Penn State wrestling commits land in top 25 of new 2026 rankings

Penn State wrestling has signed the nation’s top recruiting class in each of the last two cycles. Now, the Nittany Lions are focused on doing so again in 2026.

Cael Sanderson already has a pair of early commitments in the class, each of whom has earned a top 25 ranking in MatScouts’ recently updated 2026 recruiting big board.

Delbarton (NJ) standout and Virginia Tech flip Jayden James checks in near the top of the rankings, sitting at No. 3. James is only behind Oklahoma State commit Jax Forrest and Iowa pledge Bo Bassett. He is the nation’s top-ranked prospect in the 150-pound weight class.

The Nittany Lions’ first commit in the cycle, Bishop McCort’s (PA) Sam Herring, comes in at No. 24 in the updated ranking. Herring and James will compete at the U23 Nationals and U20 World Team Trials in Geneva, Ohio, starting on Friday.

Last week, Penn State wrestling jumped Cornell for the fourth spot in FloWrestling’s 2026 team rankings. Flo also has James ranked No. 3 but has Herring slightly lower at No. 27.

The Nittany Lions trail Oklahoma State, Iowa, and Michigan in the 2026 rankings.

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