Penn State wrestling roster: Meet the new guys, plus a starting lineup projection
Penn State wrestling released its 2023-2024 roster on Monday. Learn who the new Nittany Lions are and more inside.
Penn State wrestling roster: Meet the new guys, plus a starting lineup projection
- Thread starter GregPickel
- Start date
Now THIS is the news I look forward to!
Man I am so excited for this season. Once Nagao is healthy we should be looking at 9 top 10 guys, and 4 1s?
I don’t think this will be unique but things I’m most excited to see this year:
1. Kerk’s next step (dominant HWTs are just fun as hell to watch)
2. Nagao/Mitch/Bernie in Cael/Casey system
3. Robbie Howard maybe hopefully possibly healthy?
4. AB destroying AJ Ferrari at CH on 2/9
Man I am so excited for this season. Once Nagao is healthy we should be looking at 9 top 10 guys, and 4 1s?
I don’t think this will be unique but things I’m most excited to see this year:
1. Kerk’s next step (dominant HWTs are just fun as hell to watch)
2. Nagao/Mitch/Bernie in Cael/Casey system
3. Robbie Howard maybe hopefully possibly healthy?
4. AB destroying AJ Ferrari at CH on 2/9
Besides the obvious super talent of returning wrestlers and transfers-amazing talent of guys who will most likely redshirt-many state/tournament championships including Josh Barr (184), Erik Gibson (165), Tyler Kasak (141), Braeden Davis (125), Brendon Wenzel (125), Kysion Jordan (133).and AJ Fricchione (197 or 285). Sure a talented group. Obviously way too early to speculate on next year's lineups-who knows else may transfer in (plus incoming 2024 freshmen) but we sure lose a lot of talent to graduation next spring-so looks like there will be talent to develop this year to help keep team a national contender each year. Exciting time for PSU wrestling!! Must be some tough competition at several weights in the wrestling room!!
Some thoughts, now that I've had time to look at the roster PSU posted:
125:
- it's easy to forget that Howard is on just sophomore eligibility
- I'm happy to see Braeden Davis starting at 125. There seemed to be some question as to whether he'd outgrown this weight
- if Howard is healthy, I think he'll man the spot
- if he's not, Steen and McHenry are nice options
- in the thread on the Clarion Open it's mentioned that Nasdeo is taking a gap year. That means Wentzel and Davis are freshmen at 125 this season, and Nasdeo will be in the same boat next season
- I can't remember a PSU roster under CS that had so many guys listed at 125
133:
- hopefully Greg can find out on Wednesday how Nagao is, health wise
- I'm curious who would man the spot if Nagao isn't ready to go. Would CS lean to Shunk with his experience, or Shindledecker or Garcia
141:
- I had forgotten Beau was on senior eligibility
- it basically seems like Beau's weight for the year, while Kasak works on technique
- David Evans and Timothy Levine are the other guys at this weight
149:
- one of the thinner weights on the roster. It's Van Ness to start, and either Imran Heard or Connor Pierce as backups
157:
- another thin weight, but two great talents
- Haines likely has the spot
- Mesenbrink is listed as 157/165 on the PSU roster
165:
- a lot of talent at this weight
- Facundo is the known quantity.
- Mesenbrink is the incoming diamond
- Barraclough is looking up at a couple of beasts
- Matt Lee seemed so talented in HS, but now he's on junior eligibility and probably not in contention for the spot
- Erik Gibson is a new freshman
174:
- Starocci is going for #4
- hard to believe that Joe Lee is a senior (eligibility) (and has gotten this big)
- Aurelius Dunbar shows flashes, but has yet to put it all together
- I know very little about Brian Borden
184:
- Truax is listed at 184, so I guess that is the plan for him
- Truax is a graduate student, so Josh Barr can spend a year in the room working on technique to prepare for next year
- Donovon Ball and Lucas Cochran (184/197) seem to be the emergency backups
- Jack Kelly I know very little about
197:
- another thin weight for PSU
- AB is the man, and his being listed only at 197 seems to cement the idea that he's moving up this season
- Lucas Cochran (184/197) and freshman AJ Fricchione (197/285) seem to be the only backups
285:
- another thin weight for PSU
- Kerk is the man, and here's hoping he climbs to the top of the podium this year
- AJ Fricchione (197/285) looks to be the only backup
125:
- it's easy to forget that Howard is on just sophomore eligibility
- I'm happy to see Braeden Davis starting at 125. There seemed to be some question as to whether he'd outgrown this weight
- if Howard is healthy, I think he'll man the spot
- if he's not, Steen and McHenry are nice options
- in the thread on the Clarion Open it's mentioned that Nasdeo is taking a gap year. That means Wentzel and Davis are freshmen at 125 this season, and Nasdeo will be in the same boat next season
- I can't remember a PSU roster under CS that had so many guys listed at 125
133:
- hopefully Greg can find out on Wednesday how Nagao is, health wise
- I'm curious who would man the spot if Nagao isn't ready to go. Would CS lean to Shunk with his experience, or Shindledecker or Garcia
141:
- I had forgotten Beau was on senior eligibility
- it basically seems like Beau's weight for the year, while Kasak works on technique
- David Evans and Timothy Levine are the other guys at this weight
149:
- one of the thinner weights on the roster. It's Van Ness to start, and either Imran Heard or Connor Pierce as backups
157:
- another thin weight, but two great talents
- Haines likely has the spot
- Mesenbrink is listed as 157/165 on the PSU roster
165:
- a lot of talent at this weight
- Facundo is the known quantity.
- Mesenbrink is the incoming diamond
- Barraclough is looking up at a couple of beasts
- Matt Lee seemed so talented in HS, but now he's on junior eligibility and probably not in contention for the spot
- Erik Gibson is a new freshman
174:
- Starocci is going for #4
- hard to believe that Joe Lee is a senior (eligibility) (and has gotten this big)
- Aurelius Dunbar shows flashes, but has yet to put it all together
- I know very little about Brian Borden
184:
- Truax is listed at 184, so I guess that is the plan for him
- Truax is a graduate student, so Josh Barr can spend a year in the room working on technique to prepare for next year
- Donovon Ball and Lucas Cochran (184/197) seem to be the emergency backups
- Jack Kelly I know very little about
197:
- another thin weight for PSU
- AB is the man, and his being listed only at 197 seems to cement the idea that he's moving up this season
- Lucas Cochran (184/197) and freshman AJ Fricchione (197/285) seem to be the only backups
285:
- another thin weight for PSU
- Kerk is the man, and here's hoping he climbs to the top of the podium this year
- AJ Fricchione (197/285) looks to be the only backup
Greg,Penn State wrestling roster: Meet the new guys, plus a starting lineup projection
Penn State wrestling released its 2023-2024 roster on Monday. Learn who the new Nittany Lions are and more inside.www.on3.com
Will be very interesting to hear what Cael says about Nagao (133) health status on Wednesday as Tom pointed out.
Yep. There are a lot of questions for Cael since this is the first time he's talking since March. But, that probably tops the list, with plan for Mesenbrink being a close second.
You just HAD to say this, huh Tom!
Kerk v Gable at B1Gs and Nationals booked now. I want to believe Kerk has a chance, I really do.
wow, I was away from the site for several hours, so I'm just catching up. I really thought the Gable rumors had petered out, but it appears I was mistaken.
You were not alone in believing that. Here we are again. I refuse to put much stock into it, though, until he actually competes in a match.
