Nebraska Wrestling 2025-2026 List of Champions

[Bean]

Head Coach Mark Manning (Nebraska-Omaha, 1985) Career Record: 317-131-5 (29th season) Record at Nebraska: 300-108-3 (26th season). Wrestling History; 773–576–29 since 1910!
All-time winningest wrestling coach in program history, Manning has recorded at least 12 top 10 NCAA finishes (323-109-3).
(updated 22 Mar 2026)
2025 NCAA Championship Tournament Coach of the Year!

• 92 All-American Honors
• 15 Top-10 NCAA Team Finishes
• Six Top-Five NCAA Team Finishes
• Seven Individual National Champions
• NCAA Tournament Coach of the Year (2025)
• Terry McCann Award Winner - USA Wrestling Freestyle Coach of the Year (2011, 2015, 2017)
• Dan Gable Coach of the Year (2009)
• Big 12 Coach of the Year (2008, 2009)
• 328-134-5 Dual Record (28th Season through 2024-25)
• 305-110-3 Dual Record at Nebraska (Since 2000-01; Most Dual Wins in Program History

NU History:
Season of Wrestling (First Season) .........105th (1910-11)
All-Time Dual Record ............................762-574-29 (.552)
Individual NCAA Champions..........................................11
Individual NCAA Finalists...............................................28
All-Americans (Top 8 at NCAA*) ...................................146
NCAA Championships Best Team Finish.........2d (2025)
Top-10 NCAA Team Finishes (Last Time) ......28 (2026 - 3rd)
Individual Conference Championships.........................66
Individual National Champions..............................13
Team Conference Championships.........7 ........1911, 1915, 1924, 1949, 1993, 1995, 2009
CoSIDA Academic All-Americans....................................7
Hodge Trophy Winners......................................................1
11 Olympians (6 Medalists)
8 World Champions (23 Medalists)

List of State champions on NU 25-26 wrestling team:
1 x 5-time state champion, 3 x 4-time state champions, 7 x 3-time state Champions, 5 x 2 time state Champions, 7 x 1-time state champions!!]

Nebraska’s recruiting classes have been ranked #5 in 2017, #8 in 2018, #5 in 2019, #6 in 2020, #8 in 2021, #11 in 2022, #8 in 2023, #20 in 2024, #8 in 2025, #NR 2026.

Kael Lauridson…………………..125……………RsFr………………Bennington Ne

• Four Time state Champion
• Two-time Greco-Roman National champion
• Ranked No. 2 in the nation at 113 pounds by InterMat

Alan Koehler……………………..125……………So………………Prior Lake Minn. ( In TP to Wisconsin)

• Three-time state champion
• Two-time Pan American Champion
• Six-time Fargo All American

Abdi Unle.......125..........Fr…………Omaha Bryan High School​

• 2024 NSAA Class A District 3 State Champion - 113 pounds

Jacob Van Dee...........................133........................Jr.................Erie, Pa. (Cathedral Prep)\

• 7th place at 2026 NCAA Championship
• 7th place at 2025 NCAA championship
• 4th-Place at Big Ten Championships (2024)
• 2021 Pennsylvania state champion at 113
• Three-year mark of 92-20.

Hayden Mills......................133............Jr..........................Overland Park, Kan (In TP)

• Three-time individual state champion (2019, 2020, 2022)

Omar Ayoub.............133...........RsFr.............Dublin, Ohio

• Two-time OHSAA State Champion (138)

Jake Hockaday............141............Fr........Brownsburg High School

• Three-time Indiana 4A State Champion

Blake Cushing............141...............Sr.........................Grand Island NE

• 2020 State Champion (126)

Brock Hardy…………141………………..Sr………..Brigham City, Utah (Box Elder)

• 4th at NCAA 2026 Championship
• 2d at B1G championship
• 2d NCAA 2025 Championship
• 2025 B1G champion
• 3rd in NCAA Div I National Championship
• 5th-Place at Big Ten Championships (2024)
• 2023 U23 World Championships Bonze medalist
• U23 2023 Freestyle National Championship 65KG
• Sixth-place finish at 2023 NCAA Championships (March 18)
  Second-place finish at the 2023 Big Ten Championships (March 5
• Four-time Utah high school state champion
• Five-time first-place finisher at USA Folkstyle Nationals.
• Academic All-Big Ten (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• NWCA Scholar All-American (2021, 2023, 2024)
• Nebraska's Most Improved Wrestler (2022-23)

Nikade Zinkin…………….149………………..Fr……….……..Fresno Calif, Clovis HS

• 2023 CIF State Champion - 126 pounds
• No. 7 ranked 144-pounder by FloWrestling

Chance Lamer.........149..................Sr..................Transfer from Cal Poly

• Fourth at 2026 NCAA National Championship
• Three-time NCAA Qualifier
• Four-time Oregon state champion....Corvallis, Ore.
• 146-6 high school record, helping Crescent Valley to three team titles

Antrell Taylor..................Jr..................157..................Omaha, Neb. (Millard South)

• 2d at 2026 NCAA Championship
• 2d at B1G championship
• 2025 NCAA National champion
• 2025 B1G 3rd place
• NU Male Freshman Athlete of the Year 2024
• 8th place finish in 2024 NCAA DIV I championship
• 5th-Place at Big Ten Championships (2024)
• 2023 U20 Pan-American 70KG Champion/Gold Medal
• U20 2023 freestyle Antrell Taylor (70 kg) finished as runner-up
• Three-time Nebraska Class A state champion
• Ranked No. 6 in his weight class by FloWrestling.

Weston Dalton……….…157…….………So………..……..Pueblo Co

• Three time state champion

Jagger Condomitti............Sr..............165..................Northampton, Pa. (Northampton Area)

• Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award 2024
• 2021 HS State champion
• 2019 Journeymen World Classic gold medalist
• Ranked #13 pound-for-pound in the country for the 2021 class
• Super 32 All-American, a NHSCA Sophomore Championship in 2019, All-America honors at the 2018 Fargo Cadet National Championships
• Ranked #2 in Nation by Flo Wrestling for H.S. 2021

LJ Araujo………..….....165……................RsFr........................Bismark ND

• 4th at B1G championship
• U20 Pan American Bronze Medalist 2024
• USAAW Junior Folkstyle National Champ 2023
• 42-0 record during his Junior year, career record of 140-3.
• Five-time North Dakota State Champ

Christopher Minto……............So.....................174......................Cape Coral Fl

• 2d at 2026 NCAA Championship
• 2d at B1G championship
• 4th at 2025 NCAA championship
• 2023 Redshirt of the Year. Minto went 18-4 with an impressive 8-2 mark against DI competition.
• Three-time NHSCA State Champion

Tyler Eise…………....Fr………..174…………Parker Co, Ponderosa HS (In TP to Oklahoma)

• 2024 Super 32 Champion - 175 pounds
• 2024 Colorado Class 5A Most Outstanding Wrestler
• Two-time Colorado Class 5A State Champion
• No. 2 Ranked 170-pounder by FloWrestling and No. 18 on the Class of 2025 Big Board
• 70-4 combined record in 2023 and 2024

Silas Allred…………184………………..Sr……………….Muncie, Ind. (Shenadoah)

• 7th at NCAA 2025 Championship
• 5th at B1G 2025 Championship
• 2024 B1G tournament 3rd place finish
• Big Ten Champion (197; 2023)
• Silas Allred won the 2022 U20 Challenge Tournament
• Academic All Big Ten (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• Two-time Indiana state champion at 195 pounds after taking fifth in 2018 at 182 pounds, Silas Allred became the first-ever wrestler at his high school to win a state title.
• He also won the 2018 Cadet Freestyle Championship at 195 pounds and earned a USA Wrestling National High School Folkstyle title in April.
• He is ranked Fourth at 195 pounds by Intermat.
• 146-2 career record in high school with 138 victories by fall
• FloNationals champion
• Won 74 consecutive matches at one point during his prep career
• 2020 Wrestling USA Academic All-American with 4.317 GPA
• Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award recipient
• Named to the 2020 Scholastic All-American Academic Team with a 4.317 GPA..
• Amateur Wrestling News (AWN) magazine Third Team High School All-America
• Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine's (WIN) Wrestler of the Year in Indiana

Marco Christensen...........RsFr.............184................Shorewood Minn

• Minnesota State Champ (170) – first from his school since 1995

Camden McDanel…………So……………197……Circleville OH, Teays Valley High School

• 5th at 2026 NCAA Championship
• 2d at B1G championship
• 7th at 2025 NCAA championship
• 5th at B1G championship
• 2023 and 2024 U20 US Open Champion at 97 kg
• Second place in Last Chance Olympic Team Trials
• 2023 U20 World Bronze medalist 97KG
• US Men's Freestyle National Champion (2023)
• Ranked #2 in nation H.S.
• 2023 US Men's Freestyle National Champion
• 2023 US Open Champion
• 2023 OHSAA State Champion
• Cadet Fargo National Champion

Mathew Moore……………So……..……..285………….…….Waupun Wi

• Colorado state champ
• Ranked #7 in Nation H.S.

Harley Andrews..................Jr................285.................Hinton OK, Tuttle

• U20 2023 Freestyle Fourth Place
• Three-time Oklahoma state champion
• Andrews was ranked No. 6 at 285 by FloWrestling.
• 2020, 2021, & 2022 Oklahoma state champion at 195, 220, 285
• Captured the 2019 Preseason and Mid-American Nationals titles
• 2022 OWCA 4A Wrestler of the Year

Cade Ziola............Fr............................285...................Omaha Skutt Catholic High School

• Two-time Nebraska Class B State Champion
• 2023 Ironman Champion and 2024 Who’s Number One Winner at 190 pounds - First Nebraska wrestler to win at either of these tournaments

AJ Ferrari............Sr...........................285.........................Allen TX, Transfer from Cal State Bakersfield (In TP)

• 6th at 2026 NCAA Championship
• 2d at B1G championship
• 2021 NCAA Champion (197)
• NCAA All-American (2021, 2025)
• 2025 Pac-12 Champion (197)
• 2021 Big 12 Champion (197)
• 2021 Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler
• 96-1 high school record (Allen, Blair Academy, Bergen Catholic)
• Ranked the No. 1 overall wrestler in the class of 2020 at the time of his commitment
• Two-time Texas state champion
• 2017 Fargo Freestyle Champion
• 2017 Walsh Jesuit Ironman Champion
• 2017, 2018 Reno Tournament of Champions First-Place
• 2018 Cadet Freestyle World Championships (Bronze)
• 2018 Junior Folkstyle National Champion

 

[Bean]

We’re excited to announce that Robert Kokesh will return to Nebraska as NWTC Head Coach.

NWTC: Nebraska Wrestling Training Center

Home | Nebraska Wrestling Training Center

www.nebraskawtc.org

 

[Bean]

Nebraska Wrestling: Pair of Huskers to Compete at U20 World Championships

LJ Araujo and Omar Ayoub will compete at the U20 World Championships this week in Bulgaria

www.cornnation.com

"The Nebraska wrestling team has a pair of wrestlers set to compete at the U20 World Championships this weekend in Bulgaria — LJ Araujo at 79 kg and Omar Ayoub at 61 kg.
Both redshirt freshmen this season, Araujo competes for Brazil while Ayoub competes for Puerto Rico — Araujo will take the mat early Monday morning with Ayoub going on Tuesday."

UPDATE: Araujo is out. Ayoub will wrestle for possible Bronze medal.

https://uww.org/event/u20-world-championships-0/results

Representing Puerto Rico, Husker Omar Ayoub came back from down 6-0 to the Russian to win 8-6 and capture the bronze medal in U20 Freestyle at 61kg!

 

[Bean]

Husker Wrestling: Omar Ayoub Captures U20 World Bronze Medal in Bulgaria

Your best source for quality Nebraska Cornhuskers news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.

www.cornnation.com

"Both redshirt freshmen this season, Omar Ayoub and LJ Araujo traveled this week to Bulgaria for the U20 World Championships — Araujo competed for Brazil at 79 kg while Ayoub wrestled for Puerto Rico at 61 kg.
In his first age-level World Championships, Ayoub rebounded from a second-round loss to capture a bronze medal on today’s last day of competition. Despite being a returning bronze medalist, Araujo failed to repeat his finish on the medal stand.
With Ayoub capturing U20 bronze, Nebraska will enter this season with three U20 World medalists — Camden McDanel earned bronze in 2023 at 97 kg for Team USA, Araujo earned bronze in 2024 at 79 kg for Brazil, and Ayoub’s recent win at 61 kg for Puerto Rico."]

 

[Bean]

Husker Wrestling: Nebraska Gets First 2027 Commit After Huge Recruiting Weekend

Nebraska beat out in-state schools Iowa and UNI for Crosson’s commitment, setting up for a solid 2027 class

www.cornnation.com

2025 NCAA Wrestling D1 Commitments :​

Nebraska	Tyler Eise	17	Ponderosa	CO	174/184
Nebraska	Cade Ziola	21	Omaha Skutt Catholic	NE	184/197
Nebraska	Nikade Zinkin	35	Clovis	CA	149/157
Nebraska	Jake Hockaday	43	Brownsburg	IN	133/141
Nebraska	Abdi Unle		Omaha Bryan	Ne	125

2026 Commitments:

Nebraska	Noah Bull	59	Layton	UT	165
Nebraska	Mason Peterson		Columbus	NE	157
Nebraska	Niko Rotella		Skutt Catholic	NE	165
Nebraska	Davis Parrow		Farmignton	MN	165

2027 Commitment:

Nebraska

Mac Crosson

86

Indianola

IA

165

 

[joncarl]

Husker Wrestling: Nebraska Gets First 2027 Commit After Huge Recruiting Weekend

Nebraska beat out in-state schools Iowa and UNI for Crosson’s commitment, setting up for a solid 2027 class

www.cornnation.com

View attachment 119576

Any Nebraska high schoolers on the radar?

 

[Bean]

Any Nebraska high schoolers on the radar?

Husker Wrestling: Seven In-State Prospects Nebraska Should Have On Its Radar

Creighton Prep leads the state with a deep group of wrestlers with Division I talent —some could end up at Nebraska

www.cornnation.com

 

[Bean]

Nebraska Wrestling: Huskers Secure Two Upper-Weight Commitments in Two Days

Nebraska adds a pair of upper weight prospects — one for the 2026 class and another for the 2027 class

www.cornnation.com

"Nebraska first received a commitment on Tuesday from Jason Singer — a 2026 Big-Boarder from powerhouse program Faith Christian Academy in Pennsylvania. Then on Wednesday, another Big-Boarder committed to Nebraska for its 2027 class — Wyatt Hanssen out of Utah.
Singer was previously committed to Lehigh before flipping to the Huskers. Wrestling for arguably the top high school program in the country in Faith Christian, Singer wrestles up in weight for team lineup purposes. At 215 pounds, he’s ranked #6 (MatScouts) and #9 (FloWrestling) in the country. He’s also on Flo’s 2026 Big Board at #72."

"Hanssen joins Mac Crosson in Nebraska’s 2027 class, giving the Huskers a pair of Big Boarders to start their class. You can read all about Crosson’s commitment and what it means for Nebraska here.
In the final at NHSCA Nationals, Hanssen beat the state of Nebraska’s top 190-pounder JT Smith out of Creighton Prep via tech fall 26-11.
If Singer does really go 184 and Hanssen ends up at 197, then Nebraska may have just filled out its future upper weight lineup in a 24-hour period."

2026 Signees:

Nebraska	Noah Bull	59​	Layton	UT​	165​
Nebraska	Jason Singer	72​	Faith Christian Academy	PA​	197/285​
Nebraska	Mason Peterson	NR	Columbus​	NE​	157​
Nebraska	Niko Rotella	NR	Skutt Catholic​	NE​	165​
Nebraska	Davis Parrow	NR	Farmington​	MN​	165​

​

 

[Bean]

Husker Wrestling: 3x Undefeated Nebraska State Champ Ornelas Commits to In-State Huskers

A senior at Creighton Prep who transferred from Wilber-Clatonia, Ornelas gives Nebraska a light weight prospect for 2026

www.cornnation.com

"Zaiyahn Ornelas went 49-0 last season and did not surrender an offensive point. He didn’t even give up a reversal. Just 18 escapes in 49 matches. That’s it. 121-0 in his high school career going for four state titles next season."

For his Sr year he has transferred from Class C to Class A! (Class C Wilber-Clatonia to Creighton Prep!) BIG stepup.

Also:

Husker Wrestling: Nebraska Continues Adding Pieces to its 2026 Recruiting Class

The Huskers secured two recent commitments from wrestlers who will be relatively close to home

www.cornnation.com

""Over the past eight days, Nebraska added two of the best prospects in the 500 mile radius around Lincoln to its 2026 recruiting class, likely finalizing the class with eight total commits.
On October 28, Nebraska secured the commitment of Tad Forsyth out of Blue Valley Southwest in Kansas. Then today the Huskers got another big commitment from Nolan Fellers out of Bondurant-Farrar in Iowa — Fellers was on his official visit along with recent commit Zaiyahn Ornelas for Nebraska’s wrestle-offs."
\

Nebraska Wrestling’s 2026 Class Lays the Groundwork for Multi-Weight Success

Nebraska Wrestling’s 2026 signing class arrives with grit, versatility, and national recognition, marking a pivotal step in the program’s upward trajectory. Fro

www.si.com

 

[Bean]

Dlagnev Inducted to National Wrestling Hall of Fame

huskers.com

'"Nebraska assistant coach Tervel Dlagnev will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member announced on Thursday, Oct. 30.
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame honors Distinguished Members as “a wrestler who has achieved extraordinary success in national and/or international competition; a coach who has demonstrated great leadership in the profession and who has compiled an outstanding record; or a contributor whose long-term activities have substantially enhanced the development and advancement of the sport. Wrestlers must have been retired from active competition for a period of five years to be eligible for consideration as a Distinguished Member.”

Dlagnev had an impressive career as one of the nation’s best heavyweight freestyle wrestlers in history. He won the Olympic bronze medal in 2012 at the London Olympic Games and placed fifth in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. He also won World bronze medals for the United States in 2009 and 2014 and was a 2011 Pan American Games and 2008 University World Champion. In college, Dlagnev was a two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. "

 

[Bean]

Huskers Welcome Nine for 2026

huskers.com

Nebraska wrestling head coach Mark Manning announced the commitment of nine student-athletes for the 2026-27 signing class. The wrestlers include Davis Parrow, Jason Singer, Tad Forsyth, Zaiyahn Ornelas, Nikolas Rotella, Mason Petersen, Noah Bull, Nolan Fellers and Elijah Collick.

FLO Wrestling HS Rankings Nov 14, 2025
150:

18

SR

Davis Parrow

Farmington

MN

Nebraska

10 (144)

215:

SR

Jason Singer

Faith Christian Academy

PA

Nebraska

9

Husker Wrestling: A Look at Nebraska’s 2026 Recruiting Class

The Huskers signed nine recruits to its 2026 class with three coming from in-state

www.cornnation.com

 

[Bean]

Finding My Place on the Mat

huskers.com

 

[Bean]

 

[Bean]

https://x.com/bigredtds
TRELLYSZN
@bigredtds
·9h

Imagine this Nebraska lineup next year (2027):
125 Jacob Van Dee
133 Omar Ayoub
141 Jake Hockaday
149 Nikade Zinkin
157 Antrell Taylor
165 LJ Araujo
174 Ty Eise
184 Christopher Minto
197 Camden McDanel
HWT Cade Ziola

 

[Bean]