Wrestling is brutal. Not just the sport itself, but the math behind it. If you’ve been following the national high school wrestling rankings lately, you know the last few weeks have been a total blender. We just saw the Doc Buchanan tournament wrap up, and it basically lit the team rankings on fire.
One day you're the king of the mountain, the next you're the guy who lost a heartbreaker in the blood round and tumbled ten spots. That's the reality for these kids. Honestly, trying to keep track of the movement between the Ironman, Beast of the East, and now Doc B is enough to give anyone a headache. But if you’re looking for who actually sits at the top right now, we’ve gotta talk about the chaos in the 132 and 150-pound classes.
The New King of the Mountain: Buchanan Takes Over
California wrestling isn’t just good; it’s deep. Buchanan High School just proved that by leapfrogging Faith Christian Academy for the No. 1 spot in the national team rankings. They didn't just win their own tournament; they outpointed the previous No. 1 by nearly 50 points. It was a statement.
Meanwhile, Blair Academy is still lurking at No. 3. They just beat Lake Highland Prep in a dual that felt more like a street fight, ending 30-28. It’s the fifth time these two have clashed recently. You’ve gotta wonder if these kids are tired of seeing the same faces across the mat, but the rivalry is the only thing keeping the East Coast rankings stable right now.
Who is Actually the Best? Pound-for-Pound Reality
The P4P (Pound-for-Pound) list is where the real arguments start. It’s purely subjective, but it’s what everyone talks about at the snack bar. As of mid-January 2026, the conversation starts and ends with Bishop McCort.
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- Jax Forrest (Bishop McCort, PA): Currently sitting at the top for many. He’s an Oklahoma State commit and looks nearly untouchable at 138.
- Bo Bassett (Bishop McCort, PA): The "Machine." He’s ranked No. 1 at 150 pounds and is arguably the most famous high school wrestler in the country because of his wide-open recruiting process.
- Jayden James (Delbarton, NJ): He recently took over the top spot at 165 after beating Melvin Miller. He's headed to Penn State, which, big surprise, continues to reload with top-tier talent.
It’s rare to see one school like Bishop McCort have three guys (Forrest, Bassett, and Melvin Miller) all inside the top five of a national P4P list. It’s almost unfair. If you're a high school coach looking at that lineup, you're basically just hoping to keep the score respectable.
The Weight Class Shakeup
The individual weight classes are where the grit is. Let's look at 126 pounds. Grey Burnett from Perrysburg is holding it down at the top, but the vultures are circling. You’ve got Paul Kenny (CBA) and Ignacio Villasenor (Stillwater) right there. One bad weekend and that podium looks completely different.
In the heavyweights, Dreshaun Ross out of Fort Dodge is a monster. He’s ranked No. 1 at 285 by some and 215 by others depending on where he’s cutting, but the consensus is that the Oklahoma State commit is the most dominant big man we’ve seen in a few years. He’s also a high-level football recruit, because apparently, being the best wrestler in the country wasn't enough for him.
Recent Rankings Movement (January 2026)
| Weight | Current No. 1 | School/State |
|---|---|---|
| 106 | Kooper Deputy | Chestnut Ridge, PA |
| 113 | Rylan Seacrist | Brecksville, OH |
| 120 | Landon Sidun | Norwin, PA |
| 132 | Jayden Raney | Union County, KY |
| 157 | Wyatt Medlin | Washington, IL |
| 175 | Joseph Jeter | Edmond North, OK |
| 190 | Michael White | Lawrence North, IN |
Wait, Joseph Jeter. Let’s talk about him. He just reclaimed the throne at 175. He had a massive revenge win at the Ironman that basically forced the rankers to put him back at the top. It’s that kind of "win and you’re in" mentality that makes the national high school wrestling rankings so volatile. You can’t just rely on your name anymore.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Rankings
Most fans think rankings are a crystal ball for the State Tournament. They aren't.
Rankings are a snapshot of "what have you done for me lately." A kid might be ranked No. 2 nationally but lose to an unranked "hammer" in his own state because of a style clash. Styles make fights, and in wrestling, a funky scrambler can ruin a top-ranked power wrestler's day real fast.
Also, the "National Prep" vs. "Public School" debate is still raging. Schools like Blair Academy and Wyoming Seminary wrestle a national schedule, whereas a kid in a powerhouse public school in Pennsylvania or New Jersey might only see national competition twice a year. It makes the job of guys like Willie Saylor or the MatScouts crew nearly impossible. How do you compare a kid who is 30-0 against local talent versus a kid who is 20-5 but all five losses are to top-10 opponents?
The Eligibility Curveball
We also saw some weirdness recently with the "Lucas Layne" situation. He's a middle schooler at Lake Highland Prep who was ranked No. 11 in the country. Then everyone realized he’s actually a seventh grader. Since the National Prep Board doesn't allow seventh graders to compete in their big year-end tournament, he was pulled from several sets of rankings. It’s a reminder that these lists aren't just about talent; they’re about who is actually eligible to step on the mat when the whistle blows.
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Actionable Insights for Following the Season
If you're trying to keep up without losing your mind, don't just look at one list. InterMat, FloWrestling, and High School on SI (the MatScouts feed) all have different criteria.
- Watch the "Escape the Rock" results: This tournament (Jan 17-18) is the last "Super Tournament" before the post-season. Expect the 120 and 144-pound classes to get flipped upside down after this weekend.
- Focus on the P4P top 10: These are the kids who will likely be the faces of NCAA wrestling in two years. If you see Bo Bassett or Jax Forrest on a streaming mat, stop what you're doing and watch.
- Check the Dual Meet rankings: Individual rankings are flashy, but the team dual rankings (where Buchanan and Faith Christian are duking it out) tell you which rooms have the best culture.
The post-season is coming fast. By the time we hit February, these national high school wrestling rankings will settle into their final form before the state brackets are drawn. Until then, keep an eye on the guys moving up from the "Honorable Mention" spots—that's where the next upset is coming from.
Stay focused on the results from the Council Rock South quad and the upcoming dual between Delbarton and Wyoming Seminary on February 6th. Those matchups will decide the final pecking order for the Northeast and likely settle the top five team spots for good.