by Matt St. Charles, GoMocs.com feature writer

Senior Brayden Palmer may be in a new weight class, but his goal is still the same – dominate.
 
"I just love wrestling," Palmer said. "I want to dominate anyone I wrestle. I don't look too much into who I wrestle; I just look at it as a fun experience, and it's my last year of wrestling, so I just want to enjoy it as much as I can."
 
Palmer is making the tough transition from 133 pounds down to 125 ahead of his final season, and after short consideration of redshirting, he'll be giving it a go this year. Without Logan Ashton this season due to injury, Palmer's move gives himself and the team a better chance to win.
 
The 2023 133-pound Southern Conference Champion went 22-8 last season, making it to the round of 16 in the NCAA Championships. Palmer was named All-SoCon and qualified for the NCAAs in 2022 and 2023 at 133 pounds, but with his new weight class comes a new set of challenges.
 
Palmer says he's been cutting weight since July, working out two to three times per day to keep himself at 125. Head coach Kyle Ruschell says Palmer has made plenty of sacrifices, eating only chicken and rice for months, but it's all part of who he is.
 
"He's meal planning and doing all the right things off the mat," Ruschell said. "He's not a partier, he doesn't do those types of things. He's got his goals, and everything he does, on and off the mat, emulates that.
 
"That should be motivation and something to hang your hat on. He can see the other guys at 125 haven't sacrificed like he has and done the little things to be a champion. Nobody's doing this type of stuff. He can look back when he's in the middle of that match knowing, 'I've sacrificed more than this guy; I deserve it.'"
 
The move down was all Palmer's idea. After falling before the quarterfinals and not being named an All-American last season, he feels 125 is the best place for him to be. Some of the top competitors graduated from the division, so if he can be healthy at his new weight, he and his coach feel he has a real chance to win it all.
 
"He wants to be on that podium in March, and honestly, I think he can win the whole thing," Ruschell said. "It's a wide-open weight class, it's never been done here before, he has the capability. He's going to be battle-tested throughout the season. He's going to have to make the weight, he's going to wrestle some tough guys that are going to come after him, because now, there's a target on his back."
 
Being one of the top guys in a weight class is not an easy feat. Palmer will likely get every wrestler's best shot on his way to competing for a national championship.
 
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"To [be an] All-American, you have to be top eight. At NCAA's, I lost in the round of 16 last year, and a couple of the top guys at 125 were going away, so I think if I drop down and I feel good, I could win the whole tournament. I haven't [been an] All-American yet, and I'd like to be. I wasn't too heavy, 133 wasn't hard for me to make the weight, so I figured I could make [125] and maybe win it if I go down there." – Brayden Palmer on the decision to change
 
"He's just supportive. He thinks I can win it too, but he's left it all up to me. He's said what he thought the pros and cons of both were, but he didn't tell me what to do, he just said he'd support my decision either way. I like that a lot." – Palmer on Coach Kyle Ruschell's impact on his decision
 
"It was Brayden's idea. I think there were some subtle hints among the coaching staff that he was a little small for 133. Last year, he was weighing out at 132 after practices everyday last season. Ultimately, it was his decision." – Ruschell on what went into the decision to drop to 125
 
"Our guys can see him finding success and they want to emulate that. That's the leadership role that he plays, and he's starting to be a bit more vocal, which is great because what he says, the guys listen to." – Ruschell on Palmer's impact in the room
 
"Obviously, we want the best guys in the best weight classes, but whenever you have a top 10 guy in the country, you want him in his weight class. He could have done it at 133; I think 125 is a better fit for him. My ultimate goals are his goals. He wants to be on that podium in March, and honestly, I think he can win the thing." – Ruschell on making & supporting the right decision