to Earl Smith (of then TOM, now at Intermat). It didn't come true though. I predicted Mekhi would bust the seeds up and get 2nd at NCAA's. I didn't know this forum existed back then or would have been spouting off here too. BTW, anyone know if anyone here predicted Mekhi to make the finals in 2019?

You’ll make millions.

Caleb and Mekhi have realistic chances assuming good health. Caleb is on the top rung (Lovett) in terms of talent at 149. Mekhi is in his own class at 174 but below Starroci. Also, 149 and 174 seem to have lesser talent than the other classes. 125 is a crap shoot. Who knows what the hell will happen? Two cool things about this weight class is the lack of favorite and the top 15 is spread out across 7-8 conferences. Several wrestlers may emerge from conference play, but you likely still won't be able to identify an overwhelming favorite heading into the tournament with the possible exception of Ramos returning to March 2023 form. I have no idea what will happen at 125. 133 has Vito at the elite level and Crookham/Fix/Nagao occupying the 2nd tier. If you asked me to pick one class that would go chalk to the semifinals, I would bet 133. It will be incredibly difficult for anyone outside the top 4 to make a run to the finals. Sam has dug himself into a hole for seeding. He has three top 10 clashes remaining (Vito and Orine 2x) but has no shot at a top 4 seed. He will have to wrestle top 4 seeds in both the quarters and semis to reach the finals. 157 with Bryce is like investing in crypto. Volatile gains and losses. Can he sustain a bull run through Saturday morning to get to the finals? Would love to see him end with a 6-7 seed, run into Robb/Franek. Definitely don't want Haines in his half. Would like to avoid Teemer if possible, too. Could see Teemer move into top 3 if he can handle Cardenas. Bryce has three seed boosting matches left with Scott 2x and getting revenge on Shapiro this weekend. ** Edited by VTDante at 1/4/2024, 4:28:41 PM

With the way Cornell sat starters against Iowa State, and since Shapiro already beat Bryce, I’m not convinced he will get a rematch.

I think we have 5 guys capable of making the finals, but only 2 are really likely. And even 2 would be amazing. It's as likely that Henson or Mekhi miss out as it is that someone else makes it I think. ** Edited by Hikinghokie at 1/4/2024, 3:08:36 PM

That is the better question!! Henson and Mekhi are not hard to fathom in the finals at all. Flynn, Latona, and Andonian have all the talent and certainly have proven they can beat anyone when hitting on all cylinders. But we will need the other weights to find Dubs and team points as well.

That's a definite NQ and a guy who probably wins a match or two. He's rarely been at his best but when he is he's a tough out.

Coupled with our strong recruiting classes, a performance like that would definitely create a buzz in the wrestling community. Probably a best case scenario, but 4 in the finals is not all that far fetched considering at one time or another, there has been speculation that there could be a Hokie in the finals at 5 different weights. In addition to those 5, with the right draw and a strong performance, I wouldn’t be shocked to see a top 8 finish from any of the remaining 5.