Iowa State's Coby Merrill headlines U23 World Championships in Vegas
The U.S. will field 30 athletes at the 2026 U23 World Championships in Las Vegas next week, including 10 men's freestyle wrestlers. Among them is Iowa State freshman Coby Merrill, who will look to make a statement on the international stage before his first collegiate season under new head coach Brett Metcalf. The tournament offers a prime opportunity for Iowa wrestling fans to see the future of the Cyclones' heavyweight division up close.
What Iowa fans should know about Coby Merrill
Merrill enters the U23 World Championships with high expectations, though not quite as lofty as those placed on Virginia Tech's Bo Bassett, another incoming freshman on the roster. FloWrestling ranks Merrill No. 22, while Intermat has him at No. 16. He has spent time in the Iowa State room under Metcalf, and now he is ready to test himself against the world's best in Vegas.
Following the world championships, Merrill's first collegiate competition will be Nov. 1 against Bucknell, with his first ranked opponent coming on Nov. 22 against Iowa's No. 2 Ben Kueter. A strong performance on the world stage could give Merrill the confidence needed to make a high podium push in a competitive heavyweight class as a rookie.
Bo Bassett and other freshmen look to build momentum
Bassett, Virginia Tech's mega-recruit, is off to a hot start in his freshman season as the American rep on the U20, U23 and senior world teams. He recently topped 2025 world bronze medalist Real Woods in two matches to earn that senior world team spot. Now he will chase U23 gold less than two months after winning his U20 title in Slovakia.
Penn State's Jayden James, another incoming freshman, has not competed in a varsity lineup yet. He could be a factor for the Nittany Lions this year or take a gap year before officially beginning his college career. James won a U17 gold medal last year, and his early success suggests he will be an immediate title threat once he takes the mat.
NCAA qualifiers use world stage as proving ground
The U23 world championships will provide a measuring stick for rookies like Bassett and Merrill. For other world team members like Iowa's Jordan Williams, Ohio State's Seth Shumate, Oregon State's Justin Rademacher and Penn State's Joe Sealey, this event is a chance to test their growth and assess their progress toward becoming All-American contenders.
Rademacher is one of the most proven international stars among this group, having won U20 Worlds last year after finishing third in 2024. He went on to finish 1-2 at NCAAs as the No. 6 seed, and now he will chase gold again in his final collegiate year at Oregon State.
Williams and Shumate will both be looking for their first international age group medals. Williams finished third at the US Open and won U23 nationals, while Shumate also finished third at the US Open with his best win coming against NCAA finalist Cody Merrill. Both have uphill battles for medals, but the experience they gain at this level gives them a new edge heading into the college season. Shumate is expected to compete for Ohio State's 197-pound starting spot, while Williams is poised to wrestle at 157 pounds for Iowa.
Sealey, like Rademacher, Williams and Shumate, is looking for his first All-American honor. He finished last year with a 12-1 record and pushed teammate PJ Duke to a 2-1 result, proving he can compete at the highest level. Sealey has won on the international stage before, taking gold as a cadet in 2022.
Proven champs Luke Lilledahl, Ben Davino and Aeoden Sinclair primed to dominate
Three names on this roster should stand out to every college wrestling fan: Penn State NCAA champion Luke Lilledahl, Ohio State NCAA finalist Ben Davino and Missouri All-American Aeoden Sinclair. Together this group lost a total of just four folkstyle matches this year, all against athletes who finished sixth or higher at the national tournament.
Lilledahl won this tournament last year and showed he has jumped levels since then, with his most notable result this summer coming via a win against three-time NCAA champion and Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee at the US Open. Outside of Lee, Lilledahl is the face of 57kg, and he will look to be a force not just at this tournament but also on the senior level in the next two years leading into the 2028 Olympics.
Davino is in a good position to make a podium run next week, though he comes with slightly less international experience than Lilledahl. He earned his U23 spot by way of a second-place finish at the US Open behind senior world team member Marcus Blaze, where he also picked up a win over NCAA champion Jax Forrest.
Sinclair rounds out the U23 world team members. He comes into Vegas fresh off a U20 world title and hungry for more. Sinclair is one of the most dynamic, fun upperweights to watch, and he earned his first world medal back in 2022 with a third-place finish at the U17 world championships. Now that he has broken through and won the first world medal during his college career, momentum is on his side.
When and where to watch the U23 World Championships
The 2026 U23 World Championships will take place in Las Vegas next week. Fans can expect to see the future of American wrestling, including several athletes with strong Iowa connections. For Iowa State fans, Merrill's performance will be a key storyline to follow as he prepares for his first collegiate season.