Which PSU grappler are you most interested to see ...

[Tom McAndrew]

There are a surprising number of storylines on this year's PSU roster.

I'll give a very brief synopsis of the stories with the projected starters, to start the discussion. Tell me/everyone else which of the guys you are most looking forward to seeing, and why.

125: Nico - 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, and then a redshirt last year. 125 is pretty loaded this year. This is his last shot

133: Conaway - 8th last year at 125. How will he handle the bigger guys. Also his last shot

141: Gulibon - 5th last year at 133. Had trouble as a RS fresh with bigger guys. How does he handle the bigger guys at 141.

149: Retherford - an amazing true freshman campaign in 2014, where he defeated Stieber, then lost to Stieber and Port at Nationals to finish 5th. A RS last year, and now moving up a weight class

157: Nolf - redshirted as a true freshman, but did very well in tournaments. This will be his 1st real action in a PSU singlet

165: ???? - the biggest question mark on the lineup. Will it be Hammond, who had an up and down season as a RS fresh? Will it be Cody Law, who got some opportunities as a RS fresh, but seemed to be behind Hammond? Will it be Zack Beitz, who did pretty well at 149, but is now looking for a spot in the lineup? Will it be Shakur Rasheed, who was coming off of surgery as an incoming fresh, so didn't have a lot of opportunities in Opens?

174: Nickal - also did well as a true freshman at Opens before getting injured.

184: McCutcheon - was inconsistent during the regular season, but had a nice B1G tourney, and went 2-2 at NCAAs including taking out the #3 seed in R2.

197: McIntosh - had a good regular season and postseason last year. Was seeded #2 at NCAAs, but got upset by Conner Hartmann in the quarters, then defeated J'Den Cox in the consolation semis before taking 3rd. Also his last shot.

285: Nevills - good reports on him from the room as a true fresh, then a nice run at the Scuffle before he broke his foot. The injury set him back in his development. Like Nolf and Nickals, and possibly Rasheed, this will be his 1st real action in a PSU singlet.

So which wrestler are you most looking forward to seeing, or which storyline do you find most appealing, etc.? No right or wrong answers -- just interested to see what many of you are thinking.

 

[caliPSUfan]

Gotta be Nico, Jordan, and Morgan trying to go out on top.

Nico may be the sentimental favorite because he's been so close every time - gotta think it's his time now!

Morgan will be at the top of my radar though...having watched him a bunch when he was in HS and enjoying the talent and sportsmanship that was always on display with him has me REALLY rooting for him to get that title!

 

[lockhavenlion3]

can't pick just one, so i'll go with the newbies + rasheed should he win 65.

 

[dicemen99]

Great topic and I'm not able to pick one. This is the most fun coming into any of the past 5 years and there are things I want to see about all of the following:

125 - Would like to see that Nico took a big step forward during RS year because he just isn't going to win a NC because of losses to the weight class (Delgado, Garrett).

141 - JG came on last year and I think this will continue at 141. Fingers crossed because if it goes south, I'm worried it could really go south.

149 - Think ZR should be a NC here no matter who is at this weight.

157 - Interested to see what Nolf can do against IMar. Not expecting a win this year, but do expect one during the career.

165 - Interested in Shakur. If GH wins the spot, I'm OK as I expect he will be solid and continue to improve, but I would like to see if Shakur is really special.

174 - Big question mark. This weight is wide open. Can Bo be an immediate contender for a title or does he need some time?

184 - Hope Mouse builds upon the end of last season. If so he is a definite AA, if not he may be battling for a spot quickly

197 - Hope that MM can end off with a title. Cox is the only guy I can see standing in his way.

285 - Can Nevills be top 5 right off the bat? The path is open.

 

[RoarLions1]

Good topic. Can't pick just one however.

At least during duals, and assuming a 125 start, my favorite will be Nico. Then when his match is over my new favorite will be Jordan. When he's done, my new favorite will be Jimmy. And so on, and so on, and so on.

 

[RoarLions1]

Great topic and I'm not able to pick one. This is the most fun coming into any of the past 5 years and there are things I want to see about all of the following:

125 - Would like to see that Nico took a big step forward during RS year because he just isn't going to win a NC because of losses to the weight class (Delgado, Garrett).

141 - JG came on last year and I think this will continue at 141. Fingers crossed because if it goes south, I'm worried it could really go south.

149 - Think ZR should be a NC here no matter who is at this weight.

157 - Interested to see what Nolf can do against IMar. Not expecting a win this year, but do expect one during the career.

165 - Interested in Shakur. If GH wins the spot, I'm OK as I expect he will be solid and continue to improve, but I would like to see if Shakur is really special.

174 - Big question mark. This weight is wide open. Can Bo be an immediate contender for a title or does he need some time?

184 - Hope Mouse builds upon the end of last season. If so he is a definite AA, if not he may be battling for a spot quickly

197 - Hope that MM can end off with a title. Cox is the only guy I can see standing in his way.

285 - Can Nevills be top 5 right off the bat? The path is open.

No love for Jordan?

 

[dicemen99]

No love for Jordan?

Actually I think 133 is really the only weight class without much suspense. Jordan has already shown he can compete at 133 and I think he is a R12 to low AA whether he is at 125 or 133.

 

[Diego Badman]

There are a surprising number of storylines on this year's PSU roster.

I'll give a very brief synopsis of the stories with the projected starters, to start the discussion. Tell me/everyone else which of the guys you are most looking forward to seeing, and why.

125: Nico - 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, and then a redshirt last year. 125 is pretty loaded this year. This is his last shot

133: Conaway - 8th last year at 125. How will he handle the bigger guys. Also his last shot

141: Gulibon - 5th last year at 133. Had trouble as a RS fresh with bigger guys. How does he handle the bigger guys at 141.

149: Retherford - an amazing true freshman campaign in 2014, where he defeated Stieber, then lost to Stieber and Port at Nationals to finish 5th. A RS last year, and now moving up a weight class

157: Nolf - redshirted as a true freshman, but did very well in tournaments. This will be his 1st real action in a PSU singlet

165: ???? - the biggest question mark on the lineup. Will it be Hammond, who had an up and down season as a RS fresh? Will it be Cody Law, who got some opportunities as a RS fresh, but seemed to be behind Hammond? Will it be Zack Beitz, who did pretty well at 141, but is now looking for a spot in the lineup? Will it be Shakur Rasheed, who was coming off of surgery as an incoming fresh, so didn't have a lot of opportunities in Opens?

174: Nickal - also did well as a true freshman at Opens before getting injured.

184: McCutcheon - was inconsistent during the regular season, but had a nice B1G tourney, and went 2-2 at NCAAs including taking out the #3 seed in R2.

197: McIntosh - had a good regular season and postseason last year. Was seeded #2 at NCAAs, but got upset by Conner Hartmann in the quarters, then defeated J'Den Cox in the consolation semis before taking 3rd. Also his last shot.

285: Nevills - good reports on him from the room as a true fresh, then a nice run at the Scuffle before he broke his foot. The injury set him back in his development. Like Nolf and Nickals, and possibly Rasheed, this will be his 1st real action in a PSU singlet.

So which wrestler are you most looking forward to seeing, or which storyline do you find most appealing, etc.? No right or wrong answers -- just interested to see what many of you are thinking.

Nolf, Nickal, Nevills (N Cubed). I think there will be a lot of bonus points from those three. Cael has already said that Nickal reminds him of Quentin and would not be surprised to see a lot of pins. Nolf's motor will lead to big 3rd periods (provided it doesn't end sooner), and Nevills is an unusual heavyweight in that he really tries to push the action.

I'm excited to see all of them. I hope that Nico and Mac can go out like Matt Brown as program stalwarts who delivered time and again. And, I've always been a Jimmy G. fan since I saw him as a high school freshman.

 

[Chickenman Testa]

So much to cheer for this year. I can't wait for the season.

If, however, Shakur R is as dangerous as everyone is hinting at, we may be in for a massive year. Without a question mark there - even if the question mark is just about Hammond's ceiling let's say, and this is a truly scary lineup.

That said, a NC for Nico will be valuable in recruiting down the road.

 

[SRATH]

Can't pick so I will go sentimental. My oldes son is named Morgan. SMACKINTOSH!!!!!

 

[Azchief32]

I'd say Nickel...125,133,141,149, 197 are made guys...they are good but the weight bumps will be interesting. I'm fairly confident Nolf is top 5. HWY will be interesting but I'd really will like to see how much Bo has progressed. I think he will be key to how you guys do in March.

 

[Lyco1990]

All of the above

 

[NoVa Lion]

All of the above

+1,000. Except for Cutch and Smack everyone in the lineup will someone who didn't start last year at the weight they will be at this year (unless Hammond wins the spot at 165). Also, always interested to see how the true frosh look at the NLO, plus Cassar, assuming he's healthy by then.

 

[Lion-around]

Just like Matt Brown, I'd like to see the seniors (Nico, Jordan and Morgan) leave nationals as champs.

 

[El-Jefe]

I want to see Zain bust some heads.

 

[dunkej01]

Im hoping to see some of you all for an adult beverage of your choice before or after a Lions win.....the wrestling will take care of itself.

 

[RoarLions1]

Actually I think 133 is really the only weight class without much suspense. Jordan has already shown he can compete at 133 and I think he is a R12 to low AA whether he is at 125 or 133.

All's good, just wondered why you skipped 133. Jordan's my homey, from just outside Hanover.

 

[doublehaul]

I want to see Zain bust some heads.

I really can't wait to see Nolf, but I also am interested to see what the redshirt did for Zain.

 

[oldlion57]

I am anxious to see what happens in our room at 165.

 

[Flying_Tiger]

No way I can pick just one. Too many guys with great story lines throughout the lineup.

 

[BDB57]

I agree with Tiger.....each wrestler draws your interest and makes you wonder how high they will finish. I'm sure there will be some disappointments through out the season but I think 6/7 of them find their way to the podium.

Best part is how they compete and I think they will all leave nothing on the table.

 

[purescurve]

With a gun to my head I would have to pick Bo. Getting excited, I don't think I have anticipated a season as much as this one coming up. Hope JG has put on the muscle needed to compete in that weight class. BTW I think we will get Lee when he commits(next fall)

 

[redblades]

As an outsider - I'd say Bo Nickal, I'm curious to see if he's all that's advertised, not sure we saw it in a shortened redshirt year last season.

Nolf, I expect is all they say he is. I'm still pissed you guys got him instead of Cornell!

 

[jtothemfp]

As an outsider - I'd say Bo Nickal, I'm curious to see if he's all that's advertised, not sure we saw it in a shortened redshirt year last season.

Nolf, I expect is all they say he is. I'm still pissed you guys got him instead of Cornell!

Redblades, hi! How bout a little turnabout: who on the Big Red are you most excited to see? Better yet, here are a couple Cornell questions for you. Hook a brotha up?
1. Who will explode onto the scene more: Dalton Macri at 125 or Joey Galasso at 149?
2. Will Will Koll beat out Mark Grey at 141?
3. Nahshon's gonna have zero trouble at 133, isn't he?
4. Gabe Dean vs Nate Brown this year: how many, if any, will Nate take from Dean?
5. Will Palacio play soccer first semester again? (or was that Realbuto?)
6. Will J Taylor or S Congenie be the guy to end the post-Simaz 197 hole? (or neither)

 

[SpikingWhamos]

Gulibon, because my daughter loves his hair and thus buys me much more time with wrestling on the main screen.

She calls him "Jim", as she once stated with as much seriousness as a 4yo can muster.

 

[PSU Mike]

ZainTrain. Would love to see Zack surprise at 165, but it's unrealistic to expect much.

But as others said, there are at least 10 I can't wait to see...

 

[lauren68]

Nico and Morgan have given us great years. Nico will be a 4 time AA and Morgan will be a 3 time AA. I want both to go out on top. The rest of the line-up will find their way.

 

[redblades]

Redblades, hi! How bout a little turnabout: who on the Big Red are you most excited to see? Better yet, here are a couple Cornell questions for you. Hook a brotha up?
1. Who will explode onto the scene more: Dalton Macri at 125 or Joey Galasso at 149?
2. Will Will Koll beat out Mark Grey at 141?
3. Nahshon's gonna have zero trouble at 133, isn't he?
4. Gabe Dean vs Nate Brown this year: how many, if any, will Nate take from Dean?
5. Will Palacio play soccer first semester again? (or was that Realbuto?)
6. Will J Taylor or S Congenie be the guy to end the post-Simaz 197 hole? (or neither)

JTP, I wish I could give you all the inside scoop – but I know nothing other than what’s been posted on the Cornell forum over at WR.com. Interesting that the guy who seems to know the most is a Penn Stater – NitannyKid, who I believe took his team up to Koll’s camp – and Kid isn’t giving much away, although I take it he was impressed with the guys he saw.

I’m a little surprised Cornell doesn’t seem to be on anybody’s radar as a top 5 team (or better?) this year; they return most of the guys from their top 5 team last year (losing only Villalonga and Bennett) and they add a pretty nice “greyshirt” class coming in – Macri, Gallasso, Koll, Chavez, Womack, Artiglierre(sp?) and Sweany. This is going to be a REALLY deep team, but as Rob said end of last year – the problem is going to be getting all the talent on the mat! There’s a number of questions about who’s going where, in particular:

- Word out recently is that Garrett and Grey may NOT be moving up
- There is also some speculation that Realbuto WILL be moving up

That said:

1. Who will explode onto the scene more: Dalton Macri at 125 or Joey Galasso at 149?

Good question. Both could have an impact, I think, but Macri may need to wait in the wings a bit if Garrett does stay at 125. With Villalonga gone, I think Gallasso is the guy at 149.

2. Will Will Koll beat out Mark Grey at 141?

Word is Grey may stay at 133, but 141 could end up Grey, Koll, or even Dylan Realbuto (aka, ‘Lil ‘Buto) Dylan had a pretty good showing at National Duals last year.

3. Nahshon's gonna have zero trouble at 133, isn't he?

Again – no one knows for sure if he’s going up! Personally, I think the cut was too much last year, but maybe they’ve got him on a better diet this year?

4. Gabe Dean vs Nate Brown this year: how many, if any, will Nate take from Dean?

Dean was 4-0 vs. Brown last year, combined score of 26-9 – and the gap grew as the season progressed. I think Brown had only one takedown in 4 matches. I know I’m biased, but I don’t see Nate winning any this year vs. Dean.

5. Will Palacio play soccer first semester again? (or was that Realbuto?)

That was Palacio (who has a brother who played professional soccer, BTW) - word out of Ithaca is no soccer for Palacio this year.

6. Will J Taylor or S Congenie be the guy to end the post-Simaz 197 hole? (or neither)

Could be Taylor, Congenie, or Scott – I’m leaning toward Jake (I think long term he’s got the most upside), but no specific knowledge.

One other tidbit – if Realbuto does move up, I’m guessing we’ll see Chris Dowdy at 157 – took 4th at University Nationals this summer and he’s got Nestor Taffur up at FLWC to roll with – He’ll be very competitive, I think.


Could be an interesting year for the Big Red – and who know, maybe they’ll match up with PSU in the “Cael Bowl”?

 

[april racer]

JTP, I wish I could give you all the inside scoop – but I know nothing other than what’s been posted on the Cornell forum over at WR.com. Interesting that the guy who seems to know the most is a Penn Stater – NitannyKid, who I believe took his team up to Koll’s camp – and Kid isn’t giving much away, although I take it he was impressed with the guys he saw.

I’m a little surprised Cornell doesn’t seem to be on anybody’s radar as a top 5 team (or better?) this year; they return most of the guys from their top 5 team last year (losing only Villalonga and Bennett) and they add a pretty nice “greyshirt” class coming in – Macri, Gallasso, Koll, Chavez, Womack, Artiglierre(sp?) and Sweany. This is going to be a REALLY deep team, but as Rob said end of last year – the problem is going to be getting all the talent on the mat! There’s a number of questions about who’s going where, in particular:

- Word out recently is that Garrett and Grey may NOT be moving up
- There is also some speculation that Realbuto WILL be moving up

That said:

1. Who will explode onto the scene more: Dalton Macri at 125 or Joey Galasso at 149?

Good question. Both could have an impact, I think, but Macri may need to wait in the wings a bit if Garrett does stay at 125. With Villalonga gone, I think Gallasso is the guy at 149.

2. Will Will Koll beat out Mark Grey at 141?

Word is Grey may stay at 133, but 141 could end up Grey, Koll, or even Dylan Realbuto (aka, ‘Lil ‘Buto) Dylan had a pretty good showing at National Duals last year.

3. Nahshon's gonna have zero trouble at 133, isn't he?

Again – no one knows for sure if he’s going up! Personally, I think the cut was too much last year, but maybe they’ve got him on a better diet this year?

4. Gabe Dean vs Nate Brown this year: how many, if any, will Nate take from Dean?

Dean was 4-0 vs. Brown last year, combined score of 26-9 – and the gap grew as the season progressed. I think Brown had only one takedown in 4 matches. I know I’m biased, but I don’t see Nate winning any this year vs. Dean.

5. Will Palacio play soccer first semester again? (or was that Realbuto?)

That was Palacio (who has a brother who played professional soccer, BTW) - word out of Ithaca is no soccer for Palacio this year.

6. Will J Taylor or S Congenie be the guy to end the post-Simaz 197 hole? (or neither)

Could be Taylor, Congenie, or Scott – I’m leaning toward Jake (I think long term he’s got the most upside), but no specific knowledge.

One other tidbit – if Realbuto does move up, I’m guessing we’ll see Chris Dowdy at 157 – took 4th at University Nationals this summer and he’s got Nestor Taffur up at FLWC to roll with – He’ll be very competitive, I think.


Could be an interesting year for the Big Red – and who know, maybe they’ll match up with PSU in the “Cael Bowl”?

I think that last part will be answered on Feb 7th.

 

[amalone]

I would love to see WORLD DOMINATION start early. Nico winning a National Championship would bring a whole new level of joy of being an observer of a superstar talent from the time he hit a Penn State mat. The wins over Zach Sanders and Frank Perelli at Nationals as a true freshman will always stick in my mind as well as sticking Jesse Delgado.

Mac... The huge wins over Kyle Snyder and J'Den Cox could give him the confidence to get to the top of the podium. He has all the skill to beat the elite of his weight class. I know it's all between the ears for Mac. Does he go out aggressive as he did at Big Ten's or go out dueling to 1-0 wins or 1-0 losses.

I can't wait to see Zain... bring pain to the 149lb weight class. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he wins a title.

And the Nolf, Nevils and Nickal will NOT disappoint in their 1st campaigns. I expect not to be shocked by their success. Nolf will have Nico success, with Nevils and Nickal being All-American's.

And I want to see Jimmie Gulibon get to the next level. He's good enough, has so much god given talent to be a force at 133 and I hope the added muscle at 141 keeps him in the hunt to make it to the semi's at Nationals and let it all hang out.

 

[jtothemfp]

JTP, I wish I could give you all the inside scoop – but I know nothing other than what’s been posted on the Cornell forum over at WR.com. Interesting that the guy who seems to know the most is a Penn Stater – NitannyKid, who I believe took his team up to Koll’s camp – and Kid isn’t giving much away, although I take it he was impressed with the guys he saw.

I’m a little surprised Cornell doesn’t seem to be on anybody’s radar as a top 5 team (or better?) this year; they return most of the guys from their top 5 team last year (losing only Villalonga and Bennett) and they add a pretty nice “greyshirt” class coming in – Macri, Gallasso, Koll, Chavez, Womack, Artiglierre(sp?) and Sweany. This is going to be a REALLY deep team, but as Rob said end of last year – the problem is going to be getting all the talent on the mat! There’s a number of questions about who’s going where, in particular:

- Word out recently is that Garrett and Grey may NOT be moving up
- There is also some speculation that Realbuto WILL be moving up

That said:

1. Who will explode onto the scene more: Dalton Macri at 125 or Joey Galasso at 149?

Good question. Both could have an impact, I think, but Macri may need to wait in the wings a bit if Garrett does stay at 125. With Villalonga gone, I think Gallasso is the guy at 149.

2. Will Will Koll beat out Mark Grey at 141?

Word is Grey may stay at 133, but 141 could end up Grey, Koll, or even Dylan Realbuto (aka, ‘Lil ‘Buto) Dylan had a pretty good showing at National Duals last year.

3. Nahshon's gonna have zero trouble at 133, isn't he?

Again – no one knows for sure if he’s going up! Personally, I think the cut was too much last year, but maybe they’ve got him on a better diet this year?

4. Gabe Dean vs Nate Brown this year: how many, if any, will Nate take from Dean?

Dean was 4-0 vs. Brown last year, combined score of 26-9 – and the gap grew as the season progressed. I think Brown had only one takedown in 4 matches. I know I’m biased, but I don’t see Nate winning any this year vs. Dean.

5. Will Palacio play soccer first semester again? (or was that Realbuto?)

That was Palacio (who has a brother who played professional soccer, BTW) - word out of Ithaca is no soccer for Palacio this year.

6. Will J Taylor or S Congenie be the guy to end the post-Simaz 197 hole? (or neither)

Could be Taylor, Congenie, or Scott – I’m leaning toward Jake (I think long term he’s got the most upside), but no specific knowledge.

One other tidbit – if Realbuto does move up, I’m guessing we’ll see Chris Dowdy at 157 – took 4th at University Nationals this summer and he’s got Nestor Taffur up at FLWC to roll with – He’ll be very competitive, I think.


Could be an interesting year for the Big Red – and who know, maybe they’ll match up with PSU in the “Cael Bowl”?

Awesome, thanks man! Sounds like Koll is typically skilled at keeping mat reports largely off the internet. I'll look forward to his preseason letter to Cornell fans. I learned more about their team in that letter last year than I did anywhere else on the internet all year. If you get it, could you come post it or point me in the right direction?

Those weight cuts will be interesting to watch. It'll be a few years yet til Cael, Casey & Cody's kids hit the HS circuit, but we've now got a few big time coaches we can watch for how they treat/integrate their sons into lineups. Koll getting Grey to try 133 again (where the results have been pretty dang poor) when he's got Little Koll available at the higher weight looks an awful lot like Tom Ryan trying to talk Hunter Stieber into going 141 so Jake Ryan can get in at 149. And now John Smith has his son Joe in the 157 mix with Marsteller & Blees out at Stilly. Interesting times.

Nahshon staying at 125 and Realbuto bumping to 165 would both be surprising to me, although I had heard a Buto/Palacio swap kicked around in the past. My memory might be off, but I don't recall Realbuto being very tall or big for his weight. I'm also admittedly in the Leans Toward Bumps over Cuts camp though, so we'll see. Penn State has had some decent success in that area (Taylor, Ruth, Wright) and I expect zPain will have no problem, but the Gulibon bump will really be under scrutiny and we've got an eye on Nolf & Nickal maybe bumping up next year.

Good luck this year, and may the PSU-Cornell home&home come to fruition soon!

 

[Chickenman Testa]

Awesome, thanks man! Sounds like Koll is typically skilled at keeping mat reports largely off the internet. I'll look forward to his preseason letter to Cornell fans. I learned more about their team in that letter last year than I did anywhere else on the internet all year. If you get it, could you come post it or point me in the right direction?

Those weight cuts will be interesting to watch. It'll be a few years yet til Cael, Casey & Cody's kids hit the HS circuit, but we've now got a few big time coaches we can watch for how they treat/integrate their sons into lineups. Koll getting Grey to try 133 again (where the results have been pretty dang poor) when he's got Little Koll available at the higher weight looks an awful lot like Tom Ryan trying to talk Hunter Stieber into going 141 so Jake Ryan can get in at 149. And now John Smith has his son Joe in the 157 mix with Marsteller & Blees out at Stilly. Interesting times.

Nahshon staying at 125 and Realbuto bumping to 165 would both be surprising to me, although I had heard a Buto/Palacio swap kicked around in the past. My memory might be off, but I don't recall Realbuto being very tall or big for his weight. I'm also admittedly in the Leans Toward Bumps over Cuts camp though, so we'll see. Penn State has had some decent success in that area (Taylor, Ruth, Wright) and I expect zPain will have no problem, but the Gulibon bump will really be under scrutiny and we've got an eye on Nolf & Nickal maybe bumping up next year.

Good luck this year, and may the PSU-Cornell home&home come to fruition soon!

Count me in on counting the days until the Sanderson and Cunningham boys are on the mats at Rec Hall

Just slightly kidding, but seriously Olympic genes run through the Cunningham boys (mom was Olympian and dad was a pretty good athlete himself). And Cael having kids is like Zeus deciding to bring kids into the world. (Still slightly kidding, but really not )

 

[PSUAllTheWay]

As Gulibon found out, college wrestling is a different animal and your past successes don't necessarily translate immediately into college wins. Most here are expecting big things from the PSU freshman and I'm curious to see how they handle the whole scene, the pressures, battle tested veterans, losses, etc. We'll know by January what our chances are for another National Championship and it WILL be determined by what our freshman accomplish.

 

[redblades]

Those weight cuts will be interesting to watch. It'll be a few years yet til Cael, Casey & Cody's kids hit the HS circuit, but we've now got a few big time coaches we can watch for how they treat/integrate their sons into lineups. Koll getting Grey to try 133 again (where the results have been pretty dang poor) when he's got Little Koll available at the higher weight looks an awful lot like Tom Ryan trying to talk Hunter Stieber into going 141 so Jake Ryan can get in at 149. And now John Smith has his son Joe in the 157 mix with Marsteller & Blees out at Stilly. Interesting times.

Jtothemfp, just to be clear - what I'm hearing is that it's Grey who wants to stay at 133... I heard this directly from Grey's dad last year as well; but we'll see.

 

[Blackcat97]

Great thread...
Most interested to see Nickal. Q was one of my favorites and hearing the comparisons on big move ability gets me excited.
Also will be pulling hard for Nico and Mac to go out on top. Two guys who have been a huge part of all the PSU success in recent years. As others have stated, this year has me more excited than any previous year, a lot of questions, but a lot of potential as well.

 

[jschrantz]

Great thread...
Most interested to see Nickal. Q was one of my favorites and hearing the comparisons on big move ability gets me excited.
Also will be pulling hard for Nico and Mac to go out on top. Two guys who have been a huge part of all the PSU success in recent years. As others have stated, this year has me more excited than any previous year, a lot of questions, but a lot of potential as well.

What an interesting year, there are also guys like Cassar and Cenzo I can't wait to see in Open tournaments as well. I don't remember a year like this one as far as intrigue.

 

[Hotshoe]

For me it's gotta be Mega man. He's been screwed by guys that don't wrestle and refs. He deserves a NC. Let's go Mega man! He has no quit.

 

[Nitfan]

There are a surprising number of storylines on this year's PSU roster.

I'll give a very brief synopsis of the stories with the projected starters, to start the discussion. Tell me/everyone else which of the guys you are most looking forward to seeing, and why.

125: Nico - 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, and then a redshirt last year. 125 is pretty loaded this year. This is his last shot

133: Conaway - 8th last year at 125. How will he handle the bigger guys. Also his last shot

141: Gulibon - 5th last year at 133. Had trouble as a RS fresh with bigger guys. How does he handle the bigger guys at 141.

149: Retherford - an amazing true freshman campaign in 2014, where he defeated Stieber, then lost to Stieber and Port at Nationals to finish 5th. A RS last year, and now moving up a weight class

157: Nolf - redshirted as a true freshman, but did very well in tournaments. This will be his 1st real action in a PSU singlet

165: ???? - the biggest question mark on the lineup. Will it be Hammond, who had an up and down season as a RS fresh? Will it be Cody Law, who got some opportunities as a RS fresh, but seemed to be behind Hammond? Will it be Zack Beitz, who did pretty well at 149, but is now looking for a spot in the lineup? Will it be Shakur Rasheed, who was coming off of surgery as an incoming fresh, so didn't have a lot of opportunities in Opens?

174: Nickal - also did well as a true freshman at Opens before getting injured.

184: McCutcheon - was inconsistent during the regular season, but had a nice B1G tourney, and went 2-2 at NCAAs including taking out the #3 seed in R2.

197: McIntosh - had a good regular season and postseason last year. Was seeded #2 at NCAAs, but got upset by Conner Hartmann in the quarters, then defeated J'Den Cox in the consolation semis before taking 3rd. Also his last shot.

285: Nevills - good reports on him from the room as a true fresh, then a nice run at the Scuffle before he broke his foot. The injury set him back in his development. Like Nolf and Nickals, and possibly Rasheed, this will be his 1st real action in a PSU singlet.

So which wrestler are you most looking forward to seeing, or which storyline do you find most appealing, etc.? No right or wrong answers -- just interested to see what many of you are thinking.

Rasheed will surprise this year !!

 

[lionlover]

Count me in on counting the days until the Sanderson and Cunningham boys are on the mats at Rec Hall

Just slightly kidding, but seriously Olympic genes run through the Cunningham boys (mom was Olympian and dad was a pretty good athlete himself). And Cael having kids is like Zeus deciding to bring kids into the world. (Still slightly kidding, but really not )

LOL, I didn't give you a like...because I LOVED that post!

 

[lionlover]

Awesome, thanks man! Sounds like Koll is typically skilled at keeping mat reports largely off the internet. I'll look forward to his preseason letter to Cornell fans. I learned more about their team in that letter last year than I did anywhere else on the internet all year. If you get it, could you come post it or point me in the right direction?

Those weight cuts will be interesting to watch. It'll be a few years yet til Cael, Casey & Cody's kids hit the HS circuit, but we've now got a few big time coaches we can watch for how they treat/integrate their sons into lineups. Koll getting Grey to try 133 again (where the results have been pretty dang poor) when he's got Little Koll available at the higher weight looks an awful lot like Tom Ryan trying to talk Hunter Stieber into going 141 so Jake Ryan can get in at 149. And now John Smith has his son Joe in the 157 mix with Marsteller & Blees out at Stilly. Interesting times.

Nahshon staying at 125 and Realbuto bumping to 165 would both be surprising to me, although I had heard a Buto/Palacio swap kicked around in the past. My memory might be off, but I don't recall Realbuto being very tall or big for his weight. I'm also admittedly in the Leans Toward Bumps over Cuts camp though, so we'll see. Penn State has had some decent success in that area (Taylor, Ruth, Wright) and I expect zPain will have no problem, but the Gulibon bump will really be under scrutiny and we've got an eye on Nolf & Nickal maybe bumping up next year.

Good luck this year, and may the PSU-Cornell home&home come to fruition soon!

jto- VERY interesting point on coaches and their children!