FloWrestling’s preseason pound-for-pound list landed with a familiar message for everyone else in college wrestling: Penn State is loaded, and then some.
Mitchell Mesenbrink sits at the top of the sport, and it’s hard to argue otherwise. He’s riding a 54-match winning streak, owns two national titles and is coming off a Dan Hodge Trophy season. Flo projects him to move up from 165 to 174, but there’s little reason to think the last college run will be anything but more of the same.
The next Penn State name in the mix is Josh Barr, and he’s already making the No. 2 conversation messy. Flo has Oklahoma State’s Sergio Vega there after his national title at 149 last season, but Barr checks in at No. 3 after a year that was almost as dominant as Mesenbrink’s. If he had finished with a 100% bonus rate, the Hodge Trophy discussion would have looked a lot different.
Penn State also has a champion sitting near the top at 125 in Luke Lilledahl. He won his first national title last season, and Flo has him No. 1 at the weight and No. 6 pound-for-pound. The old joke about Penn State being “cursed” at 125 doesn’t apply anymore.
At 149, Shayne Van Ness is right back in the championship picture. He was one bout away from a national title last season before falling to Vega in the final, and Flo has him No. 3 at the weight and No. 8 overall.
Stanford’s Aden Valencia is No. 2 at 149 and No. 16 pound-for-pound, while 2024 national champion Caleb Henson of Virginia Tech is No. 4 at 149 and No. 9 pound-for-pound. Van Ness was the No. 1 seed going into last season’s NCAA tournament, so another deep run looks very much in play.
Rocco Welsh gives Penn State another name near the very top. He entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed at 184 and reached the title match before losing to Minnesota’s Max McEnelly, who remains the clear No. 1 at the weight and is No. 5 pound-for-pound. Welsh is right behind him at 184 and is No. 10 overall, which means half of Flo’s pound-for-pound top 10 belongs to Penn State.
And the list keeps going. PJ Duke is No. 11 pound-for-pound and ranked No. 1 at 165.
Tyler Kasak is No. 12 pound-for-pound and No. 2 at 157. Both are legitimate national title threats.
Marcus Blaze adds even more firepower. He qualified for the Senior World Team over the summer, and Flo has him No. 19 overall and No. 4 at 133, a weight class that also includes Hodge contender Jax Forrest at No. 1 and reigning national runner-up Ben Davino at No. 2.
Then there’s Masanosuke Ono, who isn’t even part of Flo’s pound-for-pound rankings because he’s a senior world champion. If he starts at 141 ahead of Braeden Davis, who is ranked No. 12 at that weight, that would only make Penn State’s lineup even more intimidating.
The only projected Penn State starter not in Flo’s pound-for-pound top 20, not counting Ono, is Cole Mirasola, who comes in at No. 5 at heavyweight.
In Other News...
Former Penn State DB Is Becoming A Defensive Force Elsewhere
Marcus Neal has settled into a role at Iowa State that looks a lot like what Penn State fans might have expected from a veteran defensive back with his blend of toughness and versatility. He has become one of the guiding voices in the secondary, using his physical style of play to set a tone while also helping younger players learn how to handle the demands of the defense.
Neal has also pointed to defensive coordinator DAnton Lynn as a key part of his growth, a reminder that his development has continued well beyond Happy Valley. Away from football, he has picked up acoustic guitar during summer break and even shares the hobby with teammate Jamison Patton, a small detail that fits the picture of a player who has grown into a steady presence on and off the field. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Has A New Week 2 Battle Fans Will Notice
Penn States first depth-chart tweaks of the season offered a pretty clear look at how the staff wants to sort out the early part of September. The offensive core stayed intact after the Week 1 win over Marshall, but there were still meaningful changes underneath it, with running back Quinton Martin Jr. and wide receiver Koby Howard positioned for more work as the staff continues to spread opportunities around.
On defense, freshman cornerback Josiah Zayas was right in the mix at nickelback and played a heavy amount, a sign the Nittany Lions are willing to trust youth there early. Linebacker Alex Tatsch is also expected to make his season debut in rotation, giving Penn State another piece back as it gets deeper into the schedule and starts refining who will handle the biggest snaps. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Temple Week Hints At Changes Fans Will Notice In Philly
Penn State is turning the page from its 45-0 win over Marshall and into a trip to Temple, with the week already carrying a little more meaning than a standard early-season tune-up. Head coach Matt Campbell, offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser and defensive coordinator DAnton Lynn all spent time this week breaking down what stood out from the opener, along with the individual work that showed up in practice as the Lions shifted their attention toward Philadelphia.
The comments also offered a glimpse at how Penn State is fine-tuning things around the edges, from personnel details to the way the staff is handling communication and game-day workflow. There were positive notes on players who helped set the tone against Marshall, and there is at least one behind-the-scenes change from Week 1 that appears likely to stick as the Nittany Lions try to make their next road stop feel a little more familiar. [Read more 🡒]