NC State wrestling opened its home slate with a strong statement, taking down Navy 24-12 at Reynolds Coliseum and leaning on a mix of proven veterans and a freshmen class that was thrown right into the fire.
The No. 15 Wolfpack won eight of 10 bouts in the Military Appreciation matchup, including victories from freshmen Dom Deputy, Sean Willcox and Kai Calcutt in the lineup.
Deputy and Willcox came away with wins, while Calcutt took the mat at the end of the night against No. 10 sophomore Spencer Lanosga. NC State also got a big performance from fifth-year Jackson Arrington, ranked No. 8, who returned to the main roster and posted the highest-point win of the night.
“We do is to get ready for the NCAA. That comes in March, so we want to put guys on the podium and score as many team points as we can and keep moving the program in the direction it’s been going in,” head coach Pat Popolizio said.
Arrington wasted little time making his presence felt against Navy’s No. 28 Jonathan Ley.
He came out fast with two takedowns and a double near fall in the opening period, then stayed in control the rest of the way for a 10-2 win. After a medical redshirt last season, Arrington said the chance to compete again means a lot.
“I think I’m just grateful for every opportunity that I get to step on the mat,” Arrington said. ‘When it’s taken away from you, you have a different perspective and you’re excited to compete.”
The Wolfpack’s freshmen had their moments, too, even if the performances came with the expected bumps. Deputy started the night with a 4-2 win over Navy junior Nick Treaster in a tight, scrappy bout.
Willcox followed with one of the most dramatic matches of the evening, edging Navy’s Sean Garretson 7-6 in a true freshman battle. He opened with a three-point takedown, then had to answer back after Garretson seized momentum in the second period.
Willcox got the decisive escape at the last second of the third to seal it.
“You know that’s going to be something you gotta be a little patient, you’re going to see some inconsistencies throughout the year, but I promise you the fight will be there,” Popolizio said. “And I think that you saw a lot of that tonight because they’re committed and wrestling hard.”
NC State’s other early win came from senior Koy Buesgens, who controlled Navy freshman Colytn Reedy with upper-body strength and steady pressure on the way to a 10-2 decision.
The Wolfpack’s two losses came from ranked opponents. Seventh-year Zack Redding, ranked No. 25, dropped a 4-2 decision to No.
14 Caedyn Ricciardi in the night’s biggest setback for NC State. Later, sophomore Jason Kwaak ran into No. 4 senior Danny Wask and was overwhelmed in an 18-3 loss.
Calcutt then closed the dual with a 10-2 defeat to Lanosga.
The meeting was the 32nd between NC State and Navy, and it was a sharp contrast from the last time the teams met in 2010, when the Wolfpack lost 3-38. This version of NC State looks much different, with four 2026 NCAA Qualifiers on the roster in Redding, senior Koy Buesgens, sophomore Will Denny and fifth-year Matty Singleton, along with 14 freshmen now in the program.
The season is still young, but the Wolfpack has already started the climb toward the 2026-27 NCAA championship. Next up is another major test at home, as No. 6 Ohio State comes to Reynolds Coliseum on November 20 at 7 p.m. on ACC Network.
In Other News...
NC State Faces Familiar Ties With A 4-0 Start On The Line
NC State gets one more home test before leaving Raleigh, and the timing makes it feel a little bigger than a routine November tune-up. The Wolfpack are 3-0 and closing out a four-game homestand against Troy, coming off a dominant win over Presbyterian that underscored how quickly this group has settled in. The balance has been encouraging, with several players making an impact and the overall team numbers pointing to a start that has looked convincing rather than merely clean.
There is also a familiar face on the other sideline, with Troy head coach Adam Howard returning to NC State. Those kinds of connections usually add a little extra edge to an otherwise early-season matchup, especially when one team is trying to keep momentum rolling and the other is looking to spoil it. For the Wolfpack, the bigger picture is simple enough: protect home court, keep the unbeaten start intact, and head into the next stretch with a 4-0 record in hand. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Heads Into Syracuse With A Depth Chart Problem Again
NC States first availability report for its final home game against Syracuse brought another reminder of how thin the Wolfpack has become in spots as the season winds down. The list included several players already dealing with injuries from earlier in the year and more recent games, with safety Ronnie Royal III and linebacker Popo Aguirre both ruled out after colliding in the previous contest.
The quarterback room also took a hit, as backup Will Wilsons status moved backward to out, leaving the Wolfpack to sort through another week of uncertainty on the depth chart. A handful of other players landed in the questionable or probable categories, which means there is still some late-week sorting to do before NC State takes the field against Syracuse. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Faces Early Test It Needs To Pass Cleanly
The Wolfpack get an early-season checkpoint Friday night when Troy comes to the Lenovo Center for a 7 p.m. tip on ACC Network, a game that should tell a lot about how quickly NC State is settling in under game conditions. Troy arrives with a new head coach in Adam Howard, and the matchup brings a familiar mix of questions for the home side: whether the Wolfpack can control the glass, defend the arc and keep the game from turning into the kind of test that exposes sloppy habits this time of year.
NC State also has a few personnel details worth watching, including the status of Shah Hall, while the coaching backdrop adds another layer to a game that is more than a routine nonconference date. For a team trying to establish a clean early baseline, this is the kind of opponent that can make the evening feel straightforward if the Wolfpack handle the basics, or uncomfortably close if they do not. [Read more 🡒]