VESTAL, N.Y.- The Binghamton wrestling team will have many new faces on the roster in the 2015-16 season. How those newcomers develop throughout the year will go a long way towards determining the success of the Bearcats.
 
Coach Matt Dernlan, beginning his fourth season at BU, returns several key performers in the lineup, but will have to count on a number of newcomers as well. Senior Jack McKeever will compete at 174 pounds this season, looking to follow up on his NCAA-qualifying showing from 2015. Sophomore Steve Schneider (184 pounds) is back after winning 23 matches last season. 157-pounder Vincent DePrez also returns, coming off a 20-win freshman campaign.  
 
"I view it as a very exciting thing," said Dernlan. "These guys are like clay. It's exciting to come in every day and know guys can be better. There are going to be some very good moments from our freshmen, and probably some bad ones. We want to be consistent in this program. The goal is to create a model of sustainability and that takes patience."
 
McKeever, a native of Brookfield, Connecticut, won 23 bouts a year ago, advancing to the NCAA Championships in March. He won three matches at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Championships, placing sixth in the 184-pound division. McKeever will drop a weight class this season, and as the lone senior on the roster, will take on more leadership responsibilities within the team.
 
"If you had to pick one guy to be your senior leader, Jack would be the guy you want in that role," said Dernlan. "I can't say enough good things about him. He embodies everything you want out of a student-athlete. If he can duplicate the development he's shown from year one to year two to year three to this year, I expect some special things from Jack."
 
Schneider, wrestling at 174 pounds in 2014-15, began his rookie season with several strong tournament showings, taking fourth at the Jonathan Kaloust Open and at the New York State Championship. The Levittown, New York, native finished seventh at EIWAs.
 
"He's probably the fiercest competitor on our team," said Dernlan. "If you're going to square off with this guy, you better bring your best for seven minutes. I think he's going to be one of the leaders on this team."
 
At 157 pounds, DePrez returns, looking to build off a strong freshman season. The native of Hilton, New York, took third at the Kaloust Open and eventually won eight dual contests. The high school state champion will be joined by his twin brother, Anthony, in the Bearcats' lineup this year.
 
"He had a pretty good freshman campaign," said Dernlan. "Vincent's one of the hardest-working kids I've ever seen and we're expecting some big things from him."
 
Youth will carry the day for other spots in the Binghamton lineup. Redshirt freshman Connor Calkins will replace the graduated Tyler Deuel in the heavyweight spot. Calkins went 28-9 in tournament competition last season and the BU coaching staff has high hopes for the Almond, New York, native.
 
"Typically, I would say most heavyweights take a few years to develop…but I don't think we're going to see that with Connor," said Dernlan. "He wants to be the man, he wants to fight his way to the top of the podium, so we're going to start that journey with Connor this year."
 
Returners Thierno Diallo, Anthony DePrez, and Mark Tracy will step into starting roles to open 2015-16. Diallo, a redshirt sophomore from Lanham, Maryland, went 13-8 last year. The 125-pounder finished fourth at the Kaloust Open.
 
 From an athleticism standpoint, he's one of the most athletic kids in the country," said Dernlan. "He's exciting to watch."
 
Anthony DePrez will take over in the 165-pound division this season. He won four matches while redshirting in 2014-15.
 
"He had a great redshirt year," said Dernlan. "From a physical standpoint, he has all the tools you want."
 
Another redshirt freshman, Tracy, will start at 197 pounds this season. The Holtsville, New York, native won a state title at Sachem East as a senior.
 
"He's done everything you can do, outside of being in the real thing," said Dernlan. "Now he needs to get battle-tested. He'll be a big-time contributor for us in the future."
 
Jacob Nicholson steps in as the starter at 133 pounds this year. The Waterloo, New York, native was a two-time junior college All-American at Jamestown Community College.
 
"He is a dangerous wrestler," said Dernlan. "He is dangerous from any position-he can pin you from anywhere. We just need to get him hardened with a D1 mentality."
 
Two freshmen-Jesse Dellevacchia and Frankie Garcia-will fill out the BU lineup at 141 and 149 pounds, respectively. Dellavecchia is a native of East Islip, New York, who was a two-time state finalist.
 
"Jesse proved that he's up to the challenge," said Dernlan. "Now we're going to see what he can do for us this year."
 
Garcia was a six-year member of the Norwich High varsity team, winning two NYS titles in his career.
 
"He has shown some grit and he has what it takes to have podium potential," said Dernlan. "He's impressed us with what he's been able to do.
 
Binghamton will take on a challenging schedule in 2015-16. It opens the season with three matches at Rutgers on Sunday, November 1. The Bearcats face Franklin and Marshall in an EIWA bout, followed by contests with Centenary (NJ) and Rutgers. BU then hosts the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open on November 8. Over 400 wrestlers will compete in the contest, held in the Events Center.
 
Dernlan's squad will then head to the Northeast Duals the following weekend, and then compete at the NYS Championships on November 21. After a week off, Binghamton travels to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the Cliff Keen Invitational on December 4-5, for its final event of 2015.
 
"We jump in the deep end right away," said Dernlan. "We're going to get tested week in and week out. Every tournament should give us a litmus for how the rest of the season is going to go."
 
BU picks back up on January 8, hosting Princeton in its first home dual match. The Bearcats hit the road for six straight duals after that, returning home on January 31 to host Sacred Heart. The following weekend, Binghamton welcomes American for an EIWA bout in the West Gym. After a trip to Buffalo, BU concludes the regular season with home matches against Brown (February 13) and Bucknell (February 19).
 
Princeton hosts this season's EIWA Championships on March 4-5, with the NCAA Championships heading to Madison Square Garden for the first time on March 17-19.
 
"We're going to one of the meccas-it's a special experience," said Dernlan. "It's going to be a great opportunity for Binghamton University. I can't wait to get there. We have to make sure we have as many singlets on the mats instead of in the seats."
 
Last season, Binghamton won nine dual matches, a four-win increase from the previous year. It took ninth in the 16-team EIWA field, as Deuel became the first Bearcat to win an EIWA individual championship. BU has produced eight NCAA qualifiers in Dernlan's three years as head coach.