Chattanooga... Chattanooga...Chattanooga...
Chattanooga had a very young roster last year and return basically everyone except Brayden Palmer and broke the ten win barrier for the first time in nearly ten years.
Here is what their starters looked like this year...
125 - SR, 17W - 4L
133 - SO, 18W - 6L
141 - FR, 25W - 4L
149 - JR, 13W - 4L
157 - JR, 11W - 4L
165 - FR, 17W - 11L
174 - FR, 17W - 8L
184 - SO, 5W - 8L
197 - FR, 7W - 8L
285 - JR, 6W - 12L
One thing to note is that I did leave the names off... that was deliberate. I wanted you to see the numbers as only numbers. Many of these gents were only a match away from qualifying and won two or three matches at their conference championships, as it were.
Now 184 is deceiving in that the kid who ended the season started it at 157lbs, so some lineup shuffling and the weights will fall right in to place. Especially if they can get a transfer along the lines of a Rocky Jordan in.
One of their redshirt frosh at 125 is a pinner, and that looks promising, especially in a dual sense, but they have two guys coming off redshirt that will be vying for the spot there as well as a two year starter returning to the lineup after being displaced by Palmer dropping.
This lineup, with a replacement at 125 and perhaps a small shuffle in the 165-184 range, has potential to grow together and increase their peak wins, which is typical year after year. Those 17W should become low to mid 20s and those Ls should be about the same (assuming they qualify for NCAAs and take 2-3 losses there as well).
I think this team could challenge both App State and Chattanooga, especially in a dual format (5 of their first 7 matches against Campbell were one takedown, close decision losses).
I hope the coaching staff is out their shooting their shot with the likes of Billy Janzer (Rutgers 184/197), Kraisser (Iowa State ~157), Alvarez (OSU, Rutgers 141-165 ), and the two Navy 125lbers. They land two or even one of them, and that could provide the leadership needed to help with that next step next year.