NCAA Wrestling Championships Preview: 184 lbs
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We continue our preview of the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships with the 184 lb bracket, where once again a Penn State wrestler is the No. 1 seed. But there is quite a lot to look forward to in this bracket, and a lot of potential drama could be waiting. Let's break it down.
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Favorites: Rocco Welsh (Penn State), Aeoden Sinclair (Missouri)
This one has to hurt for Buckeye fans. Welsh was a standout freshman at Ohio State in 2024, putting together an insane run in the NCAAs (including three straight sudden victory wins) to reach the final, before falling to Carter Starocci of Penn State. After redshirting last year, Welsh transferred over to Penn State, where he is in the midst of an undefeated season and is the No. 1 wrestler in the weight class.
The thing about Welsh is that he just doesn't lose. He doesn't dominate every match like some Penn State wrestlers do. Instead, he just finds ways to win. He has a lot of close battles––all three of his wins at the Big Ten Championships went into (or past) Sudden Victory, but he hasn't dropped a match yet this year.
Sinclair has lost a match this year, though. He lost 3-2 in November to Angelo Ferrari (Iowa). He has been dominant since then, putting up the stats you'd expect from an elite wrestler. Sinclair is unfortunate enough to possible face Ferrari (the No. 7 seed) in the quarterfinals, but he should be treated as a co-favorite with Welsh.
Ohio State's Wrestler: Dylan Fishback
Fishback transferred to the Buckeyes from N.C. State this year (to replace Welsh), and he had a solid 15-8 season for Ohio State. That earned him the No. 12 seed in these NCAA Championships, especially as Fishback seemed to falter a bit towards the end of the year. He picked up a lot of close losses, which could have hurt his confidence, but don't be fooled: Fishback is as much a threat as anyone else in this bracket.
Against Welsh at the disastrous Penn State dual meet a month ago, Fishback had the match won. He out-wrestled Welsh for six-and-a-half minutes and carried a 6-4 lead into the final seconds. He just ran out of gas and gave up a takedown with 15 seconds left for the 7-6 loss. But he showed in that match that he can beat anyone in the country.
Fishback gets Thomas Brooker (Appalachian State) in his opening match, where the Buckeye should be favored. His likely second-round opponent is Brock Mantanona (Michigan). Fishback lost to Mantanona earlier this year in a very tight 4-1 match, where just one takedown was the difference. If Fishback can get through that, he probably likes his chances until an expected semifinal rematch with Welsh.
Sleepers: Silas Allred (Nebraska), Angelo Ferrari (Iowa)
First of all, I have to mention Max McEnelly (Minnesota). I can't really call him a sleeper, as he's the No. 3 seed. But he only has two losses on the year, both close ones to Welsh and Sinclair. I don't see anyone upsetting him before the semis, and it wouldn't shock me to see him go all the way once he gets there.
Angelo Ferrari is an excellent wrestler. He is under-seeded at No. 7, mostly because he didn't get enough matches in in an injury-filled season. Assuming he's healthy (he did leave the Big Ten Championships early once he punched his ticket), he can beat anyone. His two real losses on the season both came in tiebreaks to Welsh. He could absolutely make it all the way through this bracket.
Lastly, I want to discuss Silas Allred. Allred is an elite wrestler who never seems to put it all together in the big moments. But he absolutely has the talent to beat everyone in his way, and all it takes is one magical run to make history.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: NCAA Wrestling Championships Preview: 184 lbs