Ohio State’s wrestling team learned its seeds and first-round opponents on March 11 for the upcoming 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships, which will take place from March 19 to 21 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Buckeyes qualified wrestlers in all ten weight classes after their performance at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships held at Penn State University. Ohio State finished second in the conference with a total of 148.5 points. Senior Jesse Mendez, who is a two-time defending NCAA champion at 141 pounds, secured his second Big Ten title, while redshirt freshman Ben Davino won the championship at 133 pounds. Both Mendez and Davino have earned No. 1 seeds for the national tournament.
Mendez was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, and Davino received Freshman of the Year honors. Head coach Tom Ryan was recognized as Coach of the Year for his leadership during the season. The Buckeyes also had Ethan Stiles finish second at 149 pounds and four other wrestlers—Nic Bouzakis (125), Carson Kharchla (174), Luke Geog (197), and Nick Feldman (heavyweight)—place third in their respective weight classes.
Ryan has now sent nine or more wrestlers to nationals ten times during his tenure since 2007. In total, Ohio State has produced 167 NCAA qualifiers under Ryan’s guidance, earning 75 All-America honors and finishing in the top five nationally ten times. The program won its only NCAA team title in 2015 and has placed second five times.
This year’s roster includes several returning qualifiers such as Brendan McCrone, Nic Bouzakis, Jesse Mendez, Ethan Stiles, Brandon Cannon, Paddy Gallagher, Carson Kharchla, Ryder Rogotzke, Dylan Fishback, Seth Shumate, Luke Geog, and Nick Feldman. Redshirt freshman Ben Davino will make his first appearance at nationals this year. Collectively, current Buckeye wrestlers have qualified for the NCAA Tournament a combined total of thirty-two times.
Looking ahead to Cleveland later this month, Ohio State aims to build on recent finishes—fifth place last year and eighth place in 2024—as they compete with a full lineup of qualifiers.