The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544864
MAY/JUNE 2026 ■ 37 BY BRIAN REINHARDT T he transfer portal is closed, and wrestling rosters are start- ing to be finalized for the 2026-27 season. Although athletes in the portal can still commit, and grads can transfer whenever they want, movement will be a lot slower than it was when the portal was open for all of April. At NC State, next year's lineup will be much different than in recent years, with five weights potentially occupied by transfers who came to the Wolfpack in the past two offseasons. Here's how the lineup was looking as of early May. 125/133 POUNDS This will likely be a battle be- tween four newcomers for NC State's two lightweight spots. The Wolfpack recently picked up a commitment from North Caro- lina transfer Liam Hickey, a two- time state champion at Cardinal Gibbons High who redshirted at 133 pounds as a true freshman. The Pack will also rely on a trio of true freshmen — Dom Deputy, Lander Bosh and Sean Willcox — to fill out the lineup. 141 POUNDS Zach Redding was granted a seventh year of eligibility by the NCAA and will run it back with the Pack after transfer- ring from Iowa State last offseason. He will also be moving up a weight class, though he did have experience at both 141 and 149 pounds while with the Cyclones. Redding was wrestling his best at the end of last year before being forced to medically forfeit after falling in the first round at the NCAA Tournament. 149 POUNDS Koy Buesgens had a breakout season as a redshirt sophomore, with five ranked wins, including victories over the No. 2- and No. 3-ranked wrestlers and a major decision over the eventual NCAA cham- pion. But he did not reach his goals in the postseason, falling in the finals at ACCs and going 2-2 at the NCAA tourney after entering as the fifth seed. 157 POUNDS Redshirt senior Jackson Arrington hopes to return fully healthy after shutting it down last December to undergo shoul- der surgery. Arrington originally hurt the shoulder last summer and tried to wrestle in the early part of the season. He won an ACC title at 149 pounds in 2024 but hasn't been a full-time member of the Pack's starting lineup since that season. 165 POUNDS Will Denny was one of the biggest sur- prises in the Pack's lineup as a true fresh- man. He went 15-2 in duals, including 6-0 in ACC action. He was also 6-1 against ranked foes in the regular season. Denny suffered an elbow injury prior to the postseason, and it affected him at both the ACCs and NCAAs, but he placed third at 74 kilograms at the U.S. Open in the U20 age group. 174 POUNDS This will be Matty Singleton's fi- nal campaign. A year after earning All- America honors, Singleton fell in the blood round this past season. He spent all season ranked in the top 10 and won his second consecutive ACC title at this weight. 184 POUNDS The Pack dipped into the trans- fer portal in search of Don Cates' replacement and didn't have to look far. After spending one sea- son at North Carolina, Jake Dai- ley entered the portal and ended up choosing NC State. In his lone season in Chapel Hill, he was an ACC finalist and NCAA qualifier, posting 19 wins at 184 pounds. Coming out of Wyoming Semi- nary in Pennsylvania, he was the No. 53 recruit in the 2024 class. 197 POUNDS This weight could feature an- other position battle. Patrick Bro- phy, a midseason transfer from The Citadel, was inserted into the Pack's lineup as soon as he was eligible. He went 7-6 overall (7-4 in duals) but did not qualify for NCAAs in March. He began his offseason by placing fourth at the U.S. Open at 92 kg. Before Brophy arrived in Raleigh, Car- son Howle saw plenty of action as a true freshman, though he was able to preserve his redshirt. He was a four-time state champion in South Carolina and com- peted at the U.S. Open in the U20 division, placing third at 97 kg. HEAVYWEIGHT Isaac Trumble has exhausted his eli- gibility after winning the program's 10th national title in March. Not only did he shine at the NCAA Championships, he also was a bonus point machine during the dual meet season. NC State dipped into the transfer por- tal for his replacement. Bennett Tabor comes to NC State for his sixth and final season after spending the past five years at Minnesota. Coming out of high school in Minnesota, Tabor was the No. 23 overall recruit in the 2021 class, per FloWrestling. The successor to Olympic and NCAA champion Gable Steveson, Tabor led the Gophers in wins by fall each of the past two seasons. ■ Changes Coming To NC State Wrestling Lineup 2026-27 As a freshman 165-pounder, Will Denny went 15-2 in dual meet action, including a 6-0 mark versus ACC opponents. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS