The first week of college wrestling action already brought a number of notable headlines and exciting duals, but this weekend’s bout between No. 5 Virginia Tech vs. No. 8 Ohio State is, without a doubt, the highest-profile match yet this year. The Buckeyes won this barn-burner dual last year in Columbus, 18-13, but the Hokies didn’t leave empty-handed. They picked up key wins from Caleb Henson, Sam Latona and Tom Crook at 149, 133 and 141 that showed the depth of power of this team, even in a loss.
This year’s dual is expected to be similarly competitive, intense and dramatic, given the strength of these two programs and the caliber of their lineups. Here are the three storylines you need to know heading into this top-ten non-conference battle.
Is this the beginning of the Nic Bouzakis revenge tour?
Redshirt freshman Nic Bouzakis came into college as the No. 2 overall recruit in the country and someone expected to make an immediate impact for the Buckeyes. He then went 11-1 in his redshirt year, building the hype. Ironically, Bouzakis’ lone loss that year came in this Virginia Tech dual in 2022 when he bumped up to 141 pounds to wrestle Tom Cook, losing 14-6. Outside of that match though, Bouzakis was dominant. Of his 11 wins, six were pins and two were major decisions. His best win came in the Ohio State vs. Northern Ohio dual where, under the revised redshirt rules, Bouzakis got the start without sacrificing his eligibility, and he beat Round of 12 finisher Kyle Biscoglia 10-6. He looked ready.
And he was ready.
He won his first two matches of the Clarion Open last weekend by fall and then topped Hayden Cunningham, 7-2. Everything was looking good for Bouzakis to roll through his bracket. Then he met Vincent Santaniello of Pitt. Santaniello topped the young standout star 11-4, sending Bouzakis down to the consolidation bracket where he met Angelo Rini and took his second loss of the year 14-8. These losses give Bouzakis a 3-2 record heading into a dual where he was likely already looking for revenge after last year’s loss. Bouzakis is talented, tough and strong. He’s an All-American contender with some unexpected early results, but he’ll have the chance to test himself against one of the best in the weight this weekend and possibly demonstrate to fans across the country that he is indeed on this level when he wrestles No. 7 Sam Latona on Friday night.
Latona, similarly, will come into this dual wanting to make a statement after taking a loss of his own at the Southeast Open to Gabe Whisenhunt of Oregon State. Though Latona did finish the tournament 4-1, the loss to Whisenhunt generated serious headlines, and a win over Bouzakis would give no doubt improve Latona’s confidence and momentum. Latona and Bouzakis have never wrestled collegiately before, though Latona did beat Bouzakis’ teammate Jesse Mendez last year in this dual 3-2. Latona’s unpredictable but elite — he’s someone that has finished as high as sixth at NCAAs in 2021 but ended in the Blood Round in 2022. In the top-heavy weight of 133 pounds, Latona is a name to watch, as is Bouzakis, and their head-to-head battle will provide great insight on where each athlete is heading into this season.
New faces fill rosters for both teams
Bouzakis wrestled five varsity duals for the Buckeyes last year after the NCAA passed new rules allowing freshmen to maintain their redshirt and still wrestle up to five duals, but this bout against the Hokies will mark his first dual officially out of redshirt and as the expected starter for the team. He’s not the only Buckeye making this kind of debut though.
At heavyweight, Ohio State is expected to start yet another highly-touted recruit in Nick Feldman, a Pennsylvania native and the third overall recruit in his class. Feldman actually has some family history with the Hokies too, as his father, Josh Feldman, earned All-American honors with Virginia Tech Wrestling in 1994. Flash forward 29 years, and the young Feldman will now likely take on Hokie heavyweight Hunter Catka in a match where Catka will come in as the favorite on paper, ranked No. 16 to Feldman’s No. 20, but a match where a win could further elevate expectations for the Buckeye big man. Feldman did not wrestle a single match in redshirt last year, but he did go 5-0 at the Clarion Open last weekend with three tech falls and a major. This is clearly a star young athlete with a lot of talent, and now he’ll get his first ranked test as the anchor for the Bucks.
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One weight below Feldman, the Bucks are expected to roll out yet another redshirt freshman in Luke Geog, an Ohio native who went 9-2 in his redshirt season but has yet to compete so far this year. Geog soundly won his wrestle-off last month against Mike Misita, a redshirt sophomore from New Jersey by a score of 19-5, almost entirely via takedowns. Geog’s tough, and he’s shown that he can compete on the national level by virtue of his 2021 Fargo All-American performance and his UWW National All-American honors in 2019. The college scene will be its own challenge for Geog, as it is for every young athlete, but Geog will have a good, early challenge against Virginia Tech’s Andy Smith, a national qualifier who went 15-9 last season. Smith has the rankings advantage by five places, but Ohio State is a program that has put freshman on the map in the past, and Geog has that potential, though fans will know more after watching him compete against a proven competitor like Smith.
I’m blessed to announce I am going to continue my academic and athletic career at The Ohio State University. I want to thank my family, coaches, and all those who have supported me along this journey. Time to begin a new chapter. Go Bucks🌰 pic.twitter.com/wUh73JCxUa
— Luke Geog (@geog_luke) November 9, 2021
While the Buckeyes have a number of new freshmen, Virginia Tech’s expected lineup has just one new ranked name to know: Sam Fisher. After arriving in Blacksburg in 2020, Fisher has been waiting his turn for a chance to be a starter for the Hokies, and this year is looking to be his time. He’ll come into this dual with a 32-14 career record after going 3-1 at the Southeast Open, his only loss coming against All-American Trey Munoz of Oregon State 8-2. With a previous win over All-American Gavin Kane, Fisher has shown flashes of greatness, and he’ll get a chance to chase the podium himself this year as the guy for the Hokies at the weight. His first dual contest as a starter this year will likely come against an Ohio State backup, as All-American Gavin Hoffman sat out the Buckeye wrestle offs and is not listed as a probable, suggesting he needs more time to recover and prep before starting his season. The Bucks have choices at 184 pounds, but certainly Hoffman would be a better litmus test for Fisher, if the Ohio State veteran is able to compete.
Freshman 141-pounder Hunter Mason is also listed on the probables for the Hokies, and while he comes into the dual unranked, he did just bonus his way through the Southeast Open, and his match against Jesse Mendez will allow fans to see exactly how Mason stacks up here in his first season in Blacksburg.
Lineup shifts could impact several ranked matchups
Between the new names on both teams and the storylines surrounding individual athlete growth and improvement, this dual already brings tons of drama, but one additional wrinkle that could have an impact on both the team score and the individual results are possible lineup shifts at the middle and upper-weights, particularly for the Buckeyes.
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As previously mentioned, Ohio State All-American Gavin Hoffman is not listed as a probable starter at 184 pounds for the Buckeyes for this dual, with freshmen Seth Shumate and Ryder Rogotzke listed in his place. Sut middleweight Bryce Hepner is also listed as the second possible starter at 165 pounds behind senior Issac Wilcox. The notable thing about both 184 and 165 pounds is that both weights will feature a ranked match against the Hokies with Virginia Tech expected to field No. 16 Connor Brady at 165 pounds and No. 21 Fisher at 184 pounds. Hoffman would be favored over Fisher at 184 pounds, whereas Hepner would come in just two ranked spots below Brady, if he gets the start. Without those two starters, Virginia Tech may be looking for bonus points and opportunities for separation at those weights.
🖐️ Reasons to Attend @HokiesWrestling Home Opener
— Virginia Tech Wrestling (@HokiesWrestling) November 8, 2023
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The 174-pound weight is also an interesting one in this dual, as Ohio State has All-American Carson Kharchla listed as the expected starter, though freshman Rocco Welsh is also listed. If Kharchla is ready to go, he’ll certainly be an asset for the Bucks. If Welsh gets the start instead, Ohio State is still in solid hands.
Welsh rolled through the Clarion Open in dominant fashion and could wrestle in this dual against Virginia Tech without sacrificing his redshirt. Welsh, though, hasn’t faced anyone like the athlete he could face on Friday if he’s the guy sent out on the mat. Virginia Tech’s Mekhi Lewis, the longtime Hokie upperweight starter, won NCAAs in 2019 and has finished on the podium three additional times throughout his career. After finishing 22-3 last year with a loss to Chris Foca and two losses to Mikey Labriola, Lewis is now back for his final run and aiming to become the first Hokie wrestler in history to win two national titles. Welsh is tough, but if Lewis takes the mat for Virginia Tech, he’ll be looking for bonus.
