A defeat against Kyle Dake in the Championship Series dashed Jason Nolf’s chance to represent Team USA at the Paris Olympics. However, a lucrative opportunity is now knocking on the 74 kg Olympic freestyle wrestler’s door. Nolf is set to compete in the highly anticipated Craig Jones Invitational, and grappling champion Izaak Michell has praised his abilities.

Michell, a world-champion BJJ practitioner, has extensive experience with grapplers from various backgrounds, including wrestling and MMA. The 25-year-old and Nolf have trained together since June. On the Nickals and Dimes podcast, Michell confidently predicted that Nolf would win his weight class at the CJI.

After arriving at Penn State University to train with the Nittany Lion member, Michell realized the disparity in athleticism. “(I) realized how much more athletic wrestlers are than jujitsu guys and, like, how good you guys are at scrambling, especially like Jason Nolf (who) comes from folk style.” said the BJJ competitor. “A bit of a nightmare to deal with,” Mitchell told UFC superstar, Bo Nickal and his co-host Anthony Cassar.

Nolf does “so many things these jujitsu guys aren’t going to expect,” explained Michell. He believes the 28-year-old can surprise BJJ competitors even in positions where they might feel they have the advantage. However, that doesn’t mean the world champion grappler has nothing to teach Jason Nolf and his Penn State teammate Greg Kerkvliet.

Izzak Michell is helping freestyle wrestlers hone their craft to deal with combatants outside their sport. While athleticism is an advantage for the wrestlers, BJJ practitioners will bring their own perks to the table. So the 25-year-old is helping the wrestler develop a “game plan” on the road to $1 million.

Jason Nolf will face unpredictable opponents

Unlike the ADCC, the Craig Jones Invitational is a cross-sport event with career wrestlers, BJJ practitioners, and even MMA professionals. Although the 28-year-old NCAA champion lost to Kyle Dake, at least his fellow Penn State member was a wrestler. However, facing BJJ phenoms such as Kade and Tye Ruotolo, and others won’t be easy.

This is exactly why Izaak Michell has trained with the wrestlers. The 2x ADCC Trials champion’s role was to introduce the 3x NCAA Division I champ to an elite-level BJJ practitioner’s approach to grappling. However, Jason Nolf isn’t a complete novice in BJJ either. The Big Ten champion made his pro-BJJ debut at the Paradigm Open 3 in June 2024.

The freestyle wrestler won his debut, successfully submitting Andrew Simmons. This is why Izzak Michell is confident that Nolf and his teammate Greg Kerkvliet will find success at the CJI.