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Top 2026 recruit meets with Penn State wrestling rivals over the weekend

The competition is already stiff for Bishop McCort star Bo Bassett, as top programs try to recruit the No. 1 2026 prospect away from Cael Sanderson and Penn State wrestling.

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3 months ago

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Penn State wrestling, Bo Bassett, Sanderson
David Taylor reacts as Levi Haines (not pictured) talks about the influence Taylor has had on his life during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Wrestling Pre-Event Press Conference at the Bryce Jordan Center April 18, 2024, in State College. © Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Fresh off another National Championship and top-ranked recruiting class, Cael Sanderson and Penn State wrestling are ready to carry the momentum into 2025 and beyond. On track for another No. 1 class in the 2025 cycle, the Nittany Lions could jumpstart the effort for 2026 by locking down top commit and high school sensation Bo Bassett.

But despite hailing from Pennsylvania wrestling powerhouse Bishop McCort, the “most popular high school wrestler ever” isn’t obliged to end up a Nittany Lion. That was readily apparent this weekend. While attending a camp, Bassett met with some of Penn State’s most notable rivals in the Big Ten and on the national stage.

On Saturday, Bassett posted a picture on X with Coleman Scott. An Olympic Bronze Medalist, NCAA Champion, and former associate head coach at Oklahoma State, Scott was recently hired to the staff of The Ohio RTC, the training club for Ohio State wrestlers.

Bo Bassett also met with the program that has the potential to become not only the biggest rivalry for just Penn State, but the biggest in all of college wrestling: Oklahoma State.

On Sunday morning, Bassett posted a picture alongside former Nittany Lion great and new Cowboys head coach David Taylor, as well as ex-Penn State wrestling assistant Jimmy Kennedy. This summer is Taylor’s first on the trail since taking the Oklahoma State job in May, and we’re already seeing his recruiting chops with the top 2026 prospect.

“I think it’s pretty enticing, and it’ll be fun to see how it plays out in the next couple of months and maybe over the next year,” Bassett said of a potential recruitment by Taylor and the Cowboys in June, prior to the opening of the 2026 contact window.

Where do Cael Sanderson and Penn State wrestling stand in Bo Bassett’s recruitment?

Penn State wrestling, Cael Sanderson, Bo Bassett

Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

In many ways, Cael Sanderson and Penn State wrestling possess several built-in advantages when recruiting Bo Bassett. The Johnstown wrestler, who ended his sophomore season as FloWrestling’s No. 11 pound-for-pound wrestler nationally, doesn’t shy away from his familiarity with the Nittany Lions.

“And I had the opportunity to train there once and twice a week at the NLWC,” he said. “So you know, I’ve been in the room. I’ve trained with their guys… It’s only about an hour and 15 minutes [away from me], and what they’re doing is working. And it’s pretty cool to see that. I know a lot of guys there, and my cousin goes there now, Erik Gibson. So I think that Penn State is an unbelievable place.”

But despite having the most dominant wrestling program of the last two decades essentially in his backyard, the only thing Bassett remains committed to as of now is an open recruitment.

“I don’t prefer any other schools over anyone else, and I’m really excited to be open,” he said. “As far as college recruiting, I’m excited to go see where I best fit.”

Since the contact window for 2026 recruits opened in mid-June, Bo Bassett has narrowed his list of contending programs each week. Once quite extensive, the list is now starting to become more limited.

Penn State, Ohio State, and Oklahoma State all remain in the running, along with other notable programs like Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma, Iowa State, Lehigh, and Cornell.

Still, don’t expect the high school standout to make a decision anytime soon.

“I’m going to take my time and really make the right decision,” Bassett expressed. “You only get that decision once, and I’m a pretty loyal guy, so I don’t really see myself transferring out ever.”

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Matt is a co-owner and Editor in Chief of Basic Blues Nation. Launched in 2022, Basic Blues Nation is one of the fastest-growing websites covering all Penn State athletics, with over 3.5 million readers in 2023. Matt is also a credentialed member of the Penn State football beat, and is a member of the Football Writers Association of America.

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