Eight Sooners Ranked in First NCAA Coaches' Rankings

NORMAN – The NCAA announced the first coaches' ranking for the 2025 NCAA Championships on Thursday. Eight Sooners were included in the initial rankings, with three slotted inside the top 20 of their respective weight class.

Antonio Lorenzo (No. 25 at 125), Cleveland Belton (No. 22 at 133), Mosha Schwartz (No. 18 at 141), Willie McDougald (No. 11 at 149), Tate Picklo (No. 27 at 165), Gaven Sax (No. 8 at 174), DJ Parker (No. 20 at 197) and Juan Mora (No. 27 at 285) represent Oklahoma in the initial list.

NCAA COACHES' RANKINGS
Wt.	Wrestler	Rank
125	Antonio Lorenzo	25
133	Cleveland Belton	22
141	Mosha Schwartz	18
149	Willie McDougald	11
165	Tate Picklo	27
174	Gaven Sax	8
184	DJ Parker	20
285	Juan Mora	27

The coaches' rankings are determined by a vote of 16 coaches in each weight class with two head coaches from each of the eight conferences. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. Wrestlers must have eight Division I matches in the weight class to be considered with at least one within the last 30 days.

Sax leads the Sooner contingent with an eighth-place showing in the 174-pound coaches' rankings. A senior from St. Robert, Mo., and a former NCAA qualifier at North Dakota State, Sax has compiled an 8-2 record so far this season which includes five bonus point victories.

OU third-year starter Willie McDougald, who leads the team with 14 wins and an unblemished 7-0 dual record, is the longest tenured Sooner featured in the rankings. McDougald, a two-time NCAA qualifier, has three wins against wrestlers ranked inside the top 30 at 149 pounds.

The coaches' ranking is one of several criteria that will be evaluated by the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee during the at-large selection and seeding process along with head-to-head competition, quality wins, Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), conference tournament placement, results versus common opponents and win percentage.

The next coaches' rankings are slated to be released on Feb. 13. The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will be held March 20-22 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia as the event returns for the first time since 2011.