US Olympic Wrestling Team: Top Stars to Watch

The United States Olympic wrestling team doesn't garner nearly as much attention or hype as some of the country's other squads, but it still has several athletes capable of bringing back some medals from London.

Let's take a look at some of the team's biggest stars and break down their chances of ending up on the podium. The wrestling competitions begin on August 5 and will run through the final day of the Games, which takes place on August 12.

Jake Herbert

Herbert won a spot on the team by defeating Travis Paulson at the Olympic trials. He competes in the 185-pound division and should be a strong medal contender having already performed on some big stages during his wrestling career.

The 22-year-old Pennsylvania native won two NCAA championships and was named an All-American four times during his time at Northwestern. While none of those accomplishments are on an Olympic level, it still got him accustomed to high-pressure situations.

Sharif Sharifov enters the event as the favorite, but after him it's a wide-open field, which gives Herbert a tremendous opportunity to break through on the international level. He has more than enough talent to get the job done.

Jordan Burroughs

Burroughs will be the best American hope in London. He won gold medals at last year's Pan American Games and World Championships, making him the Olympic favorite. Burroughs is competing in the 163-pound weight class.

The only person that can slow Burroughs down is himself. He's been dominating for so long that the concern of complacency always begins to become an issue. Hopefully, the bright lights of the Games stop that from happening.

His toughest competition figure to come from Sadegh Goudarzi and Denis Tsargush. As long as he maintains his focus from start to finish, Burroughs should be able to add another gold medal to the American total.

Jake Varner

If you're looking for a potential American sleeper, look no further than Varner. The two-time NCAA champion had an impressive showing at World Championships last year and could be ready to take the next step in the Olympics.

He's a part of the highly-competitive 211-pound division, which features Abdusalam Gadisov, Reza Yazdani and Khetag Gazyumov. While that means he clearly has his hands full, but it also gives him a chance to shine.

The key to success for Varner will be getting off to a quick start in the early stages. That should give him the confidence he needs to stand tall against the world's best. He's a dark horse, but don't completely count him out.