Penn State wrestling: True freshmen drops in polls for 3rd straight week

No. 1 Penn State wrestling extended its dual win streak to 56 after a 55-0 win over Edinboro in the season finale last Sunday. The Nittany Lions picked up bonus points at every weight class to tie the highest team score in a dual of the Cael Sanderson era. But despite picking up a dominant win, Penn State true freshman Braeden Davis dropped in the national rankings ahead of the Big Ten Championships next week.

Braeden Davis falls in rankings for third straight week

Braeden Davis has had a successful true freshman campaign by most measures. He went from an unknown potential starter for Penn State wrestling in the preseason to a top 10 wrestler at 125 pounds as we approach the Big Ten Championships next week.

After starting the season 14-0, Braeden Davis was ranked No. 2 in the country and considered a viable contender for the national title. Then, after a tough loss to Drake Ayala and a close win over Dean Peterson, the true freshman dropped to No. 6 two weeks ago.

Last week, Davis fell again to No. 8 nationally after losing an 11-3 major decision to Caleb Smith of Nebraska.

Despite a 19-3 tech fall win over Caleb Edwards of Edinboro on Sunday, Braeden Davis once again finds himself falling in the national polls. The freshman now sits at No. 9 in the InterMat Rankings, a byproduct of the results around him and not the result of anything Davis did on the mat this week.

Penn State freshman still has All-American in reach

While notable, these rankings are mostly for show at this point in the season. We will soon learn where Braeden Davis is seeded for the Big Ten Championships in College Park next weekend. From there, success in the conference tournament will determine where the Penn State freshman is seeded for the NCAAs.

The 125-pound weight class has been chaotic and unpredictable all season. Multiple times, we have seen top five wrestlers knocked off by someone ranked outside of the top 16. Ultimately, this turmoil could be both a positive or negative for Braeden Davis. While it will open up the opportunity to make a deep run and secure All-American status at the NCAAs, Davis could just as easily be upset along the way.

Either way, the fact that Penn State wrestling finally has its answer at 125 pounds is a positive takeaway from this season. Braeden Davis appears on track to be a National Championship contender during his Penn State wrestling career. Everything that happens in the 2024 postseason will be a building block for the Nittany Lions freshman.

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