Penn State wrestling lands nation’s No. 1 recruit for 2025

The top wrestler in the country for the 2025 recruiting cycle has made his college decision. On Wednesday morning, Perrysburg (OH) standout Marcus Blaze announced that he will join Cael Sanderson and the Penn State wrestling program.

Blaze had narrowed his choices to the Nittany Lions, Ohio State, and Purdue. Cornell, Michigan, and Iowa were also once in consideration.

Each of his three finalists brought their own advantages to the table: Penn State, with its recent history of dominance; Ohio State, with its proximity to home as the in-state school; and Purdue, with family ties to Blaze’s brother, Joey, who is already a member of the program.

Best to the Best!

Marcus Blaze is heading to Penn State pic.twitter.com/AjU8oPq90Z

— H. Tyler Seggerman (@TylerSeggerman) November 13, 2024

Marcus Blaze’s already dominant career

Marcus Blaze earned his No. 1 ranking through nothing short of domination. He is a three-time Ohio state champion with a 157-2 record heading into his senior year.

Blaze also had a very productive performance at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials this past April, finishing third as a high school junior. He had been pre-seeded 11th out of 11 competitors at the 57 kg weight class but defeated 2024 No. 1 overall prospect and incoming Penn State freshman Luke Lilledahl and 2026 No. 1 overall recruit Jax Forrest.

Penn State wrestling adds to loaded 2025 class

© KELLY MARSH / USA TODAY NETWORK

After signing the country’s No. 1 recruiting class last cycle, Cael Sanderson and Penn State wrestling entered Wednesday ranked No. 3 in 2025, behind only Cornell and Oklahoma State.

The Nittany Lions already hold commitments from PJ Duke (ranked No. 2 in 2025 per FloWrestling), William Henckel (No. 8), Nate Desmond (No. 18), Dalton Perry (No. 33), and Asher Cunningham (not ranked).

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