Husker Wrestlers Open Season at NDSUHusker Wrestlers Open Season at NDSU
Wrestling

Husker Wrestlers Open Season at NDSU

The No. 9 Nebraska wrestling team will open the 2023-24 season on the road this Saturday, Nov. 4 against North Dakota State. Action is set to begin at 2 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed on gobison.com. 

Saturday’s dual marks the Huskers' first competition since alum Mikey Labriola (174) ended his stellar run at the 2023 NCAA Championships with a runner-up finish, and NU scored 54.0 points to claim eighth overall. Nebraska’s four NCAA All-Americans marked the fourth time in six years the program has had four or more claim the award.

The team returns 13 letterwinners from last season, including six NCAA qualifiers. All-Americans Brock Hardy (141), Ridge Lovett (149) and Peyton Robb (157) highlight a strong group of returners. 

Up next, Nebraska will host Campbell on Friday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. (CT). Action will be streamed on Big Ten Plus. 

#9 Nebraska's Projected Lineup

RV North Dakota State’s Projected Lineup

  • 125: Carlos Negrete Jr.
  • 133: Fernando Barreto OR Ryan Henningson
  • 141: Gavin Drexleror OR Walker Bents OR Sean Solis
  • 149: #11 Kellyn March OR Max Petersen
  • 157: Landon Johnson OR Michael Weber
  • 165: Brendan Howes
  • 174: Gaven Sax
  • 184: Aidan Brenot OR Adam Cherne
  • 197: Spencer Mooberry OR Lathan Duda
  • HWT: Devon Dawson

Scouting North Dakota State

  • NDSU is looking to build on its 2022-23 season, where it went 11-3 and finished 24th at the 2023 NCAA Championships. The Bison finished with two All-Americans as Jared Franek (157) took fourth overall.  
  • Saturday’s dual will be the first of eight non-conference duals for NDSU, as the Bison will face Oklahoma, Virginia, Minnesota, Stanford, Campbell, Purdue and Oregon State. 
  • NDSU is coached by Obenson Blanc in his first season at the helm. 

Huskers to Face Strong Schedule

  • The Nebraska wrestling team will face another challenging season as the 2023-24 slate features 11 of the top-25 finishers from last season’s NCAA Championships, Coach Mark Manning announced on Monday.
  • The Huskers will kick off the season on the road against North Dakota State on Nov. 4. NU will then return home to host Campbell on Friday, Nov. 10 before traveling to Annapolis, Md., for the Navy Classic on Saturday, Nov. 18. NU will stay on the road and compete at the Cliff Keen Invite in Las Vegas on Dec. 1-2. 
  • The Huskers will conclude the 2023 year as they host South Dakota State on Saturday, Dec. 16. The team will then remain home to begin the year as NU hosts Wyoming and Northern Iowa on Saturday, Jan. 6.
  • Conference competition will feature eight duals, four home and four away, with Big Ten action beginning with Nebraska’s home opener against Iowa on Friday, Jan. 12. Minnesota will then host the Huskers in Minneapolis on Friday, Jan. 19 before NU returns home to host Purdue on Sunday, Jan. 21.
  • The following weekend NU kicks off a two-match road stint as it faces Northwestern on Friday, Jan. 26 and Wisconsin on Sunday, Jan. 28, before returning home to host Illinois on Sunday, Feb. 4 and Michigan on Friday, Feb. 9.
  • NU will close out Big Ten regular season action on the road with a dual against Penn State on Sunday, Feb. 18, before traveling to Arizona to face ASU on Sunday, Feb. 25 to wrap up the regular season.
  • The Big Ten Championships will be hosted by Maryland on Saturday, March 9 and Sunday, March 10. The NCAA Championships will be in Kansas City, Mo., Thursday, March 21 through Saturday, March 23.

Robb Looks to Earn Fourth All-American Award

  • A 157-pound senior from Owatonna, Minn., Peyton Robb returns looking to become the fourth four-time Nebraska All-American. Robb is currently one of 15 three-time All-Americans in the history of Nebraska wrestling. Last season, he finished second at the Big Ten Championships and his sixth-place finish at NCAAs cemented his All-American status. Robb was second on the team last season with 28 wins, giving him a career record of 78-27. Additionally, he finished the regular season undefeated with a 23-0 record and joined former Husker standout Mikey Labriola as the first Husker pair to post undefeated regular season records since 1961. 

Veteran Bunch Returns to Lead NU

  • Nebraska will be guided by a strong group of veteran returners in 2023-24. NU loses four senior starters, but returns six starters as they get set for this year’s campaign. Brock Hardy, Ridge Lovett and Peyton Robb all return as all-americans, as well as Bubba Wilson, Lenny Pino and Silas Allred who look to capitalize on last year’s success. Seven total Huskers qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2022-23 and six were seeded in the top 20 of their weight classes. 

NU Goes for Third-Straight Top 10 Finish

  • Nebraska’s strong group of upperclassmen enter the 2023-24 season looking to ensure that NU follows last season’s success. Graduate transfer Caleb Smith is the top competitor projected to take over the starting job at 125 pounds, while junior Kyle Burwick and redshirt freshmen Jacob Van Dee and Hayden Mills will battle for the 133 spot. Redshirt junior Ridge Lovett returns this season to become the 149 starter. Sophomore Elise Brown Ton looks to be the front-runner at 174 points and redshirt freshman Harley Andrews looks to compete for the starting spot at heavyweight. 

Dual Experience a Plus for NU

  • The Huskers have 17 wrestlers this season with dual experience, including all-americans Brock Hardy, Ridge Lovett and Peyton Robb. Along with the three aforementioned wrestlers, Caleb Smith, Bubba Wilson, Lenny Pinto and Silas Allred return as NCAA qualifiers who gained significant dual experience last season. As a team, NU won 12 of its 15 duals overall and seven of its eight Big Ten duals.   

Nebraska Welcomes Strong Crop of Newcomers

  • Nebraska’s incoming class of newcomers features 15 wrestlers, including two transfers and 13 true freshmen. Highlighting the class is App State transfer Caleb Smith, a two-time NCAA qualifier (2022, 2023) and 2023 Southern Conference Champion.