Awaiting his next target, the "Kentucky Headhunter" stakes his place on the mat.

Thus far, the Headhunter has claimed 20 victims — only four have gotten away.

For the deadly assassin's efforts, he has been recognized as the No. 16 in the nation in his weight division.

But contrary to his nickname, redshirt freshman Kyle Ruschell — a born-and-raised Kentuckian — is hardly cold blooded, let alone prone to murder and staking heads to define his lot.

No, Ruschell is more comparable to a kid stuck in a man's body. At least that's what wrestling head coach Barry Davis says.

"He's like a kid because he's out there having fun," Davis said. "He's like a little kid in a candy shop — he's fun to be around."

Not complaining about head coach Davis likening him to a kid in a candy shop, Ruschell added, "If you're not having fun, why do it? I go out there, have fun, do what I need to do to win."

His childlike awe for the game and spirited nature certainly has its advantages.

"I don't like to go into a match all intense and stiff, because then you're not moving correctly when you're out there," Ruschell said.

Ruschell is 20-4 this season, including a 12-3 dual record, and has found himself ranked No. 16 in the country at 141 pounds. Going from watching on the sidelines as a redshirt to putting up solid numbers on the mat goes to show just how far Ruschell has come.

Davis attributes his player's success to a strong summer program and Ruschell believes taking a redshirt last season is the reason behind this season's success.

"I think it was a good thing for me to sit out," Ruschell said. "I come from Kentucky, [so] I never really saw Big Ten, Division I stuff before until last year. I [learned] what it was about and everything [from] how to control my weight and lift and get bigger, stronger and maintain that throughout the season.

"Doing that last year helped me this year."

The urge to follow his older brother's every move sparked the younger Ruschell's wrestling career.

"My older brother started wrestling a year before me, and his best friend in high school got him into it," Ruschell said. "And being the younger brother, you always want to the same thing as your older brother, and I got into it."

At first, the sport for the playful kid seemed unfair because his brother knew more and would use Ruschell as his practice dummy.

Soon, however, the Kentucky Headhunter learned the trade and quickly picked up the sport. He finished his high school career holding a 191-18 record.

Entering college, Ruschell was small. He stood a few inches north of 5 feet and weighed 112 pounds. Now, he is listed at 5-foot-6 and weighs in at 141 pounds.

"I expected myself to be small coming in just because I was small my whole life. I wrestled 112 and 119 my senior year of high school," Ruschell said. "But right away, I grew and gained 10, 15 pounds right when I got here."

The sudden growth spurt and gain in weight shouldn't come as a surprise, Davis says, because Ruschell's dad is 6 feet tall and 220 pounds, and his older brother is similar in stature.

Aside from the growth spurt, Ruschell's workout routine has contributed to his size, and he exercises all the time.

"Even days we're off, I'm usually coming in here at least once just to maintain my weight," Ruschell said. "Either get a run in, cardio or lift if my weight's fine. I do rope climbs everyday. Coach tells me to do those to keep my body — get my natural strength."

Although pleased with his drastic climb into the national spotlight, Ruschell — along with the rest of his teammates on the No. 15 and undefeated Badgers — wants more. He wants to be the best.

"I'm happy where I'm at," Ruschell said. "And coming from Kentucky, it's awesome. People from Kentucky are always telling me how proud they are, but I think I can do better. I'm not where I want to be yet. I want to be the best in the nation, so 16th isn't even close yet."

In order to get better, Davis says Ruschell must become a little bit more offensive on the mat. Davis added he tries to counter what the opponent is doing too much.

If he succeeds in that, Davis thinks he could very well finish as high as eighth before season's end.

And he still has three years left.

So while Ruschell's demeanor and personality hardly justify his nickname, opponents beware — looks can be deceiving. The Kentucky Headhunter will leave his mark on many more grapplers in the weeks and years to come.