Penn State wrestler Aaron Brooks leads Hodge Trophy race ahead of final day for fan voting: Newsstand
Penn State news, notes, and updates for March 29 include a Hodge Trophy race update, headlines of the day, and more.
It’s time to dive into Friday’s top tweets and headlines about the Nittany Lions and college athletics.
Penn State tweets of the day
We start with an FYI for ‘Nittany Nation.’ The fan-voting portion of the Hodge Trophy race ends today at 6 p.m. ET. As of Thursday morning, Penn State 197-pound NCAA champion Aaron Brooks led the way over Northern Iowa’s 184-pound champ, Parker Keckeisen, by roughly 3,500 votes. You can join Brooks’ tally for the Heisman Trophy of NCAA wrestling by clicking here. The fan vote is part of the formula for pick a winner.
“Like the Heisman Trophy, all past Hodge winners get an official Hodge Vote for each year they won the award,” Win Magazine, which gives out the honor, says on its website. “The additional Hodge Trophy Votes from the Hodge Trophy Voting Committee made up of national wrestling media, a retired college coach from each region, a representative of each national wrestling organization, and the Official Fan Vote on WIN’s website, which accounts for (5) Official First-Place Ballots.”
The reveal of the Hodge Trophy winner happens on Monday. Brooks is the favorite to win it. The four-time NCAA champ was named the organization’s most dominant wrestler in 2024. He was also the most outstanding wrestler at nationals. He had a 90.9 percent bonus rate in 2023-2024 and a 22-0 record with six pins, 11 technical falls, and three major decisions. The other finalists for the honor are all Nittany Lions. Brooks and Keckeisen are joined by 157-pound champ Levi Haines, 174-pound title winner Carter Starocci, and 285-pound champ Greg Kerkvliet.
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Headlines of the day
Versatile Penn State safety Jaylen Reed figures as a key player in Tom Allen’s new nickel package: Flounders, PennLive
Penn State wide receiver target Phillip Bell opens up about the Nittany Lions: Snyder, BWI
For Penn State Football, the Spring Is Foundational: Jones, Statecollege.com
3 early Penn State wrestling thoughts on the Lions’ big stay-or-go decisions: Pickel, BWI
Quote of the day
“Me personally, I love the competition. The competition in the room is going to raise everyone’s play. I was telling someone, you got to be on your P’s and Q’s every day. It just makes everyone better. And then, [the transfer], they got some different experience. They came from the SEC. So, they got some experience. I pick their brains because I’m continually looking to learn. So, it’s good.
“We’re all hungry. We all want the same goal. So, it’s like a bunch of wild men out there giving their best effort. It’s really exciting to be a part of it.”
–PSU corner Cam Miller on the added competition in the Lions’ secondary thanks to returners plus the additions of transfer AJ Harris and Jalen Kimber.
