Iowa adds 3x Division III champ Massoma Endene to fill void at 197

Let today be a lesson for Iowa wrestling fans.

The powers of the (transfer) portal extend across both dimensions and (NCAA) divisions.

(OK, so at least the latter half of that statement is definitively true.)

Monday is proof of exactly such, as the Hawkeyes added Massoma Endene to the fold for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Pronounced “muh-SO-muh en-DEEN” – the talented 197-pounder will trek roughly 100 miles from his old stomping grounds to his new home in Iowa City.

That previous stop was a fruitful one too, as Endene starred for three seasons at Division III powerhouse Wartburg College. As a member of the Knights, he won a trio of national titles – amassing a record of 76-1, including 33 pins.

Now he’ll finish his college career as a Hawkeye – officially announcing the news on Instagram this afternoon. And he’ll do so as the presumptive starter at what was previously the biggest hole in Iowa’s lineup – 197 pounds.

How we got here

Iowa fans can thank two primary individuals for their brand-new 197-pounder: Massoma Endene for making this decision and Diego Pavia for making it possible to even do so.

Pavia, for those who don’t know, is the Vanderbilt starting quarterback who sued the NCAA last November, arguing that counting an athlete’s junior college years against his/her overall NCAA eligibility violates antitrust laws by restricting that athlete’s ability to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL).

That case is still ongoing, but a blanket waiver has been issued by the NCAA to grant an additional year of eligibility to athletes in similar situations to Pavia’s – who spent his first two years in junior college, and the next three between New Mexico State and Vanderbilt.

Diego Pavia’s ability to elude NCAA eligibility rules (and SEC defenses) is what gave Massoma Endene a chance to wrestle for Iowa next season. (Photo Credit: CJ Driggers/Gamecock Central)

And who else fits that criteria but one Massoma Endene.

Endene spent two years at Iowa Lakes Community College – where he was a two-time NJCAA All-American (and 2022 runner up) – before moving on to Wartburg.

(He also briefly transferred to Wisconsin last summer, before changing his mind and returning to Wartburg.)

All of that made it possible for him to pursue one final year of NCAA competition if/wherever he chose.

Fortunately for the Hawkeyes, he chose them. And mere days after ‘smoke’ began to rise that Endene-to-Iowa was a possibility it soon became official.

Future fit

Both the future and the fit for Endene/Iowa are here and now at 197 pounds.

The Hawkeyes had a hole at 197 following the graduation of national champion Stephen Buchanan, and no ready-made option to fill it.

Prior to Monday, the two best options may well have been a pair of incoming freshmen – Harvey Ludington or Jarrel Miller – ranked #1 and #9 at 190 pounds respectively at the high school level.

Now, Endene can step in for his final season of eligibility. And he can both bridge the gap as Ludington/Miller redshirt, while also testing the absolute limits of what he can achieve as a collegiate wrestler.

That latter element is especially key, as it remains somewhat of a mystery just how Endene’s Division III dominance will translate to the Division I level.

We know he tore through the competition around him at Wartburg. We also know that the best of Division II had little resistance to offer, thanks to the 2024 NWCA All-Star Classic.

During the event, held on Penn State’s campus, Endene was matched up against Derek Blubaugh of the University of Indianapolis.

At the time, Blubaugh was already a three-time DII NCAA finalist and the reigning national champion. He’d later go on to reach his fourth final and win his second-consecutive title this spring.

On that night, it was all Endene, who cruised to a 12-1 major decision victory thanks to a variety of dynamic techniques.

But even with that extra data point it’s still difficult to project how Endene will fare against D1 foes.

More clues

Exiting the folkstyle sphere, there are a few other hints at the (potential) level of Iowa’s newest addition.

About 11 months ago, Endene made his first World team thanks to an undefeated run through the U23 Trials. Against five opponents at 97 kilograms (~214 pounds), Endene outscored them by a combined 41-1 margin.

Admittedly, this was not the strongest field at those trials. However, Endene did have one semi-notable win against Stanford’s Nick Stemmet.

Stemmet finished his college career this season as a four-time NCAA qualifier at 197 pounds. His best two years were his last two, posting a combined record of 52-21 and earning the #18 and #17 seed at the 2024/25 NCAA Championships.

When they met at the Trials, Endene jumped ahead early and was never really threatened in a 7-1 decision. Now obviously, freestyle isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison to folkstyle – but Endene’s impressive freestyle efforts didn’t end with that one victory either.

A few weeks later, he’d roll through the U23 Pan-American Championships – a feat he repeated in 2025.

Between those two Pan-Am competitions, Endene outscored six foes by a combined 67-9 – including five bonus-point victories.

And the intrigue only builds when you look at his results from U23 Worlds last October.

Competing in Albania, Endene ultimately left with a seventh-place finish and a 1-2 record at 97kg. But each of the losses came against foes who were previous U20 World silver medalists.

The first (10-6) was against a long, lanky Iranian who’d go on to earn silver in Albania. The second (2-2 on criteria), against a jacked Ukrainian who’d eventually take fifth.

In both matches Endene led midway through the second period, appearing neither physically nor technically outclassed.

Again, freestyle and folkstyle have their differences.

Even so, Endene’s showing on that World Championship stage feels notable to this writer.

Bottom line

There’s still so much unknown about how this will all play out, but the one firm conclusion is this:

Iowa’s situation at 197 pounds is a heck of a lot more exciting/intriguing today than it was 24 hours ago.

One wrestling mind whose opinion I value tremendously – the great Andy Hamilton from Flo – told me earlier today that he thinks Endene has All-American potential next season.

That, combined with all the angles I’ve spent this article examining Endene from, sure makes me believe a lot more strongly in my own early opinion that he could have a similar impact as a Hawkeye.

The beauty for us is that we’ll get to see how it all transpires next season. And the beauty for Endene is that he’ll have every opportunity to reach his ultimate level by training daily alongside/against the likes of Stephen Buchanan, Angelo Ferrari, Ben Kueter, Jacob Warner and more.

You think Carver-Hawkeye Arena might rise to its feet for a few nasty takedowns like this one?

Iowa fans can get their first glimpse of the newest Hawkeye in action later this week at the US Open.

Endene will be competing in the Senior Division at 97 kilograms – Friday/Saturday in Las Vegas.

I’ll have a full preview of that event (and its many Hawkeye entries) published in a few days.

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