Penn State's National Champion at Heavyweight will be returning for his final season, as Greg Kerkvliet confirmed he will return to the Nittany Lions for the 2024-25 season.
It was not known whether Kerkvliet would return to defend his NCAA Title run, which was capped off with an undefeated season and a 13-4 Major Decision over Michigan's Lucas Davison.
The Lions were set to lose potentially three of their starters for the year, as NCAA Runner-Up at 141 Beau Bartlett, 174's Carter Starocci, and Kerkvliet were undecided on their return to State College.
However, all three will be returning, and the lineup seems to be at what could be its strongest in years, as Penn State will return six of its eight All-Americans, only losing Aaron Brooks and Bernie Truax, who wrestled at 197 and 184, respectively.
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Kerkvliet will come back as an overwhelming favorite to win another NCAA crown. However, things could get interesting as it was recently announced that Minnesota NCAA Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Gable Steveson was let go from the WWE and has one year of eligibility left.
Steveson could make a run in the MMA world, but he could also consider returning to the Golden Gophers for one final run at what is now Kerkvliet's weight class.
Penn State's Potential 2024-25 Lineup
After Starocci, Bartlett, and now Kerkvliet have all announced intentions to return to Penn State for next season, the Lions' lineup could be one of the strongest it's ever had. With Lion Legend David Taylor choosing to leave State College and take the Head Coaching job at Oklahoma State, it could make things interesting with recruiting.
Sources have told me that Braeden Davis will not be cutting to 125 again and that his performance at the NCAA Tournament was hindered by this. He will bump to 133 and could potentially redshirt if Aaron Nagao is healthy and ready to go.
We could also see Mitch Mesenbrink and Levi Haines switch weight classes, as Mesenbrink is light for 165 and Haines is ready to fit into 165 without having to overcut to 157. We could potentially see Haines take a redshirt as well.
Penn State will be primed and ready to defend its team title crown. Here's how I think the lineup will look:
125: Luke Lilledahl
133: Braeden Davis/Aaron Nagao
141: Beau Bartlett
149: Shayne Van Ness
157: Mitch Mesenbrink
165: Levi Haines
174: Alex Facundo
184: Josh Barr
197: Carter Starocci
HWT: Greg Kerkvliet
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