Penn State true freshman jumped in first rankings of 2025

No. 1 Penn State wrestling hasn’t competed since defeating Binghamton, Little Rock, and Missouri by a combined 137-3 in the Journeymen Duals.

Cael Sanderson will now lead the Nittany Lions into the 2025 Big Ten slate, with the team currently on a record-breaking dual-win streak. However, one Penn State wrestler dropped in the latest InterMat Rankings during the time off. True freshman and No. 1 overall recruit Luke Lilledahl dropped one spot from No. 11 to No. 12 in the latest rankings.

The drop isn’t too significant, and there are plenty of opportunities ahead for the Nittany Lions newcomer. But it is still something to note as the NCAA Championship seeding starts to come more into the picture as we move into the new year.

Lilledahl was jumped by Maximo Renteria of Oregon State, who moved from No. 13 to No. 9 this week after upsetting previously sixth-ranked Brendan McCrone of Ohio State with a 6-5 decision on Sunday.

Lilledahl can seize opportunity as Penn State enters conference schedule 

While Lilledahl has plateaued a bit in the rankings around the 11-12 range the past few weeks, there is certainly opportunity to pick up signature wins and move up as Penn State wrestling moves into the core of its season.

There are still three ranked wrestlers left on his schedule this season: No. 7 Caleb Smith (Nebraska), No. 10 Brendan McCrone (Ohio State), and No. 16 Dean Peterson. All those duals will take place on the road and will provide plenty of experience with challenging opponents and environments.

Ultimately, how ever Lilledahl finishes the year, the months ahead will be significant as the young Nittany Lion matures in his career. The experience will prove invaluable in the Big Ten and NCAA Championships this spring and in the years to come.

A byproduct of the dynasty that Cael Sanderson has built, that’s something that Penn State wrestling fans will take 10 times out of 10.

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