Penn State wrestling appears ready to unveil one of its biggest additions sooner rather than later.
According to Jeff Byers, the voice of Penn State wrestling, Masanosuke Ono is expected to make his debut Thursday and slot in at 133 pounds. Byers made the comments while speaking with Zach Seyko on the Locked on Nittany Lions Podcast.
That would leave room for World Medalist Marcus Blaze to eventually move up to 141, though Byers did not offer a timeline for when that shift might happen.
“My expectation would be 133,” Byres said. “I think that’s just his more natural weight, and I think that’s where it probably makes the most sense just from a lineup standpoint right now for Penn State.”
“I think eventually Marcus will make the move up to 141 and it will be a little bit for an adjustment period for him to make that move up, but that’s I think what I would anticipate, anyway, for the upcoming season.”
Ono arrives with a résumé that already turns heads. He’s a Senior World Champion in freestyle, and he has been committed to Penn State since March 2025. He also began training with the Nittany Lions Wrestling Club before that, which has only fueled the anticipation around how quickly he can translate his freestyle success to folkstyle.
Byers believes the transition is real, but he also sees plenty that carries over.
“I think that’s the expectation anyway,” Byers said. “Again, it’s certainly an adjustment when you’re talking about the mat wrestling in folkstyle, but I think it’s something he’s excited about.
His takedown ability obviously translates to both styles, and that’s something that he is extremely good at creating scoring opportunities and preventing opponents from being able to score on him. So, again, I think it’s going to be fun to watch him have the opportunity to compete.
I know it’s something that he’s excited to have that chance.”
The weight class he’s entering is no easy landing spot. 133 is loaded, with defending national champion Jax Forrest back for Oklahoma State and national runner-up Ben Davino returning to Ohio State.
Ono already has a win over Davino in freestyle, taking a 4-0 decision at RAF 12 in Cleveland in August. After that match, NSN spoke with Ono about both the weight question and the jump into folkstyle.
“If the coaches say, ‘hey, let’s go 157,” Ono said, “I need to do it. So, I mean, I don’t think about that, you know?”
He also acknowledged that the switch to folkstyle has not come easily.
“(Transitioning to folkstyle is) very difficult for me,” he said. “You know, I’ve done freestyle all my life.
So this last year, I’ve focused on folkstyle. And then, you know, like we have Marcus Blaze, Braeden Davis.
Like any coach, they take me down every time. So, you know, it’s hard for me, but I mean, that’s what I found.
I’m excited about competing in folkstyle. So it’s good.”
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