It’s October and that means the 2023-24 college wrestling season is right around the corner! In order to help you prepare for the upcoming season, we’ll be previewing all 10 Division 1 weight classes. Check out the article below for an in-depth look at 157 pounds.

Other weight class previews: 125, 133, 141, 174

Returning 2023 All-Americans

• Levi Haines - 2nd place
• Jared Franek - 4th place
• Ed Scott - 5th place
• Peyton Robb - 6th place
• Bryce Andonian - 7th place
• Will Lewan - 8th place

Other NCAA All-Americans

• Jacori Teemer - 4th place in 2021 and 6th place in 2022 at 157 lbs
• Michael Blockhus - 8th place in 2023 at 149 
• Brayton Lee - 6th place in 2021 at 157 lbs

The Favorite

Levi Haines, Penn State

With Austin O’Connor, the reigning champion at the weight graduated and gone, there is one name that stands out among the rest - Levi Haines. The other returning finalist proved himself as a true freshman last season going 27-2 en route to a runner-up finish. His only regular season loss came to Northern Colorado’s Vinny Zerban in the very first event of the season. This proved to be an outlying performance as Haines went undefeated with wins over Peyton Robb X2, Bryce Andonian, and Will Lewan until the NCAA finals.

Haines’ semifinal victory over Peyton Robb:

The Contenders

• Meyer Shapiro, Cornell
• Jared Franek, Iowa
• Peyton Robb, Nebraska
• Jacori Teemer, Arizona State
• Bryce Andonian, Virginia Tech

The first name I want to highlight on this list is Meyer Shapiro. While he hasn’t wrestled a match in a Cornell singlet yet, I believe he would have the second most picks behind Haines if you polled wrestling fans on who would win this year. The #1 overall recruit last year, Shapiro forewent his senior year of high school and lived and trained in Ithaca. He’s a U17 and Junior World champion who went 15-0 while competing in open college tournaments last year. He’s the real deal.

CP wasn’t shy about sharing his feelings towards Shapiro. He’s his pick to win 157 this year and thinks he could potentially be the next four-time NCAA champion

All that hype could be derailed by a handful of veterans suck as Franek, Robb, Teemer, and/or Andonian. After losing his former head coach, Roger Kish, to Oklahoma, Franek packed up his bags and moved to Iowa City. Finishing 4th place last year, he’ll likely replace Cobe Siebrecht in the Iowa starting lineup.

Peyton Robb will be a fan favorite this year after suffering from a devastating leg injury that forced him to withdraw from the NCAA tournament last year after the semifinals. There were questions as to whether or not he would be able to compete this season, but it appears he’ll be good to go.

Jacori Teemer will be back after medically redshirting last season with a torn pec. A 2X All-American with three wins over Franek, he’s capable of winning this weight. 

I don’t want fans to forget how big of a scare Bryce Andonian gave Levi Haines in the NCAA quarters. Early in the first, Andonian put Haines on his back and was as close as you can get to the fall. 

Andonian and Haines' crazy NCAA quarterfinal:

The Next Tier

• Ed Scott, NC State
• Will Lewan, Michigan
• Michael Blockhus, Minnesota
• Daniel Cardenas, Stanford

NC State fans might get a little upset with me for putting Ed Scott in “the next tier” while Andonian is in the contenders tier given that Scott beat Andonian at NCAAs. However, Andonian is 4-0 against Scott in their other four meetings. Andonian has shown he is capable of beating the top guys while Scott hasn’t done that yet. 

Scott was sent to the backside at NCAAs last season by Michigan’s Will Lewan. Lewan will be in his sixth and final year as a Wolverine and going for his third AA finish.

A surprise returning All-American is Michael Blockhus. Blockhus took 8th at 149 last year before announcing he would not be using his extra year of eligibility but pursuing a mixed martial arts career. While he did go 1-0 in fights this off-season, he recently announced he would indeed be returning to NCAA wrestling and moving up to 157 lbs.

Daniel Cardenas had an excellent true freshman year last season going 24-3 and finishing one win shy of All-American status. I’m very excited to see what he can do now with a full year of college competition and training under his belt.

Sleepers & Dark Horses

• Mitchell Mesenbrink
• Brayton Lee, Indiana
• Cael Swensen, SDSU
• Cam Steed, Missouri

Ok, obviously Mitchel Messenbrink is not a sleeper. If he's Penn State's starter at 157, he's an immediate title threat and everyone knows that. However, I think fans are forgetting this is even a possibility. Mesenbrink has been asked publicly several times what his plan is for this season, and he has been adamant that he does not know. I don't think it's likely. I think Mesenbrink Olympic redshirts or comes in at 165. However, I'd be remiss if I did a 157 lb preview and didn't even mention the fact that there is a possibility of Haines redshirting (standard or Olympic) and Mesenbrink stepping in at 157.

I also don’t know how much of “sleeper” Brayton Lee is. He was my preseason pick to win this weight last year. However, after suffering a season-ending injury in 2022, the injuries remained and forced Lee to be a shell of his former self last year. He went just 4-9 and did not qualify for the NCAA tournament. However, when he was healthy, Brayton Lee was a bad man.

Cael Swensen will be a redshirt sophomore for the Jackrabbits. I think him finishing in the bloodround as a freshman last year really flew under the radar. Under the tutelage of Damion Hahn, Cody Caldwell, and others, I expect Swensen to be even better than last season.

If you’re not from Oklahoma or super in the weeds, you might not recognize the name Cam Steed. He was a 4X state champ from Collinsville, Oklahoma, but was just outside of the top-100 recruits in 2022, so he didn’t make the big board. He went 16-4 last season while redshirting including winning six consecutive matches to take 4th at the Southern Scuffle at 165. When wrestling his best, he’s pretty darn good.

Pre-Season 157-Pound Predictions

It’s a tough call at 157, but I’ll take the safe bet and go with Haines. I’m buying into all the hype and wouldn’t be shocked to see Shapiro on top of the podium come March, but for now, I’m going with the guy who’s already been through a full college season.

1. Levi Haines, Penn State
2. Meyer Shapiro, Cornell
3. Jacori Teemer, Arizona State
4. Bryce Andonian, Virginia Tech
5. Peyton Robb, Nebraska
6. Will Lewan, Michigan
7. Jared Franek, Iowa
8. Ed Scott, NC State