Looks like a move to have a stacked roster next season. Henson will redshirt 2025 - 2026 to put the team in a better positions to compete for a natty 2026-2027 with some other key pieces in the fold it could very well be the best team we've ever had top to bottom
The Hitman to redshirt 2025-2026 season.Head coach Tony Robie announces that Caleb Henson will utilize redshirt this upcoming season.🔗 https://t.co/J7WLcWPhCx#ALLINALLTHETIME #Hokies 🦃 pic.twitter.com/ycgzQAIvXf— Virginia Tech Wrestling (@HokiesWrestling) October 23, 2025
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Not sure if we'd actually have a shot at the natty, but it might be our best shot.
If that roster pans out it'd be our best shot we've ever had...its still a long shot just because the perennial power houses are...still powerhouses but it closes the gap some.
We would likely need Ventresca (I think he will still be here), Henson and Bo to all win their weight classes, and then have at least 2 or 3 semifinals/finals. After that we probably would need everyone else or all but one to be an All American (top 8).
Saw he plans to add weight and wrestle at 157 when he comes back.
Considering the #1 overall recruit is coming next year, it is a logical choice
Bo Bassett has been a mainstay at 140 lbs in high school and was thought to initially be at 141 lbs as a Freshman so that wouldn't overlap with Henson at 149.
Are Bacchioni or Nininger better than Crook?
Have more hope on Nininger but really we haven't seen either at the College level.
Bacchioni got 3 matches in due to injury.
Nininger won 4 state titles and an Ironman.
Not sure we will know what we have there until we get closer but I am going to speculate on Nininger being the 149 this season.
Ah. So looking at 2026-27, the stable looks like it might be:
125: Alex Rozas, or Revin Dickman (2026 FloWrestling Big Board #55 and #16)
133: Aaron Seidel, or Revin Dickman (2025 Big Board #10, 2026 #16)
141: Bo Bassett (2026 Big Board #1 )
149: Noah Nininger (2025 Big Board #48)
157: Caleb Henson (2024 NCAA Champion, 2025 Runner-Up)
165: Mac Church (2023 Big Board #17)
174: Ryan Burton (2025 Big Board #14)
184: Gunnar Garelli (47-3 as a Senior in HS)
197: Jonathan Rocha or Sonny Sasso (2025 Big Board #54, 2023 Big Board #38)
285: Parker Ferrell or Jimmy Mullen (2024 Big Board #83, 2023 Big Board #8)
That projected line up looks to be our best shot ever - competitve in each weight class from top to bottom.
But hats off to the Hit Man for taking the redshirt as that had to be a very hard decision to make knowing he was in line to take the individual national championship at 149 again this season. Respect!
Ventresca might still be here next year at 125. Rumored that they may be going after a medical redshirt for his injured season two years ago especially now that Caleb is redshirting this year.
"On the Hokie Sports Insider Podcast episode with Evan Hughes that dropped Thursday, Robie broke the news that Eddie Ventresca, a two-time All-American at 125 pounds, was approved for a medical hardship waiver and has another year of eligibility remaining."
I hope we can keep that potential roster together and healthy because with someone proven like Ventresca at 125 it just gets that much better.
Robie is going natty hunting next year. Gotta shoot your shot.
One other thing to add to the conversation here is that wrestling allows redshirts to enter tournaments and wrestle "unattached". I fully expect Caleb will still be competing in the top tournaments in November and December as a representative of SERTC and not VT.
I heard somewhere last night or this morning that he's definitely still going to be wrestling this year, focusing more on Olympics type stuff/Olympics prep (disclaimer: I am not exactly a wrestling follower so I don't really understand the difference)