'25-'26 PSU Lineup Predictions thread
- Thread starter derks
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I would swap Ono with Davis. Either way, that’s a pretty salty line-up. 
Whenever I feel a little down in the dumps, I open dicemen99's spreadsheet and grin.
Just to keep things interesting, I'll stay contrarian with a twist.
LL
Blaze
Nagao - I just have a feeling he's flying way too far under the radar. Is the fire still there, it's hard to gauge? I think Ono will probably not get 2 years, so he shirts. I hope I am wrong.
SVN
Kasak - If PJ redshirts, and I hope he does, no matter my impatience, he may just go wire to wire and be the first to join Cael as an undefeated 4xer!
MM
Levi
Rocco
Barr
Mirasola
LL
Blaze
Nagao - I just have a feeling he's flying way too far under the radar. Is the fire still there, it's hard to gauge? I think Ono will probably not get 2 years, so he shirts. I hope I am wrong.
SVN
Kasak - If PJ redshirts, and I hope he does, no matter my impatience, he may just go wire to wire and be the first to join Cael as an undefeated 4xer!
MM
Levi
Rocco
Barr
Mirasola
Blaze, Duke, and Ono are wrestling. And all three are legit title contenders. Not sure you can say that about the other three!
Kasak is clearly a title contender. Who's starting between Kasak and Duke is the most interesting to me.
Let Kasak get his title at 157 and then one of him, MM or Duke can slot in for Haines when he's gone.
And Joe Sealey is locked out of the lineup. First World problems.
That was my understanding also. Again these things can never be 100 percent accurate, but this is probably 95. I don't think we lose Kasak if this happens, and he comes back next season with the 165 or 174 spot open for competition.
Duke is not redshirting. I would love to be wrong about this but I don't believe I am.
Correct, then you figure out 174 between Henckel and Kasak next season. I know Tyler enjoys being with the program just have to figure a way to make it work.
I'm salivating at the thought of Duke, James and Henckel manning 165,174 and 184 one day. I hope the combination of the three being able to slot in somehow works.
Kasak has a shirt year and needs to take less knocks to his head as he did too many times a year ago.
Duke was on Justin Basch's podcast today and was asked about his perspective heading into the year:
"I still have no clue what the plan is. Obviously, Tyler's capable of winning an NCAA title. I think I'm in the running. Either way, I think Penn State's winning 157. I honestly haven't thought about it too much. It'd be cool to wrestle. But obviously if I don't, I get the extra year of preparation. So, I believe whatever the coaches tell me to do is the best decision and, I'm going to leave it up to them."
Full interview here:
"I still have no clue what the plan is. Obviously, Tyler's capable of winning an NCAA title. I think I'm in the running. Either way, I think Penn State's winning 157. I honestly haven't thought about it too much. It'd be cool to wrestle. But obviously if I don't, I get the extra year of preparation. So, I believe whatever the coaches tell me to do is the best decision and, I'm going to leave it up to them."
Full interview here:
Gonna be a mess if Luke outgrows 125 after this year. is Ono a future 149? I can't see Marcus getting there anytime soon. Nuts all the talent that room has...
If Duke goes all in on his freestyle this fall won't be wrestling much folk. Don't sleep on a healthy Nagao if Ono shirts. I think Kasak goes and Duke starts his run of 4 straight next year.
If they alternate shirts -- Kasak in 2026, Duke in 2027 -- that's the best of all worlds. Neither Kasak nor Duke is forced to sit. And unless one of them grows into 174, neither does Henckel.
We'll see if that's what happens, but it's the most optimal solution.
Sorry, I really hate this take regardless of who says it and how many times it gets repeated.
If Kasak needs this year off to recover from head injuries, then what the hell were Cael and Monthley doing last year, trotting him out when he needed a full year off?
Let's not unthinkingly accuse our staff of malpractice.
The best guy at each weight class will wrestle. Just Like every other year. Everything will be decided on the mat.
I believe they actually teach these kids to answer "who is going where" or "what are u wrestling" questions the way PJ just answered.
Classes start Monday, there is a plan already in place, everybody knows the plan and unforeseen occurrences are the only thing changing the already known plan.
I started to predict it and then realized how insane it was
This could literally be the JV lineup:
Desmond
Davis/Nagao
Nasdeo/Davis/Nagao
Pierce/Perry
Duke
Sealey
Cunningham
Henckel
Mirasola
Bundy
There’s 5-7 AAs there and maybe even a couple finalists. Heck, Duke is maybe a redshirting national champ.
Desmond
Davis/Nagao
Nasdeo/Davis/Nagao
Pierce/Perry
Duke
Sealey
Cunningham
Henckel
Mirasola
Bundy
There’s 5-7 AAs there and maybe even a couple finalists. Heck, Duke is maybe a redshirting national champ.
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I would think Luke has his mind on 57kg for an Olympic run. I’m sure he wants to stay around there if possible
I understand that PJ just won a U20 world title and beat (a obviously not 100%) Yianni in freestyle TWICE to make the senior world team…but Kasak has proved he is national title contender in folk! PJ does have a redshirt available and is going to be very busy with the senior world championships…etc. I think Kasak wins the spot, wins NCAAs and PJ shirts.
Senior Worlds is not a factor -- it's in mid-September, 6 weeks before varsity practice starts.
If Duke shirts this year, then one of them sits in 2027 unless someone thinks Mesenbrink will lose his spot. Or, one of them bumps up 2 weights and knocks Henckel out of the lineup.
My gut feeling is that Ono redshirts this year. It makes more sense to give him the extra time to adapt to folkstyle given the whole locking hands and push out thing. I’m not sure of his academic level in terms of being a sophomore, junior or senior, but the extra time to be with teammates/friends in college may also be an appealing option. Plus, he’d continue to have guys like Zain, Blaze, LL, Conway, Gilman, etc. to train with during his shirt year. It may also open the door to other Japanese wrestlers who want to take an American excursion for school as well.
I actually do think that the wrestlers don't know. My guess is that the coaches have at least 10 different lineup options and as usual they're going to let things play out, making sure they're ready for every scenario. Lots can happen between now and the season. The nice thing is that every one of those 10+ different lineups would result in an NCAA championship.
Nah. Everybody knows where they are wrestling. Everybody already knows if there is a redshirt or wrestle-off competition planned and everybody feels included in the decision process.
Now something like SVN suffering a season ending injury warming up for the first dual and causing Tyler Kasak to be thrown out there at 149 is an unforeseen occurrence that throws well laid out plans out the window.
… and somehow they will have to fit JJames in there somewhere too!
I’ll go out on a limb and say that Ono is getting a second year so he goes this season. With that I have the lineup as follows
125-Lilledahl
133-Blaze
141-Ono
149-SVN
157-Duke
165-Mesenbrink
174-Levi
184-Rocco
197-Barr
Heavy-Mirasola
Tell me there aren’t 9 finalists and 10 AA’s on that team
125-Lilledahl
133-Blaze
141-Ono
149-SVN
157-Duke
165-Mesenbrink
174-Levi
184-Rocco
197-Barr
Heavy-Mirasola
Tell me there aren’t 9 finalists and 10 AA’s on that team
That could break the record again at NCAAs. Insane and a B team would place top 5, too.
Who said recover from head injuries? Malpractice? It’s a good time for Kasak to take his shirt and prep for a possible bounce to 174 in 26/27. MM is not moving and Duke is as good as it gets at 57, period, with no offense to TK.
Last time Connor wrestled barr is was ugly.