Nebraska Wrestling in the Navy Classic: Breakdown, Preview

The No. 3 Huskers return to the East Coast to defend their back-to-back titles at the Navy Classic.

Mar 21, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Caleb Smith of Nebraska defeats Michael DeAugustino of Michigan during the Men’s Division I NCAA Wrestling Championships at T-Mobile Center. / Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

The No. 3 Nebraska wrestling team flexed its muscles in its tour of North Caroline with a 40-6 win over Campbell before a 34-3 crushing of No. 25 North Carolina. 

The Huskers won eight of the 10 matches against Campbell with all eight being for bonus points. That included back-to-back pins from No. 5 Ridge Lovett (149) and No. 4 Antrell Taylor (157). Plus, No. 4 Brock Hardy (141), No. 6 Lenny Pinto (174), No. 6 Silas Allred (184) and Harley Andrews (285) each earned technical falls. 

NU’s performance was nearly as impressive against the ranked Tar Heels, as Nebraska won nine of 10 matches with a pin from Andrews and a major decision win from Camden McDanel at 197 pounds. 

With growing confidence under their belts and a lineup that looks like a top-three unit in the country, Nebraska prepares for a pair of tournaments as the calendar inches closer to December.

Here’s all you need to know as Nebraska heads back out to the East Coast for the Navy Classic.

***All rankings are from TheOpenMat.com 

How to Follow Along 

• Tournament Field: Navy, Air Force, American, Bucknell, Davidson, Kent State, Lock Haven, Michigan State, Ohio, The Citadel, VMI. 
• When: 8 a.m. CST Saturday, Nov. 23
• Where: Wesley Brown Field House, Annapolis, MD
• Watch: N/A

Tournament Scout

Returning NCAA Qualifiers: Navy (2), Air Force (0), American (1), Bucknell (4), Davidson (0), Kent State (0), Lock Haven (3), Michigan State (0), Ohio (3), The Citadel (0) and VMI (1).

Ranked Wrestlers

• 125: No. 4 Caleb Smith (Nebraska).
• 133: No. 15 Anthony Noto (Lock Haven), No. 16 Kurt Phipps (Bucknell).
• 141: No. 4 Brock Hardy (Nebraska), No. 10 Josh Koderhandt (Navy), No. 18 Wyatt Henson (Lock Haven).
• 149: No. 5 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska).
• 157: No. 4 Antrell Taylor (Nebraska), No. 5 Peyton Kellar (Ohio).
• 165: No. 15 Noah Mulvaney (Bucknell), No. 17 Bubba Wilson (Nebraska).
• 174: No. 5 Lenny Pinto (Nebraska), No. 12 Garrett Thompson (Ohio), No. 17 Myles Takats (Bucknell).
• 184: No. 5 Silas Allred (Nebraska).

Outlook: With Nebraska being by far the highest rated team in attendance along with ranked favorites at six different weight classes, the Huskers should cruise to a team victory this weekend in Maryland. 

NU enters the weekend as the defending two-time winner of the Navy Classic and having won the tournament three times in the history of the program. Six Huskers won their weight classes last season which includes current starters Caleb Smith, Brock Hardy, Lovett, Taylor and Pinto. 

157 and 174 pounds seem to be the most loaded weight classes of the weekend for various reasons. 157 has the best possible matchup with a possible top-five showdown between Taylor and No. 5 Peyton Kellar from Ohio. That could give a sneak peek of an NCAA Tournament match months down the line in Philadelphia. Plus, 174 pounds ties 141 pounds for the most ranked wrestlers with three. Hardy and Pinto are still the clear favorites, but their path to a tournament title won’t be as clear as other weight classes. 

Bottom line, expect Nebraska to come out on top handily this weekend. The Huskers put up 212 team points last season with second-place Navy at 137 points. A similar gap this season is reasonable to expect. 

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