WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — No. 20 Purdue Wrestling returns to action on Friday with a pair of duals at Drexel and Rider. The Boilermakers head into the new year 6-0, and one more win would mark their best start to a season since 2006-07.
It is a rare road trip in which the Boilermakers will compete in two different cities and states on the same day. Purdue faces Drexel (4-2, 1-0 EIWA) in Philadelphia’s Daskalakis Athletic Center at 1 p.m. ET before trotting across state lines to battle Rider (3-3, 1-0 MAC) at Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, at 7 p.m. ET.
The Drexel dual will stream live on FloWrestling. The Rider dual will be available on ESPN+. As always, live updates will be provided by the @PurdueWrestling X/Twitter account.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
#20 Purdue
125 | Jacob Macatangay / Ashton Jackson
133 | Blake Boarman / Isaiah Schaefer
141 | #33 Greyson Clark
149 | #21 Gavin Brown
157 | #18 Stoney Buell
165 | #4 Joey Blaze
174 | #16 Brody Baumann / Aidan Costello
184 | #26 James Rowley
197 | #24 Ben Vanadia
285 | Hayden Filipovich / Tyson Russell
Drexel
125 | Desmond Pleasant
133 | Kyle Waterman
141 | Jordan Soriano
149 | Pat Kelly / Deon Pleasant
157 | Luke Nichter
165 | Cody Walsh
174 | #18 Jasiah Queen
184 | Ethan Wilson
197 | #32 Ibrahim Ameer
285 | #31 Nate Schon
Rider
125: #19 Tyler Klinsky
133: #32 Will Betancourt
141: #15 Eli Griffin
149: Dylan Layton
157: James Farina / Gianni Maldonado
165: Brendon Abdon
174: Enrique Munguia
184: JP Hangey / Giovanni Alejandro
197: #23 Brock Zurawski
285: Hogan Swenski
OPPONENT HISTORY
Though it is a rare circumstance, Friday won’t be the first time Purdue has wrestled both programs on the same day. The Boilers swept the Broncs and Dragons on Jan. 4, 2008, beating Rider 24-18 and Drexel 35-6. History was repeated on Nov. 6, 2021, when Purdue returned to defeat Drexel 29-18 and Rider 33-3 in their respective home gyms.
All-time, Purdue holds a 4-1 series edge over Drexel and shares a split 2-2 series with Rider.
The Boilermakers will look to avenge their most recent meeting with each team after dropping a 23-13 contest to Rider and a 20-17 matchup with Drexel in West Lafayette during the 2022-23 season.
RANKED BOILERS
Of Purdue’s 10 typical starters, nine have already been ranked at some point during the 2025-26 season. In the most recent release from InterMat, seven still hold spots in the national rankings.
141 | #33 Clark
149 | #21 Brown
157 | #18 Buell
165 | #4 Blaze
174 | #16 Baumann
184 | #26 Rowley
197 | #24 Vanadia
Rider and Drexel have numerous ranked stars in their own right. Drexel boasts No. 18 Jasiah Queen (174 lbs), No. 32 Ibrahim Ameer (197) and No. 31 Nate Schon (285).
Rider’s lineup features No. 19 Tyler Klinsky (125 lbs), No. 32 Will Betancourt (133), No. 15 Eli Griffin (141) and No. 23 Brock Zurawski (197).
PROBABLE RANKED MATCHUPS
Though matchups are subject to change, probable starters suggest these ranked matches will be key ones to watch:
Purdue-Drexel:
174 | #16 Baumann vs. #18 Queen
197 | #24 Vanadia vs. #32 Ameer
Purdue-Rider:
141 | #33 Clark vs. #15 Griffin
197 | #24 Vanadia vs. #23 Zurawski
LAST TIME OUT
The Boilermakers have not competed since finishing 10th out of 30 as a team at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 6-7. Blaze became Purdue’s eighth Cliff Keen champion by dominating his bracket, improving to 10-0 this season.
Purdue hasn’t wrestled in a dual since trouncing Davidson, 38-4, on Nov. 23.
NEXT UP
Purdue will open Big Ten season with its first conference dual at Nebraska on Friday, Jan. 9. The dual is set for 8 p.m. ET at the Devaney Center with the broadcast on B1G+.