As Penn State wrestling head coach Cael Sanderson has recruited top classes over the years, keeping family within the program is something he’s prioritized.

For this year’s squad, Indiana natives Nick, Joe, and Matt Lee are yet another set of brothers donning singlets for the Nittany Lions.

For senior 141-pounder Nick Lee, having his younger brothers in the room is something he doesn’t take for granted. While some brothers typically butt heads, the Lees use the wrestling room to bring themselves and their team closer.

“I think that having brothers in the room is kind of special for anyone just because it’s your family, and I think it does bring the team that much closer, oddly enough,” Nick said Wednesday.

Nick, the oldest of the three, is currently ranked as the second-best 141-pounder in the country. Now wrestling in his senior year, Nick knows what it’s like to wrestle in the big-time matches and how important experience is to becoming a better wrestler.

“One thing I’ve learned with younger brothers, and just young guys on the team in particular who are also like my younger brothers, is that at the end of the day, they just have to experience things for themselves and learn from it,” Nick said. “And if they do take advice, then that’s like a really good day for me.”

After posting a 14-2 record while wrestling unattached during redshirt year, 165-pounder Joe Lee cracked the starting lineup for this year’s squad. Joe is only a redshirt freshman but is expected to have a big year for the Nittany Lions. He’s ranked No. 6 in the country at his weight class and has a 3-0 record so far.

The youngest of the Lees, Matt, is a former Indiana high school state champion and is learning the ropes as a freshman.

Being able to have both brothers in the same wrestling program has been impactful in different ways for Nick so far this season.

“It’s been pretty cool with both brothers in the room,” Nick said. “Matt is the newest addition and it’s awesome having him around. Joe has been really good, more so than a lot of his life being a young kid, at being receptive.”

Beyond helping each other out in the wrestling room, Nick said he enjoys having his brothers around off the mat, too.

“It’s nice to have brothers as a training partner whether you can get into a wrestling room or not, but aside from that, being in college with your brothers far away from home, it puts things in perspective a little bit,” Nick said.

Nick and Joe currently live with each other in State College, while Matt resides in the dorms. While he typically enjoys having his younger brothers around, Nick said it’s not always fun and games.

“I got one more year until I gotta deal [live] with both of them,” he joked.

With the NCAA granting another year of eligibility to winter sports athletes who compete during the 2020-21 season, we will get another year with all three Lee brothers on the same team.

On Wednesday, Nick said that he plans on taking the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility to come back for one more season with the Nittany Lions.

“I am definitely gonna take that year, I think it would be crazy not to,” Nick said. “NCAA and Big Ten wrestling is something a lot of people don’t get the opportunity to do, so just having another year is just a huge blessing.”