Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1540433
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 5 5 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M are no longer on the team, and 10 have joined. That includes graduates and transfers. Gone are Aurelius Dunbar, David Ev- ans, Alex Facundo, A.J. Fricchione, Jack Kelly, Greg Kerkvliet, Matt Lee, Timo- thy Levine, Kurt McHenry, Matt Rodri- guez, Zack Ryder, Karl Shindledecker, Carter Starocci, Gary Steen, Sean Wang and Branden Wentzel. The additions are freshmen Marcus Blaze, Asher Cunning- ham, Nathan Desmond, PJ Duke, Wil- liam Henckel, Dalton Perry, Sean Degl and Mason Ellis, and juniors Rocco Welsh and Masanosuke Ono. "We may have had a couple guys who may have preferred to stay, but just under the circumstances and situation, you've got to be compliant and work within the rules that you're given," Sanderson said. "Looking forward, you have to be mindful of that 30. "We were always set at 37-ish, but that was just Title IX and helping the athletic department meet those numbers. If we had a special kind of situation, or poten- tial prospect, they would work with you. But you try to help out the department; that's the most important thing." The overall process wasn't necessarily simple. "It was a constant discussion all of last fall and throughout the season, and then the spring, trying to figure out, OK, what are we doing here? How are we going to get to get to this number?" Sanderson explained. "We had to have discussions with peo- ple and just be transparent and honest. And the kids knew that this was the case. We had a kid transfer in the fall, thinking that he might not make the roster cut; that was his decision. The kids were ob- viously well aware of it. It was just about communicating with them." From Sanderson's vantage point, those who had remaining eligibility but opted to depart weren't just wrestlers; they were people. "It's tough, because if you look back on history, even if those guys are not wres- tling for you, they're usually kids who just love the sport, and they appreciate being on the team," Sanderson said. "A lot of those guys end up being the people who donate back to the program. "If you look across the history of col- lege sports, the starters and the guys win- ning in college generally aren't your do- nors. It's a different attitude," he added. "It's the kids that really appreciate the opportunity to be there. Obviously, there are always special circumstances." While Sanderson has additional schol- arships at his disposal, it's highly likely that number never will hit 30. "We don't have 30 scholarships, not even close," he said. "It's just trying to manage the program and the team and trying to take care of your kids while everything's being cut across the board in college athletics. Most D-I programs have gone backward significantly — and that's something that's not really dis- cussed — but that's the reality of it." Another reality is having quality depth at each of the 10 weight classes. Sander- son said it's difficult to get multiple wres- tlers at the bookend weights, 125 and 285 pounds, although he said most teams are in the "same boat" for the most part. "For us, it's still more about recruiting the right attitude," he said. "It's the kids that want to be here, that love the sport, that when they get here, we know they're going to make good decisions and just be good people. If we're thinking we need three guys at this weight, three guys at this weight, three guys at that weight, it's just basically impossible to do. "You have to have a couple guys in each weight, but you're probably going to have more guys in the middle weights; that's just a natural tendency, and that's where more wrestlers are. It comes down to just looking for the kids that want to be in this program and have the attitude and obviously the potential that we're look- ing for." ■ Elite Recruit Joins Penn State's 2027 Class Penn State landed its second commitment in the 2027 class when junior Landon Sidun announced via social media on Oct. 6 that he plans to sign with the Nittany Lions. "I believe Penn State will be the best fit for me, and I can succeed in many aspects," Sidun wrote on Instagram. "Thank you to my coaches, teammates, family, and friends who have been by my side along this journey and got me to this point. I cannot wait for this next adventure." Sidun is MatScout's No. 4 recruit in the 2027 class. He carries a 72-2 record into the 2025-26 season, per PA-Wrestling, and is No. 14 overall in MatScout's pound-for-pound high school rankings and No. 2 at 126 pounds. The Norwin (Pa.) High standout is coming off a broken hand that ended his sophomore season early, but he's ready to roll as a junior. "Healthwise, I couldn't be any better," Sidun told BWI in August. "No setbacks with my hand at all. Training this summer has been the best it's ever been. I've been wrestling a lot of higher-level com- petition and getting a lot of work in during the summer." Penn State was in Norwin for an in-home visit back in August. The Lions then pushed toward closing the deal during the White Out football game in late September. He projects as a lifetime 125-pounder. "If you see me in person, I'm not a big guy," Sidun said. "I've been wrestling at around the same weight for a while. In my family, everyone's small. I'm bigger than my mom. I'm close to my dad's size, so I'd say I'm almost maxed out. … I would never see myself wrestling above '33. To me, there's a good chance I'm going to be a four-year '25." Sidun joins Gavin Mangano, who committed to Penn State in September. Mangano is a two-time New York state champ in the 138-pound class from Shoreham-Wading River High. FloWrestling ranks the junior as the No. 9 138-pounder in the country. — Greg Pickel "For us, it's still more about recruiting the right attitude. It's the kids that want to be here, that love the sport, that when they get here, we know they're going to make good decisions and just be good people." PENN STATE COACH CAEL SANDERSON