Penn State wrestling notes: Lineup decisions near, Big Ten season is here

Penn State wrestling is back in State College after kicking off the 2024 portion of its schedule with a dominating 36-3 victory over Oregon State last Friday night in front of a record-setting crowd at Gill Collesium in Corvallis. The No. 1 Nittany Lions won nine of 10 bouts, earned a 33-5 takedown edge over the Beavers, and secured nine bonus points en route their third dual meet victory of the season.

“I think it was a really great trip out there,” Penn State wrestling associate head coach Cody Sanderson said this week. “We weren’t sure exactly what to expect. It was a long trip for us. We have a group of guys that haven’t traveled that far before. But, travel went well. The venue was great. The crowd was loud. It was a large crowd. They were there excited to watch wrestling. The whole operation was a class act. So it was it was a good trip.”

A new match week is here. Our notebook covers the latest on the Lions before they face Indiana on Sunday. Note: Watch the first Blue-White Illustrated wrestling podcast in the video player above.

Penn State must make lineup decisions soon

Penn State got a pair of big wins from a pair of freshmen at Oregon State. First-year Nittany Lion Braeden Davis upset No. 15 Brandon Kaylor 11-6 at 125 pounds. And, classmate Tyler Kasak scored a 4-1 triumph over No. 12 Nash Singleton at 149 pounds.

“I thought Davis and Kasak both wrestled,” Sanderson said. “They had tough opponents, but they were the kind of opponents we want to get our hands on, just to kind of see where they are at at this point in the season. Davis, we saw him get three takedowns and get a lot of riding time, [and] we saw him look for opportunities to score, which are things we look at.

“On the other side, Kasak ended up needing to go get a takedown and finish on top, which is what we like to see also. We gave him specific instructions, and he went right out and followedthem and just finished right where he needed to be. So that’s the other thing we look at from young guys. If we get that opportunity to communicate with them during the match, do they know what’s going on? Can they listen in here and then go apply it? And he was able to do that. So, some good signs out of both those guys.”

Does that all mean both are secure in starting roles as the season moves forward?

“Those guys, they still have the opportunity to redshirt,” Sanderson said. “Kasak has two more opportunities [before burning his redshirt] Davis still has one opportunity to wrestle [before burning his redshirt. We have other good guys in those weights. So that’s something that shows the depth. But, we’re still kind of working through those situations.”

Patience will be key to making them, though

As Sanderson noted, Penn State still has some wiggle room when it comes to both Davis and Kasak. Like with Levi Haine a a year ago, the staff will let things play out as long as possible before making a final decision.

“I think that , maybe as much as any other coaching staff in the country, we try to be patient. We let these things play out pretty much as long as we can. So, we still have a little bit of time.”

The Big Ten season is here

The Hoosiers’ visit to Rec Hall kicks off a string of eight conference matches for Penn State that stretch through the middle of February. Sanderson believes the team is ready for the challenges that lie ahead following a light start to the dual meet season.

“The exciting part is the competition, right? Big Ten season, I think it’s one of the best, competitive seasons, maybe of any sport in the country at the college level,” Sanderson said. “Big Ten wrestling just doesn’t really get better than that. And, if you love to compete, you’re wrestling in the Big Ten, and you’re getting ready for those competitions.

“We’re excited. It brings the best out of the best competitors. And, it’s not for everybody. There’s some guys that might need to wrestle in a different conference. But, we like to find the guys that like that challenge.”