Blue White Illustrated

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What happens with the young guys, though, depends heavily on the older guys. That pecking order begins at heavy- weight, where Anthony Cassar is pursu- ing a medical hardship waiver for a sixth year. If the Big Ten and NCAA champ is back, the youngest Nevills brother could be in line for a redshirt. It's no clearer at the weight class below, where Nickal's graduation leaves a glaring hole. He was the only 197- pounder on the active roster this season. Beard is a blue-chip prospect among the incoming freshmen, and another new- comer might be added, too. Kent State 197-pound All-American Kyle Conel tweeted recently that he was pursuing a graduate transfer to PSU, pro- vided he receives the medical hardship waiver he has been seeking. He might not be the only transfer in play, either. Like transfers, hardship waivers are a hot topic this off-season, as Shakur Rasheed is under consideration to be granted an additional year as well. If he doesn't return at 184, this is where an- other freshman could step in, like Brooks or Starocci. Mark Hall, a three-time finalist at 174, could feasibly make the jump up to 184 for his senior season. Then again, it's an Olympic year, and Hall is one of Team USA's most promising young freestyle prospects. You see where I'm going with this. There are multiple candidates who could consider an Olympic redshirt in 2019-20, not just Hall but also Brooks, who spent the past year at the Olympic Training Center. Sophomores-to-be Jarod Verkleeren (149), Brady Berge (149/157) and Mason Manville (174) also qualify. Elsewhere, All-Americans Roman Bravo-Young (133) and Nick Lee (141) have traditional redshirts available, with Bravo-Young leaving the window open on that possibility in an interview after an eighth-place finish at NCAAs as a true freshman. More than a few permutations exist, most of which give PSU greater than a puncher's chance to stay in the hunt for another title. But it's also possible that the lineup Penn State fields during the 2020 postseason won't maximize the team's true scoring potential, just like in 2015. It's all about how the stars align. "If we can keep winning, that would be fine with me," Sanderson said. "But it's not about winning, it's about getting the best team we can get and doing the best we can and just enjoying the experience. Our job as coaches is just to support these guys and help them reach their goals." Don't take that the wrong way. It may not be about winning all the time, but it's certainly not about losing, either. Therein lies a key to Sanderson's success. He de- spises losing more than he loves winning. Even the most joyful team champi- onships over the past decade have come with a hint, a twinge, sometimes even an overwhelming pang of disappointment due to the compassion he has for those who didn't win their bracket. "I can't think of a better word than sucks, but losing sucks," Sanderson said following Penn State's most recent team title. "I feel bad for our opponent and other people, too, when they lose, be- cause I hate it so much. I hate to see anybody lose." Four years ago when Sanderson decided to redshirt a handful of his best, he was looking at the team's long-term interests. Critics claimed he was "punting" on one season for returns on the next. That no- tion, no matter how true, left him about as unsettled as that sixth-place finish. "You look back and you think, if we would have done this or that, maybe we could have won that year," Sanderson said. "Who knows?" Those aren't questions he necessarily wants to ponder again – not with five on the line. There might be some unanticipated lineup changes, and the blueprint might look a little different without a couple dynamos at the helm. It might even be a much tighter team race next March. But this time on fourth-and-long, don't expect a punt. This roster is set up to go for it. ■

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