Penn State wrestling: Davis drops in early season rankings update

Penn State wrestling has a ranked wrestler at every single weight class in the latest update of the InterMat NCAA Division I rankings, one of the first programs this season to accomplish the feat. However, one Nittany Lion has already seen his stock fall despite his unblemished record on the year.

Sophomore Braeden Davis entered 2024-25 with high expectations, even after moving up a weight class to 133 pounds. As a true freshman, Davis won the Big Ten Championships at 125 pounds and earned the No. 1 overall seed at Nationals before falling in the Round of 12.

After starting last season unranked, Davis finished his successful first year with a 22-4 record. Subsequently, Davis started this season as InterMat’s seventh-ranked wrestler at 133 pounds.

However, the 133-pound star sustained an injury in the season opener against Drexel’s Kyle Watterman earlier in November. Remaining in the bout, Davis avoided an upset with a narrow 7-5 decision.

At the time, Cael Sanderson was optimistic that the injury wouldn’t impact Davis’s long-term prospects for the year. However, Penn State wrestling did hold him out of last week’s Black Knight Invitational.

InterMat dropped Braeden Davis three spots in its rankings following his injury and scratch at the Black Knight Invitational. The Nittany Lion fell from No. 7 to No. 10, jumped by Drake Ayala (Iowa), Tyler Wells (Minnesota), and Tyler Knox (Stanford).

Uncertainty about the injury’s severity and Davis’s ultimate return timeline is the most likely cause of the sophomore’s backslide down the rankings. While still very early in the season, it’s certainly notable that, as of now, Davis would be outside the All-American-earning top-eight spots according to the ranking.

Davis to be tested in next Penn State wrestling dual

© Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Perhaps the biggest challenge of the year for Braeden Davis could come on Sunday when Penn State wrestling travels to face historic rival No. 23 Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks currently have the No. 1 wrestler at 133 pounds, Ryan Crookham, who is the favorite to finish atop the podium in March.

If Davis can go against Crookham, it will give us a good idea of how healthy he is and where he stacks up in the weight class. A win would certainly shoot him back toward the top of the rankings and make him one of the favorites to win it all. Even in a loss, there could still be plenty to learn based on how competitive the match is, helping us to understand Davis’s floor and ceiling this season.

Penn State wrestling will take on Lehigh on Sunday, December 8, at 2:00 p.m. ET. The dual can be watched on FloWrestling and listened to on LionVision.

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