26-27 is MM's last year and is not an Olympic year. The 27-28 season is the year for Olympic redshirts.
Future PSU Lineup discussions
- Thread starter Random4598375
- Start date
I'm already looking forward to next season, but just trying to convince myself that PSU can win with this lineup:
Luke
Ono
Blaze
SVN
Tyler
Mitchell
Levi
Zack
Barr
Mirasola
I mean holes everywhere. We will definitely need to hit the portal ... 😞
Luke
Ono
Blaze
SVN
Tyler
Mitchell
Levi
Zack
Barr
Mirasola
I mean holes everywhere. We will definitely need to hit the portal ... 😞
Not everyone is going to stay. I can't tell you who is going to go and who isn't, but there are too many guys who are way too good to be career room guys and too few lineup spots. Facundo is just the first one to drop (maybe Mason Gibson last year). The other portal guys are roster limit victims, not NQ/AA guys moving out because there is no room at the inn. How the Ryder-Rocco situation plays out will be telling for the future of the program.
I was very surprised we didn’t greyshirt some of the last recruiting class, especially Ryder. In hindsight, it would have been perfect. Then a rFr Ryder could have taken over 174 after Levi graduated. Now it’s messy, but the best thing about wrestling is an old school wrestle-off.
I’m really curious if we greyshirt Duke this year (doubtful) and James the following year. As good as both are, I can’t see a path for Duke or James to start their rFr year unless someone else transfers. Maybe Kasak and Mitch bump up in 2027 to make room for Duke, but that eliminates the Welsh/Ryder loser from ever starting here.
Not a terrible problem to have, but someone is definitely getting squeezed. I think Mirasola’s days in blue and white are numbered. There’s no path to starting until he’s a senior.
James being extremely young makes greyshirting seem like a no brainer at this point.
2028 will give some relief with all these world medalists being eligible for an Olympic redshirt.
Ok enough ramblings. What horrible problems we have lol.
I’m really curious if we greyshirt Duke this year (doubtful) and James the following year. As good as both are, I can’t see a path for Duke or James to start their rFr year unless someone else transfers. Maybe Kasak and Mitch bump up in 2027 to make room for Duke, but that eliminates the Welsh/Ryder loser from ever starting here.
Not a terrible problem to have, but someone is definitely getting squeezed. I think Mirasola’s days in blue and white are numbered. There’s no path to starting until he’s a senior.
James being extremely young makes greyshirting seem like a no brainer at this point.
2028 will give some relief with all these world medalists being eligible for an Olympic redshirt.
Ok enough ramblings. What horrible problems we have lol.
Clearly for many kids, training at PSU tends to give the best chance to succeed on the mat. So it's no surprise that more and more top kids want to maximize their potential by joining. As a result, PSU is just too stacked for every recruit to expect to start for 4 years. But, less than 4 years starting at PSU is greater than 4 years starting elsewhere. And it looks like a few more kids each year realize this. Unfortunately the new roster limit might stifle this a bit as the staff will have to be a little bit selective. But man, this is quite the machine. 🙂
He was an elite level recruit at one point, probably close to top 10 in the class when he flipped to Penn State. It's been kind of downhill from there, but he was a high level recruit who left when he saw no path to starting.
To my knowledge, most of the guys who greyshirted were in Class of 2018
Joe Lee (spent senior year of HS also at PSU and then took a year off)
Seth Nevills
Michael Beard
Aaron Brooks (OTC)
I think the main reason was to clear Nickal and Nolf's scholarship money off the books. Then Hayden Cunningham did also. I don't think it will be a common strategy, kids want to start school. A lot of people thought guys like Kasak and Levi would need to when they committed.
Joe Lee (spent senior year of HS also at PSU and then took a year off)
Seth Nevills
Michael Beard
Aaron Brooks (OTC)
I think the main reason was to clear Nickal and Nolf's scholarship money off the books. Then Hayden Cunningham did also. I don't think it will be a common strategy, kids want to start school. A lot of people thought guys like Kasak and Levi would need to when they committed.
The coaches have been master planners at getting Penn State's best guys in the lineup for 4 years.
With this crazy depth, I think we have hit the point where we can't expect to see every top tier guy always get 4 years.
For the guys that buy-in, sitting for one year is not going to trigger a portal.
For the guys that do not see a way to the starting lineup for most or all of their eligibility, they will be the ones to portal which is certainly understandable.
With this crazy depth, I think we have hit the point where we can't expect to see every top tier guy always get 4 years.
For the guys that buy-in, sitting for one year is not going to trigger a portal.
For the guys that do not see a way to the starting lineup for most or all of their eligibility, they will be the ones to portal which is certainly understandable.
Alex Facundo didn't portal the next day after losing to Tyler Kasak. Had Tyler gone down with an injury I am certain that Alex would have qualified and found a way to the podium.
Yes, and more to the point: Levi didn't wave a wand and instantly become a 174. Facundo knew it was coming, and had enough time to get down to 157. He could've left right then and there, and could've left at any point after losing the 157 spot to Kasak, but stuck it out for a full year. Sitting for one year didn't cause him to leave, it was the likelihood of sitting for additional years after sitting one year.
So Zack, I know you came to SC for your senior year of HS, we think that's awesome, then you were pretty much squeezed into a RS this year, we are glad you stuck around. Say, how would you feel about dropping all your classes next year and putting GS on??
Nah not gonna happen.
He can’t do that now anyway. He was on the roster last year, so his eligibility clock is ticking. GS is only available as a gap year between HS and the start of college.
I was thinking last night the only way this makes sense is one half of this team takes an Olympic redshirt does anyone know who is eligible or who could be eligible for OR and what year do they take them?
I blame the wuhan wet market. All of these problems start there. Lololololol
The next time an ORS could happen is the 2027-2028 season, that is 2 full seasons away. Guys currently eligible and could still be on the roster at that point would be Lilledahl, Blaze, Duke, Ryder, and Barr. The criteria for an Olympic redshirt is not that difficult so I would guess more guys are added to that list. This is assuming Ono would not be eligible because he is on Team Japan. I may have missed someone but I believe those are the only guys who are currently former world medalists
What about the Nagao 2025 Olympic Shirt?
Not every kid can resist the allure of a starting spot on a perennial top 36 team
But seriously if PSU is gonna be this deep, can they please ramp up the regular season schedule and rotate bodies? Perfect opportunity to add an in-season tournament.
Yea I am really curious what is going on with him. Davis has a RS so I doubt he leaves, no reason to not stay and fight for a spot at least for one year. Nagao however, has already used a RS and an Med Shirt, I could see him moving up to 141 to try and hold that spot down but I don't know if that is his ideal weight or if Blaze plans on starting right away (I think he does)
IMO Duke is a day one starter if he wants to be. He's that good. A RS will make him that much more terrifying.
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Be great for us the fans, but why show our hand when we dont need to
C3 has built this room for COMPETITION, we dont NEED to look for more.
Someday soon our 3rd stringers will win Luther Open and Soldier Salute.
Let's make the scuffle great again.
Are there a lot of coaches asking for more dates? Seems like even if they did add more dates, thats no guarantee the wrestlers would wrestle them. I miss the “extra” matches after the duals were over, not sure what the NCAA had against those.
Also no guarantee schools would spend the money for additional competitions.
I would love to send our second team and win Soldier Salute over Iowa's 1st team.. It would very likely break the internet and give us fan fodder forever.
Given that redshirts can go unattached, we'd have a lineup like:I would love to send our second team and win Soldier Salute over Iowa's 1st team.. It would very likely break the internet and give us fan fodder forever.
125 Desmond
133 Davis
141 Nagao
149 Perry
157 Duke
165 Sealey
174 Henckel
184 Rocco/Ryder loser
197 Mirasola
HWT I don't know, someone, I guess.
I'd bet that team would win Soldier Salute by a mile. LOL.
No idea. But it seems like it would be good to get some young or room guys some match experience. Even if they would have so many dates for duals and so many for tournaments.
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