Well, Penn State wrestling fans, it looks like more of the same. But none of us are complaining. An ongoing status quo for Coach Cael Sanderson’s team is not the basis for boredom; it’s an opportunity for jubilation.
Is there any other fan base—at any university, in any sport—that can revel in the kind of achievements earned by Penn State’s wrestlers? Consider their successes at the 2024 NCAA Championships:
- The Nittany Lions captured the team title, and it was their 11th crown within the last 13 national tournaments.
- Cael’s crew set a new all-time team scoring record with 172.5 points, and they lapped the field by accumulating more than double the total of second place Cornell (72.5).
- Two wrestlers climbed a summit never previously reached in Penn State history when Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks won their fourth individual titles.
- Eight Nittany Lions captured All-American honors by finishing among the top eight in their weight classes.
With the new season approaching, I resumed a tradition of talking with the venerable voice of Penn State wrestling, Jeff Byers. I have a feeling that you’ll like what “Ironhead” foresees—just the same old fantastic results.
What are you expecting for Penn State wrestling this year?
Byers: The nice thing is that you have multiple elite guys in a lot of weight classes. They probably have 16 or 17 guys—I haven’t sat down and counted—that are top-end prospects. And obviously you only have 10 starting jobs, so it’ll be interesting to see how things shake out. I am looking forward to seeing what this team can accomplish. Especially with a couple of the younger guys, how they develop during the course of the season. And for some of the older guys, how they handle the high expectations and the adulation and the money and everything that comes with success.
Could this be the best Penn State wrestling team ever?
Byers: Yeah, I think that’s definitely a possibility. This team certainly has a chance to be even better than last year’s. And to me, last year’s was the best team, not just at Penn State, but I would argue the best team in the history of college wrestling. They set a new record for team scoring at the NCAA Championships. (Penn State’s 172.5 broke Iowa’s 1997 record of 170.) But, truth be told, they had a chance to score even more points there. I think the kids would tell you they left a few points out there in a couple of weight classes.
Last year’s team obviously set the bar at a very high level and Aaron Brooks, a four-time NCAA champ, has used up his collegiate eligibility. How can this year’s group do better?
Byers: This is a very special program. I think they don’t set limitations on themselves, which I think is part of the reason for their success. I’m not going to predict or guarantee anything, but I certainly think this team has a chance—if it can stay healthy and everything goes right—to set another scoring record. If you look at the points returning and the potential up and down the lineup, this team is capable of doing even more exceptional things.
It’s only been a week since the football team suffered a devastating loss to Ohio State. Is the start of wrestling season the best antidote for football fans’ depression?
Byers: I will say I got a lot of texts last Saturday night saying they’re ready for wrestling season. So yeah, I think for some fans that’s probably the case. But I still think the football team has a chance to do something very special this season. I’ll be very curious to see how they finish up and then what happens if they get their crack in the postseason. I actually thought they acquitted themselves rather well in a lot of ways. So while we’re talking about Penn State maybe being the most talented wrestling team in history, I also think that Ohio State football team, in terms of talent, is right there with some of the best in the history of college football.
Back to wrestling, Ohio State appears to be on the upswing, but everyone is predicting Iowa and Oklahoma State will provide the toughest competition for Penn State.
Byers: It’s going to be interesting. I am really curious to see how Ohio State does in the upcoming season, and I think Nebraska’s a really intriguing team to watch this year and so is Michigan. Iowa and Oklahoma State are both extremely well-funded, and so the opportunity to go out and get some kids that have already proven themselves elsewhere is not insignificant. And I do think those three programs—Penn State, Iowa and Oklahoma State, are rightfully expected to finish 1, 2, 3 at the end of the year.
Penn State apparently added nobody through the transfer portal this year while Iowa and Oklahoma State were very aggressive in adding transfers. Will Penn State remain focused on traditional high school recruiting?
Byers: Well no, I mean Penn State had three significant transfers last year. But they happen to be absolutely stocked right now and brought in one of the greatest recruiting classes in the history of the sport with this freshman class. It will be interesting next season when the NCAA allows 30 full scholarships for each wrestling team.
And that’s a huge increase from the 9.9 scholarships the NCAA has previously allowed…
Byers: Yeah, 30 full scholarships. Like everything else in college athletics, it seems like we’ve gone from one extreme to another. So now, mathematically, you can go three deep in each weight class with scholarships. The issue is how many teams outside of Penn State, Iowa and Oklahoma State are going to be able to fund 30 scholarships? I don’t even know about those three, but I’m assuming they will. So it’s going to be a problem for other D-1 programs to compete with those top dogs.
Moments ago you said this incoming freshmen group is one of the greatest in NCAA wrestling history. That’s a strong statement.
Byers: Yeah, it’s a special group of kids. I mean the accolades speak for themselves; they come in with great wrestling credentials. But they also seem to understand the culture and what’s expected, and they have the humility. And honestly, they’re just a nice group of kids.
Talking about accomplishments, you have Luke Lilledahl (gold medalist at the 2024 U-20 World Championships), Cole Mirasola (three-time Wisconsin high school champion), Connor Mirasola (Cole’s twin brother who is a four-time Wisconsin champ), Zack Ryder (four-time New York high school champ and silver medalist at the 2024 U-20 World Championships) and Joe Sealey (gold medalist at the 2022 U-17 World Championships). But the five less-heralded freshmen (Dawson Bundy, Hayden Cunningham, Cael Nasdeo, Ty Watson and Brock Weiss) would be highly touted by most other programs, right?
Byers: One of the things that you need is depth in the program. And I’m not saying any of those kids are coming here with the idea that they’re going to be part of the depth chart and not out there competing. But that’s kind of the point too, that you want guys that are hungry who feel like they have something to prove. And I think even the guys that are stars coming out of high school feel like they have something to prove. It’s just inevitable that they’re going to push each other to become better.
Is there one of these freshmen who has a unique wrestling style? Last year at this time, Mitchell Mesenbrink was just a name to many fans. But now we know him as the guy with an unbelievable motor, a relentless attacking style and a capacity to come back from big deficits. How about one of these new kids?
Byers: Luke Lilledahl is expected to get the first crack here because of the opening at 125. (Last year’s 125-pounder, Braeden Davis, is moving up to 133.) Lilledahl has a special talent, there’s no question about that. But honestly, all of these guys have that type of potential. They all have the mindset of wanting to score as much as they can and wanting to dominate. And also just wanting to have fun and challenge themselves. If you watch them in the room a little bit, they are seeking out the opportunity to wrestle the more experienced guys, the guys that already have college or international credentials. So I think that’s a good starting place; you’re not looking to feed your ego but you’re looking to become better by facing guys who are better than you at this point.
Speaking of “Lightning Luke,” what is his potential and what is his style?
Byers: His style is that he is a goer. He has the aggressive mindset and wants to be dominant. I think he is as college-ready as he could be.
Let’s talk about some of the weight classes that are especially competitive within the Penn State team. You could add to my list, but it looks like they include 133 pounds, 157 and 197. Are those the most competitive?
Byers: I think that’s probably right. I think 157 and 197 are weight classes where you can’t go wrong, no matter who wins the job.
What about 133? Is it going to be Braeden Davis or Aaron Nagao?
Byers: I think Davis will likely start the season there, but we’ll see. There’s good depth there, for sure. And I think if Aaron Nagao can get completely healthy, he’s certainly capable of beating just about anyone.
And what about 157? Are there more options than just Tyler Kasak going up from 149 or Alex Facundo going down from 165?
Byers: They have some other options, but I certainly expect that those two will be the last two standing. And so you have two guys that are really competitive and really good. As a fan, you can just sit back, see how it plays out and feel confident that whoever emerges as the starter—and truthfully, whoever is the backup—could be a legitimate national title contender this season.
So do you think 157 is going to be one of these situations where things aren’t decided until January or even February?
Byers: I think that could very well be the case. I can’t imagine that either of them is going to be able to separate much from the other. They’re both so good and so driven, wanting to be a part of this year’s team and everything that comes with it. And they both come in with tremendous credentials. So it’s a luxury in some ways to have both of them.
What about 197 this year?
Byers: I know Lucas Cochran is kind of the forgotten odd man out here, but he is really good and coming on. Connor Mirasola is just very special. You saw that with the way he wrestled Aaron Brooks at the Olympic Trials. (Mirasola, still a high school student, lost 11-5 to the four-time NCAA champion.) If they needed him he would be a guy that could go out there and by the end of the year be right in the mix. And I am really impressed with Josh Barr, a guy who was really, really good last year and has taken that next big leap. I really think he’s the guy where the sky’s the limit. I think he has a chance to do some really special things this year.
In your nearly 36 years of broadcasting Penn State wrestling, have you ever seen three guys of this stature at one weight?
Byers: Not any time that springs to mind. They’ve had some weights where they’ve gone three deep, but nothing’s coming to mind of three guys who were of the stature of these three.
All right, let’s talk about the NWCA All-Star Classic to be held November 16 in Rec Hall. Five of the 10 bouts will feature a Nittany Lion. And like a lot of people, I’m especially interested in seeing four-time NCAA champ Carter Starocci, now wrestling at 184 pounds, against last year’s 184 champion, Parker Keckeisen.
Byers: I think it’s obviously a great test right out of the gate for Carter. It’ll allow us to see exactly where he’s at. It’s a bit of a contrast of styles, so I think that’ll be interesting.
You mentioned two styles between Starocci and Keckeisen. How do they differ?
Byers: They’re both hard-nosed physical wrestlers. I think Carter is just exceptionally good on top. Obviously, he’s very good in every area, but even when he was injured last year, he could ride the heck out of just about anybody. And so in my mind, the mat advantage goes to Carter. But I think both of them like to grind their opponents down a little bit, wear ’em out and really apply a physical style.
My mom never wanted me to eat my dessert before my vegetables. So watching matches like Starocci against Keckeisen is like starting with dessert, but I’m certainly not complaining.
Byers: I think the All-Star Classic is a great way to kick off the season, and it will get people talking. Shayne Van Ness will be trying to get back into the flow of things after his season-long injury last year. I think Beau Bartlett and Jesse Mendez getting another chance to square off against each other is just going to be fun for both of those guys and for the fans. (Ohio State’s Mendez defeated Bartlett, 4-1, in last year’s NCAA final.) And listen, we’ll see Levi Haines for the first time up at a new weight (Haines is going up two weight classes from 157 to 174). That’s not an easy task either. And I think Tyler Kasak has grown into a true 157 pounder, and he probably wants to set a tone for what he’s capable of accomplishing.
And I’m really excited that our station, Sports Radio 98.7, The Fox will get to broadcast the All-Star meet this year. It’s a great opportunity for our station and for me.
I have to say you’ve done pretty well with your preseason predictions in the past. Two years ago, you predicted that Haines would enter the lineup by the end of the year and perhaps win a national title. Well, your qualified “perhaps” was spot-on as Haines placed second at NCAAs. Then last year, you said Penn State would set the new team scoring record at the NCAAs, and you nailed that. So now I’d like to hear your bold prediction for this year.
Byers: Oh boy, I will say it’s hard to be bold with this team because of all that is possible. I’ll stay away from predicting that they’ll have more than five national champs—which has never been done. But I do think this team will at least match last year’s attainment of placing six athletes in the NCAA finals. I think both Iowa and Oklahoma State also had six in the past, but no team has ever had six champs. And I think that’s possible for Penn State, but I’m not necessarily predicting that.
Well you might predict six champs for Penn State if I pushed you, right? Deep in your heart, you really want to predict that…
Byers: Well listen, I am certainly not predicting 10 in the finals, but there is not a weight class where I would say Penn State couldn’t have somebody make the finals. Now, would it be beyond stunning to see 10 from one school in the finals? Yes, but I really do think they have a wrestler who can go out and compete with anybody in the country at all 10 weight classes. And that is a really remarkable place to be.
