Penn State’s wrestling lineup could be headed for a major shuffle, and the biggest ripple may come from Mitchell Mesenbrink.
FloWrestling’s preseason individual rankings have Mesenbrink at No. 1 pound-for-pound, which tracks for the reigning Hodge Trophy winner. The surprise is where Flo projects him to land: 174 pounds, not 165, the weight he has controlled for the past two seasons.
That change would open the door for PJ Duke at 165, and Flo has him No. 1 in that class. For a sophomore, that’s a loud statement, but Duke has already backed it up. As a true freshman, he went into the NCAA Championships as the No. 1 seed and was arguably robbed of a chance to wrestle for a national title before settling for third.
He also picked up his first college championship hardware in March, when he won the Big Ten title.
If things break the way Flo’s projections suggest, there’s even more movement ahead. Levi Haines would be out of the college lineup, at least for now, and Penn State fans would also have to keep waiting on Jayden James. A true freshman and Duke’s close friend, James left high school as the No. 2 pound-for-pound wrestler in his class and would be a strong lineup fit almost anywhere else.
But this is Penn State, where elite talent has to fight just to get on the mat.
And if Mesenbrink and Duke both move up, the Nittany Lions could be staring at something special from 157 to 174. Tyler Kasak is the projected starter at 157, and he’s already finished third at nationals twice. Flo ranks him No. 2 in the class, behind only defending national champ Landon Robideau.
For Penn State, that’s a pretty good problem to have.
In Other News...
Penn State Great Helped Set The Tone For Matt Campbell Era
Before Penn State kicked off its season-opening win over Marshall, Jordan Hill found himself in a familiar role for the program, only this time it came long after his playing days. The former defensive lineman, now the schools director of development and Football Lettermans Club, spoke to the team ahead of the opener, offering a dose of perspective from someone who knows exactly what it means to wear the jersey.
Matt Campbell said Hills presence and leadership mattered in the buildup to the game, and he pointed to that message as part of what helped fuel Penn States 45-0 start to the season. Campbell also used the moment to reflect on what it means to coach in Happy Valley and on the weight of the programs history, with Hills visit serving as a reminder that Penn States standard is carried as much by its past as by its current roster. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Paterno Tribute Just Reignited A Painful Debate
Jerry Sandusky is expected to make his first public appearance since 2019 on Tuesday, when he appears remotely from prison at an evidentiary hearing. The timing has only sharpened the uneasy backdrop around Penn State, which recently opened the Paterno Family Football Experience Room at the schools sports museum as part of a gradual effort to recognize Joe Paternos football legacy.
For many around the program, the old wounds around the Sandusky case still sit close to the surface, and any step that revisits the Paterno era tends to pull that history back into view. The universitys attempt to honor its winningest coach comes with a built-in tension, because the legacy it is trying to preserve is inseparable from a chapter the community still argues over in deeply different ways. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Next Opponent Looks More Vulnerable Than Expected
Temples offensive line is already dealing with a major early-season shakeup ahead of its trip to Happy Valley. Coach K.C. Keeler said starting left tackle Giakoby Hills will be out six weeks after getting hurt in the opener, and the status of starting right tackle Kevin Terry remains up in the air as a game-time decision for the matchup with Penn State.
The uncertainty does not stop there, either, with Keeler still declining to name a starting quarterback. Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard are competing for the job, leaving Temple to sort through two of its most important positions just as it prepares to face a Penn State defense that will be looking to take advantage of any instability up front and under center. [Read more 🡒]