InterMat’s preseason rankings for the 2026-27 season put Penn State right where you’d expect a Cael Sanderson team to be: all over the top of the board.
The defending national champions have a stack of wrestlers sitting at No. 1 in their weight classes, and InterMat even bumped defending 165-pound national champion Mitchell Mesenbrink up to No. 1 at 174 pounds. That headline alone tells you how loaded the Nittany Lions are heading into the season.
Penn State also checks in atop the team rankings, landing No. 1 ahead of Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Virginia Tech and Iowa.
At 125 pounds, Luke Lilledahl gives Penn State another top spot, with Marc-Anthony McGowan of Princeton at No. 2, Nico Provo of Stanford at No. 3 and Vincent Robinson of Nebraska at No. 4.
The 133-pound class is led by Jax Forrest of Oklahoma State, while Penn State’s Marcus Blaze comes in at No. 4.
Ben Davino of Ohio State is No. 2 and Aaron Seidel of Virginia Tech is No. 3.
At 141, Luke Stanich of Lehigh sits at No. 1, followed by Evan Frost of Iowa State, Vance Vombaur of Minnesota and Carter Nogle of Air Force. Bo Bassett of Virginia Tech is No. 5, and Penn State’s Braeden Davis is ranked No. 9.
Penn State is also in the mix at 157, where Tyler Kasak checks in at No. 2 behind Landon Robideau of Oklahoma State. Antrell Taylor of Nebraska is No. 3 and Brandon Cannon of Ohio State is No. 4.
The Nittany Lions own the top spot at 165 with PJ Duke ranked No. 1.
Nicco Ruiz of Arizona State is No. 2, Joey Blaze of Purdue is No. 3 and Bryce Hepner of North Carolina is No.
Mesenbrink’s move to 174 puts him ahead of Christopher Minto of Nebraska, Cam Steed of Missouri and Jaxon Smith of Ohio State.
Penn State also lands a heavyweight presence at 184, where Rocco Welsh is ranked No. 2 behind Max McEnelly of Minnesota. Angelo Ferrari of Iowa is No. 3 and Aeoden Sinclair of Missouri is No. 4.
At 197, Josh Barr gives Penn State yet another No. 1 ranking. Cody Merrill of Oklahoma State is No.
2, Stephen Little of Little Rock (Arkansas) is No. 3 and Joey Novak of Wyoming is No. 4.
The 285-pound class is led by Konner Doucet of Oklahoma State, followed by Ben Kueter of Iowa, Nick Feldman of Ohio State and Christian Carroll of Wyoming.
InterMat’s rankings come after Flo Wrestling released its 2026-27 preseason rankings last month.
In Other News...
Beaver Stadium Is Finally Addressing A Penn State Fan Frustration
Beaver Stadium is getting a long-awaited fix to one of the most familiar headaches for Penn State fans, with the schools Board of Trustees Finance and Investment Committee approving a 10-year deal with AT&T to upgrade cellular service at the venue. The new system is expected to be in place for the 2027 football season, and interim improvements are already being made this fall as part of the broader push to make the stadium experience less frustrating on game day.
The upgrade will bring a new distributed antenna system designed to improve coverage and increase bandwidth capacity across the stadium, a notable addition as Beaver Stadium nears completion of its $700 million renovation. For a fan base that has dealt with spotty service for years, the timing matters almost as much as the technology, even if the full payoff is still a couple of seasons away. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Have One Gameday Concern Before Buffalo Kickoff
A comfortable start is on tap for Penn States noon kickoff against Buffalo at Beaver Stadium, with meteorologist Joe Murgo calling for temperatures in the upper 60s and a steady south-southeast wind. It should feel like a pretty good early-season football afternoon for much of the game, but there is enough movement in the forecast to keep fans paying attention as the hours wear on.
Murgo also flagged the possibility of showers or thunderstorms by the end of the game, which means a dry tailgate might not stay that way for long. For the Penn State crowd, the practical advice is simple: bring layers, pack rain gear, and give yourself extra time to get through the traffic headed into State College. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Players Feel Extra Pressure With Program Legends Returning
Penn State is set to welcome back one of the most celebrated groups in program history, with the 1986 national championship team being honored at halftime during an upcoming game. Running back D.J. Dozier, an All-American from that squad, will serve as honorary captain and handle the coin toss, giving the current roster a chance to share the field, in a sense, with the standard-bearers of a championship era.
For players like Caleb Bacon and Gabe Burkle, the return of those lettermen brings an added layer to a game week that already carries its own weight. The current Nittany Lions know the legacy they are trying to uphold, and the presence of program legends has only sharpened that motivation, turning a celebration of the past into a reminder of the expectations that still follow Penn State football. [Read more 🡒]