Most head-to-head meetings of top candidates will come in postseason

With only two weeks left in the regular season, here is a listing of the undefeated All-Americans, who are considered in the running to win the 2022 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy, presented by ASICS.

While it appears that future head-to-head meetings between these wrestlers will happen in the postseason, the scheduled Jan. 20 dual between Virginia Tech and NC State could set up a match between Tech’s Mekhi Lewis vs. the Wolfpack’s Hayden Hidlay at 174 pounds.

The Hodge Trophy, which will be presented after the 2022 NCAA Division I Championships in Detroit, March 17-19, was created by WIN founder Mike Chapman and named after Oklahoma’s late three-time NCAA champion Dan Hodge (1955-57). The criteria for winning the award, in priority order, will include: a wrestler’s record, number of pins, dominance, past credentials, quality of competition, sportsmanship/citizenship and heart.

When it comes to choosing this year’s winner, former Hodge Trophy winners, a retired coach from each region, national media members … and wrestling fans can once again be part of the voting as well. Shortly after the NCAAs, fans will be able to vote online at WIN-Magazine.com with the winner earning five first-place votes. 

Updated Statistical Look at Notable 2022 Hodge Trophy Candidates

The following list shows wrestlers who have earned All-American status before and are currently undefeated as of Feb. 8, 2022. The list also includes how many pins (P), technical falls (TF), major decisions (MD) and Forfeits/Defauts (F/Def). The final column shows the % of matches in which they’ve scored bonus points.

125 pounds

133 pounds

141 pounds

149 pounds

157 pounds

165 pounds

174 pounds

184 pounds

197 pounds

Heavyweight

Source: wrestlestat.com

All-Time Hodge Winners/Announcement Stories/Winner’s Stats