The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 ■ 43 ter spending the previous five years at Iowa State. A Manorville, N.Y., native, he was an NCAA qualifier in both 2021 and '23, reaching the round of 12 in the latter appearance. He hasn't competed at 133 pounds since the 2023 season, so he might be on a pitch count this year to avoid some weigh-ins. Fans can also expect to see redshirt junior Tory Hohman a lot now that he's back at his natural weight. Last year, Hohman bumped up to 141 for the ACC Championships and came within one win of earning an NCAA bid despite be- ing at the weight for only the last two duals of the season. 141 pounds Projected starter: No. 7 Ryan Jack (sixth year) After earning All- America honors and an ACC title in 2024, Jack re- turns to NC State's lineup following a redshirt year. The 141-pound class is perhaps the best in the country, with the return of a reigning two-time national champion (Ohio State's Jesse Mendez) and as many as 12 former All-Americans potentially competing at the weight. 149 pounds Projected starter: No. 15 Koy Bues- gens (R-So.) Buesgens burst into the Pack's lineup as a redshirt freshman last year and fin- ished third at the ACC Championships, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. He was also named the ACC Wrestler of the Week in January following one of his three ranked wins. Very tough to score on, Buesgens worked with the coaching staff over the summer to improve his offense. 157 pounds Projected starter: No. 7 Jackson Ar- rington (R-Jr.) A second 2024 ACC champion who is coming off a redshirt season, Arrington will take over at 157 after competing at 149 his first two years in the lineup. Ar- rington was one win shy of All-America honors in each of his two previous trips to the NCAA Tournament. 165 pounds Projected starter: Will Denny (Fr.), Alex Faison (R-Jr.), Jason Kwaak (Fr.) or Brogan Tucker (Fr.) The competitors for the 165-pound spot are listed in alphabetical order be- cause this weight is wide open. Faison is in his fourth year in the room. He bumped up to 165 pounds from 157 last year but suffered a season-ending injury after only two matches. All three freshmen were top-100 re- cruits, highlighted by Denny at No. 21 and Tucker at No. 28. Expect at least one to redshirt at a different weight once a starter is established. 174 pounds Projected starter: No. 4 Matty Sin- gleton (R-Jr.) In his first year as a starter at 174, Singleton put together a great end-of- season run for the Pack. He had a 12-7 record in early February but won nine of his last 11 matches, claiming an ACC title and finishing seventh in his first appear- ance at the NCAA Tournament to earn All-America honors. In the ACC, 174 pounds is perhaps the deepest weight class this year, with five wrestlers ranked in the preseason top 20. 184 pounds Projected starter: Donald Cates (sixth year) or Andrew Macchiavello (R-Jr.) The 184-pound class features a re- turning face we haven't seen for a few years. Cates, a Durham native, spent the 2021 and '22 seasons with the Pack at 165 pounds, going a combined 17-9 overall. After spending time away from the mat, including starting his own clothing brand, Cates has returned to the program and will compete at 184 pounds this year. Also in contention is Macchiavello, the brother of Michael Macchiavello, who won a national title for the Wolf- pack in 2018. The younger Macchiavello has come down from 197 pounds to pro- vide some depth at 184. 197 pounds Projected stater(s): No. 18 Patrick Brophy (R-Jr.) and Carson Howle (Fr.) This is the only weight class in which NC State failed to qualify a wrestler for nationals last year. To help boost its outlook in 2026, the Pack added two new faces to the roster during the off- season. Brophy was a late transfer from The Citadel, joining NC State after a coaching change in the Bulldogs' pro- gram. He was a two-year starter and reached NCAAs last year. Ineligible to wrestle during the first semester, he is expected to make his debut in the Ohio State dual on Dec. 12. Howle, a true freshman, will man the spot to start the season and ideally will redshirt after Brophy becomes eligible. He was a top-100 recruit nationally and a four-time state champion in South Carolina. 285 pounds Projected starter: No. 3 Isaac Trumble (sixth year) Trumble moved up to heavyweight last year, and despite suffering a major knee injury late in the year, he placed fourth at the NCAA Championships and earned All-America honors for the first time. After successful surgery over the summer and the addition of about 10 pounds of muscle, Trumble enters his final season as a national title threat. But when will we see him back at 100 percent? Expect Trumble to be eased back into the lineup full-time during at least the first semester. ■ 2025-26 Wrestling Schedule Date Opponent Time Oct. 25 Wrestle-Offs 2:30 p.m. Nov. 2 Southeast Open* All Day Nov. 8 Northern Colorado 6 p.m. Nov. 15 Northern Iowa** 10 a.m. Nov. 15 Cornell or Oklahoma State** TBA Nov. 30 at Appalachian State 3 p.m. Dec. 7 Morgan State^ TBA Dec. 7 Rutgers^ TBA Dec. 12 at Ohio State TBA Dec. 21 Buffalo^^ TBA Dec. 21 George Mason^^ TBA Dec. 21 The Citadel^^ TBA Jan. 9 Virginia TBA Jan. 16 at Stanford TBA Jan. 18 Cal State Bakersfield % TBA Jan. 23 North Carolina TBA Jan. 30 Virginia Tech TBA Feb. 6 at Pitt 7 p.m. Feb. 13 at Duke TBA Feb. 20 Cornell TBA Mar. 8 ACC Championships # Mar. 19-21 NCAA Championships ## * at Salem, Va.; ** National Duals Invitational at Tulsa, Okla.; ^ Tri-meet at Fuquay-Varina, N.C.; ^^ Quad meet at Reynolds Coliseum; % at Gilroy, Calif.; # at Blacksburg, Va.; ## at Cleveland