Coming off of its ninth NCAA Team Title since the 2010-2011 season, the Penn State Nittany Lions will look to defend their crown as the kings of collegiate wrestling. With several new additions and plenty of returning NCAA Champions, the Lions will look to balance that with the departure of National Champion Nick Lee. The Lions have a healthy mix of both fresh and exciting young talent and seasoned veterans that are sure to make a run at a tenth title in Cael Sanderson’s thirteen years at the helm
125-POUNDS....
Following Drew Hildebrandt’s graduation after one year with Penn State, the Central Michigan transfer contributed plenty toward the Lions’ outstanding dual record, which closed out at 17-0. 125 will feature a newcomer to the PSU lineup, and it will likely be Robbie Howard, who was sidelined by injury last year. Hildebrandt was an addition after Spring Semester started, which gave the Lions more depth at the start of the lineup. Howard seems the likely option for the Lions at 125.
133-POUNDS...
At 133, the obvious choice is two-time defending NCAA Champion and surprise returner Roman Bravo-Young. RBY has deep roots in MMA and trains with former UFC Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, who can be attributed as the catalyst of RBY’s crafty footwork. It was thought that he would make the jump to MMA after his second-straight win against Oklahoma State’s Daton Fix in the finals.
Following his second Championship campaign, it was unclear whether RBY would return to State College to defend his crown and perhaps capture yet another NCAA title, becoming the Lions’ fifth three-time champ, joining Ed Ruth, Zain Retherford, Bo Nickal, and Jason Nolf.
141-POUNDS....
At 141, the Lions will have to fill in the obviously-large shoes of Nick Lee, who finished his Lion career on top with two NCAA titles. However, Beau Bartlett will likely drop from the 149 slot, where he struggled last season despite many close matches, to his more natural 141. Bartlett barely missed All-American status at last year’s NCAA Tournament in Detroit, but he seems to be a great replacement for Lee.
149-POUNDS....
149 will see the introduction of coveted recruit Shayne Van Ness, who was #1 at 138 coming out of high school and the #2 overall recruit for the 2021 class. Ness is expected to be a major contributor to the Nittany Lions through the next four years, filling a gap that has not had a PSU National Champion since Zain Retherford in 2018.
157-POUNDS....
At 157, Penn State has several options with the return of Terrell Barraclough, who started multiple duals for the Lions in 2021 and 2022 before the return of Brady Berge. Joe Lee and Levi Haines are also available at this weight for Penn State, which gives depth at a weight class that has been historically successful for the program.
165-POUNDS....
165 presents an interesting position for Penn State, as Alex Facundo Is likely to start following Creighton Edsell's retirement due to injury in April. As this is an early preview, we will wait for more information from Cael Sanderson and other staff before speculating too much on what could happen here.
174-POUNDS....
Now presents the 174, 184, 197, and Heavyweight weight classes, which each feature either returning NCAA Champions or favorites at this weight. 174 will feature the two-time returning NCAA Champion Carter Starocci, who managed to beat the tough and always resilient Mekhi Lewis from Virginia Tech in a TB2 ride-out last year. Starocci is two-for-two in his college career in terms of National Titles and has already etched his way into PSU Wrestling legacy.
184 and 197 POUNDS....
184 and 197 feature Aaron Brooks and Max Dean, both returning to Penn State as National Champions in their respective weight classes. Brooks is looking for his third championship in three years at Penn State, while Dean, a transfer from Cornell, is looking for his second title with the Lions after being an All-American at Cornell as a Sophomore in 2019.
HEAVYWEIGHT....
At Heavyweight, Greg Kerkvliet returns as the likely favorite to win the crown at the 2023 NCAA Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After falling to Olympic Gold Medalist and National Champion Gable Steveson in the semi-finals in March, Kerk took home a strong fourth place finish after medically forfeiting against Lehigh’s Jordan Wood. Kerk brings an explosive and athletic style to the competitive HWT weight class, where the Lions won an NCAA Title in 2019 with Anthony Cassar.
The Nittany Lions will likely face strong competition from the Iowa Hawkeyes, who will get their three-time champion, Spencer Lee, back at 125 this year. Additionally, Arizona State, Ohio State, and Michigan will look to bounce back in 2022-23, looking to dethrone a strong Penn State team that will look for its tenth title in just 13 seasons.
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