Virginia Tech Wrestling: Caleb Henson to Redshirt 2025-26 Season

On Thursday, Virginia Tech wrestling head coach Tony Robie broke the news that 2024 National Champion and two-time ACC Wrestler of the Year, Caleb Henson, will redshirt in 2025-26. 

According to Robie, Henson will sit out this upcoming campaign and focus exclusively on his freestyle wrestling, as he hopes to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in 2028. Perhaps more crucially for the Hokies’ head coach, however, the surprising move also will allow the senior from Cartersville, Georgia to retain his final season of eligibility to wrestle alongside the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2026 and one of the most highly touted recruits ever, Bo Bassett, who the Hokies landed earlier this month after he de-committed from Iowa in June.

Robie addressed his decision to redshirt his star to capitalize on what could be a historically great roster next season on the Hokies Sports Insider Podcast, stating “Looking ahead to next year, we could have a really special team — perhaps the best team we’ve ever had here at Virginia Tech. For us not to try to take advantage of that opportunity, we’d be missing the boat on that a little bit.”

Robie’s statement on the upside of the 2026-27 Hokies’ roster is not hyperbole. Henson would have been the lone wrestler who would depart Virginia Tech following the 2025-26 campaign. The rest of Virginia Tech’s starting lineup could return, including two-time All-American Eddie Ventrasca, who Robie announced would return to the Hokies’ roster after being granted a hardship waiver by the NCAA. In total, Virginia Tech could return at least five All-Americans in 2026. 

Virginia Tech’s returning starters will soon be complemented by even more talent from the high school ranks. The Hokies’ 2025 cycle includes five top-100 recruits. In addition to landing Bo Bassett, the Hokies notched commitments from three top-55 recruits in the class of 2026, comprising the second-best recruiting class in the country, according to FloWrestling. Robie and Co. also earned a commitment from the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2027, Melvin Miller, whose commitment was announced simultaneously with Bassett’s.

Suffice to say, the future in Blacksburg has the potential to be extremely bright. Robie’s claim that next season’s squad could be the greatest ever assembled at Virginia Tech is difficult to refute, given the amount of experience and sheer talent that could be brought to the mat. The prospect of Caleb Henson–the only Virginia Tech wrestler to make consecutive NCAA finals appearances after a program record 22-1 season mark–competing alongside Bo Bassett and surrounded with seasoned veterans and top tier talent is formidable. It feels as though, if things go to plan, the next several years could be very special indeed for Tony Robie’s program.

Under Robie, Virginia Tech has reached new heights, but hasn’t been able to get over the hump and truly break onto the national stage, competing with the likes of Penn State, Oklahoma State, and Iowa in the team race, come NCAA tournament time. Consistent national top-10 finishes, three ACC titles, and two National Champions has proven that Robie’s Hokies can be successful, but they still seemingly haven’t reached their full potential. Perhaps Henson’s return, supplemented with unprecedented levels of talent up and down the lineup, can finally push Virginia Tech into the national spotlight as one of the premier programs in the land.