“These are important, but it’s not the end-all,” head coach Brian Smith said about early-season competition Nov. 9. “It just gives us a lot of (time) to coach our kids for the first time.”
No. 12 Mizzou wrestling came into the 2025-26 season featuring six new starters in its lineup, whether that was first-time starters in black and gold or a weight class change within the team. Through the non-conference slate, the Tigers boast a 6-5 dual record, a Tiger Style Invite title and a fourth-place finish
at the Cougar Clash.
There have been both underwhelming and breakout wrestlers on the roster, but it’s a long season and if there’s a time for national contenders to emerge, it’s during the Big 12 schedule. For now, let’s set a baseline for Mizzou’s wrestlers before conference play begins by recapping what they’ve done against non-conference opponents.
All rankings are according to InterMat.
125
No. 28 Mack Mauger is a redshirt freshman in his first season as a starter, and he has shown impressive takedown power for a lightweight. He has an 11-7 record with three wins by fall. His season started with two wins in the Missouri Duals and a second-place finish in the Tiger Style Invite. Mauger’s ranking has fluctuated throughout the season, but he is currently in the same position he was to start the season.
The other two wrestlers to appear at 125lbs this season were true freshman Hank Benter and redshirt senior Luqman Masud. Benter competed in the Tiger Style and Cougar Clash Invite, compiling a 2-5 tournament record. Masud’s only bout of the season came against Drury at the Missouri Duals, where he won by major decision.
133
After starting the season slowly, No. 17 Kade Moore is beginning to look like the two-time NCAA qualifier that he is. The redshirt junior has gone 10-5 in duals this season, performing well against top-end talent, but has yet to claim a marquee victory. In the Illinois dual at the Hearnes Center Nov. 24, Moore suffered a narrow 12-9 defeat against No. 1 Lucas Byrd.
True freshman Boogie Harris has been the other wrestler at 133lbs this season. He has a 1-0 dual record and a 1-5 tournament record, lacking the strength to get on the offensive against Division I opponents.
141
No. 21 Zeke Seltzer has been one of the most pleasant surprises on Mizzou’s roster. He began the season unranked, and now he holds a 10-4 dual record. His 6-0 combined record to start the season was capped off with a Tiger Style Invite title, but Seltzer has yet to claim a win over a ranked opponent this season.
The primary backups at 141lbs have been redshirt juniors Easton Hilton and Owen Uhls. Hilton boasts a 5-3 tournament record and most recently finished as the runner-up at the Cougar Clash. On the other side of things, Uhls has gone 3-3 in tournament play, finishing third at the Cougar Clash.
149
Coming into the season, No. 15 Josh Edmond was ranked the Tigers’ best pound-for-pound wrestler, but his preseason ranking has since dropped with his 9-2 dual record. The redshirt senior started the 2025-26 campaign strong with a Tiger Style Invite title, but he’s lacked true takedown power, causing many close decision wins.
There have been two other wrestlers who have competed at 149lbs this season. Redshirt senior Nate Pulliam suffered a lower-body injury in the Tiger Style Invite that has since sidelined him. Making his debut at 149lbs, true freshman Seth Mendoza took third place at the Cougar Clash with a 4-1 record.
157
No. 20 J Conway missed some time after being injured in the Tiger Style Invite, but his striking speed has been impressive. He holds an 8-5 record through his redshirt junior season and most recently took second place at the Cougar Clash. Conway has struggled against high-major talents, often scoring few points in ranked matchups, but should be a threat to qualify for nationals again.
True freshman David Gleason has competed in both tournament-style competitions this season. He has a 4-4 record, all of his wins coming via decision. As the former No. 4 high school wrestler in Missouri per MatScout, Gleason’s shown some promising skills, but has expectedly had some hiccups against better opponents.
165
After a hot start to the season, No. 16 Max Mayfield has dropped three spots from his preseason ranking, struggling against ranked wrestlers. The graduate transfer from Northwestern claimed a title at the Tiger Style Invite, but then went 0-2 at the National Duals. He boasts a 7-3 dual record, missing some events this season for recovery purposes.
The two other primary wrestlers at 165lbs have been redshirt senior Joel Mylin and true freshman Dominic Bambinelli. Mylin has a 1-3 dual record and a 3-4 tournament record. Bambinelli has a 3-6 tournament record and lost his lone dual match of the season.
174
No. 11 Cam Steed faced troubles making the move from 165 to 174lbs, but has gradually gotten more comfortable. The redshirt junior’s 5-4 dual record doesn’t jump off the page, but he had an upset victory against No. 11 Beau Mantanona (MICH) and a near upset against No. 2 Patrick Kennedy (IOWA) at the National Duals. He suffered an injury in his final dual in Tulsa, Ok., after a hard fall and has yet to return.
Filling in for Steed has been true freshman Danny Heiser. He has a 1-2 record in duals and a 2-3 record in tournaments. Hopefully Steed has had enough recovery time because Hesier incurred an undisclosed injury at the Cougar Clash.
184
The undisputed best overall wrestler for the Tigers this season has been No. 2 Aeoden Sinclair. The redshirt freshman knocked off former No. 1 Max McEnelly (MINN) at the National Duals, and his only loss of the season came against current No. 1 Angelo Ferrari (IOWA). He has a combined eight wins against ranked opponents in his first season as a starter.
Redshirt freshman Logan Cole has participated in tournaments and has a 1-0 dual record at 184lbs. He’s gone 5-2 in tournament play, winning two matches by major decisions and one by fall. Cole came into the season vying for the starting job, but Sinclair’s level of play has been untouchable.
197
No. 16 Evan Bates has been a solid presence in the lineup for Mizzou after transferring from Northwestern this past offseason. The redshirt senior boasts a 13-3 dual record and has four wins by tech fall. His best win of the season came recently against Nebraska at the Hustle in the Heartland Invite. Bates took down No. 10 Camden McDanel (NEB) by a 4-1 decision.
There have been no other Tigers to wrestle at 197lbs this season.
285
Having a talented closer can be the difference in close duals – Mizzou knows this too well. No. 26 Jarrett Stoner had a chance to put away Illinois in the home dual, but being a lighter heavyweight proved to be a challenge too hard to overcome for the redshirt sophomore. He has a 12-5 dual record and a 6-2 record in tournaments.
Redshirt senior Jacobi Jackson lost his lone bout of the season against Nebraska’s Cade Ziola.
Second Semester Acquisition
The Tigers received a transfer commitment from Columbia, Mo. native Teague Travis. The two-time national qualifier won’t join the team until the second semester begins. Travis spent his entire collegiate career at Oklahoma State before wanting to come home for his final season of eligibility.
He holds a 41-14 record across the 149 and 157lbs weight classes. It is yet to be announced where Travis will compete for Mizzou, but he could likely challenge Conway for his starting position.
The Big 12 schedule begins against No. 16 Northern Iowa on Dec. 14 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
