The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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44 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY BRIAN REINHARDT he 2024-25 wrestling season concluded on March 22, but no- body had time to take much of a breather. The roster-construction phase of the 2025-26 season began immediately with the transfer window open. The por- tal will stay open through May 2, and the changes that occur in the coming weeks will shape what happens on the mat next winter. What follows is a weight-by-weight preview of NC State's 2026 lineup, with the caveat being that transfers could still alter the outlook. Three wrestlers had already entered their names in the portal as of late March: Louie Gill (125 pounds), Draegen Orine (133) and Chase Horne (heavyweight). There could be more ad- ditions and subtractions, but the Pack has reason for optimism going forward. 125: R-So. Vince Robinson — preseason No. 1 Heading into the 2024-25 campaign, there were questions about whether Rob- inson could get down and stay at 125 for an entire season. He provided an emphatic answer by winning the national title. Looking ahead, Robinson appears stronger against the field at 125 than 133. Also, NC State has less flexibility with Gill in the portal. 133: R-Jr. Troy Hohman — unranked Hohman won the starting job at 133 last year, but the team decided Kai Orine's best chance for a postseason run would be at that weight, and the decision forced Hohman to give 141 a chance. He made the move up for the last month of the sea- son and was one win away at ACCs from stealing an NCAA bid. NC State has also added a transfer in Zach Redding, formerly of Iowa State. An NCAA qualifier in 2021 and '23, Redding has one season of eligibility remaining. 141: R-Sr. Ryan Jack — preseason top 10 Last time we saw Jack, he was earning All-America honors at the 2024 NCAA Tournament after winning an ACC title. Jack redshirted this past season and enters his final campaign at 141, where he's been since 2022. 149: R-So. Koy Buesgens — preseason No. 15-20 Buesgens has proved multiple times that his defense is among the best in this weight class. To take the next step, he must improve his offense, so this sum- mer will be huge for him. The Pack also has freshman Daniel Zepeda coming in. Instant offense is Zepeda's calling card, but a redshirt year will benefit him. 157: R-Jr. Jackson Arrington — preseason top 10 After winning the ACC title at 149 pounds in 2024, Arrington will move to 157 following a redshirt year. This weight class could be the league's best next season. Stanford's Daniel Cardenas is coming off a redshirt year after finish- ing fourth at NCAAs in 2024, while 2025 ACC champ Rafael Hipolito Jr. of Virginia Tech returns. 165: R-Fr. Latrell Schafer — unranked Derek Fields made the NCAA Tourna- ment the past two years but has decided not to use his final season of eligibility. Schafer redshirted this past season, his first year on campus. The question is whether he fits best at 157 or 165. 174: R-Jr. Matty Singleton — preseason top 10 Singleton enjoyed a tremendous post- season run, winning an ACC title, then placing seventh at NCAAs after starting out as the 14th seed. He is very good go- ing upper body, has excellent defense and is a hammer on top. Some will want him to bump up to 184, but his top game is too good at 174 to move him. 184: R-Jr. Andrew Macchiavello — unranked There's not much depth at the three upper weights, and Singleton appears to be a better fit at 174 than 184. Macchia- vello was called into action this past year at 197 when Christian Knop went down with an ankle injury, and he competed in a pair of duals and at the Cliff Keen Invi- tational, going 11-10. 197: R-Jr. Dylan Fishback — preseason No. 10-15 If Fishback can put on the weight, 197 pounds would be an ideal fit for his of- fensive style. The main question con- cerns his strength at the higher weight. He has fallen in the blood round at 184 in each of his first two seasons in the Pack's lineup. He and Macchiavello could easily be flipped at these two weights. 285: R-Sr. Isaac Trumble — preseason No. 1 or 2 Trumble is the top returner nation- ally at 285 and one of only two return- ing All-Americans from the 2025 NCAA Tournament. He should be the preseason No. 1, but he could also be slotted second behind Iowa State's Younger Bastida. One variable is that Trumble will be looking to bounce back from a knee in- jury. It clearly affected him in the post- season, and he had surgery in early April. His recovery timeline is one of the team's biggest unknowns this offseason. ■ T Matty Singleton finished his redshirt sophomore season by winning the ACC title at 174 pounds and earning All-America recognition with a seventh-place showing at the NCAA Tournament. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS WOLFPACK SET TO RETURN STRONG LINEUP IN 2025-26