Fresh off a team national championship in 2020-21, Iowa men’s wrestling will return to the mat and kick off the 2021-22 season with a dual against Princeton Nov. 19.

All 10 of Iowa’s 2020-21 starters are back for the 2021-22 season. That doesn’t mean the Hawkeyes’ lineup will look the same as a year ago, though.

Iowa is unlikely to change its starting wrestlers at nine weights. At 184 pounds, however, Hawkeye head coach Tom Brands might be making some changes.

In some preseason promotional materials, sophomore Abe Assad is featured with the rest of Iowa’s starting lineup.

Assad was Iowa’s 184-pound starter as a true freshman in 2019-20.

In 2020-21, Assad was benched in favor of junior Nelson Brands — the son of Iowa’s associate head coach Terry Brands and the nephew of the Hawkeyes’ head coach Tom Brands.

Nelson racked up an 8-6 overall record as Iowa’s 184-pound starter last year. He placed fourth in the Big Ten tournament and qualified for the NCAA tourney as the No. 12 seed at 184 pounds.

Last year, Nelson beat seven ranked opponents and scored 10 dual points for Iowa.

Nelson’s career record isn’t as good as Assad’s, nor is his résumé. Nelson is 17-10 on his career.

Assad is 22-7, a Midlands Championships runner-up, and a 2019-20 NCAA second-team All-American.

Nelson started his career at Iowa as a 165-pounder but has since bumped up to 184 pounds. Assad began his career in the Black and Gold singlet at 184 pounds.

So, if Assad’s résumé is better than Nelson’s, and his natural weight is 184 pounds — unlike Nelson — why shouldn’t he be Iowa’s 184-pound starter?

Well, the last time Assad and Nelson wrestled head-to-head publicly, Nelson handled Assad. In last November’s Hawkeye Wrestling Club Showdown Open at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Nelson beat Assad, 9-0.

I’m sure Nelson and Assad have wrestled each other since November 2020. Though, I haven’t seen the full breadth of Iowa’s practices over the last year.

Still, if the eye test is to be believed, Nelson is the better wrestler. He won the last head-to-head I saw him and Assad wrestle.

So, unless Assad has dethroned Nelson in closed practices, I say start the season with Nelson at 184 pounds. If Nelson struggles, and it becomes clear it’s time to make a change at 184 pounds, then go to Assad.

At the Iowa men’s wrestling team’s annual media day on Oct. 27, head coach Tom Brands said the Hawkeyes have options to choose from when it comes to their 184-pound starter.

“We have a returning starter there from a year ago, and we have a returning All-American there from a couple of years ago,” Brands said of junior Nelson Brands and sophomore Abe Assad.

This season, Assad will start over Nelson — at least for the first few duals.

Nelson Brands was ranked in the top 10 nationally at 184 pounds last season. But he still surrendered two dual meet losses. Nelson finished the regular season 3-2.

Inconsistency plagued Nelson during the 2020-21 postseason, too. The son of Iowa associate head coach Terry Brands picked up one win in the Big Ten tournament before he was eliminated by Penn State’s Aaron Brooks.

Nelson picked up just one victory before he was eliminated in the 2020-21 NCAA tournament too.

After an 8-6 overall 2020-21 campaign from Brands, it’s time for Assad to make his return to Iowa’s starting lineup.

Assad earned All-America honors in 2019-20 before he was benched in favor of Nelson in 2020-21.

Assad finished fourth at the 2019-20 Big Ten Championships. Assad’s 2019-20 win total of 22 was the highest any Hawkeye wrestler registered that year.

If Assad wrestles anything like he did two seasons ago, he should be the No. 1 option for the Hawkeyes at 184 pounds.

And, I don’t know this for sure, but I bet Assad has a chip on his shoulder. Normally, All-Americans don’t enjoy sitting on the sidelines like he did in 2020.