Ex-Penn State wrestling commit flips to Big Ten rival

A former Penn State wrestling commit has decided he will be heading to a Big Ten rival this fall. Bishop McCort star Mason Gibson will be leaving the state of Pennsylvania, committing to Rutgers on Monday afternoon. The flip to the Scarlet Knight comes a little more than a week after Gibson announced that he would no longer be a part of the 2024 recruiting class for Cael Sanderson and the Nittany Lions.

Ex-commit Mason Gibson flips to Rutgers

After being back on the open market for a little over a week, top wrestler Mason Gibson has found a new home. On Monday, Gibson announced he would be taking his talents to Piscataway, committing to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

“Third time’s the charm!” Gibson wrote on social media to announce the decision. Gibson is currently the No. 14 overall recruit in the 2024 cycle out of wrestling powerhouse Bishop McCort High School in Johnstown.

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On April 11, Mason Gibson announced that he was decommitting from Cael Sanderson and Penn State wrestling. I would like to thank Penn State for their understanding and for ending this on good terms,” he wrote.

Rutgers was a likely destination for Gibson, who immediately started liking social media posts by Scarlet Knights coaches and fans after his decommitment from the Nittany Lions.

Being such a highly-ranked prospect, heading to Piscataway makes a lot of sense. Rutgers is a rising program in one of the recruiting hotbeds in the country. The move will also still give Gibson a chance to compete in the best wrestling conference in the nation.

Penn State wrestling remains strong at lighter weight classes

While this flip does benefit a Big Ten rival, Cael Sanderson has built up a lot of depth at the lighter weight classes. The Nittany Lions have multiple wrestlers that will be competing for the 125 pound through 141 pound spots moving forward.

Gibson projects as a 133-pounder in college. He was originally expected to compete directly with 2024 No. 1 overall recruit Luke Lilledahl, who also is projected at 133 pounds. Factor that in with sophomore Braeden Davis possibly moving up to 133 pounds and All-American Aaron Nagao returning for another two seasons, and the weight class was going to be congested.

It doesn’t get any less crowded at 141 pounds, with Beau Bartlett returning for one more season and Tyler Kasak still with three years of eligibility after a third-place finish at 149 pounds his freshman season.

The depth across the room is what had kept the dynasty rolling under head coach Cael Sanderson. Penn State wrestling will be looking to win its fourth consecutive National Championship when the new season kicks off this fall.

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