Iowa wrestling will not be getting the services of Sammy Alvarez after all.
In a text conversation with the Register on July 23, Alvarez said he would not be competing for Iowa or the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. The Rider transfer announced his commitment to Iowa on May 15, but was waiting to see if he could receive a medical redshirt to be eligible for the 2025-26 season.
Previously, Alvarez stated he wanted to wrestle for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club regardless of how the NCAA judged his medical waiver attempt for an injury that came at some point during his one season with Oklahoma State (2023-24), but that is no longer the case. Alvarez did not clarify the reasoning behind the change in plans.
Alvarez is a two-time NCAA Championships qualifier and reached the podium for the first time in 2025, finishing seventh at 149 pounds. He competed for Rutgers from 2019-23 before transferring to Oklahoma State for the 2023-24 season and then to Rider for the 2024-25 season. In total, that was six seasons of college wrestling where he competed in at least three or more matches.
Had he joined the team, Alvarez figured to be an option somewhere in the middleweights for the Hawkeyes. Now, they will likely have to lean on guys like Miguel Estrada, Kael Voinovich, Victor Voinovich and Jordan Williams to fill the 149 and 157 pound slots.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
This article originally appeared on Hawk Central: Iowa wrestling: Sammy Alvarez will not compete for the Hawkeyes in 2025-26
Reporting by Eli McKown, Des Moines Register / Hawk Central
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