Wrestling Roundup: Robb Staying Home, Berger to MMA, Early NCAA Rankings

I know the World Team Trials were pretty recent, but it’s been a few weeks since our last roundup, so here’s everything notable that’s been going on around the Husker Wrestling program.

Peyton Robb Staying in Lincoln

Three-time All-American Peyton Robb is staying to train at the Nebraska Wrestling Training Center under head coach Tervel Dlagnev, an Olympic bronze-medalist and current Husker assistant coach.

Most recently in freestyle, Robb was Team USA’s rep at 74 kg at the 2021 U23 World Championships. After winning the U23 Freestyle National Championship that year, Robb went 1-1 in Serbia at U23 Worlds.

Robb joins fellow former Huskers James Green, Eric Schultz, Christian Lance and Liam Cronin as athletes at the NWTC.

Robb has told me that he’s interested in coaching someday after giving the senior level freestyle scene a go. I think he would be a great coach. Maybe he’ll find his way onto Nebraska’s bench some day like other former Huskers Jordan Burroughs, Tyler Berger, Robert Kokesh and Bryan Snyder have.

Tyler Berger Going into MMA

Former Husker All-American Tyler Berger recently announced his retirement from wrestling as he’s going to pursue a career in MMA on his Instagram page, saying he’s “Trading a circle for an octagon.”

Berger has been a mainstay on the senior-level freestyle scene ever since graduating in 2019. As a Husker, Berger earned All-American honors three times and was a 2019 NCAA finalist at 157 pounds. He had a career record of 116-32 at Nebraska.

At the senior level, he was a Bill Farrell champion in 2022 before putting together his best year in 2023. He won a US Open title at 70 kg before wrestling in Final X for the World Team spot. He fell to eventual World Champion Zain Retherford (and 2024 Olympian) in two matches, but he put up a fight. Watch that below if you like.

Watching these matches makes me think Berger will flourish in MMA. I would assume he’ll fight at lightweight (155 pounds). Although, a career at featherweight (145) isn’t unthinkable the way MMA fighters have the benefit of a 24-hour weigh-in and really only cut to weight a few times a year.

FloWrestling’s Early 2024-25 NCAA Rankings

Nebraska is predicted to be one of the top teams yet again this season according to FloWrestling, who came out with its EARLY 2024-25 weight class rankings.

Here’s how the Huskers stacked up:

Huskers in Flo Rankings

125 — #6 Caleb Smith (Sr.)

133 — #11 Jacob Van Dee (So.)

141 — #4 Brock Hardy (Jr.)

149 — #5 Ridge Lovett (Sr.)

165 — #7 Antrell Taylor (So.)

174 — #17 Bubba Wilson (Sr.)

184 — #6 Lenny Pinto (Jr.)

197 — #8 Silas Allred (Jr.)

285 — #22 Nash Hutmacher (Sr.)

Here are my takeaways:

1. Two weight-class changes to watch. Freshman All-American Antrell Taylor is moving back down to 157 to replace Peyton Robb at that weight. This would open up 165 for two-time NCAA qualifier Bubba Wilson to come back down to a more natural weight for his senior season — he twice qualified for NCAAs at 165 before failing to qualify at 174 this past season.

2. Nebraska has really good depth throughout the lineup with eight starters ranked, six in the Top-10 at their weight class.

3. Don’t get your hopes up, Nash Hutmacher won’t be wrestling. He’ll be training for the NFL Combine next wrestling season. At heavyweight, Nebraska will have sophomore Harley Andrews who struggled last year at times but shined at others. I think he’s improved a lot since arriving on campus as a three-time Oklahoma state champion.

4. With Taylor moving to 157 with a #7 ranking at 165, Nebraska’s front half of its lineup looks brutal for opponents. The lowest ranked guy in the Huskers first five weight classes is #11 Jacob Van Dee. The rest are ranked #4, #5, #6, #7.

5. Nebraska’s back half isn’t as strong, although the duo of #6 Lenny Pinto and #8 Silas Allred at 184 and 197 is formidable. They are both seeking to break through for their first podium finish this season.