Penn State wrestling commits, targets shine in new recruiting rankings

Penn State wrestling is fresh off signing the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class for 2024. Now, Cael Sanderson and the Nittany Lions turn to 2025 and beyond, with multiple top wrestlers already committed.

The Nittany Lions were helped by last week’s release of MatScouts’ latest national high school rankings, which featured multiple Penn State commitments and targets for the 2025 and 2026 cycles.

Nittany Lions on track for another No. 1 class

Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports

The 2025 recruiting class for Cael Sanderson and Penn State wrestling is currently headlined by PJ Duke (New York). Not only is Duke the No. 1 wrestler at 157 pounds, but MatScouts also ranked him as the nation’s top pound-for-pound wrestler.

Duke was able to hold off fellow 2025 prospect Marcus Blaze (Ohio) and top 2026 recruit Bo Bassett (Pennsylvania) for the No. 1 overall spot. Blaze and Bassett are also top targets for Penn State wrestling moving forward.

Penn State wrestling also has William Henckel (New Jersey) in the top 15 of the pound-for-pound rankings. The 175-pound wrestler comes in at No. 13 and is No. 2 in his weight overall.

While not making the top of the pound-for-pound rankings, the rest of the Nittany Lions’ recruiting class was rated inside the top 10 of their respective weight classes. These include No. 4 Nate Desmond (Wyoming Seminary) at 126 pounds, No. 10 Dalton Perry (Central Mountain) at 138 pounds, and No. 4 Asher Cunningham (State College) at 165 pounds. Cunningham is, of course, the son of Penn State wrestling assistant coach Casey Cunningham.

Penn State wrestling continues to build depth

Cael Sanderson continues to add depth to an already-loaded program. Penn State wrestling is a heavy favorite to win its fourth consecutive NCAA Championship and 12th title in 14 years in 2025.

With Carter Starocci, Greg Kerkvliet, and Beau Bartlett returning, the Nittany Lions will have a balanced combination of veterans and freshmen talent.

True freshman and 2024 No. 1 overall recruit Luke Lilledahl is one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory and could be a day-one starter in 2024-25. Add three other top 11 recruits for that 2024 class, and the room is becoming full in Happy Valley.

Yet none of that includes 2024 star freshmen Mitchell Mesenbrink, who finished as NCAA Runner-up, Tyler Kasak, who finished third, and Braeden Davis, who finished in the round of 12.

It is an embarrassment of riches for Cael Sanderson. For the first time, it is setting up for Penn State to make a national title run similar to Iowa and Oklahoma State decades ago.

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