Who could replace Carter Starocci, Greg Kerkvliet, and Beau Bartlett in the Penn State wrestling lineup?

Penn State wrestling must say farewell to three All-Americans — including a five-time and one-time NCAA champ — following the 2024-2025 NCAA Championships. Beau Bartlett, who finished in the top three at nationals three times at 141 pounds, Carter Starocci, the record-setting 184-pound champ who also won four 174-pound titles, and 2024 285-pound heavyweight champ Greg Kerkvliet are all out of eligibility. The Lions could return all of their other seven All-American starters. But, they have at least three holes to fill in 2025-2026.

“Being expected to do something and do it is probably the toughest thing in sports, right? But that also makes it a fun challenge,” head coach Cael Sanderson said after guiding his team to a fourth straight NCAA title that included 10 All-Americans.

“Just a great team. All of our teams, we feel they’re special. And we’re excited for next year, too. We just keep getting better.”

Here’s how Penn State might go about reloading in the three weight classes we know it must next season.

What’s the plan for 141?

Bartlett manned the spot following Nick Lee’s legendary career. That means, technically, it’s been years since it was last unclear who was moving into that part of the lineup. But, fantastic options exist.

Four-time Ohio state champ, top Class of 2025 recruit, and accomplished International wrestler Marcus Blaze joins the Nittany Lions this summer. Penn State does return Class of 2024 additions Brock Weiss and Hayden Cunningham in this weight class. And, it’s not crazy to think that, after wrestling at 125 as a freshman and 133 as a sophomore, Braeden Davis may still be growing and need to move up another weight class. But, all told, it would be shocking if Blaze isn’t on the mat at 141 for the first dual meet next year. Or, that was the case until Monday, anyway, when reigning 61 kilogram (134 pounds) World Champ Masanosuke Ono picked Penn State.

How long it will take him to arrive in State College is just as unclear as whether or not he’ll compete for the starting spot at 133 or 141. But, it’s a new wrinkle in the crowded mix.

Who will follow Starocci?

This question is much murkier. Before Starocci came back for a final season, this year’s 197-pound NCAA runner-up, Josh Barr, was ticketed for that role. Is he happy in that weight class, or could he move down? Then, there’s four-time Wisconsin state champ Connor Mirasola, who probably would have been in the lineup at many other colleges as a freshman at 197 but took a redshirt year with Starocci and Barr in the lineup. Oh, and former top recruit Zack Ryder, a classmate of Mirasola’s, came to Penn State as the likely next man up at 184 once it became available.

It’s anyone’s guess how Sanderson and co., figure out this apparent log jam. The options are unbeatable. But, it figures that someone will be left on the outside looking in at a job he would have just about anywhere else.

The Penn State succession plan at heavyweight is clear

Cole Mirasola, the multi-time Wisconsin state champ and brother of the aforementioned Connor, took a redshirt year in 2024-2025 and will assume the heavyweight spot that Kerkvliet vacates in 2025-2026, barring an unexpected roster addition. It’s not easy to wrestle at 285 at his age — InterMat’s last heavyweight rankings had just seven freshmen or sophomores in the top 25 and just two in the top 10 and four in the top 15 — but this has always been the plan, and it will be Mirasola’s job to run with.