1 month ago
The assemblage wrestling transportation portal opened April 1. The first move involving Mizzou wrestling was Zeke Seltzer (141lbs) entering nan portal April 10. That apt signaled that nan Tigers had made interaction pinch a proven talent to bring successful from nan portal.
Enter Zan Fugitt – nan first transportation committedness for Brian Smith this offseason – and a Nixa, Mo. native. He spent 3 seasons astatine Wisconsin, earning All-American position successful 2025 pinch a fourth-place decorativeness successful nan NCAA Championships astatine 133lbs. His clip arsenic a Badger was chiefly spent astatine that weight class.
His fresh pinch Mizzou’s roster will apt beryllium different. Kade Moore and Gage Walker are 2 nationalist qualifiers competing for nan 133lbs spot adjacent season, opening Fugitt’s opportunity to measurement into nan vacancy astatine 141lbs.
The 141lbs people was nan astir tumultuous of nan Tigers’ starting lineup past season. Seltzer received nan mostly of clip astatine nan position, but fizzled retired erstwhile Big 12 play came around. The likes of Easton Hilton and Seth Mendoza besides saw clip astatine 141lbs. Mendoza is apt to commencement astatine 149 lbs, and Hilton will beryllium a cardinal backup adjacent season.
Mizzou makes consciousness for Fugitt arsenic nan destination to further his career. He attended Nixa High School, wherever he was a three-time authorities champion. Fugitt was classed nan No. 6 enlistee nationally coming retired of precocious schoolhouse astatine 132lbs. The Tigers couldn’t unafraid nan first commitment, but pounced connected nan opportunity erstwhile they needed him most.
After placing astatine nationals pinch an underdog roadworthy to occurrence successful 2025, he couldn’t replicate nan capacity successful his redshirt sophomore season. Fugitt qualified for NCAAs successful 2026, but vanished nan tourney 1-2 pinch an exit successful nan 2nd information of consolations.
Simply put, Fugitt fills nan astir glaring offseason need. Not only does he person a proven way grounds astatine nationalist qualification, but he’s besides shown nan expertise to compete pinch nan apical wrestlers successful nan nation.
“How will he grip a jump to 141lbs?” is nan main mobility that will request to beryllium answered. Fugitt seems for illustration nan apt campaigner for nan position, but Moore aliases Walker could besides make nan jump. Either way, Fugitt’s committedness adds different postseason threat.
Mizzou’s existent number of wrestlers connected nan roster is astatine nan max of 30. The portal is still unfastened until nan extremity of nan month, truthful it’s not retired of nan realm of anticipation for much wrestlers to enter. It will beryllium a large jump for Fugitt going from a squad successful nan Big 10 that placed 37th arsenic a squad astatine nationals to a squad successful nan Big 12 that vanished 14th astatine nationals.
