Penn State wrestling searching for starter at 174 pounds

Penn State wrestling looks to kick off its quest for a fourth consecutive national title this winter, but some questions remain on exactly what this year’s starting lineup will look like. The Nittany Lions have a loaded room, with even more depth at certain weight classes. One class where Cael Sanderson will have to figure out his next move will be 174 pounds, which has Levi Haines, Alex Facundo, and Zack Ryder all looking like viable options heading into the season.

With Carter Starocci predicted to move up to 184 pounds, that leaves an opening at a weight class that the Nittany Lions haven’t had to fill in four years. Three candidates seem primed to help Penn State wrestling keep its National Championship streak alive at the weight class.

Three potential options for Penn State wrestling at 174

Levi Haines is projected to move up to 174 after winning the National Championship at 157 last season. Haines finished a perfect 23-0 with a 65.22% bonus percentage last year, but was reportedly cutting a ton of weight to do so.

Moving up was an inevitability for Haines, who is competing at 79 kg (174 pounds) at this weekend’s U.S. World Team Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. Clearly, Haines can put on the weight needed to compete at 174. Yet to be seen is if he can sustain that weight over the course of a season.

Another option is Alex Facundo, fresh off an Olympic redshirt in 2024. Facundo has a 29-9 career record at 165 pounds and was 19-6 during the 2023 season.

Facundo will have to make the transition back to folkstyle wrestling after a year of training freestyle. The Michigan native did defeat Haines 6-0 when the Nittany Lions matched up at April’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

The dark horse candidate would be incoming true freshman Zack Ryder. A natural fit at 174, Ryder was the No. 5 prospect in the 2024 recruiting rankings.

If there is anything we know about a Cael Sanderson-coached team, he will give his young wrestlers a chance to earn the starting spot. So, while Ryder has not been in State College as long as Levi Haines or Alex Facundo, all that matters is what he can do on the mat.

Pyles gives his prediction of the weight

© ALLYSE PULLIAM/For the Times Herald-Record / USA TODAY NETWORK

Christian Pyles of FloWrestling recently released his starting lineup predictions for Penn State wrestling this fall, predicting that Alex Facundo would take the 174-pound spot and that Levi Haines would redshirt.

A social media comment then brought to his attention the possibility of Zack Ryder competing for the spot, and he entertained the idea on episode 1,058 of FloWrestlingLive.

“My thought is, well, obviously, you would redshirt Zack Ryder,” Pyles said. “But then you think about it: if Zack Ryder is the best guy at 174, which I don’t know if you could say he is or isn’t at this point. Could he beat Alex Facundo? Maybe. Could he beat Levi Haines? Feels like a stretch, but we know he’s the right size for the weight.

“But my broader point, and the one that I concluded after reading this person’s comment is, Zack should not be redshirting so that he can start next year. Because next year, it is going to be the same set of problems. So, if he is the best guy, Ryder should actually be considered more of a factor than maybe I considered coming into it.”

Pyles made it clear that Ryder has the potential to take over the 174 spot. Anytime that you have a chance in the Penn State wrestling lineup, you have to take it.

Ryder also has quality wins against Iowa’s Gabe Arnold, fellow incoming Nittany Lions Connor and Cole Mirasola, and Ohio State All-American Rocco Welsh. So, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to see him have instant success if he were to start this year.

Ultimately, redshirting Ryder will only delay the decision for Cael Sanderson until next year. Levi Haines will be either a senior or a redshirt junior in 2026, while Facundo will be a redshirt junior. Carter Starocci moving on opens up one spot, but there will still be the Mirasola brothers, Josh Barr, and Lucas Cochran all competing for the upper weights.

It is a tough decision for Cael Sanderson to make, but a situation that any coach would dream of being in.

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