With our number 4 entry in these rankings, we finally get to the teams with a very good shot at winning a national championship.
I have a hard time believing a team as stacked as the 2014-15 Iowa Hawkeyes would be the number 4 team in the country, yet here we are.
This team returns four All Americans, two with very good shots at winning national titles. Seniors Mike Evans at 174 pounds and Bobby Telford at heavyweight lead this team, and both could easily find themselves wrestling for a championship in the season’s final Saturday night. The two other returning All Americans, probable 133 pounder Cory Clark and 197 pounder Nate Burak, should both match last year’s excellent output.
Despite this core of accomplished wrestlers, Iowa’s championship bid will be made or undone by a quartet of talented wrestlers who have yet to stand on the podium at nationals. Thomas Gilman at 125 pounds, Brandon Sorensen at 149/157 pounds and Sammy Brooks at 184 pounds have all never competed on college wrestling’s biggest stage, but carry with them expectations of greatness. In addition, this is the last season for senior 165 pounder Nick Moore to make good on the promise he has shown throughout his time in Iowa’s lineup.
Even the remaining two members of this lineup have a shot at making their mark on the national level. 141 pounder Josh Dziewa (pronounced JEV-uh) is very good, and comes into this year ranked in the 10-14 range in most services. I’m not sure who the remaining starter will be, but Edwin Cooper and Brody Grothus are very solid options.
Projected Iowa Lineup
125: Thomas Gilman (So.)- They still have Cory Clark listed at 125 on their roster, but that dog don’t hunt.
133: Cory Clark (So.)
141: Josh Dziewa (Sr.)
149: Edwin Cooper (Jr.), Brandon Sorensen (Fr.) or Brody Grothus (Jr.)
157: again Cooper, Sorensen or Grothus
165: Nick Moore (Sr.)
174: Mike Evans (Sr.)
184: Sammy Brooks (Sr.)
197: Nathan Burak (Jr.)
285: Bobby Telford (Sr.)
Points Breakdown
Iowa is the hardest team to project points for in these rankings. I can’t see this team scoring less than 85 points at nationals, but if their established wrestlers perform to expectations, and young talent explode on the scene, this team could capture more than 100 points and almost certainly reclaim their place atop the world of college wrestling.