Our #4 Iowa Hawkeyes formally take the mat for the 2026-27 season towards Bellarmine, who’s turning into a perennial opponent. This marks the third consecutive season (and third time total) that we’ve toed the road towards the Knights. Up to now we’re pitching a shutouts with 49-0 and 40-0 twin wins in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Sadly we’re down two starters in 157lb #18/#16 Jordan Williams and Lehigh switch 133lb #5/#2 Ryan Crookham, so we gained’t be seeing our staff at full energy simply but.
Fast Notes:
Williams is serving a one twin suspension for an OWI cost that occurred in early September.
He additionally had a tumultuous ending final season that resulted in him being benched main as much as the the Large Ten event and coincidentally, the NCAA’s. There was rampant discuss that he’d switch out following the benching, however he double downed, put within the work, and exploded onto the freestyle scene over the summer time, which makes his bone-headed mistake in September all of the extra obtrusive.
He represented Workforce USA on the U23 Championships and positioned third on the Senior U.S. Open and completed 4th on the Senior World Workforce Trials. The expertise is clearly there and we’d like him to be at his best possible as a wrestler and extra importantly, as an individual, for Iowa to search out the staff podium this coming March.
We return 4 All-People from final yr: Ryder Block, Gabe Arnold, Angelo Ferrari, and Ben Kueter. Moreover Ryan Crookhamm positioned third and Nasir Bailey 4th in 2024 whereas competing for Lehigh and Little Rock.
For those who tuned in for the 25-26 season, we return 6 former starters in Bailey, Block, Williams, Arnold, Ferrari, and Kueter. We picked up Carter Schubert from Oklahoma to switch 2x finalist, Mikey Caliendo at 165 and Crookham to take over for departing 3x AA Drake Ayala at 133.
Likewise, 125lb Leo Deluca, who was the 2024 #9 pound-for-pound recruit will lastly make his hawkeye debut as the complete time starter. Leo seems to be to proceed our light-weight success following Spencer Lee, Ayala and final yr’s Dean Peterson.
OPPORTUNITIES:
All through the early going I’ll carefully been eyeing Angelo Ferrari and his assault price. He had a e final yr, which isn’t the place he or we’d like him to be. He has a highend motor and arguably one of the best protection in your complete discipline, however he must discover a option to open up that offense if he’s going to be wrestling Saturday Night time in March. As a result of the highest 4 at 184 is loaded…
Offense can be the important thing for Ben Kueter, who’s now totally wholesome and 100% all in on wrestling (supposedly leaving soccer within the rearview mirror). Fortunately, the sector has cleared out over the previous two seasons with the likes of Gable Steveson, Wyatt Hendrickson, Greg Kerkvliet, Isaac Trumble, Aj Ferrari, and Yonger Bastida all departing. If he’s going to take advantage of a chance, that is it.
Gabe Arnold was the center and soul of the staff final yr, regardless of wrestling up two weight lessons he heroically fought his means onto the rostrum and a seventh place end at 197lb. Now, he’s again at his pure weight at 174lb, which ought to present a spark to his offensive skills. 174 fields a number of finalist contenders, however sadly for this class, PSU’s 2x champ, Mitchell Mesenbrink, has bumped up from 165lb. It’ll be powerful sledding for everybody, however Arnold could be very a lot within the combine with guys ranked #2 – #8.
Lastly, Bailey has stumbled the previous two season since he landed 4th place as a freshman. Like Williams (each transfered from Little Rock) the expertise is there, it’s only a matter of placing all of it collectively and wrestling a full 7 minutes. When Nasir is trying to find his photographs he’s at his greatest.
Tom and Terry Manufacturers are getting into their twenty first season main this staff – and it’ll be one of the vital difficult. Penn State is Penn State and much and away the front-runners. Oklahoma State has come on quick and robust since David Taylor took over and inside two years they’re already 2nd greatest within the nation. IMO – they’re not fairly able to compete with a full energy PSU, however life occurs and the Cowboys are proper there nipping at their heels.
Sadly, that leaves us doubtless battling for third with Nebraska, Virginia Tech, Ohio St., and potential Stanford. We’re a staff with lots of questions and uncertainty, but additionally lots of upside. Manufacturers preaches offense, now it’s time to show these phrases into one thing tangible.
Right here’s my daring take: if we will fireplace on all cylinders, punch two guys into the finals (Ferrari and Kueter) and climb our option to a prime 3 end as a staff – there might be lots of optimism shifting foward. Nonetheless, if we stumble once more this yr there’s going to be some critical questions from some critical folks within the low season. We’re rapidly approaching make-or-break time for TNT…
On a private notice, it’s been a couple of years since I’ve been right here, however I’m excited to be again writing for our superior BHGP group! Let’s have some enjoyable this season!!!
PROBABLE LINEUP vs Bellarmine
125 – #18/ #51 Leo DeLuca vs #NR/#57Joe Calvin // Damion Ryan
133 – #NR/#68 Joey Cruz vs #NR/#127 Shay Korhorn // Travis Lengthy
141 – #7/ #7 Nasir Bailey vs #NR/#58 Trayce Eckman
149 – #6/ #11 Ryder Block vs AJ Rallo
157 – #NR/#51 Kael Voinovich vs #33 Jeb Prechtel // Isaac Johns
165 – #8/#13 Carter Schubert vs Noah Corridor
174 – #5/#14 Gabe Arnold vs Grant O’Dell // Jack Ring
184 – #3/#4 Angelo Ferrari vs Gavin Ricketts
197 – #29/#24 Harvey Ludington vs Andrew Liber
285 – #2/#2 Ben Kueter vs Evan Grazzini // Justin Hoffer
***Rankings: Intermat/Wrestlestat***
Right here’s the w if anybody is taken with some further studying materials.
Broadcast Data
Opponent: Bellarmine
Twin time: 7:00 PM GT (Central) // Friday, Nov. 13, 2026
Location: Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment // Iowa Metropolis, IA
TV/ On-line:>+
Radio: > (AM800 KXIC)
