197:

Depth Chart

Cordell Eaton is the guy NDSU fans need to get behind in 2019-202  Over the last three years, Eaton has held down the 197 pound weight class well.  Eaton has defeated multiple ranked wrestlers in his time with the Bison, but NCAA tournament qualification has alluded him. Eight Big 12 wrestlers are ranked in the top 25 by Flowrestling entering the year, so there will be no gimme dual matches.  That said, Eaton has beaten top 20 competition in duals on multiple occasions.  Whenever it is time to compete, Eaton shows up.  I expect that will be the case even more so in this final run.

285:

Depth Chart

Brandon Metz enters his sophomore season off a disappointing finish to last winter.  Metz had his ups and downs throughout 2018-19, but an 0-2 finish at the Big 12 tournament meant no NCAA qualification for a guy that earned an automatic bid for the conference given his season body of work.  This year, Metz will need to find the consistency he lacked last winter.  If he does, there is no doubt he can shoot up the rankings from his current slot at 21st (Flowrestling).  With the graduation of Oklahoma State national runner-up Derek White, the weight class opens up quite a bit.  Tate Orndorff  of Utah Valley is the Big 12’s highest ranked wrestler at 12th, and Metz defeated Orndorff in their only matchup last season.  From there, six wrestlers including Metz are ranked between fourteen and twenty-one in Flowrestling’s preseason rankings.  Though the the talent is strong and deep, there is no one Metz is incapable of defeating when at his best.

Dan Stibral returns for his senior season as one of the best 285 pound backups in the country.  Metz defeated Stibral when necessary last season, but expect a close bout if the two meet at the Green/Gold dual.