The Iowa Men's Wrestling program has had a tumultuous summer. It began when top 2026 recruit and potential star Bo Bassett decommitted from the program.
Bassett and his family reportedly disagreed with Head Coach Tom Brands after Brands turned down requests for accommodations for Bo and his brother Melvin Miller to train in Iowa City and practice with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club.
Bo decommitted, followed by his brother, and the 2027 No. 1 overall wrestling prospect, Melvin Miller, scratching Iowa off his top choices list.
A week later, the program announced it had dismissed talented redshirt freshman wrestler Gabe Arnold for undisclosed reasons.
The news got worse at the end of July when transfer Sammy Alvarez announced he was no longer joining the Hawkeyes after initially committing to transfer to the program in May.
After a slew of bad news for the Hawkeyes, the program finally got some good news, albeit under bizzare circumstances.
After dismissing Gabe Arnold from the team, Iowa has now welcomed him back and he will re-join the lineup.
— The Wrestling Room (Pat Mineo) (@MrPatMineo) August 2, 2025
Pat Mineo, the founder of "The Wrestling Room," reported that Gabe Arnold is rejoining the Iowa program after being dismissed
During his redshirt freshman campaign last season, Arnold was solid for the Hawkeyes, tallying a 19-7 (10-2 duals), including an 8-6 record against ranked opponents. He also scored 38 dual points for the team.
Arnold finished fifth at the Big Ten Championships, and placed in the top 16 at the NCAA Championships.
With Arnold returning to the squad, it gives the Hawkeyes more depth and strengthens the 184-pound or 187-pound weight class, depending on where Arnold slides into the rotation.