Cael Sanderson: Injuried Penn State wrestling star ‘ahead’ in recovery timeline

Penn State wrestling will face Edinboro on Sunday as the program looks to finish undefeated for the fourth consecutive season and extend its dual win streak to 56. The Nittany Lions have continued to have success at 149 this year without Shayne Van Ness, who is out with a season-ending injury. On Tuesday, head coach Cael Sanderson gave an update on the star wrestler’s recovery progress with an eye toward next season.

Shayne Van Ness ‘ahead’ in recovery, says Cael Sanderson

Shayne Van Ness was supposed to be the starter at 149 pounds for Penn State wrestling heading into this season. Highly touted, Van Ness entered the year as the preseason No. 2 ranked wrestler in the weight class. But after a season-ending injury that was announced in December, Van Ness was forced to take a medical redshirt, and the Nittany Lions turned to true freshman Tyler Kasak to fill his spot.

Less than three months after it was announced that Shayne Van Ness would be out for the season, Cael Sanderson said the sophomore is progressing nicely.

“He’s doing really well. He’s ahead of where he probably should be,” Sanderson said during his weekly media availability on Tuesday. His response seemingly gave confidence that Van Ness should be back by the start of next season.

“But it’s going to be nice for him to feel good too,” Sanderson continued. “Because he always kind of had that bum knee that was kind of an issue for him off and on.”

Van Ness finished third in the NCAA Tournament in 2023 despite his injury issues. If able to get fully healthy, there is a chance that we haven’t seen Van Ness’s true potential.

What is the future of 149 pounds for Penn State wrestling?

When Shayne Van Ness went down with his injury, the battle to start at 149 pounds came down to Tyler Kasak and David Evans. Kasak eventually took the starting job, but even so, his natural weight is down at 141 pounds.

At this time, it’s unclear whether Beau Bartlett will use his extra COVID year to return next season. If he does, then Cael Sanderson could look to redshirt Tyler Kasak while starting Bartlett at 141 and Van Ness at 149 for 2024-25.

But if Bartlett does decide to leave, then Kasak will most likely take the starting spot at his natural 141, allowing Van Ness to rotate back in at 149.

Either way, the Nittany Lions are in great shape and should be national title contenders at both weight classes. Depth is a luxury; one that appears ready to fuel the Penn State wrestling dynasty for years to come.

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