Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1534903
3 6 M A Y 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M W hen Penn State's wrestling team boarded a bus in Philadelphia on March 23 with its fourth con- secutive NCAA title in hand, its destination was effectively Cleveland. The program's mindset is to move past the current championship and begin to prepare for the next one, and that is March 19-21, 2026, at Rocket Arena. Although the bus was headed for State College, coach Cael Sanderson and com- pany like to say that everything is prepa- ration for the next thing. Can Penn State win its fifth consecu- tive title next season, one that would give the dynastic program 13 champion- ships in the past 15 tournaments? The answer is a resounding yes. It might be closer than this year's 60-point spread over Nebraska, because the Cornhuskers are developing talent, Oklahoma State is recruiting talent, and Iowa is portal- shopping for talent. On top of that, college wrestling these days is loaded with talent. But the talent level in the Penn State room is like a surplus store … overflowing with seven returning All-Americans and plenty more with the star power to vie for the three remaining starting lineup spots next season. Here is a weight-by-weight overview at what Penn State's lineup could look like next season, barring late transfer additions or losses, injuries or jumps in weight: 125 pounds: Luke Lilledahl went 25-3 as a true freshman and earned the No. 1 seed at the NCAAs. He lost a high-flying quarterfinal bout to Lehigh senior Shel- don Seymour and battled back impres- sively to place third. Lilledahl's durabil- ity is a plus, since depth is a factor at 125. Sophomore Cael Nasdeo wrestled at 133 this season, and incoming recruit Nathan Desmond is competing in freestyle at 61 kilograms, or 134.5 pounds. 133 pounds: The talent at 133 is ri- diculous. Braeden Davis (17-7) returns as an All-American, but one question is whether he can maintain the weight. He has yet to take a redshirt. Former Min- nesota All-American Aaron Nagao, who competed for Penn State in 2023-24 but WRESTLING Staying Staying Power Power Penn State appears to have everything it needs to win a fifth consecutive NCAA title in 2026 J I M CA R L S O N | B L U E W H I T E C O N T R I B U T O R The Lions will welcome back seven 2025 All-Americans next season, including Mitchell Mesenbrink, the defending champ at 165 pounds. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS