Penn State Wrestling head coach Cael Sanderson clarified the team's situation at 157 during the first media scrum of the year on Monday, ahead of the first dual of the season this weekend.
With returning NCAA Champion Levi Haines heading off to another weight class this year, 157 pounds was where Lion faithful were curious about what the team would look like heading into the 2024-25 season. Haines had no desire to stick around at that weight. He had plenty of college size to add, and it would be too restrictive to keep him at 157.
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Haines is projected to be at 174 this year.
However, it is not a straightforward answer for who will take 157. While early estimations saw Mitchell Mesenbrink and Haines flip-flopping, it is evident that will not happen. Mesenbrink will stay at 165, and with Shayne Van Ness returning at 149, last year's wrestler at that weight class, Tyler Kasak, seemed to be the ideal choice.
It appears Kasak is not a shoo-in for the weight, though. Sanderson said that both Kasak and Alex Facundo, who we thought would step up to 174 in the event that Haines went to 165, is also one of the front-runners to take the starting job.
Depth is certainly not a problem, Sanderson said. "It's one of those weights that is going to be more competitive for us."
Kasak, Facunod, and Ty Watson are the only three listed at 157 on Penn State's official roster. Joe Sealey, Aurelius Dunbar, and Mesenbrink are at 165, so it seems the former two wrestlers will either redshirt or could become part of the equation at 157.
Other big takeaways from Monday's media scrum are that the "majority" of those wrestling in Saturday's NWCA Classic will not be wrestling against Drexel on Sunday at the first dual of the year in Rec Hall.
Also, Braeden Davis will be starting at 133 for the time being as Aaron Nagao is still dealing with an injury he suffered in the off-season.
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