Preview
Michigan has a road trip to North Carolina this weekend, first stopping in Fayetteville to wrestle Campbell. On Sunday, Michigan will be in Chapel Hill to wrestle #16 North Carolina. The Wolverines are currently ranked sixth in the country, coming off a spectacular season in which they won the Big Ten and finished second at the NCAA tournament. Expect the defending B1G champs to pick up two dual victories to start the season, but the dual on Sunday will be a battle.

Michigan will see four new faces in the lineup this year (Lamer, Walker/Maylor, Finesilver, and Striggow). The starters at 125lbs and 174lbs are yet to be determined. Medley is a familiar face in the lineup and is a captain for the Wolverines, however, Kurt McHenry won the head-to-head match-up at the Michigan State Open over the weekend. Joe Walker and Max Maylor have seen some time in the starting lineup, and this weekend should give us a preview to who gets the nod the rest of the season.

On Friday, Michigan will see a Campbell team that made a big jump last year. Campbell has three ranked guys, which will create ranked matches at 141lbs, 184lbs, and 285lbs. Our match to watch is at heavyweight, where 2x All American Mason Parris will wrestle Taye Ghadiali of Campbell, who was a D1 state champ for Warren Fitzgerald High School and is putting together a spectacular college career thus far.

Michigan will be tested early this season, as they take on the #16 Tarheels of North Carolina. North Carolina has 6 ranked guys, including 5 in the top-20, which will make for 5 ranked matches in this dual. Michigan will expect wins at 125, 133, 165, and 285, although Joey Melendez is very tough at 133lbs. The swing matches in the dual will be 141, 149, 157, 184, and 197. Will Lewan is ranked higher at 157, but Austin O'Connor is a former national champ. Mason Parris will take on another former MHSAA stand-out in 4x state champ Brandon Whitman.

Projected Lineups - UofM vs Campbell 
125 - #31 Jack Medley/Kurt McHenry (UM) vs Zak Thompson (C)
133 - #5 Dylan Ragusin (UM) vs Domenic Zaccone (C)
141 - #14 Cole Mattin (UM) vs #21 Shannon Hanna (C)
149 - #22 Chance Lamer (UM) vs Domenic DeFalco/Callum Sitek (C)
157 - #3 Will Lewan (UM) vs Troy Nation (C)
165 - #4 Cameron Amine/Zack Mattin (UM) vs Dom Baker (C)
174 - Joe Walker/Max Maylor (UM) vs Cole Rees (C) 
184 - #15 Matt Finesilver (UM) vs #19 Caleb Hopkins (C)
197 - Bobby Striggow (UM) vs Levi Hopkins (C)
285 - #3 Mason Parris (UM) vs #12 Taye Ghadiali (C)

Projected Lineups - UofM vs North Carolina
125 - #31 Jack Medley/Kurt McHenry (UM) vs Jack Wagner (UNC)
133 - #5 Dylan Ragusin (UM) vs #18 Joey Melendez (UNC)
141 - #14 Cole Mattin (UM) vs #22 Lachlan McNeil (UNC)
149 - #22 Chance Lamer (UM) vs  #15 Zach Sherman (UNC)
157 - #3 Will Lewan (UM) vs #7 Austin O'Connor
165 - #4 Cameron Amine/Zack Mattin (UM) vs Nick Fea (UNC)
174 - Joe Walker/Max Maylor (UM) vs #5 Clay Lautt (UNC)
184 - #15 Matt Finesilver (UM) vs #12 Gavin Kane (UNC)
197 - Bobby Striggow (UM) vs Max Shaw (UNC)
285 - #3 Mason Parris (UM) vs Brandon Whitman (UNC)

Preview
Michigan State will also be traveling to the Carolinas this weekend, but they will be taking on Davidson on Friday and traveling south to Charleston, South Carolina, to wrestle Presbyterian on Saturday. There are a lot of familiar faces in the lineup this year for the Spartans, with the only newcomers being transfers at 174lbs and 285lbs. DJ Shannon was a starter at Illinois before transferring to Michigan State, so he has some B1G experience under his belt. Ryan Vasbinder, a graduate of Grandville HS, was a DII national champion and will look to make an impact at heavyweight this year.

Michigan State should be able to come out of the weekend with two decisive victories. Led by Foley, Saldate, Fish, Malczewski, and Caffey, expect bonus points in quite a few matches this weekend. We would not be surprised to see Benny Gomez get the nod against his former school Presbyterian on Saturday. 

Projected Lineups - MSU vs Davidson
125 - Tristan Lujan (MSU) vs Hale Robinson (D)
133 - #9 Rayvon Foley (MSU) vs Noah Burstein (D)
141 - Jordan Hamdan (MSU) vs David Loniewski(D)
149 - Peyton Omania (MSU) vs Matthew McLaughlin (D)
157 - #18 Chase Saldate (MSU) vs Bryce Sanderlin (D)
165 - #32 Caleb Fish (MSU) vs Jaden Hardrick (D)
174 - DJ Shannon (MSU) vs Nate Stevenson (D)
184 - #20 Layne Malczewski (MSU) vs Cameo Blankenship (D)
197 - #15 Cameron Caffey (MSU) vs Gavin Henry (D)
285 - Ryan Vasbinder (MSU) vs Jake Fernicola (D)

Projected Lineups - MSU vs Presbyterian
125 - Tristan Lujan (MSU) vs Jacob Brasseur (P)
133 - #9 Rayvon Foley (MSU) vs Dominic Chavez (P)
141 - Jordan Hamdan (MSU) vs Khalid Brinkley (P)
149 - Peyton Omania (MSU) vs Michael Ramirez (P)
157 - #18 Chase Saldate (MSU) vs Payton Hornsby(P)
165 - #32 Caleb Fish (MSU) vs Sean Getty (P)
174 - DJ Shannon (MSU) vs Zach Wells (P)
184 - #20 Layne Malczewski (MSU) vs David Bertrand (P)
197 - #15 Cameron Caffey (MSU) vs Malcolm Wiley (P)
285 - Ryan Vasbinder (MSU) vs William Leonard (P)

125 - #21 Jarrett Trombley (NC State, Lake Fenton HS)
125 - #29 Dom LaJoie (Cornell, Gaylord HS)
125 - #31 Jack Medley (Michigan, Anchor Bay HS)
133 - #5 Dylan Ragusin (Michigan)
133 - #9 Rayvon Foley (Michigan State, Ann Arbor Pioneer HS)
141 - #14 Cole Mattin (Michigan)
141 - #15 Casey Swiderski (Iowa State, Dundee HS)
149 - #13 Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan)
149 - #22 Chance Lamer (Michigan)
157 - #3 Will Lewan (Michigan)
157 - #18 Chase Saldate (Michigan State)
157 - #31 Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan, Chelsea HS)
165 - #4 Cameron Amine (Michigan, Detroit CC HS)
165 - #18 Alex Facundo (Penn State, Davison HS)
165 - #32 Caleb Fish (Michigan State, Eaton Rapids HS)
174 - #27 Jay Nivison (Buffalo, Davison HS)
184 - #14 Matt Finesilver (Michigan)
184 - #20 Layne Malczewski (Michigan State, Dakota HS)
184 - #21 Will Feldkamp (Clarion, Dexter HS)
184 - #32 Neil Antrassian (Virginia, Bedford HS)
197 - #1 Max Dean (Penn State, Lowell HS)
197 - #15 Cameron Caffey (Michigan State)
285 - #3 Mason Parris (Michigan)
285 - #12 Trent Hillger (Wisconsin, Lake Fenton HS)
285 - #13 Taye Ghadiali (Campbell, Warren Fitzgerald HS)
285 - #30 Colton McKiernan (SIUE, Richmond HS)