ISU wrestling is staring down a 141-pound question mark.

The roster is all but filled out, and still the question looms: whether to wrestle sophomore Dante Rodriguez or redshirt him this season and move redshirt junior John Meeks into the 141-pound slot.

Wrestling isn’t like most sports, where a coach has two options for the same position and can substitute them in and out. Each weight class needs just one wrestler so he has a chance to qualify for the NCAA tournament.

“I feel like we still have two quality guys,” said ISU coach Kevin Jackson. “Instead of getting three years out of the two of them, I could stretch it to four if I get a redshirt out of Dante.”

Wrestling isn’t a big money maker for the university, either. Having two wrestlers, both on scholarship, filling out one spot is a waste of money for the program. That’s why extending Rodriguez’s tenure could be beneficial for ISU wrestling.

But only if Meeks is up for the challenge.

Meeks will be the one to wrestle this weekend as the Cyclones travel to No. 5 Virginia Tech, Jackson said. However, ISU wrestling won’t be flip-flopping the two wrestlers because it’d be a waste money to have one sit on the bench.

The team also wants to give one of the two the opportunity to win an automatic qualifier for the NCAA tournament — and constantly trading places is a strategy counterintuitive to that goal. 

Rodriguez is ranked No. 17 at the 141-pound weight class, according to InterMat.com, so he seems like the obvious choice. But getting that extra year out of him could prove beneficial to the Cyclones. The problem with the plan to redshirt Rodriguez is that he simply doesn’t want to do it.

He believes he’s the best wrestler at 141 pounds for Iowa State.

“He really wants to wrestle,” Jackson said. “He believes he gives us the best chance to win.”

The season is coming up quick, and there is still time to redshirt Rodriguez if that’s the direction Jackson elects to go. It’s hard keeping Rodriguez off the mat, though.

While Meeks is capable, Rodriguez was second on the team in pins last season.

“I guess it’s not up to my decision,” Rodriguez said. “Me and coach are still talking about it, in his eyes it’s different, in my eyes it’s different. I’m just a competitor. I would like to be out there competing with my team.”

A decision could be made as soon as Sunday depending on how Meeks wrestles at Virginia Tech. The Cyclones won’t have much time to decide, as they have two meets Nov. 12.

If they’re going use a redshirt on Rodriguez, the Cyclones will want to do it soon so Meeks doesn’t miss out on any matches that could help him qualify for the NCAA tournament. This is a tough spot for teammates to be in, so having the right mindset is key.

“Train, do what we have to do, and both of us will be ready either way,” Meeks said.

Rodriguez’s dad always used to tell him he can be a friend off the mat, but when he’s on the mat, everyone else is an enemy.

“I have a good team relationship with [Meeks], I have nothing against him,” Rodriguez said. “But obviously when it comes to a spot and showing that it’s my weight class and that I’m here to stay, obviously that’s what I have to bring to the table when he comes on the mat.”

They are friends off the mat, they are teammates, and they say they’ll be rooting for each other like they would for any other teammate — no matter who gets the spot. But the competition will remain fierce until a final decision is made.