The 6th-ranked Nebraska wrestling team has a tough set of duals this weekend at home before they head into Holiday Break. The Huskers host #16 North Carolina on Friday night at 7 p.m. before taking on #5 Oklahoma State at the Devaney Sports Center on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Nebraska
went to Chappel Hill last year and took on the Tar Heels, dominating the dual 34-3. This season, the Tar Heels are one of the surprise teams with their 6-0 dual record this year — this past weekend, they beat the previously undefeated West Virginia squad 27-7 in a dual. Oklahoma State then beat the Mountaineers 34-3 on Sunday.
The Huskers already faced Oklahoma State this season at the National Duals Invitational — things didn’t go well in a 33-6 loss. In that dual, Nebraska had either backups or guys up a weight class in five of the first six weight classes due to injuries, leaving them without much of a shot from the start.
With that dual taking place in Tulsa and the Huskers seriously depleted, the Cowboys dominated with a full lineup and home-mat advantage. This Sunday, Nebraska will have its full lineup and will enjoy the home-mat advantage this time. If you look at the lineups, this dual could really go either way with each team’s top guys taking the mat — there are a number of toss-up matches that makes this one anybody’s guess.
As far as how to watch, the North Carolina dual will stream on B1G+ while Sunday’s dual will be on BTN.
125 pounds
Nebraska head coach Mark Manning said this week that they still aren’t set on a starter here, so redshirt freshman Kael Lauridsen and sophomore Alan Koehler will again split matches this weekend.
Lauridsen is 6-4 on the year, while Koehler is 9-7 — both guys are 1-3 in duals after they each earned their first dual wins of the year two weeks ago at the Hustle in the Heartland. Lauridsen beat then-#17 Mack Mauger of Missouri 4-1 in sudden victory, picking up his best career win to date, while Koehler won via technical fall against Brown.
I would anticipate Koehler getting the start against North Carolina because he’s already had his shot at #8 Troy Spratley of Oklahoma State — Spratley pinned Koehler at National Duals. Therefore, Koehler will likely take on #28 Kysen Terukina of North Carolina.
An Iowa State transfer, Terukina is a three-time NCAA qualifier and is 5-0 on the year. Last season, Terukina beat both Lauridsen (5-1 decision) and Koehler (4-2) in one-takedown matches. Can Koehler make a statement this weekend by reversing that result?
After earning his first big win against Mauger, Lauridsen sets his sights on NCAA finalist Spratley. The Cowboy junior is 5-2 this year with close losses to #1 Vincent Robinson of NC State (3-2) and #7 Dean Peterson of Iowa (5-4). He also earned his first top-10 win of the season this past weekend when he beat #9 Jett Strickenberger of West Virginia 6-2.
Both of these opponents should be considered favorites against Lauridsen and Koehler — both Huskers have a great opportunity this weekend to grab hold of the starting spot with an upset.
133 pounds
Nebraska really missed #8 Jacob Van Dee at last month’s National Duals — he wrestled only one match due to a shoulder injury. Then after backup Omar Ayoub broke his hand against Ohio State, Lauridsen was forced to wrestle up at 133 against Oklahoma State’s #21 Ronnie Ramirez, losing a 9-3 decision.
With Van Dee back in the fold, he has an opportunity here to re-establish himself this weekend against a pair of ranked opponents in North Carolina’s #19 Ethan Oakley and #21 Ramirez.
Last season, Van Dee dropped a 10-9 decision to Oakley in their dual matchup, but the Husker junior is still the favorite here. Van Dee is 7-1 on the year, while Oakley is 5-2. After going 2-2 at the Southeast Open to start the year, Oakley is a perfect 3-0 in duals, including a 4-2 win over #20 Gunner Andrick of West Virginia this past weekend.
Ramirez is 6-2 this season with losses to #4 Drake Ayala of Iowa (7-4 in sudden victory) and Andrick (4-2) this past weekend. A true freshman, Ramirez recently took over the starting spot over former NCAA Champion Richard Figueroa, an Arizona State transfer who moved up from 125 for his final season — Figueroa is 1-5 on the year and 1-3 in dual meets.
Nebraska will need Van Dee to win this match if it hopes to beat the Cowboys in this dual.
Something to monitor — It’s anticipated that high school prodigy Jax Forrest is graduating early to wrestle second semester for the Cowboys at 133. Forrest is the #1 recruit in a historically great 2026 recruiting class. At his most recent home dual for Bishop McCort in Pennsylvania, they celebrated “Jax Forrest Senior Night.”
Now, I see it as very unlikely he’d be eligible Sunday, but with the school not announcing anything yet, who knows what they’re up to — maybe he’s registered for classes in January and could be eligible.
141 pounds
A three-time All-American for the Huskers, #3 Brock Hardy has his work cut out for him this weekend — he’ll face both #18 Luke Simcox of North Carolina and #2 Sergio Vega of Oklahoma State.
Simcox is a redshirt freshman with an 8-2 record on the year — both of his losses have come to ranked opponents. Last time out, Simcox beat three-time NCAA qualifier Jordan Titus of West Virginia 5-2 in sudden victory. I expect Hardy to win this one, but Simcox is no pushover.
As for the super-talented true freshman Vega, he beat Hardy soundly via 13-2 major decision at National Duals — he out-scrambled the Husker senior in a way that we rarely see. Vega is a perfect 7-0 this year with five wins over ranked opponents, including wins over Hardy, #7 Ryan Jack of NC State, #10 Nasir Bailey of Iowa, and #25 Pierson Manville of Arizona State. Vega also beat Titus 5-1 last time out. He’s yet to give up a takedown in college.
A Fargo Junior National Champion, a Super 32 champion, and a Who’s Number One winner, Vega was one of the top recruits in the 2025 class, and he’s lived up to the billing.
Hardy can definitely get this one back, but he’s going to have to be on top of his game to do it.
149 pounds
The big question here is whether #9 Chance Lamer will be eligible for these duals with the first semester ending on Friday. I know that the Huskers are hard at work trying to make sure he’s available. If he’s able to take the mat — especially against the Cowboys — it could be a game-changer for the Huskers.
True freshman Nikade Zinkin has filled in admirable in the first semester, but Lamer is a serious upgrade here right now. We will likely see Zinkin against North Carolina here with Lamer making his Husker dual debut on Sunday. Nebraska has also used both Scott Robertson and Blake Cushing in duals at 149 pounds this year with both guys dropping their matchups.
Against North Carolina, Nebraska will face Nake Askew, a true freshman with a 6-3 record on the year. All six of his wins have come via decision with none of his three dual wins coming against wrestlers with winning records. I would consider Zinkin a slight favorite in this one.
Oklahoma State will have #13 Casey Swiderski here — he’s 5-5 on the year but was an All-American in 2024 for Iowa State. After an 0-4 start to the year, he actually got his first win of the year against Zinkin at National Duals via 7-6 decision — he has since gone 4-1 in his last five matches.
Lamer, who is 10-0 on the year in open tournaments with eight wins coming with bonus points, is the favorite here against Swiderski — this is another match that Nebraska may just need to win this dual.
According to Manning, Lamer is hungry to finally hit the mat in the Husker lineup.
157 pounds
It’s been a rough start for Nebraska’s returning NCAA Champion #6 Antrell Taylor — after a 5-0 start to the year, Taylor dropped matches to Lehigh’s #12 Logan Rozynski (9-1 major) and #5 Brandon Cannon of Ohio State (16-4 major) at National Duals. Taylor is currently 8-2 on the year.
Taylor sat out the Oklahoma State dual in Tulsa with a knee injury that he was dealing with that weekend.
Taylor will face redshirt freshman Laird Root of North Carolina on Friday night — Root is 7-2 on the year and has proven to be a tough out. He most recently wrestled a tough match against #1 Ty Watters of West Virginia, falling via 6-3 decision. Taylor cannot afford to overlook the young Tar Heel.
In the premier matchup of the Oklahoma State dual, Taylor will take on #2 Landon Robideau — a true freshman with a perfect 7-0 record on the year. Robideau puts up points in bunches and he’s proven that his point-scoring style has successfully translated from the high school level to the college level.
In high school, Robideau was a top recruit who set all sorts of records — he was a four-time Minnesota state champion who set the state record for consecutive wins with 188 in a row. He also set a national record for takedowns in a season when he recorded an astonishing 605 takedowns in a single season.
Since arriving in Stillwater, Robideau has been impressive — he has wins over #4 Daniel Cardenas of Stanford (11-2 major) and #9 Jackson Arrington of NC State (8-2). He’s registered three wins via tech fall and three more via major decision.
Interestingly enough, Taylor and Robideau have met before on the freestyle scene — Taylor beat Robideau 5-1 in the semifinal round at the U20 World Team Trials in 2024. Make no mistake though — Robideau is much better at folkstyle than he is at freestyle.
If Taylor wants his spot back at the top of the rankings, he’ll need to beat Robideau.
165 pounds
Nebraska’s #13 LJ Araujo has been impressive this season with multiple ranked wins — most notably a pinfall win over #8 Max Brignola of Lehigh. A redshirt freshman, Araujo is 8-1 on the year with his only loss coming to #12 Paddy Gallagher of Ohio State in a match where he was wrestling with two injured hamstrings.
Against North Carolina, Araujo will face #20 Bryce Hepner — an Ohio State transfer who is 4-0 this year. He’s a solid wrestlers who has a lot of experience, so Araujo will be tested.
The big matchup at this weight this weekend is Araujo against #2 LaDarion Lockett of Oklahoma State — another talented true freshman for the Cowboys who is a perfect 7-0 on the year. A former U17 World Champion and a U20 world medalist, Lockett is as talented as they come.
This season, Lockett has really inserted himself in the NCAA title conversation with wins over national finalist #3 Michael Caliendo of Iowa (7-3), #5 Hunter Garvin of Stanford (2-1), and #9 Jackson Arrington of NC State (8-2).
I’m really interested to see this match because of the clash of styles — Araujo is dominant in the top position and likes to muddy up matches, while Lockett is a true freestyler who is seriously elite on his feet. Being a true freshman, Lockett may have deficiencies on the mat where Araujo thrives. I don’t expect Lockett to choose to go under Araujo in this match, so the young Husker may need a takedown or reversal if he hopes to exert his advantage on the mat.
Regardless, this match really affords Araujo the opportunity to insert himself in the conversation nationally with a win here over one of the hottest wrestlers in the country.
174 pounds
Nebraska’s #7 Christopher Minto will get a chance this weekend to get back one of his losses this season — he’s 8-2 on the year with his only losses coming to #4 Carson Kharchla of Ohio State (5-1) and #6 Alex Facundo of Oklahoma State (2-1). Minto is 8-2 with wins over both #9 Danny Wask of Navy (11-2 major) and #12 Beau Mantanona of Michigan (4-1 in sudden victory).
Against North Carolina, Minto will face junior Marcus Murabito — he’s 7-3 on the year as he fills in for the injured Josh Ogunsanya, a three-time NCAA qualifier. Murabito is coming off a 10-0 loss to West Virginia’s Leo Contino.
In a rematch of a match that ended somewhat controversially, Minto vs. Facundo is one of the best matchups of the Oklahoma State dual. At National Duals, these two were tied at 1-1 late in the match and looked to be going to overtime, but a late Oklahoma State challenge led to Minto being called for an illegal head scissor that gave Facundo the 2-1 win. As you can see from the video below, the challenge brick came in after the referee signaled the start of sudden victory as well, adding to the controversy.
A Penn State transfer, Facundo is really good but never was able to cement himself in the Nittany Lion lineup. A national qualifier in 2023, Facundo was 23-7 in Happy Valley. This season for the Cowboys, he’s 8-3 on the year with all three of his losses coming to guys ranked in the top-5.
With the dual at home and the way their last meeting ended, I expect Minto to be hungry for this rematch.
184 pounds
According to Manning, Nebraska will send out both #9 Silas Allred and true freshman Ty Eise here. An All-American last year, Allred is 8-3 on the year with his biggest win coming against Oklahoma State’s #10 Zack Ryder at National Duals.
Eise will get the nod against North Carolina’s #22 Jake Dailey — a redshirt freshman with an 8-1 record on the year. Dailey’s lone loss came to #21 Jaden Bullock of Virginia Tech via 7-6 decision. A high-level recruit who won a Super 32 title as a senior at Gilroy, Eise is 2-2 on the year while wrestling at 174 pounds at the Navy Classic. This dual will be Eise’s second of five potential dates while keeping his redshirt.
A win over Dailey would be a really nice one for Eise as he gives Allred a night off.
Allred will rematch Ryder on Sunday night after the Husker senior won a 5-2 decision in sudden victory at National Duals. Ryder redshirted last year at Penn State, but the Nittany Lions brought in a transfer over his head so he transferred to Oklahoma State this summer.
A really good prospect coming out of high school, Ryder is 8-3 on the year and a perfect 6-0 since that loss to Allred. Last time out, Ryder beat West Virginia’s #23 Ian Bush 2-1.
If Allred wants to keep his spot in the top 10, he needs to beat Ryder again.
197 pounds
Nebraska has #15 Camden McDanel here. A sophomore, McDanel finished 8th last year at NCAAs. This season, he’s 8-3 with three ranked losses — one of those losses came against Oklahoma State’s #7 Cody Merrill at National Duals in tiebreakers.
McDanel will look to rebound from his 4-1 loss to Missouri’s #14 Evan Bates this weekend with matches against UNC’s #32 Robert Platt and Merrill.
Platt is 7-2 this season and just beat West Virginia’s #25 Rune Lawrence 10-7 this past weekend. A redshirt freshman, Platt went 11-7 last year while sitting out.
For the Cowboys, Merrill was a top prospect who redshirted a year ago — he went 12-2 with two 2-point losses to eventual NCAA Champion Stephen Buchanan of Iowa and Oregon State’s #4 Justin Rademacher. Merrill is 7-1 this year as a redshirt freshman with his only loss a 4-3 decision to Iowa’s #3 Massoma Endene
In their meeting at National Duals, the match was tied 1-1 after regulation. After a scoreless sudden victory period, the two went to tiebreakers. McDanel was ridden out in the first tiebreaker period, so he chose neutral in the second and was unable to get the takedown, dropping the match 2-1.
A razor-thin match like that with no takedowns scored is certainly one that McDanel can reverse, but it’ll be a tough match either way.
285 pounds
Nebraska has #4 AJ Ferrari here, but he hasn’t wrestled since going 3-1 at National Duals where he beat Oklahoma State’s #8 Konner Doucet 2-1 on a riding-time point. Ferrari is 4-1 on the year with his only loss coming to #3 Nick Feldman of Ohio State.
Filling in at the Hustle in the Heartland, true freshman Cade Ziola scored two very impressive wins via tech fall, and he’s listed as an “OR” on the probable lineup, so we could see him here — whether that’s against North Carolina’s #26 Nolan Neves or Oklahoma State’s Doucet. If the dual is decided going into heavyweight, I could see Ziola getting the nod — especially considering Ferrari already has a win over Doucet this year.
Neves was an NCAA qualifier last year, but he’s 3-3 this season as a junior.
Doucet is 7-1 this season with his only loss coming to Ferrari. A two-time NCAA qualifier, Doucet is a tough out who has been improving steadily since he arrived in Oklahoma.
