No. 20 Indiana wrestling will take on talent from 10 nationally-ranked teams at the Big Ten Championships in University Park, Pennsylvania, on Saturday and Sunday. With conference titles set to be awarded this weekend, here’s a look back on the Hoosiers’ regular season and preview of their potential opponents.
125 pounds: Jacob Moran (No. 4 in Big Ten, No. 14 nationally)
First round opponent: Purdue redshirt sophomore Ashton Jackson (No. 13 in Big Ten, unranked nationally)
Graduate student Jacob Moran finished his regular season with an impressive 14-3 record, by way of a plus-127-point differential, the highest among Hoosiers competing in University Park. Moran’s season was headlined by a win over Wisconsin’s No. 17 redshirt junior Nicolar Rivera. However, after falling to the top three ranked wrestlers in the conference — Ohio State’s No. 2 redshirt junior Nic Bouzakis, Penn State’s No. 1 sophomore Luke Lilledahl and Illinois’ No. 12 graduate student Spencer Moore — Moran has yet to capitalize on opportunities against the Big Ten’s best.
133 pounds: Blaine Frazier (No. 12 in Big Ten, unranked nationally)
First round opponent: Iowa senior Drake Ayala (No. 5 in Big Ten, No. 8 nationally)
The 133-pound roster spot was shared by three Hoosiers — freshman Jackson Blum, redshirt sophomore Logan Frazier and redshirt junior Blaine Frazier — throughout the dual season. Despite their combined 3-10 record at dual meets, Indiana head coach Angel Escobedo is relying on Frazier, his most experienced 133-pounder, in the postseason.
The rest of the weight class is fronted by Illinois’ Lucas Byrd. The graduate student is the reigning national champion at his weight and currently sits at the top spot in national rankings. He will hold the second seed at the conference championship, behind Penn State’s freshman Marcus Blaze, who was a perfect 8-0 in conference duals.
141 pounds: Henry Porter (No. 9 in Big Ten, No. 28 nationally)
First round opponent: Northwestern freshman Billy Dekraker (No. 8 in Big Ten, No. 32 nationally)
Ahead of participating in a stacked 141-pound bracket, redshirt junior Henry Porter got a taste of the competition at the Hoosiers’ final dual meet against Purdue. Porter suffered an 8-0 major decision defeat to No. 33 junior Greyson Clark, who earned the sixth seed at the Big Ten Championship. Porter was also handed losses by Penn State’s No. 12 junior Braeden Davis, by major decision, and by Nebraska’s No. 2 senior Brock Hardy, by technical fall. Porter did not wrestle against undefeated No. 1 senior Jesse Mendez when the Hoosiers faced Ohio State in January.
149 pounds: Joey Buttler (No. 11 in Big Ten, No. 33 nationally)
First round opponent: Nebraska senior Chance Lamer (No. 6 in Big Ten, No. 16 nationally)
Redshirt sophomore Joey Buttler took the last spot in the final coaches' poll, following his 5-4 dramatic triumph over Purdue’s redshirt junior Gavin Brown, who is seeded 12th in the conference. Despite his 10-11 regular season record, Buttler competed closely with his conference foes, losing 5-3 to Nebraska’s No. 16 senior Chance Lamer and 4-3 to Illinois’ No. 27 redshirt sophomore Michael Gioffre. With plenty of experience against ranked opponents, Buttler could surprise his way into the later rounds of the 149-pound bracket.
157 pounds: Bryce Lowery (ranked No. 11 in Big Ten, unranked nationally)
First round opponent: Minnesota redshirt freshman Charlie Millard (No. 6 in Big Ten, No. 14 nationally)
Before two consecutive losses to Nebraska’s No. 1 junior Antrell Taylor and Purdue’s No. 24 redshirt senior Stoney Buell closed out his regular season, redshirt sophomore Bryce Lowery earned a ranked win against Wisconsin’s No. 17 redshirt senior Luke Mechler, a victory by fall Feb. 7 in Madison. Lowery stands as one of the lowest-seeded Hoosiers and is set to compete against the nation’s top two wrestlers, Taylor and Penn State freshman PJ Duke.
165 pounds: Tyler Lillard (No. 9 in Big Ten, No. 15 nationally)
First round opponent: Ohio State redshirt senior Paddy Gallagher (No. 8 in Big Ten, No. 14 nationally)
Graduate student Tyler Lillard faced the top two ranked wrestlers in his class during the regular season. Lillard was pinned by Penn State’s No. 1 junior Mitchell Mesenbrink on Jan. 23, but he competed with Purdue’s No. 2 junior Joey Blaze, suffering a 4-3 defeat in his final bout at Wilkinson Hall. Iowa senior Michael Caliendo holds the second seed in the bracket, riding a 9-3 record against ranked opponents into the postseason.
174 pounds: Derek Gilcher (No. 6 in Big Ten, No. 26 nationally)
First round opponent: Northwestern redshirt freshman Eddie Enright (No. 11 in Big Ten, No. 31 nationally)
There are five wrestlers ahead of graduate student Derek Gilcher in conference seeding, and Gilcher had the chance to wrestle two of them during the dual season. While the Nebraska and Ohio State meets were two blowout losses for Indiana, Gilcher provided one of the closest matches in each dual. First was an 11-7 loss to Ohio State’s No. 5 graduate student Carson Kharchla, followed by a 7-3 loss to Nebraska’s No. 4 sophomore Christopher Minto. Minto earned the top seed in the Big Ten, followed by Penn State’s senior Levi Haines, who is ranked No. 1 nationally at 174 pounds.
184 pounds: Sam Goin (No. 9 in Big Ten, No. 14 nationally)
First round opponent: Iowa redshirt freshman Angelo Ferrari (No. 8 in Big Ten, unranked nationally)
Despite tying with Moran for the Hoosiers’ highest national ranking, redshirt freshman Sam Goin enters the conference championships as the ninth best wrestler in the Big Ten at 184 pounds. Goin went a respectful 10-6 on the season, including a 9-5 record in dual meets. His bracket features Penn State’s No. 1 sophomore Rocco Welsh, who did not lose a bout all season, as well as Minnesota’s No. 3 redshirt sophomore Max McEnelly, who concluded his conference season with an 8-0 resume.
197 pounds: Gabe Sollars (No. 8 in Big Ten, No. 22 nationally)
First round opponent: Purdue redshirt senior Ben Vanadia (No. 9 in Big Ten, No. 21 nationally)
There are seven wrestlers at 197 pounds seeded higher than redshirt junior Gabe Sollars at the championships. Sollars wrestled six of them during the conference dual season and went 1-5. While Sollars only left the mat with a win over Michigan State’s No. 23 redshirt junior Kael Wisler during that stretch, three of those five losses were by decision, and one was by sudden victory. Although he does not have the wins to show for it, Sollars has competed tightly with many of the nation’s best and will have the opportunity to redeem himself in University Park.
285 pounds: Caleb Marzolino (No. 14 in Big Ten, unranked nationally)
First round opponent: Ohio State redshirt junior Nick Feldman (No. 3 in Big Ten, No. 5 nationally)
Redshirt freshman Caleb Marzolino went 0-10 in dual matches this season, plummeting him to the bottom seed in the heavyweight tournament. No. 4 graduate student Taye Ghadiali leads the 285-pound bracket as Michigan’s lone 1 seed. With Ghadiali accompanying Nebraska’s No. 3 senior AJ Ferrari and Ohio State’s No. 5 redshirt junior Nick Feldman, the Big Ten currently houses three top-five heavyweights.
The 2026 Big Ten Conference Championships will begin Saturday and continue through Sunday from University Park, Pennsylvania, with live coverage provided by Big Ten Network and BTN+.
