Hodge Preseason Front-Runners
The Dan Hodge Trophy, sponsored by WIN Magazine and Culture House and presented by ASICS, will be awarded after the 2025 NCAA Championships to the most dominant college wrestler.
Created by WIN founder Mike Chapman in 1995, the award is named after the late Dan Hodge, the three-time NCAA champion from the University of Oklahoma (1955-57) who never allowed a takedown in his career and pinned 36 of 46 opponents.
In addition to the fan vote, the Hodge Trophy Voting Committee, made up of past winners of the award, former coaches and national media members select the winner each year. Criteria for winning the award includes a wrestler’s record, dominance/bonus-point percentage, quality of competition and sportsmanship.
There are 10 NCAA Division I wrestlers who have won NCAA championships and are considered preseason front-runners to win the 2025 Dan Hodge Trophy.
The following is a breakdown of their bonus-point victories in their career, including pins (P), technical falls (TF) and major decisions (MD), and what percentage of their total matches are bonus-point wins.
| Wt | Name | School | Year | W-L | P-TF-MD | Bonus Pct. |
| 125 | Richard Figueroa | Arizona State | Junior | 29-5 | 1-3-5 | .264 |
| 141 | Jesse Mendez | Ohio State | Junior | 48-11 | 10-10-9 | .491 |
| 141 | Andrew Alirez | Northern Colorado | Grad | 72-10 | 18-9-18 | .548 |
| 149 | Caleb Henson | Virginia Tech | Junior | 57-7 | 6-12-9 | .421 |
| 174 | Keegan O’Toole | Missouri | Senior | 88-4 | 28-16-15 | .641 |
| 174 | Levi Haines | Penn State | Junior | 48-2 | 9-6-10 | .500 |
| 184 | Carter Starocci | Penn State | RS Senior | 77-4 | 12-15-14 | .506 |
| 184 | Parker Keckeisen | Northern Iowa | RS Senior | 100-5 | 7-20-39 | .628 |
| 197 | A.J. Ferrari | CSU Bakersfield | Junior | 29-1 | 3/7/5 | .500 |
| Hwt | Greg Kerkvliet | Penn State | RS Senior | 71-10 | 13-13-23 | .506 |
Past Winners of the Dan Hodge Trophy
| Year | Name | School |
| 2024 | Aaron Brooks | Penn State |
| 2023 | Mason Parris | Michigan |
| 2022 | Gable Steveson | Minnesota |
| 2021 | Spencer Lee | Iowa |
| & | Gable Steveson | Minnesota |
| 2020 | Spencer Lee | Iowa |
| 2019 | Bo Nickal | Penn State |
| 2018 | Zain Retherford | Penn State |
| 2017 | Zain Retherford | Penn State |
| 2016 | Alex Dieringer | Oklahoma State |
| 2015 | Logan Stieber | Ohio State |
| 2014 | David Taylor | Penn State |
| 2013 | Kyle Dake | Cornell U. |
| 2012 | David Taylor | Penn State |
| 2011 | Jordan Burroughs | Nebraska |
| 2010 | Jayson Ness | Minnesota |
| 2009 | Jake Herbert | Northwestern |
| 2008 | Brent Metcalf | Iowa |
| 2007 | Ben Askren | Missouri |
| 2006 | Ben Askren | Missouri |
| 2005 | Steve Mocco | Oklahoma State |
| 2004 | Emmett Willson | Mont. State-Northern |
| 2003 | Eric Larkin | Arizona State |
| 2002 | Cael Sanderson | Iowa State |
| 2001 | Cael Sanderson | Iowa State |
| & | Nick Ackerman | Simpson College |
| 2000 | Cael Sanderson | Iowa State |
| 1999 | Stephen Neal | CSU Bakersfield |
| 1998 | Mark Ironside | Iowa |
| 1997 | Kerry McCoy | Penn State |
| 1996 | Les Gutches | Oregon State |
| 1995 | T.J. Jaworsky | North Carolina |
