This season for the Iowa men had its ups and downs, but for the most part the team finished on a high note, culminating in a team trophy at the national tournament and an impressive seven All-Americans.
The team came out of the gates strong, reaching the finals of the National Duals Invitational, which included a win over Oklahoma State despite forfeiting the 285-pound bout to the Cowboys.
Some of the lows included falling in the National Duals finals to Ohio State, followed by a loss to in-state rival Iowa State for the first time in 20 years. They also dropped duals to Penn State, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Oklahoma State.
Despite the regular-season woes, Iowa turned it on in the postseason, punching nine athletes through to Cleveland. On Friday night of the national tournament, all nine were still alive and fighting for a podium spot. Only two came up short — Dean Peterson and Nasir Bailey at 125 and 141, respectively.
Mikey Caliendo extended Iowa’s three-and-a-half-decade streak of having at least one NCAA finalist, and the seven All-Americans marked the fifth time the program has achieved that feat under Tom Brands.
As we look ahead to next season, the Hawkeyes will undergo significant turnover. They lose three-time All-American and two-time NCAA finalist Drake Ayala (133), four-time All-American and two-time finalist Caliendo (165), two-time All-American Patrick Kennedy (174), and Peterson (125).
Iowa has some depth to replace at least two of those weights, but they will likely be active in the transfer portal once it opens on April 1.
125:
Depth: Leo DeLuca (RSFR), Joey Cruz (SR), Keyan Hernandez (SO), Anthony Lavezzola (SO), Dru Ayala (SO)
Many Iowa fans will pin their hopes on the young and promising Leo DeLuca, who was the top recruiting target for the Hawkeyes in their 2026 class. He arrived with plenty of hype but competed in just one match — a win over Missouri’s Mack Mauger at the National Duals in November. Mauger went on to qualify for nationals and finished 1-2.
Looking ahead, Iowa will expect a lot from DeLuca, but he does have talent around him to push for the spot. Veteran Joey Cruz was a national qualifier for the Hawks in 2025 and will return for his final season. Hernandez is another solid option who picked up a win over Cruz at the Soldier Salute.
Further down the road, Iowa has New Jersey prospect Sean Kenny waiting in the wings. With DeLuca’s upside and the future presumably set, Iowa shouldn’t need to return to the portal for a starter at this weight.
133:
Depth: Kale Petersen (JR), Jace Rhodes (SR)
Much has been said about Gabe Arnold’s willingness to make sacrifices for the team by moving around the lineup — and while Arnold deserves credit, Kale Petersen has quietly taken a similar approach, albeit on a smaller scale. Last season, he battled with Cruz for the starting spot at 125, but the weight cut appeared to take a toll and limited his offense.
This season, up at 141, he was much more effective. He scored a major decision over eventual Division III national champion Kade Blume and picked up wins over teammate Jace Rhodes, Northern Iowa’s Max Brady (twice), and Navy’s Caedyn Ricciardi, who finished as a national qualifier. A year ago at 133, he pinned America’s Maximillian Leete, who was Drake Ayala’s bloodround opponent at the 2026 NCAAs.
It may be putting a lot of stock in that Leete match, but if Petersen can compete at his optimal weight class — rather than cutting to 125 or bumping to 141 — he could look like a much more polished wrestler. Iowa may still explore the portal, but Petersen shouldn’t be overlooked as a contributor next season.
Iowa has also secured a commitment from New Jersey’s Paul Kenny, a 2027 verbal and one of the top-rated prospects in his class. The Hawks also have Shamus Regan, who won a Prep National title this year for Lake Highland Prep in Florida.
141:
Depth: Nasir Bailey (SR), Koye Grebel (JR), Bobby Duffy (FR)
While Nasir Bailey did not finish the 2026 season the way many hoped, his performance earned respect after revealing he underwent not one but two hand surgeries — including one at the end of January. Despite that, Bailey remained in the thick of the All-American hunt, narrowly falling to Lock Haven’s Wyatt Henson in the bloodround.
With more time to recover, Iowa fans should remain optimistic about Bailey returning next season.
Iowa is also adding Bobby Duffy from the 2026 recruiting class, and he looks like a potential diamond-in-the-rough prospect. After entering his senior season with a solid national résumé, he climbed from No. 182 to No. 105 on MatScout’s Big Board, posting strong finishes at Ironman and Powerade and winning New Jersey’s single-class state tournament. It will be interesting to see whether he can carry that momentum into his redshirt year at Iowa.
Looking further ahead, Iowa has Israel Borge, currently wrestling at Bixby (Oklahoma), another elite prospect in the 2027 recruiting class.
149:
Depth: Ryder Block (JR), Kael Voinovich (SO)
It was a breakout season for Ryder Block, who reached the podium after injuries slowed the start of his career. He battled knee issues from the end of high school through his redshirt freshman season, but his coming-of-age moment happened at the National Duals Invitational, where he defeated Josh Edmond and Casey Swiderski.
The regular season featured highs — including wins over two-time Big 12 champion Paniro Johnson and a pin over eventual All-American Chance Lamer — along with a few hiccups. After securing an automatic bid at Big Tens, which included another win over Lamer, he earned All-American honors with a highlight victory over Swiderski.
Given his injury history, this was Block’s first full college season. The hope is that he builds on that experience. He’ll have competition in the room as Kael Voinovich continues to push for time.
Looking ahead, Iowa has a couple of 2027 prospects who could impact this weight. Don Bosco’s Dawson Youngblut has already been attending RTC practices in Iowa City, and New Jersey’s Sonny Amato could factor in here as well, though he may project more naturally at 157.
157:
Depth: Victor Voinovich (SR), Miguel Estrada (SO), Jordan Williams (SR), Isaiah Fenton (JR)
All signs point to Victor Voinovich returning as he pursues a medical redshirt after missing the 2024-25 season due to injury. Notably, he did not participate in Senior Day festivities following the Michigan dual, signaling a likely return.
Last year, Iowa alternated between Voinovich and Little Rock transfer Jordan Williams throughout the season. By the postseason, Tom Brands opted for Voinovich, citing that while both were even, Voinovich had “a little bit more fight.” The season ended with Voinovich falling short of qualifying the weight for NCAAs at Big Tens.
Next season, Iowa will have three wrestlers with starting experience, but each must take a step forward to enter the All-American conversation. Williams showed flashes of that potential but also had inconsistent performances.
Estrada returns from injury and could potentially drop back to 149, where he began his career. As a freshman, he bumped up to 157 to fill in for an injured Jacori Teemer, burning his redshirt in the process. After offseason surgery delayed his return until February, he redshirted this past season.
Given the uncertainty at the weight, Iowa could again explore the transfer market, though they currently have capable options on the roster. Looking ahead, Amato and Pennsylvania’s Joey Bachmann — a top-10 prospect in the 2027 class — could factor here, though either could eventually grow into 165.
165:
Depth: CJ Torres (FR), Joey Kennedy (SO)
Perhaps the biggest question on the roster is who replaces Caliendo. Currently, there is no clear heir apparent. CJ Torres is coming off a greyshirt while training with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club, and Joey Kennedy — younger brother of All-American Patrick — is the other in-house option.
Of all the weights Iowa could target in the portal, this appears to be the most pressing need. Torres was a top-50 prospect in the Class of 2025, so there is developmental upside.
174:
Depth: Gabe Arnold (JR), Leister Bowling (RSFR), Paolo Ciatto (FR)
The weight Iowa should have the smoothest transition at is 174, where Gabe Arnold is expected to drop down after earning All-American honors at 197. Arnold has wrestled up in each of his first two seasons as a starter due to Patrick Kennedy holding down 174. As a freshman, Arnold competed at 184 and qualified for NCAAs. With Angelo Ferrari at 184 in 2026, Arnold’s only path to the lineup was at 197. That opportunity came in January after Massoma Endene and Iowa parted ways.
It will be interesting to see Arnold at what should be his optimal weight. The past two seasons required him to rely heavily on speed and be selective offensively due to size disadvantages. His only losses this year (at 174) came to eventual NCAA champion Levi Haines and eventual All-American Danny Wask.
Behind Arnold is Greco-Roman standout Leister Bowling, who redshirted this season, and Paolo Ciatto joins the roster after a greyshirt year with the HWC.
184:
Depth: Angelo Ferrari (SO), Ty Miller (RSFR)
Despite not finishing where he hoped, Angelo Ferrari had a strong freshman campaign. His only three losses came to the eventual NCAA champion and runner-up, all while battling injury.
Ferrari missed six weeks following the Penn State dual. His first action after January 17th came at Big Tens, where he again fell to Penn State’s Rocco Welsh. At nationals, he earned his second win of the season over Missouri’s Aeoden Sinclair, the No. 2 seed before falling to eventual champion Max McEnelly.
With a healthy offseason, Ferrari should be ready to contend for a title next year.
197:
Depth: Harvey Ludington (RSFR), Brody Sampson (SO), Jake Howell (SO), David Calkins (FR)
Last season was viewed as a developmental year for Harvey Ludington, the presumed future at this weight. Despite Endene’s departure in January, Brands preserved Ludington’s redshirt — a move that ultimately paid off given Arnold’s success.
Ludington’s first major test came at the Soldier Salute, where he went 3-2 with losses to All-American Joey Novak and North Carolina’s Robert Platt. In dual action, he fell to NCAA qualifier Wyatt Ingham and Gavin Nelson before winning the Don Parker Open and closing the season with wins over Michigan and Purdue.
His continued development will be key. Late in the season, Ludington showed increased confidence offensively. An offseason focused on preparing to lead the weight will be crucial.
Looking ahead, California standout David Calkins may be a hidden gem in this class. Though he wrestled 215 this season and may not ultimately land at 197, his run to a California single-class state title was impressive, including wins over then-No. 8 Dan Moylan and No. 4 Wes Buford, along with an in-season win over current No. 5 Cael Weidemoyer.
285:
Depth: Ben Kueter (JR), Easton Fleshman (SR), Michael Mocco (FR)
The biggest question at heavyweight isn’t talent — two-time All-American Ben Kueter has proven that — but rather his offseason plans. Will he return to football, or focus solely on wrestling?
After making the U20 World Team following his true freshman season, Kueter stepped away from football to pursue a world title. He had planned to rejoin the football team last year, but hip surgery and a late return in October scrapped those plans.
Whether he resumes football has not been officially announced. If he does, senior Easton Fleshman could see early opportunities in the lineup until Kueter returns, potentially in January.
Looking ahead, Iowa signed heavyweight Michael Mocco in the 2026 class, the son of former Hawkeye multi-time NCAA finalist Steve Mocco. With Kueter holding two years of eligibility and roster limits in place, it will be interesting to see whether Mocco takes a greyshirt to align his eligibility and potentially step into the lineup immediately after Kueter’s career concludes.