Senior Jesse Mendez and sophomore transfer Ethan Stiles have been named to the Big Ten Conference’s 2025-26 Wrestlers to Watch list. Both athletes represent Ohio State among a selection of top competitors from across the conference.
Mendez, a three-time All-American for Ohio State who has won consecutive NCAA Championships at 141 pounds, will begin his season on Saturday at the 2025 NWCA All-Star Classic. The event is set to take place at Jersey Mike’s Arena on the Rutgers University campus, with coverage available on Flowrestling.org starting at 7 p.m. Mendez, currently ranked No. 1, will face Iowa State’s Anthony Echemendia, ranked No. 6, in the final match of the evening.
Stiles joins Ohio State this year as a transfer from Oregon State and is ranked No. 3 nationally at 149 pounds. Last season, he achieved All-America honors after finishing as runner-up in the Pac-12 tournament. He is one of more than 20 Buckeye wrestlers beginning their season at the Clarion Open in Pennsylvania on Sunday.
Ohio State enters the new dual meet season ranked fifth nationally and will start its campaign against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on November 9 at 1 p.m., with live streaming available through ESPN+. The Buckeyes’ home dual opener will be held November 20 against Kent State and can be viewed via B1G+ starting at 7 p.m.
“Senior Jesse Mendezand transfer sophomore Ethan Stiles (149) represent Ohio State among the Big Ten’s best,” according to the Big Ten Conference press release.