285 preseason prediction: Konner Doucet is our NCAA title pick

Doucet gets our nod for March, with Ben Kueter and Nick Feldman close contenders and Christian Carroll our dark horse.

Konner Doucet is our pick to win the NCAA title at 285 in 2026-27. The Oklahoma State contender brings the strongest combination of last season's record and NCAA finish among the leading challengers.

Doucet went 22-5 and finished in NCAA 4th place. That gives us a clear reason to favor him: he paired relatively few losses with a finish close to the championship. Our prediction is that he closes the remaining gap in March.

Iowa's Ben Kueter belongs firmly in the title conversation after a 14-9 season and NCAA 5th place. His finish makes him a credible challenger, though we like Doucet's overall record better. For Kueter, our question is whether he can deliver more consistently.

Ohio State's Nick Feldman offers another compelling case after going 25-7. His 2224 rating is the highest in this group, ahead of Doucet's 2220 and Kueter's 2207. We see Feldman as a serious threat to our pick, with both his record and rating supporting that view.

Our dark horse is Wyoming's Christian Carroll. He went 23-9 and earned NCAA 8th place, giving him a substantial winning record and a national finish to build on. We like his chances to push beyond that finish, even if winning the title would require a bigger jump than it would for Doucet or Kueter.

Our call: Doucet wins in March, Feldman and Kueter threaten, and Carroll is the dark horse worth watching.