EARLY 2026-27 lineup projections/discussions
- Thread starter backdrft76-1
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Don’t think anyone is downplaying Bassett. He will be a National Champion next season. Kid is phenomenal.
I like Bassett over Forrest in the final. Everyone has someone who knows them well enough to beat them...
By the way this is exactly the thing that makes Mesenbrink so special: He beat the same guy 9 straight times, and that guy would have been a 2 time or maybe even a 3 time national champ if not for Mitchell
Caliendo wasn't beating Carr a couple of years ago.
I personally don't think anyone on this board has the right to criticize any of the wrestlers.
Yes...I agree. This is not necessarily the best line up for next year, but it is best for the coming years. And this line up will win another championship with no problem. IMO...sitting PJ and Blaze is the thing to do. Worked out ok for Zain.
Virginia Tech middle weights should look like this next year:
141 Bassett
149 Gaj
157 Henson
165 Burton (Likely)
I think it is going to be the other way around...I don't think Ono can make 125 any more. He's a perfect 133What if...Ono at 125 and Luke up to 133? I know,crazy
Burton will probably be 174. Church will be back . And I expect Miller at semester. Gaj can RS if Henson wants to go 149. Gaj days at 149 are probably over
prediction: Kasak over Henson
Substitute “had hoped he would do better and verbalized it” instead of criticize if you wish. But beyond performance he has acted in a manner not consistent with other PSU wrestlers.
This is probably more relevant to football and the bigger money but things have changed in college sports. Someone might be making a few million dollars, it’s not just some poor college kid hoping to pass Biology.
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Not familiar with your work but that could be the case. Next post agreed with me actually and then the nonsense stopped. So we can drop it here.Yikes. I guess that means we’re all low IQ. I knew I was, but it somehow makes me feel better to know we all are.
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Only at PSU can you think of sitting PJ, Blaze and James, win another natty, likely reset the record again, and then be better primed for the following year.
Between Ono, Sealey, Kasak, Henckel, and Connor, PSU had 5 senior or age group world medalists either in redshirt or straight up backups, including a senior world champion. It’s amazing times we’re living in.
Everything will be alright as soon as every single guy on the roster graduates in 5 years. Relax Hawk nation.
Henkle. The following year? Now you are talking!
James is very special, especially after a redshirt. Look out
This November is an easy call. James still has his redshirt, Henckel doesn't, and there's no need to pull James' shirt at the beginning of the season. Consistency matters, and the James who faced Milheim at Dapper Dan isn't ready for Minto and Mantanona. Henckel is.
Might be a different story in Jan/Feb.
I don't know if anyone is ready for Minto: Levi is going to be a world champion one day soon and he had three one takedown/one point matches with him.
I don’t think age is an issue but making sure he fills out . I think he is currently undersized 165, if he gets to full sized 174 i think he is the guy by tournament time.
I see a world where BOTH fit in the lineup...WAY TOO MUCH TALENT not to have both in the lineup starting as soon as 2027-2028
James may be a career 174 while Henckel will likely move to 184 after next year...
A lot of very talented overlap from 157-197 and only 1 is graduating after next year...be nice to keep them all, but we may one day lose a couple of them.
157 Duke So
Kasak Jr
Sealey So
165 Messenbrink Sr
James Fr
174 Henckel Fr
184 Welsh Jr
Cunningham Fr
197 Barr Jr
Conner Mirasola So
PSU Problems are not real world problems
125 - Ventresca
133 - Seidel
141 - Bassett
149 - Henson staying
157 - Gaj
Best analysts so far, very spot on! The depth now is unlike anyone has ever felt with in this sport. I believe Cael is playing 2028 chess matches already and has already figured this year out and explained it straight forward. Now the rest is up to each kid, will he RS -change weight-or go for what Cael speaks into truth.
Cael doesn’t demand -he looks them in the eye and tells them what HE sees though.
My 2 cents.......
| 26-27 | 27-28 | 28-29 | 29-30 | |||||
| 125 | Lilledal | Lilledal/Sidun | Sidun | Sidun | ||||
| 133 | Ono/Blaze | Blaze/Soto | Blaze/Soto | Blaze/Soto | ||||
| 141 | Desmond/Davis | Desmond/Davis/Burnett | Desmond/Burnett | Desmond/Burnett | ||||
| 149 | Van Ness/Pierce/Herring | Herring/Mangano | Herring/Mangano | Herring/Mangano | ||||
| 157 | Kasak/Sealey | Kasak/Sealey | Sealey/Shepherd | Herring/Mangano | ||||
| 165 | Messenbrink/Duke | Duke/Shepherd | Duke/Shepherd | Duke/Shepherd | ||||
| 174 | Henkel/James | Henkel/James | James | James | ||||
| 184 | Welsh/Cunningham | Welsh/Cunningham | Henkel/Cunningham | Henkel/Cunningham | ||||
| 197 | Barr/Mirasola | Barr/Mirasola | Mirasola | Henkel/Cunningham | ||||
| Hwt | Mirasola/Brown | Mirasola/Brown | Mirasola/Brown | Brown |
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I’m hoping Shepherd isn’t a 165. Things fit much better if he can go 149 and replace SVN. He’s competing at 65kg at U20’s so unless he really grows 149 is doable. A growth spurt is definitely possible but our lineup fits much better if he can maintain 149
Some really good backups. Someone always gets dinged up its wrestling. Nice to know there isn't much if any drop off
Moat are overlooking Perry. He doesn't have the accolades as some of these guys but he was a M2 kid for years and is no joke. These coaches will definitely have an impact on him
I heard that IDJ means I don't Joe which is equivalent to offering opinions without the benefit of coffee!
Early Lineup Look: 2026-27 Penn State Wrestling - FloWrestling
A breakdown of the Penn State wrestling team for the 2026-27 NCAA season.
Solid write up thanks for sharing. Still quite a bit up in the air in regards to the lineup.Early Lineup Look: 2026-27 Penn State Wrestling - FloWrestling
A breakdown of the Penn State wrestling team for the 2026-27 NCAA season.www.flowrestling.org
Desmond just isn’t big enough to be @41 full time yet.once Ono & SVN are gone things will open up for him. Our 33lb guy will be going to 41 after his year with some weightlifting
IMO last week's results only bolster my belief that Blaze has the super elite neutral offense and defense talent beat anyone in freestyle, but another year in the room on redshirt will help unlock his full mat-wrestling potential for folkstyle. The difference between national champion and 3rd is razor thin, but one could argue that only looking at his top and bottom games, he is in the mix but clearly hasn't separated. (The Flu doesn't help either ;-) ) I think he is slightly undersized or lacks some strength vs Seidel, Davino and Jax for mat wrestling. Sure any one match can go either way, but he could come back more Zain like with the redshirt route.
I have little doubt that we have all drunk maybe a bit to much of the Nate Desmond coolaid after he beat Luke. I am confident familiarity played some, even a minor role in that result
Nate is going to be great no doubt, but is he a finalist contender at 141 out of the gate next year? I doubt it. Is Nate better than either Luke or Marcus? My answer there is also no.
I offer that Marcus at 141 next year is better than Nate at 141 from a teams points pov, but I still think Nate is the wiser long term choice for the team. Both will be a little undersized, both both are definitely automatically AAs. There is a good chance Jax moves up to 141 next year as well.
Let Nate carry the ball then look out the following year when James, Duke and Marcus all rejoin/join the starting lineup.
I have little doubt that we have all drunk maybe a bit to much of the Nate Desmond coolaid after he beat Luke. I am confident familiarity played some, even a minor role in that result
Nate is going to be great no doubt, but is he a finalist contender at 141 out of the gate next year? I doubt it. Is Nate better than either Luke or Marcus? My answer there is also no.
I offer that Marcus at 141 next year is better than Nate at 141 from a teams points pov, but I still think Nate is the wiser long term choice for the team. Both will be a little undersized, both both are definitely automatically AAs. There is a good chance Jax moves up to 141 next year as well.
Let Nate carry the ball then look out the following year when James, Duke and Marcus all rejoin/join the starting lineup.