No. 14 Rutgers Wrestling Travels to Michigan State to Conclude Big Ten Schedule
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The 2026 Big Ten wrestling season has been a gauntlet of elite talent and emotional highs, and now No. 14 Rutgers is ready to write what could be its most important chapter yet. The Scarlet Knights stand at 11-5 overall and 4-3 in Big Ten action. It is because they travel to East Lansing to face Michigan State, which enters at 4-7 and 1-5 in conference duals.
Rutgers Wrestling Climbs National Rankings
Friday night at Jenison Field House is more than just the final Big Ten dual of the regular season. It is an opportunity. A win would secure a winning conference record for the second consecutive season. It marks the fifth time head coach Scott Goodale has achieved that milestone.
Off to East Lansing for our final B1G dual of the season.#RelentlessPursuit | #GoRU https://t.co/dTiXcPcb8J
— Rutgers Wrestling (@RUWrestling) February 11, 2026
Depending on how other results shake out during the final full weekend of Big Ten duals. And a Rutgers victory could also create a tie for third place in the final conference standings. That would be a program first and a statement that the Scarlet Knights belong among the Big Ten’s elite. Fans can tune in live at 6:30 p.m. on Big Ten Plus.
After a weekend that shook up the collegiate wrestling landscape, Rutgers jumped three spots to No. 14 in the latest NWCA Coaches Poll. It is the program’s highest ranking since reaching No. 12 in week six earlier this winter.
The Scarlet Knights are ranked inside the top 20 by multiple publications. Intermat lists Rutgers at No. 14. WIN Magazine places them at No. 16. The Open Mat ranks them No. 18.
Ten Scarlet Knights are ranked in at least one national poll, and Intermat ranks all 10 starters at their respective weights. Six wrestlers sit inside the top 20 according to Intermat. Joseph Olivieri is No. 6 at 141 pounds.
Remy Cotton checks in at No. 16 at 197. Lenny Pinto is No. 17 at 174. Andrew Barbosa is No. 19 at 165. Hunter Catka holds the No. 19 spot at heavyweight. Shane Cartagena-Walsh rounds out the group at No. 20 at 184.
The NCAA also released its first coaches’ rankings for the 2026 Division I Wrestling Championships. All 10 Rutgers starters appear, including five ranked in the top 20. Olivieri sits at No. 8 at 141. Cartagena-Walsh is No. 15 at 184. Pinto is No. 17 at 174. Cotton is No. 17 at 197. Catka is No. 18 at heavyweight.
In front of 3,702 fans, Rutgers delivered a 23-15 victory over then-No. 6 Minnesota. It was the first win over the Golden Gophers in program history. It was also the biggest dual victory since Rutgers defeated No. 4 Nebraska, 17-16, on Dec. 12, 2015, in Piscataway.
Rutgers won six of 10 bouts in a complete team performance. Ayden Smith, ranked No. 28 at 125, knocked off 2024 All-American No. 10 Jore Volk. Lenny Pinto, ranked No. 16 at 174, and Dylan Shawver, ranked No. 27 at 133, earned bonus points.
Andrew Clark, ranked No. 29 at 149, and Anthony White, ranked No. 29 at 165, secured decisions over top-20 opponents. At 197 pounds, with Rutgers leading 17-12 and two matches remaining, Remy Cotton faced No. 25 Gavin Nelson.
The Signature Win That Changed Everything
Remy Cotton returns to the place where his collegiate career began. He wrestled for Michigan State from 2023-25 and qualified for the NCAA Championships for the Spartans last season. Now ranked No. 16 nationally at 197 pounds, he walks into Jenison Field House wearing scarlet instead of green.
At 174 pounds, Michigan State’s starter is Connor O’Neill, a former Rutgers letterwinner. The Green Brook native spent five seasons at Rutgers from 2020-25 and qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2022.
The Scarlet Knights lead the all-time series against Michigan State 8-1-1. Since joining the Big Ten in 2014-15, Rutgers has won seven of eight meetings and enters Friday on a three-dual winning streak in the series.
The most recent meeting came on Feb. 14, 2025, when Rutgers earned a 28-7 victory in front of 3,523 fans at Jersey Mike’s Arena. The Knights won eight of 10 bouts. True freshmen Conner Harer, ranked No. 29 at 157, Ayden Smith at 125, and Ryan Ford at 165 all recorded victories.
The Scarlet Knights will return home to face Princeton on Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. on Big Ten Plus before closing the regular season on the road at Hofstra on Feb. 18.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.