Oklahoma State Cowboys Charge Into 2026 NCAA Wrestling National Championships In Cleveland

CLEVELAND, OH — The 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championships are poised to electrify Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, from March 19-21, showcasing the elite of college wrestling in a grueling three-day battle.

Oklahoma State, the powerhouse with a record 34 national titles, enters under head coach David Taylor, aiming to challenge for the team crown. Fresh off a commanding Big 12 Championship victory with multiple individual champions, the Cowboys qualified all 10 wrestlers, joining an elite group of just six teams to do so.

With nine wrestlers seeded in the top eight, their highest count since 2017, OSU is projected for around 90 points, trailing Penn State’s dominant 157 but positioning them as a top contender. 

The Cowboys’ lineup features a mix of veterans and rising stars.

At 125 pounds, junior Troy Spratley (16-3), seeded No. 5, faces No. 28 Andrew Binni of Navy in the first round on Thursday. Advancing could pit him against No. 12 Vincent Robinson of NC State in the round of 16, a rematch of multiple losses, including a 2-1 tiebreaker defeat in last year’s NCAA finals and a 7-3 dual setback. Quarters might bring No. 4 Sheldon Seymour of Lehigh, with semis against No. 1 Luke Lilledahl of Penn State. Spratley’s path is tough, but his experience could yield All-American honors with bonus points.

Freshman phenom Jax Forrest (13-0), the surprise No. 1 seed at 133, draws No. 32 Andrew Austin of Central Michigan first. His bracket favors early dominance, with a potential round of 16 against No. 16 Zan Fugitt of Wisconsin, quarters versus No. 8 Markel Baker of Northern Illinois, and semis against No. 4 Aaron Seidel of Virginia Tech, a rematch of Forrest’s narrow 10-9 win last month.

Forrest, praised by FloWrestling as a “top-seed shocker” with explosive offense, is a strong bet for an individual title. 

At 141, undefeated Sergio Vega (19-0), No. 2 seed, opens against No. 31 Billy DeKraker of Northwestern. Possible round of 16: No. 15 Elijah Griffin of Rider; quarters: No. 7 Nasir Bailey of Iowa (rematch of Vega’s 3-0 overtime victory at National Duals); semis: No. 3 Brock Hardy of Nebraska (Vega is 2-0 this year, including a pin and major decision). Vega’s 52.6% bonus rate makes him a title favorite.

Casey Swiderski (14-5), No. 8 at 149, meets No. 25 Michael Gioffre of Illinois initially. Bracket path: round of 16 vs. No. 9 David Evans of Utah Valley; quarters vs. No. 1 Shayne Van Ness of Penn State; semis vs. No. 4 Collin Gaj of Virginia Tech. No prior rematches noted, but Swiderski’s late-season surge (10 straight wins) could propel him to the podium.

Landon Robideau (16-2), No. 5 at 157, faces Gavin Drexler of North Dakota State first. Potential: round of 16 vs. No. 12 Vinny Zerban of Iowa State; quarters vs. No. 4 Kaleb Larkin of Arizona State (rematch of 4-3 Big 12 finals loss); semis vs. No. 1 PJ Duke of Penn State. Robideau needs to avenge Larkin to advance deep.

At 165, LaDarion Lockett (16-2), No. 5 seed, draws No. 28 Cody Goebel of Wisconsin. Path: round of 16 vs. No. 12 Cesar Alvan of Columbia; quarters vs. No. 4 Nicco Ruiz of Arizona State (rematch of 2-1 tiebreaker Big 12 finals defeat); semis vs. No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink of Penn State. Lockett must boost offense for upsets.

Alex Facundo (16-6), No. 8 at 174, starts versus No. 25 Sergio Desiante of Virginia Tech (whom he beat 4-1 recently). Bracket: round of 16 vs. No. 9 Beau Mantanona of Michigan; quarters vs. No. 1 Levi Haines of Penn State; semis vs. No. 4 Carson Kharchla of Ohio State (Facundo is 1-1 career). A challenging draw for the Big 12 runner-up.

Zack Ryder (12-8), seeded No. 22 at 184 due to a shoulder injury, faces No. 11 Shane Cartagena-Walsh of Rutgers first. Potential: round of 16 vs. No. 6 Eddie Neitenbach of Wyoming; quarters vs. No. 3 Max McEnelly of Minnesota; semis vs. No. 2 Aeoden Sinclair of Missouri. Expectations are tempered by injury; focus on consolations.

Freshman Cody Merrill (17-4), No. 7 at 197, meets No. 26 Ben Vanadia of Purdue. Path: round of 16 vs. No. 10 Mac Stout of Pittsburgh; quarters vs. No. 2 Rocky Elam of Iowa State (rematch of 4-1 overtime dual loss); semis vs. No. 3 Stephen Little of Little Rock. Merrill’s upside could surprise and my personal favorite of all OKST wrestlers.

Heavyweight Konner Doucet (17-3), No. 7 seed, opens against No. 26 Luke Luffman of Illinois. Bracket: round of 16 vs. No. 10 David Szuba of Arizona State (Doucet is 2-0, including 5-2 this year); quarters vs. No. 2 Isaac Trumble of NC State; semis vs. No. 3 Taye Ghadiali of Michigan. Doucet’s consistency positions him for All-American contention.

OSU’s tournament competitiveness relies on depth and bonus points from dominant wins. With high seeds like Forrest and Vega, they could rack up multiple finalists, narrowing the gap to Penn State. However, tough brackets and injuries (e.g., Ryder) temper expectations; a top-three finish is realistic, but overtaking Penn State’s eight-year streak demands flawless execution.

The tournament scoring aggregates team points via placement (16 for 1st, 12 for 2nd, down to 3 for 8th), advancement (1 point per championship win except final, 0.5 per consolation win except medals), and bonuses (2 for pin/forfeit/default/disqualification, 1.5 for tech fall, 1 for major decision). This system favors aggressive teams like OSU and Penn State for racking up extras.

Viewers can catch all action on ESPN+: Session 1 (Thursday, noon ET) on ESPNU; Session 2 (7 p.m. ET) on ESPN; Session 3 (Friday, noon ET) on ESPNU; Session 4 (8 p.m. ET) on ESPN; Session 5 (Saturday, 11 a.m. ET) on ESPNU; Finals (7 p.m. ET) on ESPN. Tickets via NCAA.com. 

In pursuit of a 35th title, OSU’s chief rivals include Penn State (projected winners), Ohio State (89 points), Iowa State, and Nebraska. Taylor’s leadership, featuring Olympic expertise with youth, fuels optimism for a triumphant Cleveland run.