Penn State broke the NCAA Tournament point record for the third straight year and won its 5th straight team title in 2026. As remarkable as that is, the Nittany Lions return all but one of their starters and will have a loaded roster for the 2026-27 season. Check out the article below as we break down the potential lineup for Penn State heading into this year.
2026-27 Penn State Overview
- Head Coach: Cael Sanderson
- Assistants: Casey Cunningham, Cody Sanderson, Nick Lee
- 2026 NCAA Tournament Finish: 1st
- 2026 NCAA Tournament Record: 41-9
- 2026 NCAA Tournament points: 181.5
- 2026 Big Ten Tournament finish: 1st
- 2026 Dual Record: 15-0
- Returning national qualifiers: 10 (Luke Lilledahl, Marcus Blaze, Braeden Davis, Shayne Van Ness, Tyler Kasak, PJ Duke, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Rocco Welsh, Josh Barr, Cole Mirasola)
- Returning NCAA Champions: 3 (Luke Lilledahl, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Josh Barr)
- Returning All-Americans: 9 (Luke Lilledahl, Marcus Blaze, Braeden Davis, Shayne Van Ness, Tyler Kasak, PJ Duke, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Rocco Welsh, Josh Barr)
- NCAA Team titles under Sanderson: 13 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026)
- Most national placers in a season under Sanderson: 10 (2025)
Pre-Season Rankings
125: #1 Luke Lilledahl
133: #4 Marcus Blaze
141: #12 Braeden Davis
149: #3 Shayne Van Ness
157: #2 Tyler Kasak
165: #1 PJ Duke
174: #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink
184: #2 Rocco Welsh
197: #1 Josh Barr
285: #5 Cole Mirasola
Will Levi Haines Get A 5th Year?
In late July, a federal judge in Colorado granted an injunction that would allow 2026 college graduates who graduated high school in 2022 an extra year of eligibility. That meant Levi Haines would get another year and likely wrestle at 174 pounds for the Nittany Lions this season. However, on August 21, the Tenth Circuit Court overturned that ruling, and now Haines is not currently eligible for the 2026-27 season. Because of that, I'm not projecting Haines in Penn State's lineup, but if something changes, we'll make an update to the article below.
125 - #1 Luke Lilledahl
National champion Luke Lilledahl will return to the starting lineup this year for the Nittany Lions at 125 pounds as the favorite to win the title again in 2027. Surprisingly, Penn State will only have one other 125-pound wrestler on their roster this year - junior Branden Wentzel. Nittany Lions fans shouldn’t be too concerned about that; however, it is notable that Lilledahl won’t have an All-American-caliber backup, given how the roster will look for Penn State this season.
133/141 - #4 Marcus Blaze/Masa Ono/Nate Desmond/#12 Braeden Davis
These four wrestlers are the biggest contenders to man the starting spots at 133 and 141 pounds this year. It’d be a little surprising to see Marcus Blaze move up to 141 pounds this year considering he’s wrestling 61 kg (about 134 pounds) at senior Worlds in late October. However, if Blaze wants to start preparing for the 2028 Olympics, we could see him make the move up to 141. It’s also worth noting that Blaze defeated current #2 Bo Bassett last year at the World Trials. Blaze placed 4th at 133 last year, and he’ll be a title contender at 133 or 141 pounds in 2027.
Marcus Blaze 2026 US Open Follow-Along:
Wherever Blaze doesn't go this year, look for Nate Desmond, Masanosuke Ono, or Braeden Davis to man the open spot. Ono took the world by storm in 2024 when he won the 61 kg world championships while recording freestyle wins over Vito Arujau and Zavur Uguev. He also notably defeated Marcus Blaze at the 2024 U20 World Championships and then Spencer Lee in February of 2025. He most recently defeated 2026 NCAA runner-up Ben Davino 4-0 at RAF 12. There’s no doubt that Ono is one of the top pound-for-pound freestyle wrestlers in the world, but how will his talent transition to folkstyle? Ono didn’t wrestle any folkstyle matches last year, so we really don’t have any idea what to expect from him this season. The good news is that with all of the high-level talent in the room, the Penn State coaching staff will know exactly where Ono’s folkstyle game stands. That means if he’s in the starting lineup, he’ll be a contender.
Every Ono match at the 2024 World Championships:
Nate Desmond showed his potential as a true freshman by being the only wrestler to defeat Luke Lilledahl last year when he won a 5-3 decision in the finals of the Black Knight Open. Desmond then bumped up to 141 pounds and went 4-0 with an overtime victory over past All-American Dylan Ragusin. In total, Desmond was 8-0 during his redshirt year and will carry with him big expectations this year if he’s the starter.
Then there’s Braeden Davis. Davis struggled at 141 pounds last season, entering the starting lineup in January after originally planning on redshirting. Davis ultimately went 2-2 at the NCAA tournament and didn’t record a win against a top 10 opponent last season. Still, Davis placed 5th at 133 pounds in 2025 and should still be considered an All-American contender if he’s in the starting lineup at either 133 or 141.
149 - #3 Shayne Van Ness
Shayne Van Ness fell just short of a national title last year, losing in the NCAA finals in overtime to Aden Valencia. Despite that loss, Van Ness was the #1 ranked wrestler in the country the entire season and was incredibly dominant. He ended the year with a 26-1 record and a 74.1% bonus rate - 6 pins, 10 techs, and 4 majors. Van Ness also defeated Caleb Henson the last time they wrestled - 5-3 at the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Van Ness has one final year of eligibility and will absolutely be among the favorites to win the title at 149 pounds this season.
Shayne Van Ness' win over Aden Valencia at the 2025 Journeymen Collegiate Duals:
157 - #2 Tyler Kasak/Joe Sealey/PJ Duke
This is the part of the lineup where Penn State’s depth really starts to shine. Tyler Kasak has two third-place finishes under his belt at 149 in 2024 and 157 in 2025. PJ Duke is fresh off his 3rd place finish last year, where he was the #1 seed heading into the tournament. Conventional wisdom says that Tyler Kasak will be the starter with PJ Duke moving up to 165 pounds. However, there could be a major curveball if Levi Haines is granted another year of eligibility. As it stands, Haines is not eligible for a 5th year, but if that changes, we could see Duke back down at 157 pounds this year.
Tyler Kasak's win over Lehigh's Logan Rozynski:
Joe Sealey will also likely challenge for the starting spot at 157 pounds and had a great freestyle season this Spring. Sealey placed third at the US Open and World Team Trials with notable victories over David Carr, Cam Amine, Jarrett Jacques, Terrell Barraclough, and Quincy Monday. Sealey was solid last year behind Duke with victories over Daniel Zepeda, Jaivon Jones, Tanner Peake Peake, Kai Owen, but losses to PJ Duke (2-1) and Jimmy Harrington (10-9). Sealey will be a solid backup for Kasak or Duke in case of injury, and if Sealey’s in the lineup, he’s an All-American contender.
Joe Sealey's win over Daniel Zepeda in the 2026 Southern Scuffle Finals:
165 - #1 PJ Duke/Mitchell Mesenbrink/Jayden James
Again, I’m working off the assumption that Levi Haines will not be coming back this year and PJ Duke will start for the Nittany Lions at 165 pounds. We currently have Duke ranked #1 ahead of #2 Nicco Ruiz, #3 Joey Blaze, and #4 Dee Lockett. Duke was 25-2 last year with an over 70% bonus rate. Throughout the year, Duke recorded wins over All-Americans Daniel Cardenas, Cam Catrabone, Brandon Cannon (3 times), Kannon Webster (twice), and Antrell Taylor while only losing overtime matches to Landon Robideau and Antrell Taylor. Even though it’s early, Duke is a heavy title favorite at 165 pounds this year.
PJ Duke after placing third at the 2026 NCAA Tournament:
There is an outside chance we see Jayden James start this year for Penn State at either 165 or 174. James was the #2 overall recruit out of the class of 2026 and has all the potential to be the next star for the Nittany Lions. James, out of Delbarton High School, was a U17 world champion last year at 71 kg, a two-time New Jersey state champion, and recently won a silver medal at the U20 World Championships. James’ only losses in the past year were to LaDarion Lockett at the 2025 U20 World Team Trials (15-2 and 6-1) and Alessio Perentin. However, he defeated Lockett in two straight matches to make the U20 team this year and then defeated Perentin 7-5 at U20 Worlds. On top of that, James had an incredible spring with victories over Joe Sealey (10-0), Quincy Monday (pin), and Michael Caliendo (8-3). With the new 5-year, age-based eligibility rules, it’s likely we'll see James take a gray shirt this year. James graduated high school when he was only 17 years old and will still be eligible to compete for 5 years at Penn State if he defers his enrollment until next season.
Jayden James' win over Michael Caliendo at the 2026 World Team Trials:
174 - #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink/Will Henckel/Jayden James/Asher Cunningham
Mitchell Mesenbrink is coming off an incredible season where he won his second straight national title, culminating in the Hodge Trophy. Mesenbrink was 27-0 last season with a 96.3% bonus rate, securing 8 pins, 11 techs, 6 majors, and 1 forfeit. After this dominant season, Mesenbrink is the biggest favorite in the country to win a national title this year.
If Mesenbrink does move up to 174 pounds, it will be fun to watch him against an entirely fresh set of challengers. Five of the eight All-Americans return to 174 pounds: Christopher Minto, Cam Steed, Beau Mantanona, Danny Wask, and MJ Gaitan. On top of that, 5 wrestlers who either earned All-American honors at different weights or in years past are slated to be in the 174 pound field: Gabe Arnold, Simon Ruiz, Hunter Garvin, Jaxon Smith, and Matthew Singleton. To go even further, Kaleb Larkin is moving up from 157 pounds and notably defeated eventual NCAA champions Landon Robideau and Aden Valencia last year. All of that to say, 174 is going to be FUN this year, but no one should be picking anyone but Mesenbrink to win this weight.
Every Mitchell Mesenbrink match on Flo from last season:
Henckel was the #13 overall recruit out of the class of 2025 wrestling for Blair Academy. Henckel won a silver medal at the U20 World Championships last Summer and went 9-1 in his redshirt season. Henckel’s only loss this year was to teammate Levi Haines (4-0), with his best victory coming over national qualifier Nick Fine (7-3). It’s also worth noting that Henckel defeated Brock Mantanona (10-0 twice and 12-8) and LJ Araujo (9-0) in freestyle last summer. If Henckel does start at 174, he’s a clear All-American contender and a dark horse title contender.
Asher Cunningham will be a solid backup at 174 or 184 in case of injury. Cunningham was 7-1 in his redshirt year, with his only loss coming to Rocco Welsh (13-5). Despite the limited number of matches, Cunningham had significant wins over All-American Caleb Campos (12-9), along with victories over Aaron Ayzerov (11-3) and Christian Hansen (8-0).
184 - #2 Rocco Welsh/Asher Cunningham
After finishing as the NCAA runner-up for the second time in his career, Rocco Welsh is the favorite to start at 184 this year. Welsh has two years of eligibility remaining and put together a fantastic year with a 25-1 record that included victories over Max McEnelly, Angelo Ferrari, Brock Mantanona (three times), and several other ranked wrestlers. Because of his year, Welsh will once again be a title contender in 2027.
197 - #1 Josh Barr
NCAA Champ Josh Barr will man the starting spot at 197 with Connor Mirasola as maybe the best backup in the country. Barr finished third in Hodge voting this season after going 24-0 with a 95.8% bonus rate - 5 pins, 12 techs, and 6 majors. Outside of Mesenbrink, there isn’t a bigger favorite to win the NCAA Tournament this year.
Josh Barr's win over Stephen Little in the 2026 Southern Scuffle Finals:
285 - #5 Cole Mirasola/Connor Mirasola
The roster battle at heavyweight for the Nittany Lions might be the most interesting one in all of NCAA wrestling, considering it’s between twin brothers Connor and Cole Mirasola. Connor made a successful move up to heavyweight this freestyle season, winning U23 Nationals in May. There, Mirasola defeated Jimmy Mullen in a 3-match series and also recorded notable victories over Spencer Lanosga (5-2), Carter Neves, and Juan Mora. In his post-match interview after winning U23 Nationals, Mirasola said the decision to move up was, “A decision made by the coaches to get the most out of his time at Penn State.” Obviously, this has to do with Josh Barr holding down the 197 starting spot, and at this point, it’s more likely Connor will start for the Nittany Lions at heavyweight than at 197.
Connor Mirasola after winning U23 Nationals:
Despite failing to place at the NCAA Tournament, Cole Mirasola had a solid freshman year going 20-8 on the season, with his best victories coming over Nick Feldman, Ben Kueter, and Braxton Amos. Cole Mirasola enters the season ranked #5 in the country, and if he continues to improve and put on size, he's capable of contending for a national title this year.
Can Penn State Break The Team Record Again?
Penn State has broken the scoring record 3 years in a row and, believe it or not, they're more than capable of breaking it again this year. According to the current rankings, we're projecting Penn State to score 150 points at the NCAA Tournament. However, that projection doesn't take into account bonus points, and Penn State scored 40.5 bonus points. Put simply, if Penn State meets our rankings projections and matches last year's bonus points, we're looking at another team-point record in 2027!
Hear from Cael Sanderson on all things Penn State Wrestling: