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Penn State wrestling commit Jayden James hits top three of MatScout's Class of 2026 big board

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•05/26/25•

GregPickel

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Jayden James. (© Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Penn State wrestling Class of 2026 commit Jayden James has a top spot in MatScout’s updated senior big board. That headlines today’s news and notes surrounding the Nittany Lions. New Jersey’s reigning 150-pound champ checks in at No. 3 behind only Bishop McCort teammates Jax Forrest and Bo Bassett, who are headed to Oklahoma State and Iowa, respectively. James, who wrestles for the Delbarton School in Morristown, N.J., is already a member of the U17 Team USA and will compete this weekend for a spot on the U20 team when the U20 Team Trials and U23 Nationals run simultaneously in Geneva, Ohio.

“He’s always been a really talented kid,” Delbarton coach Bryan Stoll told BWI earlier this year. “When he first came in, I mean, he was really a little boy. He was 14 years old. So to see his trajectory as a technician as well as see him actually build some horsepower, it’s going to be really interesting to see if that trajectory can continue on the rise that it is. And, I think it can.”

Stoll also told BWI that James will wrestle in a higher weight class as a senior. While the exact one is not yet clear, 165 or 174 pounds are both a possibility. And, the latter weight class is where he projects to compete in college.

Penn State’s also Class of 2026 commit, Sam Herring, is No. 24 on MatScout’s Class of 2026 big board. He wrestles at McCort with Bassett and Forrest and will also compete at the U20 Team Trials this weekend.

You can read the full big board here.

Headlines of the day

Penn State recruiting notes and observations from Under Armour New Jersey: Fitz, BWI

On300 DE Abraham Sesay on Penn State: ‘They’re a team I would root for every Saturday’: Snyder, BWI

‘If they can’t change their big-game problems with this group, it’s not happening,’ and more on Penn State from Athlon’s coaches survey: Pickel, BWI

Penn State’s next big recruiting weekend taking shape: Fitz, BWI

What’s next for Penn State wrestling this offseason after its World Team Trials success?: Pickel, BWI

Quote of the day

“Penn State is close to home, and there’s something special about the idea of playing for where I’m from. I’ve got a strong connection with Coach Traut and Coach Franklin which definitely makes an impact. 

“Notre Dame is similar, I’ve built a great relationship with Coach Rudolph and Coach Freeman, and the academics and tradition there stand out to me.”

Four-star OT Grayson McKeogh to On3 about his recruitment.

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