 184 pounder in the country and will be the anchor of Oklahoma State’s lineup.
Highlights of Dustin Plott's win over Isaiah Salazar in the semifinals of the 2024 NCAA Tournament:
197: #20 Luke Surber/Cody Merrill
Senior Luke Surber will likely start at 197 pounds for the 4th straight year for the Cowboys. Surber is a three-time national qualifier with his best finish coming at the 2023 NCAA Tournament where he went 2-2 and finished in the round of 16. Surber struggled a bit last year going 14-9 and ending his season with an 0-2 finish at the NCAA tournament. Though he struggled last year, Surber’s 2023 season which included a victory over 4-time All-American Rocky Elam suggests he’s capable of more than he showed in 2024.
There’s an outside chance we could see true freshman Cody Merrill start next year at 197 pounds for Oklahoma State. Merrill is currently ranked as the #12 overall recruit in the class of 2024, won a bronze medal at the 2022 U17 World Championships (in Greco), and is a two-time Fargo champ. Merrill is a huge talent and will be a vital part of Oklahoma State’s future success. We should expect to see Merrill start in a few duals and big open tournaments at 197 pounds to see if he’s ready to make a difference for the Cowboys next season.
285: #2 Wyatt Hendrickson
Wyatt Hendrickson was likely the biggest (for many reasons) transfer over the off-season. Hendrickson placed 3rd at the NCAA Tournament the last two years for Air Force and will be a title contender next year for Oklahoma State. In order to win a national title, Hendrickson will have to figure out a way to defeat defending national champion Greg Kerkvliet who beat Hendrickson twice last year. However, Hendrickson is almost guaranteed to score 20 points at the NCAA Tournament whether he wins or not because of his ability to pin people and score bonus points. Over the past two seasons, Hendrickson has 82 wins and 52 have been pins! Cowboy fans should be excited to watch the Great American Hero in Stillwater and at the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Wyatt Hendrickson's pin over South Dakota State's Luke Rasmussen:
What Will Oklahoma State Place At The 2025 NCAA Tournament?
With the coaching changes and transfers, college wrestling fans have huge expectations for David Taylor and the Cowboys next year. Oklahoma State is currently ranked third in our Team Tournament rankings behind only Penn State and Iowa, a potential finish that would match their best result since 2021. Most of those potential points are coming from four wrestlers - Wyatt Hendrickson, Dustin Plott, Dean Hamiti, and Cam Amine. The Cowboys are getting almost zero points from the front half of their lineup and have legitimate All-American threats in Troy Spratley and Tagen Jamison. The potential is there for Oklahoma State, and if they’re able to put it all together at the NCAA Tournament, this could be the best Oklahoma State team since their runner-up finish in 2016.
Head coach David Taylor talks about his move to Oklahoma State and expectations for the future:
