Penn State wrestling: True freshmen stars learning ‘expensive’ lessons to close season, says Cael Sanderson

Cael Sanderson has assembled one of the most dominant lineups during his tenure as Penn State wrestling coach this season, partly due to the early emergence of a pair of true freshmen stars at 125 and 149. But after each roared out to wildly successful starts, Braeden Davis and Tyler Kasak have experienced setbacks in the closing weeks of the Nittany Lions’ schedule. This week, Sanderson discussed the performance of his true freshmen down the stretch, and explained why “expensive” lessons now can pay dividends in the long run.

Braeden Davis, Tyler Kasak experience setbacks after hot starts to Penn State wrestling careers

While the back half of the Penn State wrestling lineup continues to make easy work of its competition in 2024, one of the best storylines of the year has taken place in lighter-weight classes for the Nittany Lions. Braeden Davis appears to be the long-awaited answer for Penn State at 125, while Tyler Kasak has stepped up in a massive way for injured preseason No. 2 wrestler Shayne Van Ness at 149.

But both true freshmen have seen their fair share of challenges after extremely successful starts to the season. Braeden Davis jumped out to a 15-0 start and ascended as high as No. 2 at 125, only to suffer defeats to No. 4 Drake Ayala of Iowa and No. 7 Caleb Smith of Nebraska in recent weeks. Davis has also squeaked out controversial wins against Ohio State’s Vinny Kilkeary and Rutgers’ Dean Peterson this month.

Tyler Kasak came into February with only one loss, to fellow Nittany Lion Beau Bartlett at the Black Knight Invite in November. But since then, Kasak has suffered a pair of hard-fought losses, first to No. 8 Caleb Rathjen of Iowa, followed by a defeat at the hands of No. 1 Ridge Lovett against Nebraska last weekend.

Cael Sanderson: True freshmen learning “expensive” lessons down the stretch

Looking ahead, both Braeden Davis and Tyler Kasak are in good positions despite some of the luster being taken off their shine in recent weeks. Davis fell to No. 8 in the latest InterMat Rankings, holding a 15-2 record with 28 dual points this season. Kasak maintained his No. 9 ranking with a 12-3 record with 17 dual points this year.

While the losses may be disappointing now, the defeats will likely be to the freshmen’s benefit in the long run. Speaking to the media this week, Cael Sanderson highlighted how the costly lessons of the last few weeks will benefit Kasak and Davis throughout their careers.

“I think, the big matches, every time you compete, especially against a top-notch opponent, you’re going to learn something,” Sanderson said. “And there’s so much to learn. You got technique, you have preparation, you have mindset. So, yeah, I think they’re both learning.

“And, getting that experience is sometimes expensive, as they say, and it hurts a little bit. But it’s also invaluable. So, you know, there are two guys that have the ability to be right in the mix when all is said and done.”

Braeden Davis and Tyler Kasak will have one more opportunity to earn dual wins this weekend, as Penn State wrestling closes the regular season with Edinboro. We will then see how the true freshmen fare in the Big Ten Championships starting March 9, followed by the NCAAs on the weekend of March 21.

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