Checking In with Brayton Lee

Over the past few years, Brayton Lee has proven to be one of the most impressive wrestlers in the Gopher lineup, posting a 25-6 record as a freshman and earning an NWCA first-team All-American nomination.

Now, back and stronger than ever at 157 pounds, Lee is looking to pick up where he left off and continue his journey towards a national championship.

Read up on how the redshirt sophomore feels getting back on the mat, his expectations for this young squad moving forward, and how he has his sights set on gold when he makes the trip to St. Louis this March.

GopherSports: Finally, we're back to competitive wrestling. These matches matter, they count towards your resume for NCAAs. What does it mean to finally be back out there on the mat after such a long layoff?
Brayton Lee: It's really fun and exciting. It means I get to do what I came here to do and use my abilities to the best that I can. It's an opportunity to show my gifts and abilities, and really just an opportunity to go have some fun.

GS: One thing that's different this season for you is that you're up a weight class at 157 pounds. How have you been feeling up at that weight class so far in the first few matches, and how do you think the bump up has benefited your wrestling?
BL: I think it's been really smooth so far, and I think the bump up has benefited me in multiple ways. I think last year, I had a good gas tank, I was well conditioned, but this year, moving up has only favored that aspect of my wrestling. As well as my conditioning, I also feel a little bit stronger. I feel I can wrestle through positions better and tougher. Also, just mentally, I feel more relaxed. I don't really have the stress of cutting weight the day of a match, so mentally I feel more focused, a little more clear, and I'm just grateful to get out there.

GS: Not to say that there wasn't as much competition at 149 pounds last year because there clearly was, as with every weight class in the B1G, but especially at one 157, there's plenty of guys in the conference who are in national title conversations. I know, you're a guy that thrives on big-time matches. How excited are you for the opportunity to be able to square off with some of those guys in the coming weeks?
BL: I mean I'm really excited. I think I match up well against a lot of those guys. Really, no matter who I wrestle, I'm just excited to let it go, let it fly, put as many points as I can on the board and have fun while doing it. Obviously, I'm excited to wrestle whoever, but especially at 157, I do think there's some tough competition, but I'll be able to make the most of those matches.

GS: Speaking of tough competition, we certainly have a great dual against Iowa coming up. First, just tell me the feeling that you have facing Iowa as a team, and also for you as an individual, potentially having a top-5 matchup at 157 pounds.
BL: For the dual, I think it's really exciting. We've been wrestling super hard over the past few weeks, and now we have the opportunity to wrestle guys who we know are going to wrestle hard back. I think it's going to be a brawl. Everyone on the team knows that, but I know that everyone is also ready for it, so it should be exciting. It should be a hard battle. Obviously, they're favored, but that doesn't really matter. It's about going out and wrestling hard. I'm pretty excited as a team to just let it go and fight through every whistle. Just an exciting opportunity. For my match, it should be one of the best matches I'll have all year, and I'm excited to see if I can score a whole lot of points on a high-ranked opponent. It should be fun.

GS: One thing about your wrestling that doesn't get talked about a lot of times is your gas tank and the volume of shots that you put up on your feet. We saw that last year against Purdue and Penn State. Even in the first few matches this year, we've seen you really put it on in the third period. Just talk about your wrestling style as a whole and how you have the ability to break guys late in matches.
BL: Yeah, I mean I pride myself on my effort and my attitude. No matter the outcome, I'm always looking to wrestle hard and score a lot of points. I never want to be a boring college wrestler. Even since I was a little kid, I've always been exciting, and I've always wanted to push myself. I want to push myself to the brink of being tired. I push myself to that point in practice, so I know I can do it out on the mat. Really for me, it's not about winning or losing. I honestly try to forget about the outcome. Instead, I'm focused on wrestling hard, using my techniques and my skills. I just want to wrestle to my potential for seven minutes. I'm always telling myself to keep attacking, to keep trying to score points, because I know if I'm tired, the other guy is just as tired if not more tired. So, I always work on just getting more and more comfortable with that feeling of being on the brink

GS: This season, we've seen a lot of new faces, a lot of guys that have stepped up in the starting lineup. Marcos Polanco, Michael Blockhus, Andrew Sparks. Boo Dryden and Jake Allar have been on the team, but we've also seen them take big leaps this season. Just talk about those guys and their ability to step up and compete this season in the starting lineup.
BL: One thing that all of those guys have in common is that they all worked super diligently through COVID, they've worked really hard in the room. They are all constantly getting better, and when they get out on the mat, they are all looking to be the aggressor. They haven't won all of their matches this year, but they're all aggressive and they know they're going to push themselves. They aren't lying to themselves out there, they're wrestling how they are supposed to wrestle. Nobody is looking to steal wins on this team, and those guys are a prime example of that. We just have a young team as a whole, and so guys like Sparks and Marcos are really important to this lineup. These guys are not taking the year for granted. They're looking to beat some high-level guys, and I think we're all wrestling with a chip on our shoulder.

GS: Continuing to speak about the team as a whole. It's safe to say that we've seen the past few weeks how, if everybody can step up and compete to the best of their ability, this is a team to look out for come tournament time. What are your overall expectations for the team as we continue throughout the year?
BL: I expect this team to compete hard. We're not exactly high-ranked or seen as a NCAA contender, but I know that each and every guy we put out there has the ability to be an All-American or a national champion, so if we have ten All-Americans and some national champions, there's no reason why we can't be a national contender. I mean I see these guys wrestle every day and know what they can accomplish, so if we can wrestle to the best of our ability, we should keep progressing as the year goes along.

GS: Finally, you as an individual wrestler. We checked in with you over the summer after NCAA's got cancelled, and we know how badly you wanted that opportunity to compete for a national championship. Is it a fair assumption that this year is no different, that you have your eyes set on the top of the podium in St. Louis this March?
BL: Yeah, of course. I feel like I'm right there. I mean, I'm going to compete to be the best that I can possibly be, but obviously that's the main goal is to be at the top at the end of the year.

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Players Mentioned

Jake Allar

Michael Blockhus

Boo Dryden

Brayton Lee

Marcos Polanco

Andrew Sparks