The 5037 fans in the sold-out Maturi Pavilion perhaps purchased their tickets, manifesting to see a jaw-dropping moment. And it turned true! In the NCAA wrestling duel between Minnesota and Iowa, the latter certainly came with the intent of testing the Gophers. And they did. Also, how the meet was officiated made the ground even more risky for the wrestlers in red to sustain. But despite all this, Gable Steveson’s biggest threat emerged in the form of none other than a teammate. Surprised? Don’t be!

We’re talking about none other than Max McEnelly. The 184-pound wrestling star is only in his first season with Gophers wrestling yet. But what mark is he leaving on the fans and the program? A certainly indelible one! Do you remember, just last match against Ohio State, McEnelly wrapped up a 15-5 decision over Ryder Rogotzke, his old high school nemesis? But what happened against Iowa? Here are the details!

As per the post-match updates, Gophers wrestling star Max McEnelly has now officially finished his first season undefeated with the side after he pulled off an overtime win over Number#8, Gabe Arnold. Not only did that give Minnesota their second victorious moment of the night, but it also meant big things for the Waconian McEnelly. No wonder he received a huge ovation that night, one that was way grander than his well-accomplished teammate, Gable Steveson, who, despite being an Olympic gold medalist, settled for a softer bunch of claps.

No wonder McEnelly confessed after the match, “It’s awesome to come out here in front of the home crowd every single time…I don’t really think about going undefeated or whatever. I just think about going out there and, you know, wrestling every single match to the best of my abilities,” as reported by minnesotasportsfan.com. Thus, it seems his focus is on clean, good wrestling! Also, “Winning’s cool, but at the end of the day, it’s about how you compete. The Minnesota crowd brought it today, so it was awesome to get a big win in front of them,” is how he summarized his feat briefly.

Now let us unveil some interesting stats. Currently, rocketing ahead with an 18-0 undefeated streak, Max McEnelly is the Number #4 184-pounder in the nation. And if we look at his form this season, we’ll notice that McEnelly’s arrival and Steveson’s comeback have worked out as just the perfect combination for Gophers wrestling in 2025. The two make up 2 of the 5 Minnesota wrestlers who are in the top 10 in their respective weight classes.

Also, McEnelly specifically makes the future of Minnesota wrestling look in good shape! He competes in the all-important 184-pound weight class, with some fierce competitors like Penn State’s 4x national champion Carter Starocci. Even Gabe Arnold was a dominant wrestler with a 12-1 record this season. But McEnelly made winning over him look easy. That’s because he’s got the skills and the confidence, “I know they’re great competitors, but I know I’m also a great competitor, and I know I’m ready to go, and I know I’m ready to win,” he said after the Ohio win.

But can he fill Gable Steveson’s void after his NCAA career ends this season? Here’s what we feel.

Max McEnelly may be good, but can he fill Gable Steveson’s shoes?

As of February 2025, Gable Steveson has touched a notable milestone too! And what is that? In the match against Iowa, he made the home crowd erupt with his first-period technical fall over Number#11 Ben Kueter. Looking at the bigger picture, this means that Steveson now too has gone undefeated this regular season in his heavyweight category. This also means that for now, there might be competitors hovering near his Number#1 rank in the weight class, but there’s no one dethroning him so far.

Also, in the end, it comes down to both Steveson and McEnelly doing well in their respective categories. So for now, we can call them the new rising pair for Gophers wrestling. One is a seasoned legend, and the other is a future rising star. Yes, with Gable Steveson’s NCAA career nearing an end, it’s concerning. Who will be that star face for Minnesota? After all, with a 63-win streak, Steveson certainly was one. But looks like McEnelly is also coming into his own now. Thus, in the coming days, all things point toward the fact that Minnesota is in great hands!