Ahead of the 2025-2026 wrestling season, the Iowa Men's Wrestling program under Head Coach Tom Brands continues to put together a competitive roster.
The Hawkeyes had a disappointing 2024-2025 season by Iowa standards, finishing third at the Big Ten Championships behind Penn State and Nebraska, and only crowing one national champion (Stephen Buchanan).
Brands and his staff have hit the transfer portal hard, adding five wrestlers to fill roster gaps. The Hawkeyes also have a solid 2025 recruiting class, headlined by 120-pound No. 1-ranked wrestler Leo DeLuca.
On Wednesday, the Hawkeyes added another talented wrestler to the 2025 recruiting class.
Claudio "CJ" Torres added to the Hawkeyes' haul in the 2025 recruiting class after flipping his commitment from Virginia Tech to the Hawkeyes.
Torres, an Orlando, Florida, native, attended Lake Highland Prep, the nation's No. 3 high school wrestling program. He wrestled in the 165-pound weight class and earned All-American status for the fourth time.
Torres has also won two National Preps titles and finished third in the December 2024 Ironman Wrestling Tournament.
Torres is a huge addition for the Hawkeyes and is projected to slot into the 165- or 174-pound weight class. Barring injury, he might not make an immediate impact next season, but he is a future building block for the Iowa program.
The Hawkeyes are thin at the 165-pound weight class after All-American Michael Caliendo, and only have two other seniors on the roster at the position. Torres gives the Hawkeyes flexibility by using a redshirt next season and becoming the starter in 2026.
Torres became the seventh addition in the 2025 recruiting class following his announcement.