Wyatt Hendrickson is the cornerstone of the wrestling team at Oklahoma State University. But he is not only famous for his dominance on the mat but also for the unique journey that sets him apart. Going through both the burdens of the Air Force duty and matches at a very competitive level, Hendrickson has proved his mettle over and over again.

Amidst his conspicuous absence from the competitions, Oklahoma State kept on their winning streak with wrestlers such as Konner Doucet and Cameron Amine rallying and doing a good job in their place. However, it was David Taylor’s mentorship that helped Hendrickson manage expectations, and Taylor has a special place in Hendrickson’s career.

But when on January 3, Gallagher-Iba Arena was all cheered for the Cowboys, Wyatt Hendrickson was not present. But he thanked the OSU fans for their support for the Cowboys team and the United States Air Force. According to “The O’Colly,” Hendrickson has already had a discussion with David Taylor that he will not wrestle against his former team, i.e., Air Force. What has Taylor told Hendrickson?

Each time, Hendrickson said, Taylor told him, “Look, if you don’t want to wrestle, I get it. But you’ve got to let people know ahead of time, so they don’t get mad at you.” Of course, if fans or the wrestling community won’t have any idea about the discussion, they all will be like, Hendrickson has so much attitude with his victories, which is common, right? How did Hendrickson respond to that?

To which Hendrickson would respond, “I’ll take care of it.” Furthermore, Taylor has so many good things to say about Hendrickson. Taylor said, “He’s serving our country and wrestled for the (Air Force) academy and is now representing Oklahoma State. So, he’s kind of wearing a couple of different hats.” That’s why Hendrickson gets such good treatment from the head coach and the team. “I think Wyatt’s just in such a unique situation,” Taylor said.

At heavyweight, Konner Doucet performed admirably when filling in for Hendrickson. Doucet sealed the Cowboys’ victory with a 2-1 decision. David Taylor’s Cowboys won over the Air Force with outstanding performances. What other matches is Wyatt Hendrickson expected to be seen in in the future?

Wyatt Hendrickson’s upcoming matches

Wyatt Hendrickson couldn’t participate in the previous match, for obvious reasons. He is all geared up for the upcoming matches to wrestle from Oklahoma State University. Hendrickson will wrestle against North Carolina University on January 13, 2025. The match can be viewed on ESPN+ and will be live-streamed.

The Cowboys have a 5-1 record against NC State, having defeated the latter in a thrilling game the previous season. Oklahoma State will rely on Troy Spratley, the country’s second-ranked wrestler at 125 points. Another wrestler they will be looking forward to is Dustin Plott. And both of them would be expecting to be on their A-game since NC State brings with them the top-ranked Isaac Trumble.

The opponent North Carolina is seed 5 while Hendrickson’s OSU is seed 3. This upcoming dual will surely decide which teams remain afloat in the top five rankings. Once this game is done though, OSU has more tough competition in the way as well. With opponents such as Iowa State and West Virginia in the fray, Dave Taylor will be looking forward to the upcoming duals.