No. 1 recruit in the nation signs NLI to Penn State wrestling

One of the top pound-for-pound high school wrestlers in the country is now officially a member of the Penn State wrestling program. This week, the nation’s top prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle, Luke Lilledahl, signed his National Letter of Intent to join Cael Sanderson and the Nittany Lions. Lilledahl was joined by Wyoming Seminary teammate Joe Sealey to give Penn State two of the top 10 wrestlers in the class of 2024.

Luke Lilledahl, Joe Sealey sign NLIs to join Penn State wrestling

On Friday, Wyoming Seminary held its National Signing Day for its 15 wrestlers in the 2024 recruiting cycle. Included were Luke Lilledahl and Joe Sealey, who made their commitments to Cael Sanderson and the Penn State wrestling program official.

Lilledahl is the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle and the top wrestler at 126 pounds. Previously the top pound-for-pound wrestler in the country until FloWrestling’s updated rankings came out this week, Lilledahl dropped one spot after falling to Marcus Blaze at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

“It’s definitely been a long time coming,” Lilledahl said to WBRE/WYOU. “It’s been 14 years since I started wrestling, and it’s always been a dream to wrestle in college and sign at a big college like this, and have a signing day. And now it’s all come to fruition.”

Sealey is the No. 2 wrestler at 165 in 2024 (No. 3 regardless of year) and the No. 9 wrestler in the cycle per FloWrestling. He is pound-for-pound the No. 14 high school wrestler in the country.

How much mat time will these new Nittany Lions see next year?

Expectations for Luke Lilledahl and Joe Sealey are high coming into the Penn State wrestling program next fall.

It’s possible that Lilledahl could be the Nittany Lions’ starter at 125 next season, especially if Braeden Davis bumps up a weight class. Lilledahl won the U17 World Championship in 2022, while taking silver at two more international tournaments. So, if he gets his number called as a true freshman, he should be able to rise to the occasion.

The path to early mat time may be more difficult for Sealey, with Levi Haines, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Alex Facundo, and Carter Starocci (if he doesn’t move up to 197) all hovering in the middle weight classes. Sealey also won the U17 World Championships, so the expectations will be there once he does get on the mat.

Penn State named as a finalist for top 2025 recruit

It’s also been a good week for Cael Sanderson and Penn State wrestling on the 2025 recruiting trail.

Marcus Blaze, the wrestler who took down Luke Lilledahl at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, might soon be a Nittany Lion, too. Last week, Blaze included Penn State along with Cornell, Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa, and Purdue as his top six schools. The junior from Perrysburg, Ohio, says a commitment should be made soon.

With his defeat of Lilledahl last month, Blaze is now the top pound-for-pound high school wrestler in the country. He also took down 2026 Penn State wrestling target Jax Forrest on his way to qualifying for the U.S. National Team.

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