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Jumping from one season to the next comes with its line up changes and depth chart shuffles. With seniors graduating and recruits/transfers coming in and out, among other changes, teams will be looking to improve their roster. In a series of articles, I will be breaking down individual wrestlers within each weight class and where they stand inside the Big 12 Conference.
285lbs Conference Overview:
The 285lbs weight class will be returning all of its top eight Big 12 placers from the 2021-22 season. All eight of the top placers from the conference tournament have qualified for the NCAA Championships but none in the weight class have reached an All-American finish. The heavyweight division runs through Wyatt Hendrickson of Air Force. Setting in behind him is a crop of talented wrestlers looking for their way to the top of the conference.
Anticipated Big 12 Matchup:
Wyatt Hendrickson (AF) vs. Zach Elam (MIZ)
- Neither Elam nor Hendrickson has met one another during their times spent wrestling collegiately. Neither wrestler has made it atop the podium on the big stage. Both wrestlers will move into the new season as the top wrestlers in their class looking to battle out to see who can claim their weight division.
285lbs Sleeper:
Zach Elam - Mizzou
- Zach Elam moves into his fifth season with the Tigers and will be looking to make his presence felt in the year. Elam has dropped out of the NCAA tournament just shy of hardware three separate times during his career. Look for this one to make a pleasant run in the coming season is a tough weight division.
Returning 2021-22 Starters:
Wyatt Hendrickson (Jr.) - Air Force - NCAA Championship Seed: 5 - Record: 26-2
Finished the season with a 12-0 conference record and a first-place conference finish in the 21-22 season. Hendrickson is a two-time NCAA qualifier and has reached as far as the blood round in 2021. He ended the 2022 NCAA Championship going 2-2 getting knocked out by decision (9-5) to No. 13 Tate Orndorf (Ohio State) in the third-round consolation.
Luke Surber (So.) - Oklahoma State - NCAA Championship Seed: 19 - Record: 14-10
Finished the season with a 9-5 conference record and a second-place conference finish in the 21-22 season. Suber will be making a return from his first NCAA qualification. He ended the 2022 NCAA Championship going 1-2 getting knocked out by decision (5-0) to No. 13 Tate Orndorf (Ohio State) in the second-round consolation. Surber could look to change weight classes for the coming season
Zach Elam (Jr.) - Missouri - NCAA Championship Seed: 16 - Record: 18-7
Finished the season with a 13-2 conference record and a third-place conference finish in the 21-22 season. Elam is one of three wrestlers in the 285lbs weight division to become a three-time NCAA qualifier. Elam has fallen just shy of reaching a medal in all three of his NCAA appearances, dropping out in the blood round twice and round of 16 once. He ended the 2022 NCAA Championship going 3-2 getting knocked out by decision (4-0) to No. 3 Tony Cassioppi (Iowa) in the fourth round consolation.
Sam Schuyler (Sr.) - Iowa State - NCAA Championship Seed: 24 - Record: 17-8
Finished the season with an 11-4 conference record and a fourth-place conference finish in the 21-22 season. Schuyler is a two-time NCAA qualifier. Sam has spent time with Buffalo prior to transferring to Iowa State in 2021. He ended the 2022 NCAA Championship going 0-2 getting knocked out by decision (8-5) to No. 25 Isaac Reid (Lock Haven) in the first-round consolation.
AJ Nevills (Sr.) - South Dakota State - NCAA Championship Seed: 22 - Record: 28-13
Finished the season with a 15-5 conference record and a fifth-place conference finish in the 21-22 season. Nevills, the second three-time NCAA qualifier, is a transfer out of Fresno State and will be returning for his second season with Jackrabbits. He ended the 2022 NCAA Championship going 1-2 getting knocked out by a major decision (13-1) to No. 5 Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) in the second-round consolation.
Josh Heindselman (So.) - Oklahoma - NCAA Championship Seed: 30 - Record: 15-15
Finished the season with a 6-9 conference record and a sixth-place conference finish in the 21-22 season. Heindselman is a two-time NCAA qualifier. He ended the 2022 NCAA Championship going 1-2 getting knocked out by decision (8-2) to No. 19 Luke Surber (Oklahoma State) in the first-round consolation.
Michael Wolfgram (So.) - West Virginia - NCAA Championship Seed: 27 - Record: 20-11
Finished the season with a 7-5 conference record and a seventh-place conference finish in the 21-22 season. Wolfram will be returning from his first NCAA appearance. He ended the 2022 NCAA Championship going 0-2 getting knocked out by a decision (4-3) to No. 22 AJ Nevills (South Dakota State) in the first-round consolation.
Brandon Metz (Sr.) - North Dakota State - NCAA Championship Seed: 29 - Record: 16-11
Finished the season with a 5-8 conference record and an eighth-place conference finish in the 21-22 season. Metz is the last three-time NCAA qualifier of the heavyweight division. He ended the 2022 NCAA Championship going 0-2 getting knocked out by decision (6-0) to No. 20 Joe Doyle (Binghamton) in the first-round consolation.
Tyrell Gordon (Jr.) - UNI - NCAA Championship Seed: 33 - Record: 11-17
Finished the season with a 6-11 conference record and did not place in the Big 12 Conference Championship in the 21-22 season. Gordon will be returning from the first NCAA appearance of his collegiate career. He ended the 2022 NCAA Championship going 1-2 getting knocked out by a major decision (8-0) to No. 17 Trent Hillger (Wisconsin) in the first-round consolation.
Terren Swartz (So.) - Wyoming - Record: 12-17
Finished the season with a 0-9 conference record and did not place in the Big 12 Conference Championship in the 21-22 season.
Chase Trussell (Jr.) - Utah Valley - Record: 10-8
Finished the season with a 0-9 conference record and did not place in the Big 12 Conference Championship in the 21-22 season.
Other Potential Starters:
Jayden Woodruff (Jr.) - Utah Valley
- Projected starter at 285lbs
Xavier Doolin (Fr.) - Northern Colorado
- Projected starter at 285lbs
- #80 Overall Recruit in 2021
Konner Doucet (So.) - Oklahoma State
- Projected starter at 285lbs
Departures:
Robert Winters - Northern Colorado
Notable Recruits:
Ryan Boersma - Missouri
- #44 Overall Recruit (FloWrestling)
- #67 Overall Recruit (MatScout)
- 4x High School State Medalist (Illinois)
Kevin Zimmer - Wyoming
- #78 Overall Recruit (MatScout)
Chet Buss - Northern Iowa
- #95 Overall Recruit (FloWrestling)
- #119 Overall Recruit (MatScout)
Early Big 12 Tournament Prediction:
- Wyatt Hendrickson (AF)
- Zach Elam (MIZ)
- AJ Nevills (SDSU)
- Michael Wolfgram (WVU)
- Sam Schuyler (ISU)
- Josh Heindselman (OU)
- Jayden Woodruff (UTV)
- Tyrell Gordon (UNI)
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