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2025-26 Wrestling Roster

Gabe Johnson

  • Height 5-8
  • Weight 157
  • Class Senior
  • Hometown Choctaw, Okla.
  • Highschool Choctaw

Biography

Defending national champion who won’t give up his 157-pound crown easily … Junior standout really came into his own last season and is determined to follow that up with an even better 2024-25 campaign … Powerfully-built middleweight and superb all-round athlete with great explosiveness … Hard-working team leader who has gotten better every year and should pile up plenty of points for the Bronchos this season … National qualifier at 149 pounds as a freshman in 2020-21 and retained that season of eligibility when NCAA didn’t count the COVID-shortened season … Went up to 157 and competed in 24 matches while redshirting the following year, then earned All-America honors in 2022-23 before climbing to the top of the podium last season.

2023-24: Capped dominating season with impressive national tournament performance in capturing the national title … Finished 26-4 with 16 bonus-point wins, including 10 technical falls … Scored 10-plus points in 16 matches and ended season with 15-match winning streak … Lost two matches to Division I opponents and two to Division II foes, gaining revenge against both in the national tournament … Runner-up to Lake Erie’s Jack Haskin in the Midwest Classic finals and placed fourth in the rugged Lindenwood Open … Fell to defending national champion Nick Novak of St. Cloud State at the NWCA Division II Duals in early January, then didn’t lose again … Rolled to second straight Super Regional IV Tournament title with 19-1, 8-1 and 15-3 wins to earn the No. 3 seed for nationals … Opened with easy 8-2 victory, clobbered sixth-seeded Drew Wiechers of Ashland 17-2 in the quarterfinals and routed the second-seeded Haskin 11-3 in the semifinals … Led all the way in 10-7 finals upset over the top-seeded and previously unbeaten Novak to put an exclamation point on championship season.  

2022-23: Enjoyed a stellar redshirt freshman campaign, finishing 33-7 with 12 bonus wins en route to earning All-America honors … Placed in top-three in four regular season tournaments, coming in runner-up at the Midwest Classic and the Drury Open while taking third at the Dan Harris Open and the Lindenwood Open … Put together 10-match winning streak late, capping that with title-winning effort at the Regional IV Tournament … Opened with 16-1 technical fall, then claimed easy 6-1 and 6-0 wins to claim the gold medal … Suffered first-round upset at nationals after entering as the No. 3 seed before rebounding with two straight wins, including 4-2 win over the fourth seed … Lost to the No. 1 seed, then finished with first-round fall in seventh-place bout … Went 13-1 in duals.

2021-22: Wrestled in five open tournaments at 157 while redshirting, finishing 21-3 with nine falls and four major decisions … Had pair of falls in winning season-opening Dan Harris Open and capped title-winning effort in freshman-sophomore division of Lindenwood Open with 11-2 finals rout … Placed third in the Viking, Jet and Golden Norse opens.

2021-22: Beat out a returning national qualifier and finished with 6-4 record … Went 4-1 with a technical fall in duals … Qualified for nationals with runner-up finish in the Regional IV Tournament … Made finals with 4-0 and 3-1 wins, then dropped tough 3-1 overtime decision in title bout … Lost first two matches at NCAA Division II Championships.

High School: Two-time state champion at Choctaw High School, finishing with more than 120 career wins … All-State pick following senior season … Also a standout receiver in football for the Yellowjackets.

Personal: Marketing major … Names the New Orleans Saints as his favorite team … Lists Post Malone as his top musician … Has five siblings … Birthdate is April 23, 2001.

Historical Player Information

  • 2020-21Freshman

    5'8" 149 lbs
  • 2021-22Freshman

    5'8" 149 lbs
  • 2022-23Redshirt Freshman

    5'8" 157 lbs
  • 2023-24Sophomore

    5'8" 157 lbs
  • 2024-25Junior

    5'8" 157 lbs
  • 2025-26Senior

    5'8" 157 lbs