Looks like a recipe to potentially lose both Desmond and Henkel. I agree the lineup you list is better, but not sure it's the best strategy unless setting another record is the primary goal.
EARLY 2026-27 lineup projections/discussions
- Thread starter backdrft76-1
- Start date
With the new rules guys are probably going to leave. With no redshirts the lineup juggle gets much more difficult. You have to put your best team out every year. The best team has to have PJ and Marcus on it even if it costs some guys in the long term
There aren't any redshirts available anymore. If a kid wants to wrestle and he wins in the room then I think he wrestles. Now, if Cael asks a kid to give up a year...but I am having a hard time seeing that happening. I don't think Cael is going to take a year away from a kid if that kid is the best wrestler at the weight. Guess who has the same problem? DT, to a slightly lesser extent, but one of the Raineys is losing a year next year, maybe both of them if Ramirez wins the wrestle off.
Yes, under 5 for 5 every team will obviously be putting out their best because it’s only fair to the best wrestlers in the room.
Even if the old system stayed the same the issue with Henckel was that even if Duke and James redshirted that going forward he was going to beat at least one of Duke, James, and Welsh the following year to keep his spot. And then long term probably going to have to beat at least one of James and Duke
maybe he can, maybe he can’t, but there was always a notion to work in Henckel but even if that made sense in short term there was denying the competition long term
Even if the old system stayed the same the issue with Henckel was that even if Duke and James redshirted that going forward he was going to beat at least one of Duke, James, and Welsh the following year to keep his spot. And then long term probably going to have to beat at least one of James and Duke
maybe he can, maybe he can’t, but there was always a notion to work in Henckel but even if that made sense in short term there was denying the competition long term
I do not think so. I think Bassett turned 19 (8/25) after the academic year began (8/20) so his five year clock starts with the 26-27 season.
I don't think 5 for 5 vs 4 plus a redshirt is much different in reality. Only really elite wrestlers (yes PSU has a ton) are ready to be champions day 1. Unfortunately injuries happen. 5 for 5 definitely gives more flexibility to manage. Managing workloads without burning redshirts is better. Penn State wrestlers are targeting world and Olympic goals not just NCAA championships. With revenue share and NIL money is certainly better and college costs are minimized. Its EXPECTATIONS that need to be managed.
I honestly don't think so. At least not for you guys, and not in the mass quantities you're thinking.
Cael does a great job of recruiting guys that want to be World Champions. Regardless of when/if you make the starting lineup. Look no further than Sealey. Can't believe he's still there.
This change is a bigger one for wrestling than for other NCAA sports and I certainly wish it would have provided a phase-in or a longer ramp for full compliance. Student-athletes who made decisions based upon red shirt, grey shirt, olympic prep, etc. not to mention injuries might have made different destination decisions. I certainly agree that the "career" wrestler scenario, especially in the NIL era, had timed out. As is too often the case, legislative solutions create the "new" problem with the fix.
Unfortunately, football and basketball drive the train, and everyone else just has to figure it out, but none of your points are incorrect.
yep. who is the NCAA to govern who is eligible when a school accepts someone as a student.
I'm surprised how so many people write off Henckel, who just looked pretty darned good at the Senior level US Open.
No one is writing off Henckel. He's definitely the favorite if it comes down to him or Cunningham.
Not sure he can beat Duke though. That's really the battle.
Henckel honestly might be better off at 184 if anything. Just my thoughts though. He's older for his class but I doubt he's done growing especially if he went on full feed and he has quite the frame to fill out.
His dad is a mountain of a man.
His dad is a mountain of a man.
I think this is correct. I half jokingly told a friend that I believed that the NLWC was the really draw to State College and not necessarily the college team. When I thought about it further, perhaps its not far from the truth.
I think you are right in regards to PSU not losing many guys but I think it’s inevitable that a couple do leave. I know most are super high on Desmond but I see him as a fringe AA guy who probably won’t be making world teams. I have a very hard time seeing him make the lineup with these new rules. I could see someone like him moving on. I hope not but I guess we will see
Not far from the truth.
Plus you guys have plenty of scholarships, guys are getting paid, and it's a great environment to be in.
It was on the old rivals but I'll never forget this post. Some Iowa fan said they met Beau Bartlett's dad at NCAAs or Big Tens and this was when he was struggling up a weight at 149. He said something to the tune of how Cael went out of his way to learn Beau's long-term goals after wrestling and introduced Beau to several people in his network who are high up in those fields. He proceeded to say something to the tune of even if Beau never starts for PSU again, he's not leaving (side note, really sad how that relationship ended but we don't need to dive in anymore)
It sounds crazy but you guys do see the coaches' and RTC salaries in wrestling. We just saw Jon Reader and Bobby Telford, both who I imagine cleared 6 figures leave wrestling to take regular white collar jobs, probably because it's a better means of supporting their family. There aren't many opportunities to really make a very good living in this career, even if it is your passion. You see NCAA champs such as Ryan Deakin and Shane Griffith make sure they are getting an elite degree before leaving the sport for finance (Deakin in Corporate Finance and Griffith in Investment Banking currently) As many here know, networking and connections can be just as valuable as an elite degree or even more so in white collar jobs. I imagine Cael can make a lot happen with a simple phone call.
So going back to it all, maybe these kids really are sold on a long-term view? That NCAA glory is temporary and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Maybe they're really entrenched in the team/PSU community as a whole and it as more invaluable than starting over elsewhere in the name of being a NCAA starter.
It sounds crazy but you guys do see the coaches' and RTC salaries in wrestling. We just saw Jon Reader and Bobby Telford, both who I imagine cleared 6 figures leave wrestling to take regular white collar jobs, probably because it's a better means of supporting their family. There aren't many opportunities to really make a very good living in this career, even if it is your passion. You see NCAA champs such as Ryan Deakin and Shane Griffith make sure they are getting an elite degree before leaving the sport for finance (Deakin in Corporate Finance and Griffith in Investment Banking currently) As many here know, networking and connections can be just as valuable as an elite degree or even more so in white collar jobs. I imagine Cael can make a lot happen with a simple phone call.
So going back to it all, maybe these kids really are sold on a long-term view? That NCAA glory is temporary and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Maybe they're really entrenched in the team/PSU community as a whole and it as more invaluable than starting over elsewhere in the name of being a NCAA starter.
I wonder how they will deal with the religious exemption of say a Morman mission? I would think taking two years of eligibility away or even the age restriction would trigger a lawsuit and with a conservative Supreme Court, I think the wrestler would win.
Well, just get one of the asst. coaches ordained as minister in one of those mail order religions and you are set.Are you saying it’s time to start a new religion?
Personally I think the better solution would have been 5 years to wrestle 4 inclusive of redshirt, injury, oly shirts....
Simple and straight forward, the thought of 5 years of competition being the new normal seems too much and ultimately will wreak havoc many of all but the most talented inbound freshmen. Do we really want to see 5 years of a number of hammers on all teams?
I was on record saying Carter should just move on after 4 despite the anomaly. I am glad he got his 5th but it was just an asterisk in the stats. Ultimately we may now see less depth on the best teams like OSU and PSU, and then when an injury hits it will exact more pain.
Football is self correcting with the best leaving after 2-3 years for the draft. We will not see many if any elite AA 5th year guys unless they clearly are not NFL caliber. Other sports, self correcting, not so much.
Simple and straight forward, the thought of 5 years of competition being the new normal seems too much and ultimately will wreak havoc many of all but the most talented inbound freshmen. Do we really want to see 5 years of a number of hammers on all teams?
I was on record saying Carter should just move on after 4 despite the anomaly. I am glad he got his 5th but it was just an asterisk in the stats. Ultimately we may now see less depth on the best teams like OSU and PSU, and then when an injury hits it will exact more pain.
Football is self correcting with the best leaving after 2-3 years for the draft. We will not see many if any elite AA 5th year guys unless they clearly are not NFL caliber. Other sports, self correcting, not so much.
It’s been more than a few years since I was a student at college but does it now take more than 4 years to complete an undergraduate degree? I would think - but do not know - that student/athletes are usually on campus year round. It would seem to me that taking a class or two during the summer while continuing training for an upcoming season would accelerate the athlete’s path to a degree, alleviating the need to remain in school beyond 4 years. I loved my time on campus in State College but there is a time to move on.
If you had an opportunity to attend grad school for free, and getting a NIL on top of that, would you take it?
Shane Griffith got master's degrees at both Stanford and Michigan that way (albeit before NIL).
The average time to complete a "4-year degree" nationally for the general student body is about 5yrs. With the breadth of options today to get college credit while in high school, remotely, etc., anybody with a modicum of drive should complete it in less than 4yrs, but we can guess how focused most athletes are on academics.
Certainly I would, but I’m probably not typical (I went directly from college after 4 years to law school). A graduate degree isn’t necessarily right for or needed by many college athletes, even if the degree costs them nothing. Shane’s can be pointed to as an example of where 5 in 5 might be great (especially if your school lets you retain eligibility for all 5 years) but I don’t think he’s typical of the pool of D1 athletes.
Is there any chance Jayden James can make 157 next year? I know he wasn’t cutting weight this hs season. It would be tough but if Kasak can’t go maybe James is the answer for 1 season. He’s young and growing so I doubt it but for 1 season it might make sense and then mesenbrink is gone and 165 will open up
I'm worried about Kasak. Hope he's ok to wrestle but I just hope he is ok, wrestling or not.
I'm told he wants to wrestle and would target 157 this year.
This is very similar to a PJ case, if you want a 157 year out of him, wrestle him now. He is going to get big. He's super young for his grade and if you want a comparison, his older brother is 5'10'' 212 on Notre Dame's website.
James is registered for 74kg at the WTT. If 157 was being considered he'd probably be 70kg.
Still, it could happen. I'm not ready to write of Kasak yet. Maybe it was just a broken nose.
Granted 174 is Henckle's ideal weight but everyone seen Levi vs Henckle, room familiarity blah blah. Who do Yunz think would win Levi or Rocco?
More of an "ask yourself" question but id love to hear your answer.
I ain't counting Henckle out.
More of an "ask yourself" question but id love to hear your answer.
I ain't counting Henckle out.
Carter’s 5th generated less celebration than I anticipated. Now 2 years on … we don’t hear about his 5th much. I think as time goes by, fans and commentators will look back, reflect, and the legend will grow; especially if someone else goes for a 5th. In time he will sit on Mt. Rushmore.