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Cael Sanderson Says the 'Best Years Are Still Ahead for Penn State Wrestling'

The Nittany Lions return a loaded lineup in pursuit of their fourth consecutive NCAA wrestling title.

Sam Woloson

The Penn State Nittany Lions celebrate after winning the NCAA Wrestling Title at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
The Penn State Nittany Lions celebrate after winning the NCAA Wrestling Title at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. / Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State wrestling is pursuing its fourth straight national championship this season, as Cael Sanderson looks to continue the Nittany Lions’ dynasty in his 16th season as head coach. Penn State has won 11 titles under Sanderson since 2010 and set NCAA tournament records for scoring and margin of victory last season.

The Nittany Lions boasted eight All-Americans and four national champions last season: Aaron Brooks, Carter Starocci, Levi Haines and Greg Kerkvliet. Three of those champions (Starocci, Haines and Kerkvliet) and seven All-Americans return to Penn State for another season, as does 2023 All-American Shayne Van Ness, who redshirted last season because of an injury. As a result, Penn State is the nation's overwhelming favorite to claim another title at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

“We have a strong team, we’re happy with where we’re at. We still as coaches believe our best years are ahead of us, our best years are still ahead for Penn State wrestling,” Sanderson said Monday at the team's media day. “That’s our job, that’s what we’re excited about. But yeah, we’re really excited about the group of student-athletes we have in the program right now.”

Headlining Penn State’s squad is Starocci, who will go for an unprecedented fifth national championship in NCAA Division I wrestling. Starocci has taken names at 174 pounds over the past four years, posting a 78-4 career record.

This season, Starocci will bump up to 184 pounds. Sanderson said the move made sense for the team and will make it easier for Starocci to focus on wrestling rather than maintaining weight. Even with a new weight class and a massive target on his back, Starocci feels as confident as ever.

“If you’re doing any less than me, I’m gonna go out there and dominate you,” Starocci said. “There’s no way you’re doing more than me because it’s impossible. And if you are, now your body’s overtrained, and I’m still gonna dominate you. So I just feel like there’s no real way around it. So for me, that’s just kind of where I get my confidence from.”

Sanderson, who was a four-time NCAA champion at Iowa State, said he’s confident that the moment won’t be too big for Starocci.

“He’s confident and he’s not going out there trying to sneak by with wins, so he’s always looking at the bigger picture,” Sanderson said. “… I think the process for improvement never really ends, so I don’t think you’ll see a shift in his mindset of trying to hold onto something or trying to not lose.”

Beyond Starocci, there’s shuffling across the Penn State roster. Now at 174 is Levi Haines, who made two NCAA finals at 157 and won the national title in 2024. Replacing Haines at 157 could be Tyler Kasak, who finished third at 149 in the NCAAs. As a true freshman, Kasak became just the ninth wrestler in NCAA history to lose his first tournament match and win seven straight to take third.

Also worth noting is Big Ten champion Braedan Davis’ move from 125 to 133, where he will take over for incumbent starter Aaron Nagao, who is injured. At 125, it appears to be true freshman Luke Lilledahl’s job to lose.

Penn State has stability at 141, where defending runner-up Beau Bartlett will get another stab at an NCAA championship. Bartlett has been elite (third in 2023, second last season) but hasn’t stood atop the podium yet. This year, Sanderson said, “we’re gonna see a really good Beau Bartlett.”

“I don’t think I've hit that breakthrough yet,” Bartlett said. “I know how I’ve been training, I know how I'm feeling, and no one has gotten to see that yet, so I'm excited to show everyone what I’ve been working on.”

Penn State hosts the 2024 NWCA All-Star Classic exhibition Saturday night at Rec Hall, where Bartlett, Van Ness, Kasak, Haines and Starocci will compete. The Nittany Lions open the regular season against Drexel on Sunday at Rec Hall. The nonconference schedule is highlighted by a top-15 dual meet against Missouri in Nashville. The conference schedule includes two duals inside the Bryce Jordan Center against rivals Iowa and Michigan.

“Our room and the culture and the energy has really never been better,” Sanderson said. “We have an outstanding group of kids. … It’s been a really productive, positive offseason for us. We’ve been blessed to be able to really elevate our program in the last six months, and that’s what we’re gonna keep doing.”

More Penn State Wrestling

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Sam Woloson has covered Penn State Athletics for the past three years and is currently the managing editor of The Daily Collegian. His work has also appeared in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Huntingdon Daily News and Rivals. Follow him on X @sam_woloson

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Sam Woloson
SAM WOLOSON

Sam Woloson has covered Penn State Athletics for the past three years and is currently the managing editor of The Daily Collegian. His work has also appeared in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Huntingdon Daily News and Rivals. Follow him on X @sam_woloson

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