ACC Wrap-Up and Breakout Performers

Week three of the ACC saw the first team upset of the conference season with UNC knocking off #19 Pitt at home. The Tar Heels picked up the first ACC dual victory in the Rob Koll era with an impressive performance at home and are looking to continue that momentum into a matchup on the road with Virginia this week. Virginia Tech shutout Duke and NC State beat UVA handily to wrap up the conference matches last week. We will have a full breakdown of the conference slate and the top-10 matchup between Cornell and NC State on Friday. Today, we are going to look at a wrestler from each ACC program that has stepped up for their team. These guys have either stepped into a full-time starting spot and made a big impression or they have stepped out of redshirt mid-season to help their team. Each of them has played a big role in the recent success of their team and will be a factor in the ACC Championships. 

Duke: Connor Barket

Barket took over the starting spot at 285 after the departure of Jonah Niesenbaum and has had a solid season thus far. He is 1-2 in the ACC with decision losses to the Catka brothers but has been competitive in every bout. He placed eighth at the Southern Scuffle and has shown plenty of improvement. Tom Erikson continues to show that he is one of the preeminent heavyweight coaches in the country, and I’m excited to watch the continued growth of Barket. 

North Carolina: #17 Tyler Eischens

Eischens was a mid-season addition for the Tar Heels, joining for his final year of eligibility after competing for Coach Koll at Stanford. He is 7-5 since entering the lineup with four ranked wins and three of those losses coming to top-10 ranked wrestlers. He is 2-1 in the ACC with wins over Alex Faison and Luca Augustine and a loss to Mekhi Lewis. Eischens faces Justin McCoy this Friday in a match that will likely decide who is the 2 seed at the ACC tournament. 

NC State: #12 Derek Fields

Fields started the season in competition for the starting job at 165 with AJ Kovacs. Since earning the starting job he has impressed for the Wolfpack. He is 13-2 on the year and 3-0 in the ACC. He has made leaps in his technique and has been a critical part of the team success for NC State this year. Fields will face off with Connor Brady in the Virginia Tech dual with the top seed for the ACC tournament on the line. 

Pittsburgh: #29 Finn Solomon

Solomon entered the Panther lineup after transferring from NC State this offseason and has made an immediate impact. He is 12-8 on the year and has wrestled an incredibly tough schedule - 5 of his losses are to top-12 ranked wrestlers - and is in arguably the toughest weight class in the ACC. I have been very impressed with his ability to step into the starting job and compete; he has been a major part of the dual success that the Panthers have had. He will face another very tough test this weekend in #2 Caleb Henson. 

Virginia: #28 Marlon Yarbrough

Yarbrough has been one of my favorite wrestlers to follow this season. He came into Charlottesville with a lot of potential and has made major strides to show that ability this year. He is 10-6 on the year with two of those losses being medical forfeits; he was injured at Midlands and the Southeast Open but seems to finally be back to 100%. Yarbrough has shown the ability to wrestle with anyone in the country - he has a big win over Sam Latona in the dual against Virginia Tech and was going back and forth with Kai Orine before pinned going for a big move. If he is able to maintain his mental focus in big matches, he can make a big impact in the postseason. 

Virginia Tech: #4 Cooper Flynn

Flynn technically fits both of the possible criteria for this list. He was in an Olympic Redshirt year prior to joining in the second semester after the injury of All-American Eddie Ventresca; this is also his first year as the full-time starter at 125. He has been one of the most impressive stories of the year. After coming out of redshirt, he has top-5 wins over Nico Provo and Noah Surtin along with three more ranked wins in his 12-2 start. He is 3-0 in the ACC with a big match with either Jakob Camacho or Jarrett Trombley at NC State to determine the top seed for the ACCs.