Many college wrestlers and coaches agree there is a fine line between having fun and displaying ferocity to be successful at the NCAA Division I level.

Count Drexel’s Jasiah Queen among those who put most of his focus on fun.

“I’m an action guy,” said the 17th-ranked 174-pound sophomore from Elizabeth, N.J. “I like to put points on the board and have fun.”

Queen, who claimed fifth in 2022 and second in 2023 at the New Jersey state tournaments for St. John Vianney High School, says his playful approach stems from a moment as a prep senior when he lost 5-4 to current Drexel teammate and roommate Dan Rella, then with Paramus Catholic.

“I lost to him because I was trying to keep the score close and was not creating a lot of action,” Queen said. “After that loss, I started to tech a lot of people by scoring a lot of points.”

Queen earned many of those explosive wins at the 2025 state tournament, where he scored a pin against Rella before settling for second place to finish his high school career.

Fast forward to his two-plus seasons at Drexel, located in Philadelphia, Queen has used his fun philosophy to find plenty of success, including last year as a redshirt freshman when he finished 21-7 and won his first 11 matches, scoring bonus points in 10 of those bouts via seven of his season’s nine technical falls and three of his eight major decisions on the year.

Along the way, Queen also learned how to win the close matches, including an 8-7 decision over Bucknell’s Myles Takats — who beat Queen earlier in the season — in last year’s EIWAs to earn a spot in last year’s NCAA Championships held in Philadelphia.

“When you watch college wrestling on TV and you see all these qualifying for nationals, you idolize them and say that you want to be like them,” Queen said. “Then I got to such a moment at the EIWAs for the NCAA-qualifying match and I beat the guy. That was a great feeling.”

Unfortunately, he lost both of his NCAA matches last March — 3-1 to Binghamton’s Brevin Cassella and 3-0 to Penn’s Nick Incontrera — reminding Queen that he still has a way to go.

“Dealing with pressure played a big part of how I did at nationals,” said Queen, who did not give up an offensive point in those losses. “I put a lot of pressure on myself and let a lot of people down. That won’t be the case this year. I don’t put pressure on myself anymore. Go out, score points, have fun and be the best that I can be.”

As of Nov. 24, Queen had an 8-2 record — scoring bonus points in three of those victories — on his season, coming off a second-place finish at the Keystone Classic in Philadelphia, where his only loss was a 2-2 tiebreaker setback to Rutgers’ Lenny Pinto, a three-time national qualifier during his time at Nebraska.

Drexel coach Matt Azevedo sees no reason why Queen cannot become Drexel’s third all-time All-American this March — joining Rob Rebmann, seventh at 125 in 2004; and Ryan Hluschak, eighth at 157 in 2007 — at the 2026 NCAAs in Cleveland, Ohio.

“I believe Jasiah’s best effort and best belief in himself will be enough,” said Azevedo, who is in his 15th season heading up the Drexel program. “He has the skills to be an All-American and can challenge to be a national champion.”

Azevedo agrees with the “fun” approach of his heralded wrestler. But then again, Azevedo likes to think the Dragon coaches can bring out the fun and ferocious elements of all of their wrestlers.

“We try to help all of our guys find the fun in their competition because the competition across the NCAA Division I landscape is fierce and it seems to get tougher as the years go on,” Azevedo said. “We believe if they are having fun within those challenges of a hyper-competitive sport, their best wrestling will be showcased. We believe our guys have the ability to succeed at the highest level.”

Azevedo also believes Queen’s fierceness will bring out his fun element.

“We try to remind him that when he’s highly motivated, he can put a lot of points on the board,” Azevedo said. “That’s what we are always trying to get him to do. We want him to reach his high level of motivation every time he’s going out there competing and having that understanding on why it’s important against any opponent. Even if he’s facing a highly-ranked guy, you are going to see his best wrestling. Go out and be the best that you can be.

“He’s matured a lot since he’s been here. We all need maturity as we go through life. There’s still maturity for him to reach.”

Queen said he was two years old when he first rolled on a wrestling mat while his father, Amin, was wrestling in college. Amin later became his son’s first coach on the youth club level. Jasiah is one of four Queen siblings, who all wrestle. Another is his sister Saniyah, who won a New Jersey state title last winter and is now a freshman at Western New England University.

Among Jasiah’s role models is Jordan Burroughs, the seven-time World and Olympic champion, who also hails from New Jersey and also lives in Philadelphia, where Jasiah has been able to work out with Burroughs.

“It was a teaching moment,” Queen said. “He’s pretty savvy and pretty good. He’s a great role model. It’s not just what he does, but how he acts.”

Queen also plays video games when he’s not wrestling and really enjoys finding success with Call of Duty and several college football games. He chuckles at the idea that if Jasiah Queen was character in a wrestling video game that would bring out his flamboyant side.

“I would be taking a lot of shots and maybe some throws here and there,” said Queen. “There would be a lot of flashiness.”

Now Queen believes that he can be a leader for the Dragons.

“I want to be the guy that everyone depends on and expects me to go out there and have fun and put a lot of points on the board and score bonus points for my team,” said Queen, who realizes such success would go a long way in also putting Drexel more on the college wrestling map.

“I don’t focus on what other people have done,” he said. “I focus on what I can do. I can be an All-American and win the whole thing.”

Catch Jasiah Queen and the Drexel Dragons' home duals live this season on Flowrestling.