184 Pounds:
The Favorites:
No. 1 Chris Honeycutt, Junior (Edinboro), Record: 26-0
Honeycutt has been arguably the least talked about undefeated wrestler in the country. However, the junior from Edinboro has a solid all-around skill-set, and more importantly, he simply finds ways to win. The EWL champ owns a victory over No. 3 Steve Bosak (Cornell) but has not faced much of the top-25 all season. Honeycutt looks to have a good draw on paper until the quarterfinals where he could meet No. 8 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) or red-hot Big Ten champion, No. 12 Quentin Wright (Penn State).
No. 2 Robert Hamlin, Sophomore (Lehigh), Record: 28-2
Hamlin has been tough all year for Lehigh. The sophomore has a great balance of offensive and defensive skills, which makes him tricky to wrestle because of his ability to flip the switch between the two. Hamlin has wins over No. 3 Steve Bosak (Cornell) twice, No. 5 Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa) and No. 6 Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming). With a rather young weight-class, the EIWA champ could be on the top of the podium.
No. 3 Steve Bosak, Sophomore (Cornell), Record: 30-3
Bosak is a key cog in Cornell's run for the team championship in Philadelphia, but he could very well be taking home an individual crown. Two of his losses have come to Hamlin, while he owns wins over No. 4 Travis Rutt (Wisconsin) and No. 8 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) twice. Bosak is tough to score on, which should keep him in every match he wrestles at nationals, but he does have some offensive explosion when needed.
No. 4 Travis Rutt, Junior (Wisconsin), Record: 33-2
Rutt has taken his wrestling to a new level this season. The Wisconsin junior is more of a grind-it-out grappler and is great from the top position. He has wins over No. 2 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh), No. 5 Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa), No. 8 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) twice and No. 10 Josh Ihnen (Nebraska) twice. Rutt is dangerous from many positions and is battle-tested this season. Don't be surprised to see him at the top when the dust clears.
No. 6 Joe LeBlanc, Junior (Wyoming), Record: 24-2
LeBlanc is often overlooked wrestling at Wyoming, but the Cowboy junior brings talent in every facet of wrestling to the mat. The two-time All-American has defeated No. 5 Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa), No. 9 Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) and No. 10 Josh Ihnen (Nebraska) this season. LeBlanc was a semifinalist in 2010 and has a powerful form of offense mixed with plenty of speed.
Others to watch:
No. 5 Ryan Loder, Freshman (Northern Iowa), Record: 27-9
No. 7 Kirk Smith, Senior (Boise State), Record: 8-2
No. 8 Kevin Steinhaus, Freshman (Minnesota), Record: 30-9
No. 9 Chris Perry, Freshman (Oklahoma State), Record: 23-5
Predicted Winner: Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming)