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Breaking down the 2022 NCAA Wrestling Brackets: 141-Pounds

With the 2022 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships coming up this weekend, Rivals wrestling analyst Lex Knapp has decided to go one by one in each weight class offering his predictions and a breakdown of the top and bottom halves of the bracket.

With that being said, let's take a look at the 141-pound bracket.

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THE TOP SEED -- Nick Lee (Penn State)

THE DARK HORSE -- No. 4 Real Woods (Stanford)

THE SCARLET KNIGHT – No. 3 Sebastian Rivera

TOP HALF OF THE BRACKET.....

Returning National Champion, Nick Lee, is a heavy favorite to come out of the top-half of the bracket. As good as Lee was a season ago, he has looked even better this year. One wrestler who quietly put together a very good season is Stanford’s Real Woods. Woods has defeated several ranked wrestlers this season, and avenged his lone loss to Grant Willits with an 8 – 0 major decision in the PAC 12 final. Three-time All-American, Stevan Micic, has had a down year in his final college season. He fell to the 24th seed, but could be a bracket buster if he gets firing on all cylinders. Nick Lee should cruise to the finals from the top half of the bracket. There is plenty of talent on this side of the bracket, but Lee is head and shoulders above them all. Fans will be hoping to see either Sebastian Rivera or Jaydin Eierman come out of the bottom-half of the bracket, and set up a heavily anticipated 141-lb final.

BOTTOM HALF OF BRACKET.....

This bottom-half is very interesting given the amount of question marks surround the two top seeds down low. The two seed, Jaydin Eierman, is reportedly wrestling with a knee injury. Sebastian Rivera had surgery on a torn meniscus two weeks ago, and may not be at full strength either. Eierman and Rivera were the two favorites to meet in the semi-finals. Given their health status, it may not be as sure of a thing as people had previously expected. Rivera could see a very tough Chad Red early on in the tournament. Red is a three-time All-American, and could pose a threat to Rivera in the pre-quarters. Despite the health concerns, it is still very likely we see a Rivera-Eierman semi-final. I like Rivera in that match-up, especially if Eierman’s injury is as serious as people suspect. Rivera was red hot all season long, and even with both wrestlers at 100%, I would still be taking Rivera.

THE SCARLET KNIGHT SKINNY....

You could feel the air get sucked out of the Jersey Mike’s Arena when Rivera tweaked his knee in Rutgers’ dual meet with Princeton. Thankfully, it was just a meniscus tear, and Rivera returned to the mat in short time. Prior to his injury, Rivera was arguably the most dominant wrestler in the country, with a bonus rate of over 90% at the time. In the two matches Rivera wrestled at the Big Ten’s he looked fantastic, and there was hardly any signs that he had a procedure done a few weeks prior. Of course, there is still the unknown of how healthy that knee is, and how Rivera will perform in the later rounds of the tournament. If he was 100% healthy, I would have a tough time deciding between him and Nick Lee. However, given the unknowns and how good of season Lee has had, I have to give the Nittany Lion a slight edge. However, knowing how badly Rivera wants this National Title, it would not surprise me for one second if he defeated Lee in the finals. I hope the Seabass proves me wrong, and swims off into the sunset with the National Championship he has been clawing for.

PREDICTIONS.....

1. Lee (Penn State)

2. Rivera (Rutgers)

3. Woods (Stanford)

4. Eierman (Iowa)

5. Alirenz (Northern Colorado)

6. Hart (Missouri)

7. Carlson (SDSU)

8. Willits (Oregon State)

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