The Nittany Lions are once again the team to beat and are already ranked number 1 in the preseason rankings. And why shouldn’t they be? They are the defending champions and are returning 5 All-Americans and 4 NCAA Champions. Even with the returning star power, PSU will also have a lot of new faces in the line up as well. This article will take a look at each weight class and give a preview of who I believe the starter will be.
125
Robbie Howard looked to be the answer to Penn States problems at 125 two years ago. His season seemed to be off to a great start as he earned a spot at the NCAA tournament going 2-2 losing only to eventual all-americans. He missed last season after aggravating an injury he suffered his senior year in high school. So a few questions remain at this weight class. Is Howard healthy? Has he continued to develop during this injury? If healthy I can see Robbie again qualifying for the NCAA tournament, and he may even find himself on the podium at the end of the year. As things stand I’m not comfortable making any predictions on this weight class.
133
Roman Bravo-Young the 2x NCAA champion is back for his senior season. Its unclear how often Roman will compete, it sounds like he has a lot on his table. However, when he does compete its sure to be exciting. RBY is one of the fastest wrestlers in NCAA history, and he blends that so well with natural athleticism making him nearly unbeatable. It seems like he will have very few challengers this season as Iowa’s Austin Desanto has graduated. He is however on another collision course with Oklahoma States Dayton Fix. RBY has beaten Dayton the last two seasons, and there is no reason to think this year will be any different.
141
Beau Bartlett is a solid but somewhat unproven competitor. Out of high school a ton of hype surrounded Beau, but due to NIck Lee’s presence in the lineup Beau was forced to wrestle up a weight class the last two seasons. At 149 Beau was obviously undersized and looked slightly out of place. Back at 141 this season may be just the thing he needs to finally live up to that hype. Last season Beau had a 15-10 record and went 1-2 at the NCAA tournament. I expect much better results for him at 141, and we may even see him earn his first all-american honors before years end.
149
Shayne Van Ness was one of the top recruits coming out of high school and Penn State fans are excited to see what he can do. He went 2-2 last season as a red-shirt with both loses coming by medical default. He is another wrestler that the sky is the limit with his abilities. Not sure if he was injured last season or what exactly happened with the medical defaults but if he is healthy he has the potential to land on the podium in March.
157
Levi Haines is fresh out of high school, however he has already been competing in college tournaments and has enjoyed a fair amount of success while still technically a high school senior. Levi is an elite recruit and will make an immediate impact for the Nittany Lions. he has been training with PSU great David Taylor for a few years now and should be more than ready step up right away. He is a true blue chip recruit and the sky is the limit on his potential.
165
Alex Facundo is a Michigan-native he was a four-time Michigan State Champion at Davison High School. This last May Facundo won the U20 National Freestyle Championship at 74 kg title and was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler. He is another wrestler with very high expectations. Intermat has him ranked 24th in the preseason rankings. i expect him to continue to climb as the season progresses.
174
Carter Starocci is a 2X NCAA Champion, and beat two extremely high level wrestlers to win his titles. While Mekhi Lewis will again present a sizable challenge. Carter is the odds on favorite to repeat as NCAA Champion. Penn State is well known for producing championship caliber wrestlers, Carter is quickly rising to the top of the heap within the schools history books. I expect another dominating season and a 3rd NCAA title.
184
Aaron Brooks is back and looking to defend his title. he is again a heavy favorite to repeat, although he does have a few tough challenges ahead. Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa is a 2X 3rd place finisher and is capable of beating anyone in the division. Also Trent Hidlay is back and last season took Brooks into sudden victory. Even with these challenges, I expect Brooks to once again stand atop the podium in March.
197
Max Dean is another NCAA champion back to defend his title. Max had a fantastic year last season, defeating Iowa’s Jacob Warner in thrilling fashion in the 197 pound title match. Max will enter the 22-23 season as the favorite to win another national title. Although its hardly a given, AJ Ferrari while no longer at Oklahoma State is also a returning NCAA Champion and may be back in the mix this season. Also a rematch with Warner looms. Barring injury I would think Dean is a lock to land on the podium yet again, most likely in the top spot.
Heavyweight
Greg Kerkvliet is fully capable of winning a NCAA title this season, but several obstacles stand in his way. For one Greg is very injury prone and is rarely wrestling at 100%. Last year he finished 4th at the NCAA tournament in one of the deepest brackets of all-time. (Last years heavyweight division had 5 world champions.) In the third place match he lost by injury default raising further questions regarding his health. The weight class is once again loaded with 4 world champions still competing within the college ranks. If healthy I see Greg standing on the podium somewhere in the top 4.