Intermat Releases First Preseason Rankings for 2026-27 Wrestling Season

A second set of preseason wrestling rankings have been unveiled, and David Taylor’s Cowboys are again well-represented.

Intermat released its preseason rankings for the 2026-27 wrestling season this week. Those rankings featured seven Cowboys in the top eight of their respective weight classes, including three top-ranked wrestlers and another three in the Top 5.

Here’s what Intermat thinks of the Cowboys in the preseason with some takeaways to follow.

Team Tournament — 2nd
Team Dual — 2nd
125 — Troy Spratley, 7th
133 — Jax Forrest, 1st
141 — N/A
149 — Sergio Vega, 2nd
157 — Landon Robideau, 1st
165 — Dee Lockett, 5th
174 — Lorenzo Norman, 14th
184 — Bennett Berge, 10th
197 — Cody Merrill, 2nd
HWT — Konner Doucet, 1st

The thing that jumps out most is OSU doesn’t have a representative at 141 pounds, but that is because many expect a freshman to win that spot for the Pokes in either Jordyn or Jayden Raney. And, unlike in football, wrestling rankings often don’t deal with potential but rather hard results. But the expectation is the Cowboys will have a podium threat at that weight at the least come March.

There are a couple of other spots with a listed wrestler who could still have to win that given spot. For example, Flo released its preseason rankings in August and included Alex Facundo at 174 pounds and Zack Ryder at 184 pounds, whereas Intermat has Norman (a Stanford transfer) and Berge (a South Dakota State transfer) in those spots.

The Flo guys on their podcast have also discussed the possibility of Facundo dropping down to 165 to compete with Lockett (and Casey Swiderski). And as crazy as it might seem given he’s the top-ranked guy in both rankings, Doucet might not be the guy at heavyweight for the Cowboys. That could be incoming freshman Dreshaun Ross, who recently won a U20 World silver medal.

So, there’s still some spots up for grabs, it seems.

Aside from having a few different bodies, the Intermat and Flo rankings are rather close to each other. Here they are side by side.

Vega being second in Intermat’s rankings despite going undefeated without giving up a takedown last season might raise a few eyebrows. The Cowboy is moving up in weight, and that 149-pound weight class is spookily stacked this season. The top three guys at the weight have all won a national title.

If any Cowboy has the right to feel spurred by these rankings, I’d point to Troy Spratley. After finishing in the blood round as a freshman, Spratley has taken second and fifth in the past two seasons against much of the same field that is ranked ahead of him.