The first real move of the Brent Metcalf era is here.
Iowa State landed Oklahoma State transfer Brayden Thompson, who announced his commitment on Saturday, April 18 via his Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
The Frankfort, Ill., native did not compete during the 2025-26 season and will bring three years of eligibility to Ames. He redshirted in 2024-25, going 9-0 in open tournaments at 184 pounds with six bonus-point wins. As a true freshman, Thompson qualified for the 2024 NCAA Championships, earning the No. 25 seed. His freshman campaign featured eight ranked wins and a 12-11 record. That year, he went 3-1 at the Big 12 Championships, including a win over Iowa State’s MJ Gaitan, now his teammate, in the third-place match.
Thompson was one of the top recruits in the country coming out of high school. He was ranked No. 3 pound-for-pound and the top 182-pounder in the 2023 class. His resume backs it up. He was a finalist at the U20 World Team Trials, placed third at the U.S. Open and won titles at both Powerade (2021) and Ironman (2022), two of the more prestigious high school tournaments in the country.
For Iowa State, the fit makes sense. The middle weights have been a bit of a moving target this offseason, and this gives the staff a guy who can fit right into 184 and compete right away while still having time left to grow.
