The Open Mat presents awards annually in three categories for each division of college wrestling at the conclusion of the season. Awards are presented for Freshman of the Year, Coach of the Year and Wrestler of the Year.

Mitchell Mesenbrink of Penn State has been named the 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestler of the Year by The Open Mat after completing a dominant season.

Mesenbrink capped his undefeated junior campaign by winning his second straight NCAA title at 165 pounds and helping Penn State secure its fifth consecutive NCAA team championship. At the 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, he overwhelmed the field on his way to the title, highlighted by a 20-4 technical fall over Iowa's Mikey Caliendo in the national finals.

For his performance, Mesenbrink was named Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAAs and earned the Most Dominant Wrestler award.

The Wisconsin native finished the 2025-26 season with a perfect 27-0 record and an astounding 96.3% bonus-point rate. His season included 11 technical falls, eight pins and six major decisions.

Mesenbrink was dominant throughout the dual meet season. He recorded bonus-point victories over many of the nation's top wrestlers, including multiple wins over Caliendo, Ohio State's Paddy Gallagher, Nebraska's LJ Araujo and Minnesota's Andrew Sparks.

At the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, Mesenbrink captured his third straight conference title. Wrestling inside the Bryce Jordan Center, he went 3-0 with two major decisions and a technical fall, finishing the tournament with a 12-3 major decision over Caliendo in the finals.

Mesenbrink entered the NCAA Championships as the No. 1 seed at 165 pounds and delivered one of the tournament's most dominant performances. He scored bonus points in every match, including a technical fall over Caliendo in the finals.

Mesenbrink has already built one of the top résumés in Penn State wrestling history. He owns an 80-1 collegiate career record, is a two-time NCAA champion, three-time Big Ten champion, and has compiled the highest winning percentage in school history among wrestlers with at least 50 matches.