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All-American at 125 pounds. Fewer teams can opt to redshirt him. That might be the plan at Penn State in 2014. A final decision likely won't be made until October or November, but there has been talk throughout the off- season about redshirting senior Nico Megaludis. A two-time NCAA finalist, Megaludis would prefer to compete in 2014. But if the Lions opt instead to hold him out, there's a possibility he wouldn't resume his collegiate career for another two seasons. Although this decision is still more than a year away, Megaludis, who is also an international freestyle competitor, can qualify for an additional Olympic redshirt in 2015. It might seem like a risky move. Why sit one of the team's most elite wrestlers when the outlook for a national champi- onship is as cloudy as it has been in five years? One reason is because the Lions return Jordan Conaway. If he's not Mega- ludis' caliber, he's only a step below, and the coaching staff feels comfortable plug- ging in Conaway, who was a national qual- ifier in 2013 at 133. He has amassed a 34- 15 career record and is probably best re- membered for his upset win over Wis- consin All-American Tyler Graff in Rec Hall a couple years back. He is a natural 125-pounder and is preparing to wrestle there again. If Megaludis decides to step back from college competition for a year (or two), many believe that Conaway can contend for All-America honors. PROJECTED STARTER Jordan Conaway, So., 15-5/Nico Megaludis, Sr., 31-4 133 After earning the starting spot at 133 over Conaway last year, Jimmy Gulibon went on to qualify for nationals in his first season of NCAA competition. But his first year wasn't without its struggles. Gulibon finished only three wins above .500, and went 1-2 in Oklahoma City, al- though his lone victory came with bonus points. Penn State is looking to see a stronger, more confident Gulibon as he enters his sophomore season. The Latrobe, Pa., na- tive endured a setback in May, as his knee was injured at the U.S. Open. But while the coaches may take it easy on him at first, the injury isn't expected to affect his season. PROJECTED STARTER Jimmy Gulibon, So., 18-15 141 Zain Retherford, once a top-10 re- cruit, burst onto the scene as a true fresh- man when he shocked Ohio State's Logan Stieber last December in what was another one of those hair-raising Rec Hall moments – like Conaway's win over Graff the year before. Retherford was still undefeated when he met Stieber in a rematch at the Big Ten tournament. The Buckeye standout avenged the only loss of his season with a 7-3 decision, and then beat Retherford again at nationals by the same score. Retherford still managed a fifth-place finish and an All-America citation, but Stieber went on to win his third consec- utive NCAA crown. He's aiming to capture his fourth in 2015, so naturally, there has been speculation that Retherford might redshirt this season, too. Sanderson has talked publicly about Retherford's need to sharpen his skills from the neutral po- sition, so why not let the teenager take a step back, develop for another year and then return when the road to an individual title is a little less daunting? There's a growing possibility that's what happens, but Retherford wants to compete now. He wants another shot (or two… or three) at Stieber and to ultimately derail his run for a fourth title. But it might not be Retherford's choice. Who would go at 141 if Retherford does take a year off? There are a few suitors: Zack Beitz competed most of last season at 149, but on Penn State's updated roster, he's listed only as a 141-pounder. Kade Moss, a redshirt freshman from Utah, and Michael Waters, a junior from North Carolina, are other battle-tested options for Penn State. PROJECTED STARTER Zain Retherford, So., 33-3 149 Penn State's success in 2014-15 was looking as if it would depend heavily on this weight class (and 157). Gone are David Taylor and Ed Ruth, so PSU must find its bonus points – pins, technical falls, major decisions – from other sources. That had always been Andrew Alton's specialty. But the injury bug has continued to bite. Alton missed most of last season due to a shoulder injury, and much of his sopho- more season, too, due to complications with the opposite shoulder. He had surgery in the spring – his second procedure in two years – and his healing was ahead of schedule as of early summer. But at the beginning of September, Alton suffered yet another, separate setback. Injury details were not available as of this print, but Penn State spokesman Pat Donghia confirmed to BWI that Alton will miss at least the first semester of the season due to an undisclosed injury. A healthy and focused Alton could be the team's biggest pin threat and top point-scorer, but since he won't be ready to go, PSU will have to identify a replace- ment. Beitz is the most likely option, de- spite being listed as 141-pounder. Beitz was a tough-as-nails backup last year (along with the graduated James English, who made a memorable All-America run in March.) Beitz has continued to improve over the summer. PROJECTED STARTER Zack Beitz, So., 11-9 157 Like his twin brother, Dylan Alton also had surgery this off-season, but be- cause he wrestled throughout the post- season, falling just short of his second All-America honor, his operation was per- formed at a later date than Andrew's. It's unclear when Alton will be fully re- covered, but he should be available for at least the second half of the season, and he may even be ready for all of it. If he isn't able to start the year, redshirt fresh- man Cody Law, who went 14-4 in open tournaments last year, might be called upon to fill in. The Lions might even give true freshman Shakur Rasheed a shot at winning the spot, as Sanderson has spoken highly of Rasheed. Ideally, however, all true freshmen will redshirt. PROJECTED STARTER Dylan Alton, Sr., 20-7 165 There will never be a replacement for Taylor, who not only was a four-time

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