InterMat ranked Ohio State it's No. 10 team in the country in the site's preseason NCAA Wrestling rankings, with nine Buckeyes ranked among the Top 25 in their respective weight classes. NCAA runner-up Sammy Sasso paced the squad at No. 2 in the 149-pound rankings.
The Buckeyes finished in 9th place at last season's NCAA Wrestling Championships, and return all of the team's production from that effort with All-Americans Sasso, Ethan Smith and Tate Orndorff anchoring a prospective lineup laden with upperclassman.
| Wt. | Name | Class | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 125 | Malik Heinselman | Senior | 16 |
| 133 | Anthony Echemendia | Sophomore | 24 |
| 141 | Dylan D'Emilio | Sophomore | 20 |
| 149 | Sammy Sasso | Junior | 2 |
| 157 | Paddy Gallagher | Freshman | n/a |
| 165 | Carson Kharchla | Sophomore | 10 |
| 174 | Ethan Smith | Senior | 7 |
| 184 | Kaleb Romero | Senior | 11 |
| 197 | Rocky Jordan | Junior | 17 |
| HWT | Tate Orndorff | Senior | 7 |
One clear caveat to InterMat's rankings is the fact that Anthony Echemendia and Dylan D'Emilio are both currently listed at 141 pounds on Ohio State's roster, as they were last season. InterMat's rankings presume D'Emilio will again win a wrestle-off and that the talented Cuban will drop down to 133 and unseat two-year starter Jordan Decatur.
The only spot where InterMat did not rank a Buckeye is 157 pounds, which has been a source of weakness in the team's lineup in recent years. Paddy Gallagher, Bryce Hepner, and Isaac Wilcox are all listed on the roster at 157. Gallagher was the most highly-ranked and accomplished recruit of the three, and although he is the youngest it's no stretch of the imagination to see him getting the start as a true freshman.
InterMat's rankings also presumes that everyone from 165-184 pounds will move up a weight class to accommodate phenom Carson Kharchla at 165, pushing Smith up to 174, Kaleb Romero up to 184 and Rocky Jordan up to 197. This doesn't seem like much of a stretch either, leaving former blue-chip recruit Gavin Hoffman as the odd man out and presents the lineup combination that gives Ohio State it's best shot at postseason production.
