Cael Sanderson provides update on return of Braeden Davis

Penn State wrestling made quick work of No. 2 Iowa this past Friday in front of a sold-out crowd at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions won eight of the ten matches in the 30-8 rout. However, they fell short at 133 pounds, where starter Braeden Davis was sitting out with an injury.

In his post-dual press conference, Cael Sanderson told the media that the sophomore was still “a little banged up” from the previous week’s match against Rutgers. On Monday, the Penn State head coach again fielded questions about Davis and his status moving forward.

“He might be [ready for Friday night’s dual]; I’m not 100% sure on that,” Sanderson told reporters. “I mean, that’s something we’ll decide as we get a little closer to that. But it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s ready to roll.

“We need to be ready to roll real soon. Or we might kind of let him relax a little bit longer.”

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Despite the uncertainty surrounding Davis’s status, Sanderson remains confident that the Penn State wrestling room’s depth at 133 can get the job done in the upcoming duals.

“We’re fortunate to have other guys that kind of step in there and can make up for having somebody other [than Davis] in the lineup,” he continued. “And we got guys that are itching to wrestle.”

Without Davis last Friday, the Nittany Lions wrestled senior Kurt McHenry, who suffered a 19-4 tech fall to No. 3 Drake Ayala of Iowa. Typically a 125-pounder, McHenry was at a weight disadvantage in addition to facing one of the top wrestlers in the country.

Will Penn State wrestling have Braeden Davis ready for the weekend?

© Chris Eutsler / Basic Blues Nation, 2025.

Much uncertainty remains around the issue afflicting Davis. On top of that, the coaching staff is leaving the matter rather open-ended.

But with less than five weeks until the postseason begins at the Big Ten Championships, Cael Sanderson continues to prioritize the health of his wrestlers.

“I don’t know the answer right now,” Sanderson said on whether Davis will ultimately get the green light this weekend. “We’ll find out later in the week.”

Davis has met the minimum of eight Division I matches required to receive a pre-allocated spot at the NCAA Championships. However, to earn a higher seed at Nationals, Davis will need to make a deep run at the conference tournament in Evanston.

Penn State wrestling returns to the Bryce Jordan Center on Friday night to face off against No. 19 Michigan.

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