Iowa State wrestling updates on portal haul, Coby Merrill, staff hires

It's been about a month since Brent Metcalf was promoted to head coach of the Iowa State men's wrestling program, and already much has changed. While questions always linger during the offseason — from the lineup to how wrestlers will recover and develop — there have been many other changes as well, including transfer-portal additions and two new assistant coaches hired. The Register caught up with Metcalf on May 18 at the Cyclone Tailgate Tour stop in Des Moines to discuss a number of topics, from transfers to incoming freshmen and what's next for several key wrestlers.

Iowa State wrestling's transfer-portal strategy While entries to the transfer portal closed at the end of April, a number of notable wrestlers are still seeking homes. Even so, Metcalf felt the roster was all but complete as of May 18, while leaving the door open for perhaps one more depth addition. "I think we're pretty set," Metcalf said.

"There's maybe one. For me, it's not filling holes because we don't have holes necessarily, but making sure that we have the right depth in those spots. There's maybe one more room for someone if I could go find someone at one of those weights.

Other than that, we're pretty locked in. " If Iowa State stands pat, its transfer-portal haul will end with Brayden Thompson (Oklahoma State), Ayden Smith (Rutgers), Rin Sakamoto (Oklahoma State) and Dru Ayala (Iowa). At a minimum, this is the foundation of what the Cyclones will be bringing in from the portal.