Get To Know the Sooners: Cael Carlson

At Oklahoma, we want our fans to connect with our student-athletes on and off the mat. As a result, we'll be doing a "Get to Know Our Sooner Wrestlers" segment in our newsletters. In this edition, you'll get to know Cael Carlson.

Question: What's your background off the mat? Where are you from? What is your family like?

Answer: I am a 5th year senior. I graduated from Minnesota with a double major in Animal Science and Agriculture Business Management. At OU I am getting my pilots license. I am from Pennock, Mn. I am the son of Chad and Kindra Carlson. I have 2 younger brothers; Caden (Junior at the Universtiy of Minnesota) and Conlan (Junior at Willmar Senior High School). Our lives revolve around wrestling and agriculture. Our family (Grandparents, Aunt and Uncle and 4 cousins) farm together. We milk ~2000 Holstein cows and farm a couple thousand acres. After school, I look forward to moving back home helping run the farm.

Q: How did you get into wrestling?

A: My family has a tradition of wrestling. Both my dad and my uncle wrestled for the university of Minnesota. They had us wrestling for as long as I can remember. I started wrestling my brothers and cousins in our living room and never stopped. I guess its just in my blood.

Q: What about wrestling makes you love the sport?

A: I love how the wrestling world is small. It feels more personal. Additionally, you're the only person out there so the highs and lows are much more extreme. When you put everything you have into preparing and it works out that you're on top of the podium, that is the best feeling in the world.

Q: What are some of your biggest accomplishments on the mat?

A: I was a 4 time AAA state finalist, 2 time champ in Minnesota. I was a couple time National All American in high school where I won a Greco national title in 2018 and was runner up in 2019. College has been an interesting journey, but I was a national qualifier in 2022.

Q: What made you want to transfer to Oklahoma after spending four seasons at Minnesota?

A: After last season wrapped up, I wasn't happy with my progress getting better and wasn't really enjoying the sport anymore. I'm not one to give half effort in something so I knew I needed to either be done wrestling and move home to start farming or I needed to go find a program where I thought I had a real chance and succeeding.

Q: What are you enjoying the most so far about wrestling for Coach Kish and his staff?

A:. It is a much more personal and relationship based approach from what I was used to the past couple of years. They want to know about me and what makes me tick. They understand that I am not the same as all my teammates and they treat me accordingly. They are just an easy staff to get behind and trust. They act like friends that are along for the ride with you but also are able to demand respect and push us to be everything we are capable of being on and off the mat.

Q: What can OU fans expect when they see you on the mat?

A: They can expect a hard fought match. I will never claim to be the slickest or most technical wrestler but I will give 100% effort every time I get to step out there and rep OU and God. Sometimes to a fault, I will give 7 minutes of grit and toughness.

Q: What are your goals for the rest of the season?

A: It has been quite a journey here already with some ups and downs. Every week we are making small adjustments and I'm feeling more and more confident everytime I step out there. I've been right there with some of the best kids in the country and I"m excited to knock a couple of them off here to finish the season and become an All-American!!

Q: Why should fans be excited about this new era of OU Wrestling?

A: Kish has an ability to recruit some great talent. He also has already, and will continue to build a winning culture that is more than half the battle to winning at this level. With some time, OU wrestling will be known for their hardnosed wrestling and the fight they show every time they step on the mat. That type of wrestling wins matches and everyone loves winning.

Q: Alright Cael, now for some rapid-fire fun questions. What are some of your hobbies outside of wrestling?

A: Spending time with my church family and I build custom built saunas on Facebook

Q: What's your favorite sport other than wrestling?

A: In the past couple of years, I have really gotten into hockey. I love that they can fight.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: Wedding Crashers

Q: Favorite athlete?

A: Kirk Cousins