Penn State wrestling: Cael Sanderson faces decision with freshman star in 2025

Penn State wrestling just captured its 12th national title in program history in March. The Nittany Lions were able to break the points record at the NCAA Championships, thanks in part to wrestlers like Beau Bartlett and Tyler Kasak, who made impressively deep runs in the tournament. But Bartlett announcing that he is returning for a final season, Cael Sanderson is now left with a decision to make regarding Kasak’s place in the Penn State lineup for 2025.

Tyler Kasak shines as true freshman

Tyler Kasak finished off a great true freshman season, winning seven straight matches after losing in the first round to take third in the NCAA Championships at 149 pounds. The run saw Kasak take down multiple top-seeded wrestlers, including No. 1 overall seed Ridge Lovett of Nebraska.

It was an impressive season for Kasak, who entered the season anticipating redshirting and backing up Beau Bartlett at 141 pounds. But after Shayne Van Ness had a season-ending injury early in the season, Tyler Kasak got his opportunity to wrestle up and secure a spot in the starting lineup.

Kasak finished the year with a 24-5 record and a 44.83% bonus percentage. The true freshman seemed to be wrestling his best in the postseason. His constant improvement and great showing at the NCAA Championships appears to set Penn State wrestling up well for the future at either 141 or 149 pounds.

What will Cael Sanderson do with young Penn State wrestling star in 2025?

With Beau Bartlett returning to use his last year of eligibility, Cael Sanderson is forced to make a decision. Bartlett will obviously get his starting role at 141 pounds after finishing runner-up this past season, a mere takedown away from becoming a National Champion.

However, Shayne Van Ness, the 2023 third-place finisher at 149 pounds, returns to the lineup in 2024. Van Ness finished with a similar record to Kasak two years ago, going 24-7 with a 48.39% bonus percentage. He was ranked No. 2 entering the 2024 season before his injury.

The prediction that most are making is that Sanderson will decide to redshirt Kasak since Van Ness already used his in 2022. Then when Bartlett moves on, Sanderson would slide Kasak down to 141 and give him three shots at winning a National Championship. This wouldn’t be unprecedented for Sanderson, as he did it with Zain Retherford during the 2015 season.

In that situation, Retherford finished his true freshman year with a  33-3 record and a fifth-place finish at the 2014 NCAA Championships. After he redshirted, the Nittany Lion great took his wrestling to another level, going 93-0 with an average bonus percentage of 87% during those seasons on his way to three national titles and two Hodge Trophies.

I’m not necessarily saying Tyler Kasak will go from a solid third-place finish your freshman season to one of the greatest to ever step on the mat for Penn State wrestling, but it does show some sort of precedent. If nothing else, it is something that Sanderson can show Kasak to convince him to be patient and take the redshirt, rather than hit the transfer portal and start immediately next season.

Competing at 149

While redshirting is the most likely, there is also a chance that Tyler Kasak will compete with Shayne Van Ness at 149 pounds for the starting spot. The true freshman had filled out for the 149-pound weight by the end of the season, and it did appear to be natural for him. While this may not set Penn State wrestling up as great long-term, it could mean Kasak gets an opportunity to win a National Championship in 2025.

Both scenarios just go to show the embarrassment of riches that Cael Sanderson has pulled together at Penn State. This discussion doesn’t even take into account the multiple freshmen entering the program over the next two or three years who are already top 10 ranked wrestlers nationally at the high school level. As always, Sanderson appears to have an abundance of talent that looks to keep the Penn State wrestling dynasty rolling for years to come.

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