STILLWATER – Oklahoma State had three All-Americans in Kansas City at last weekend’s NCAA Wrestling Championships and only one will return in Dustin Plott at 184 pounds. Four-time runner-up and five-time All-American Daton Fix has exhausted his college eligibility and will be at the U.S. Olympic Trials April 19-20. Izzak Olejnik, who transferred from Northern Illinois for this season is also finished with his college eligibility. Cael Hughes is expected to step in at 133 after a red-shirt season as a freshman and OSU head coach John Smith has dipped into the transfer portal for a great answer to the open slot at 165. Wisconsin’s two-time All-American Dean Hamiti announced on social media Wednesday afternoon that he is headed to Stillwater.
That’s what I like to read, a talented wrestler growing up and being a State Champion at Joliet Catholic Academy in Joliet, Ill. and dreaming of wrestler in the orange singlet for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
University of Wisconsin Athletics
Maniti pins freshman Chris Moore of Illinois.
Hamiti started his career at Wisconsin with two All-American seasons. The 6-0, 165-pounder was 28-4 as a freshman, no redshirt year and finished sixth in the 2022 NCAA Championships.
In 2023 he finished 25-6 and was the Big Ten Champion at 165 before finishing sixth again at the NCAA Championships in Tulsa, Okla.
Hamiti started this season losing early in the year to David Carr of Iowa State but then won his matches all the way to a 13-11 loss to Penn State’s unbeaten freshman Mitchell Messenbrink. Hamiti lost again to David Carr of Iowa State in the NCAA quarterfinals 5-0 and then lost in the consolations to Olejnik 3-0 to miss out on All-American honors. Now, he is going to be wrestling for the Cowboys.
Hamiti is 81-14 in three seasons and has both a competition year and a red-shirt season, if needed for his eligibility.
| Weight |
Wrestler |
Notes |
| 125 |
Troy Spratley |
Had a strong season in 2023-24 and we believe will be better next season. |
| 133 |
Rin Sakamoto, J.J. NcComas, or Zach Blankenship |
Two recruits that will be freshmen, Sakamoto is from Japan and has international experience McComas was a finalist at Fargo. Blankenship is a toughcompetitor from Bixby. |
| 141 |
Cael Hughes |
Impressive in red-shirt season with a lot of falls and tech falls. |
| 149 |
Jordan Williams |
Strong finish and very athletic, Williams has a lot of upside. |
| 157 |
? |
Need better for next season. |
| 165 |
Dean Hamiti |
Wisconsin transfer is a good answer here. |
| 174 |
Jersey Robb |
Asking the Bixby grad to really drop. He is highly competitive and OSU needs better at this weight. |
| 184 |
Dustin Plott |
Runner-up and three-time All-American. |
| 197 |
Christian Carroll |
Former top national recruit said to be dropping to 197. |
| Hwt. |
Konner Doucet or Transfer |
Doucet was better, but if his offense doesn’t improve then this needs to be somebody else. |
