The time has come to cap an unbelievable season for the Penn State wrestling team. In yet another undefeated regular season and Big Ten team championship, the Nittany Lions are set to take on the NCAA Championships. Penn State has won 11 out of the last 13 national titles, including three straight.

In an extensive season full of ups and downs, we’ve compiled our predictions for the 2025 NCAA Championships.

125 Pounds: Luke Lilledahl

Peyton Stagliano: Second Place

True freshman Luke Lilledahl had an impressive run in the Big Ten tournament, which has made him a strong contender for the national championship title. While Lilledahl was only a No. 4 seed in the Big Ten tournament, he still managed to pull out two impressive wins over Matt Ramos of Purdue and Caleb Smith of Nebraska, who were both seeded ahead of him. After Lilledahl’s defeat over Ramos, not a single wrestler in the 125-pound weight class remains undefeated, which leaves a lot of questions regarding who will be crowned the 125-pound national champion.

Lilledahl has clearly become more confident as the season progresses, making him a likely candidate. There is potential that Lilledahl could meet Caleb Smith for a third time this season in the quarterfinals. If they meet again, I think Lilledahl’s lightning-quick speed and confidence will be enough for him to get his third victory over Smith and advance to the semifinals. There is also a strong chance that Lilledahl will come face-to-face with Ramos for a rematch in the championship bout. However, I believe Ramos will come out on top this time. It will be a close match, but Ramos will likely be out for revenge as Purdue hopes to end their 33-year individual national champion drought. Ramos also has more experience competing at nationals as a redshirt senior.

Brendan Wagner: First Place

“Lightning” Luke Lilledahl received a favorable draw from his No. 1 seed in this year’s 125-pound bracket. The true freshman shares his side of the bracket with three former opponents he faced throughout the season, including No. 20 Brendan McCrone of Ohio State and No. 12 Dean Peterson of Rutgers, who make up Lilledahls’s two losses. Lilledahl’s first-round match could potentially come against a Big Ten opponent in Caleb Weinad of Michigan State, however, the two have not matched up so far this season.

As the Nittany Lion advances in the bracket, you can look forward to a potential third match against No. 9 Caleb Smith of Nebraska, coming off his second defeat against Lilledahl in the Big Ten championship finals earlier this month. Beyond that, key matchups to look out for would be No. 5 Richard Figueroa of Arizona State in the quarterfinals and No. 4 Vincent Robinson of NC State in the semifinals, both strong wrestlers in the weight class that Lilledahl has yet to face. In the end, you can expect Lilledahl to square off against No. 2 Matt Ramos of Purdue for the second time, winning again but by a much narrower margin than the 12-4 major decision we saw at the Big Ten Tournament.

Cooper Cazares: First Place

If you know me, nothing would make me happier than to see “Lightning” Luke Lilledahl win the national championship. The freshman star has taken the college wrestling scene by storm as he went 19-2 in his first season with 13 bonus point victories. After taking home the Big Ten title, Lilledahl seems to be firing on all cylinders and primed for a national championship run.

Lilledahl, the No. 1 seed, will face some familiar foes in his side of the bracket if all goes according to plan. Nebraska’s Caleb Smith drew the No. 9 seed and could face the Nittany Lion in the quarterfinals for a Big Ten title rematch. Additionally, Lilledahl could face Rutgers’ Dean Peterson and Ohio State’s Brendan McCrone in the semifinals. Both wrestlers beat the Nittany Lion in the regular season. In a more probable scenario, keep an eye out for Lilledahl to take on the No. 4 seed Vincent Robinson of NC State in the semifinals before a rematch with Purdue’s Matt Ramos in the championship finals. Although Lilledahl had his way with the Boilermaker at the Big Ten tournament, expect this match to come down to the wire.

133 Pounds: Braeden Davis

Peyton: Seventh Place

At 133 pounds, Penn State has No. 8 seeded Braeden Davis. The Nittany Lion had a mediocre run in the Big Ten tournament where he finished fourth, which is consistent with his regular season matches. Davis consistently dominated in matches where he was favored, yet he struggled to come out on top against his more competitive opponents. It is important to mention that Davis had a few challenges this season, including going up a weight class and being sidelined for multiple matches due to injury.

All things considered, I think Davis has a questionable run ahead of him in the NCAA Championships. Davis is likely to meet Braxton Brown of Maryland on Thursday night, which would be their second time going head-to-head this season. Davis defeated Brown 9-7 at the Big Ten tournament, and I think Davis is capable of beating Brown again. If Davis comes out on top, he will likely see Lucas Byrd of Illinois in the quarterfinals. Lucas Byrd is the top seed in the NCAA tournament and has already defeated Davis 7-1 in the regular season. Davis has proven that he struggles as an underdog, and I don’t think this match will be any different. Davis will take a tough defeat in the quarterfinals, which will send him into wrestlebacks.

Brendan: Seventh Place

After a middle-of-the-road performance at Big Tens, Davis was awarded the No. 8 seed in the 133-pound bracket, putting him in a tough spot to wrestle better than his seed throughout the competitive weight class. After his first-round bout, Davis will likely take on No. 9 Braxton Brown of Maryland, a wrestler that he narrowly beat earlier this month with a 9-7 decision at Big Tens. If Davis can get the job done once again against the Terrapin, his next matchup in the quarterfinals would almost certainly be No. 1 Lucas Byrd of Illinois. Byrd got the best of Davis earlier in the regular season with a 7-1 decision, now coming off a Big Ten Championship at the weight class, the fighting Illini is firing on all cylinders, likely knocking Davis out of the championship bracket. 

With the loss in the quarterfinals, Davis would need just one win in the consolation bracket to lock up his first All-American honor, which you can expect. However, with the strength of the bracket and Davis’ track record against those opponents seeded higher than him, the likelihood of the 133-pound wrestler making a deep run in the consolation bracket could be slim, slotting him into seventh place as an All-American.

Cooper: Sixth Place

After taking an unconventional route to a third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships, Braeden Davis drew an unlucky No. 8 seed. The Nittany Lion will most likely face Maryland’s Braxton Brown in the second round, an opponent he beat in a close 9-7 match in the conference championships. After that, the Nittany Lion will run into a buzzsaw known as Lucas Byrd in the quarterfinals. The top seed out of Illinois should defeat Davis with relative ease as he did during their regular season match.

Heading into the consolation bracket, Davis will have an uphill battle. No. 11 seeded Evan Frost out of Iowa State could be a potential first consolation match followed by a consolation quarterfinal of No. 4 seeded Zeth Romney of Cal Poly. Although Davis’ track record as an underdog is not great, I think the Nittany Lion beats Romney to move on to the consolation semifinals against No. 3 seeded Nasir Bailey of Little Rock. He beat Bailey 1-0 at the Journey Classic at the start of the season, but I feel this will end Davis’ run for third place. He’ll lose to No. 6 Connor McGonagle of Virginia Tech in the fifth-place match.

141 Pounds: Beau Bartlett

Peyton: First Place

Despite taking third at the Big Ten Championships, Beau Bartlett has made a lot of progress this season, and it has shown in some of his most recent matches. Bartlett is heavily favored against his first three opponents of the tournament and will likely face Tagen Jamison of Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals. Jamison and Bartlett have never had to face each other, which could potentially make this a highly anticipated match. Jamison had an impressive season where he went 20-4 and was runner-up at the Big 12 Championships. Jamison will be a tough matchup for Bartlett, especially if he comes out aggressive. Bartlett typically has a more defensive style of wrestling, but if he wants to defeat Jamison, he needs to get the first takedown. I think Bartlett will defeat the Cowboy and advance to the semifinals, where he will meet Jesse Mendez for the final time.

This season, Bartlett and Mendez have met three times, including the All-Star Classic. Bartlett currently leads Mendez in matches this season 2-1. Since Bartlett is familiar with Mendez’s wrestling style and can defend him well, I think Bartlett will take one last victory against Mendez to push him through to the finals. There are a few potential opponents that Bartlett could face in the finals, but I believe that opponent will be Brock Hardy of Nebraska. Although Hardy is coming off a Big Ten title, Bartlett has been working toward this moment all season. Bartlett has shown his progression as a wrestler in his two most recent matches against Mendez. I think Bartlett is ready for any challenge he faces in the final and will be able to take home a national title.

Brendan: First Place

With the loss to No. 6 Vance Vombaur of Minnesota, Bartlett’s third-place finish at the conference tournament slotted him in as the No. 2 seed for NCAAs. However, Bartlett seemed to flip a switch after the loss, taking down No. 3 Jesse Mendez of Ohio State in the third-place bout, an opponent who he was previously 1-2 against in all bouts a year ago, beating Bartlett in last year’s Big Ten and NCAA finals.

Heading into this year’s national tournament, Bartlett could face off against both Vombaur and Mendez before the finals, looking to avenge his lone loss of the season against the Boilermaker and win the back-and-forth series against the Buckeye in what would be their final contest on the resilite. After doing both of those things, Bartlett would reach the final against, in my opinion, an uncertain opponent. While the No. 1 seed Brock Hardy of Nebraska is a strong wrestler, I could also see No. 5 Cael Happel of North Carolina beating the Cornhusker for the second time this season to reach the final. No matter what, Bartlett will be driven and hungry in his final NCAA run, and if the Nittany Lion gets his offense going, there will be few to stand in his way.

Cooper: Third Place

After a disappointing end to his last Big Ten Championships, Beau Bartlett hopes to move past his upset loss against Vance Vombaur of Minnesota. The Nittany Lion has been one to leave fans at the edge of their seats in big matches, making it a risky game to bet on the Nittany Lion to win. Despite the close finishes, Bartlett went undefeated in the regular season and has looked the part in most matches thus far.

Unfortunately for Bartlett, the third-place finish at Big Tens slotted him as the No. 2 seed. Not only will the Nittany Lion probably face Oklahoma State’s Tagen Jamison in the quarterfinals but also Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez in the semifinals if he were to win. The Nittany Lion should beat Jamison in a close matchup and face his rival in the semifinals in a rematch of last year’s Big Ten and NCAA final. Bartlett has had Mendez’s number since the Nittany Lion’s loss at the All-Star Classic but I have a gut feeling the Buckeye will best him this time, sending Bartlett into the consolation bracket in heartbreaking fashion. I predict Bartlett wins his consolation semifinal in a close match and then match up with Navy’s Josh Koderhandt in the third-place match.

149 Pounds: Shayne Van Ness

Peyton: Third Place

Shayne Van Ness comes into the tournament as the No. 3 seed after taking third in the Big Ten Championships. Van Ness seems to have a pretty clear path for his first two matches, where he will face Gabe Willochell of Wyoming and then either Chance Lamer of Cal Poly or Andrew Clark of Rutgers. Van Ness has already defeated these three wrestlers in a fairly dominant fashion. This puts Van Ness in the quarterfinals, where he will likely take on Lachlan McNeil, an All-American from North Carolina. With this being an unfamiliar opponent for Van Ness, it will certainly be his first true test of the tournament. I think Van Ness will manage to get a victory over McNeil, which will leave him with an even harder challenge.

I predict Van Ness will meet Ridge Lovett of Nebraska in the semifinals. Van Ness has already fallen to Lovett this season in a 10-2 major decision. While I believe it will be a closer match than the previous one, I think Van Ness will struggle against Lovett and take his first defeat of the tournament. This will place Van Ness in the match for third place where he will likely take on either Kyle Parco of Iowa, or Paniro Johnson of Iowa State. Van Ness and Parco have already faced off this season, and twice in previous seasons. Van Ness was victorious in all three matches, making him highly favorable if the two meet up again.

Brendan: Third Place

After taking yet another early loss at Big Tens, Van Ness was given the No. 3 seed in the 149-pound bracket, awarding him a rather favorable draw. Van Ness will be first tested in the quarterfinal when he is likely to take on No. 6 Lachlan McNeil of North Carolina, who Van Ness has never wrestled against. Predicting Van Ness to win the bout, he would likely take on No. 2 Ridge Lovett of Nebraska in the semifinals. Unfortunately for Van Ness, a 10-2 major decision loss earlier this season does not bode well for his success against the Cornhusker, dropping the bout and getting sent into the consolation bracket.

If Van Ness would lose in the semifinals, he would drop straight into the third-place bout, likely against No. 5 Kyle Parco of Iowa or No. 4 Paniro Johnson of Iowa State. While Van Ness has not wrestled Johnson, the Nittany Lion stomped Parco in the regular season by way of a 17-6 major decision, shedding light on Van Ness as the favorite in the third-place bout.

Cooper: Second Place

The 149-pound weight class has its fair share of contenders this season. Undefeated Caleb Henson out of Virginia Tech and Ridge Lovett out of Nebraska seem to be the two favorites after Lovett’s Big Ten title win. Shayne Van Ness has been in the mix with Lovett and Kyle Parco of Iowa for the entirety of the regular season, splitting the matchups.

Van Ness seems to have a clear shot to the semifinals barring any upsets from happening. Although No. 6 Lachlan McNeil of North Carolina is poised to be a tough opponent in the quarterfinals, I predict Van Ness majors the Tar Heel. Next, the Nittany Lion will likely face Lovett for the first time since his major decision loss in the regular season. Although the Cornhusker has looked good throughout the Big Ten Championships, I was surprised to see his lack of production in his finals matchup against Kannon Webster of Illinois who is 14-6 on the season. For this reason, I think Van Ness gets his revenge in a close match with the Big Ten champion, moving him forward to the finals against Henson. The Hokie has been dominant this season and will continue that momentum into first place, leaving Van Ness as the runner-up.

157 Pounds: Tyler Kasak

Peyton: First Place

Despite going up two weight classes this season, Tyler Kasak has been a beast on the mat. Kasak dominated at the Big Ten Championships, defeating Brandon Cannon of Ohio State by an astounding 12-2 major decision. As the No. 1 seed, Kasak should easily advance to the quarterfinals, where I predict he will match up against Joey Blaze of Purdue. Blaze is a dangerous competitor and has yet to wrestle Kasak. However, I think this will bode well for the Nittany Lion, as his strength and stamina are difficult for first-time competitors to keep up with.

If Kasak advances to the semifinals, we will likely see a Kasak and Cannon rematch. While Cannon is no new face for the Nittany Lion, considering the two only wrestled two weeks ago, Kasak has already proved that Cannon is no match for him. In the finals, Kasak will either take on Meyer Shapiro of Cornell or Antrell Taylor of Nebraska. Regardless of who Kasak faces, he has been a commanding force this season in the 157-pound weight class, and I don’t think there is anyone truly capable of stopping him from winning a national title.

Brendan: First Place

After a dominant run in the Big Ten Championships, Kasak received the No. 1 seed and is poised to make a title run in his second year at nationals. As you may know, Kasak took an early loss at nationals last year, wrestling back an unprecedented seven straight matches to take third place. This year, if Kasak can avoid a similar loss, you can expect the Nittany Lion to tear through the bracket.

Kasak shares his side of the bracket with only one familiar opponent, No. 5 Brandon Cannon of Ohio State. Kasak defeated Cannon with a 12-2 major decision in the Big Ten championship finals earlier this month. With no true threat before the finals for Kasak, look for him to take on either No. 3 Antrell Taylor of Nebraska or No. 2 Meyer Shapiro of Cornell in the championship. While Kasak has yet to see Shapiro, the Nittany Lion met Taylor at Big Tens where he made short work of the Cornhusker with a fall at 1:18. 

Cooper: First Place

Tyler Kasak has been nothing short of dominant this season including an almost perfect regular season and a Big Ten Championship. Last year’s nationals didn’t go according to plan for the Nittany Lion as he was upset in the first round and, in unheard-of fashion, won seven straight consolation matches to take home third. Barring another upset, Kasak looks to run the table and secure his first NCAA title.

Kasak’s No. 1 seed works well for his chances at a deep tournament run. Arguably the toughest matchup before the finals is Big Ten runner-up No. 5 Brandon Cannon of Ohio State. Kasak defeated the Buckeye by major decision in the conference championship so I would expect a similar result to occur in the semifinals of this tournament. In the finals, Kasak will look to defeat Cornell’s Meyer Shapiro who went 11-1 this season. To put it simply, Kasak may win every match by bonus point victory.

165 Pounds: Mitchell Mesenbrink

Peyton: First Place

Mitchell Mesenbrink is another Nittany Lion who is a force to be reckoned with. This season, Mesenbrink has won all but one match by bonus points. He loves to score and isn’t afraid to come out strong. As the No. 1 seed, I predict Mesenbrink will coast through to the semifinals, where he will potentially meet former teammate Terrell Barraclough of Utah Valley. The last time Mesenbrink and Barraclough went head-to-head was in the 2023 Black Knight Invitational, where Mesenbrink won in a tight match. Since this match, Mesenbrink has only continued to improve as a wrestler, which I think will help him advance to the finals.

In the championship, there are a few possibilities for who Mesenbrink could face, including Michael Caliendo of Iowa and Beau Mantanona of Michigan. Neither of these opponents will be easy, but Mesenbrink excels at scoring quickly, leaving little room for his opponents to adjust.

Brendan: First Place

To save a few words, Mesenbrink will completely dominate the 165-pound bracket. Sitting as one of the most dominant pound-for-pound wrestlers in the country, the No. 1 seed will rack up a handful of bonus point victories on his way to a title. For fun, expect to see four tech falls and one major decision from the sophomore.

One potential match to look for would be Mesenbrink going up against No. 4 Terrell Barraclough in the semifinals. Barraclough, a four-year Penn State wrestler before his transfer at the beginning of this season, has put together quite the resume in his final collegiate season at Utah Valley, making for an interesting matchup before the finals.

Cooper: First Place

In no way, shape, or form should Mesenbrink come close to losing a match in this year’s national championship. The Nittany Lion has been unbelievably dominant this season as he went 22-0 with 16 tech falls. Nobody in the Big Ten including No. 3 Michael Caliendo of Iowa was up to the task this year. I would vote for Mesenbrink to beat out Minnesota’s Gable Steveson for this year’s Hodge Trophy.

As for the bracket, Mesenbrink’s only interesting matchup before the finals should be against Utah Valley’s Terrell Barraclough, a former teammate at Penn State. After that, Mesenbrink will turn his attention to West Virginia’s Peyton Hall who went 30-1 this season. Mesenbrink leaves this tournament with a national championship and Hodge Trophy after five straight tech falls.

174 Pounds: Levi Haines

Peyton: First Place

No. 2 Levi Haines is a major contender for the national title, but he does have a difficult road ahead of him. Haines could potentially meet Dean Hamiti of Oklahoma State in the semifinal bout, which would be a major test for Haines. While Hamiti is strong on the attack, Haines has proven to have a very poised approach on the mat. I think Haines can handle whatever Hamiti throws at him, but the real question is if he can handle the top-seeded Keegan O’Toole of Missouri. Although O’Toole defeated Haines earlier this year by a score of 4-1 in sudden victory, O’Toole struggled against Hamiti in the Big 12 finals. Haines is a strong wrestler, and with one match against O’Toole under his belt, I think this is Haines’s chance to pull off an upset.

Brendan: Second Place

Along with many teammates up and down the lineup, Haines has been on a tear so far this season, collecting bonus point win after bonus point win with eight pins under his belt. Similar to Mesenbrink, Haines should be a straight shot into the finals where he will more than likely take on No. 1 Keegan O’Toole of Missouri. O’Toole notably defeated Haines by a 4-1 decision in sudden victory earlier this year, so expect the rematch to be close.

While the bout can go either way, I would rather bet low and be wrong, than call for a win and watch a loss. Haines vs. O’Toole in the 174 finals is a frontrunner for the bout of the weekend.

Cooper: First Place

Levi Haines has put together a great season racking up a 20-1 record with 13 bonus point victories. The junior is up two weight classes after securing his first national championship last season at 157 pounds. This clearly hasn’t slowed him down as he pinned eight opponents this season.

The Nittany Lion will have a straight shot to the semifinals without much resistance. In the semifinal, Haines will have a great matchup with Oklahoma State’s Dean Hamiti, who is up from 165 pounds last season. I predict a one or two-point victory for the Nittany Lion before meeting up with the top-seeded and undefeated Keegan O’Toole of Missouri. Haines lost a sudden victory bout with O’Toole in the Journeyman Classic at the beginning of the season so this will surely be one of the best matchups of the tournament. Levi Haines gets his revenge in this one and secures his second straight national championship.

184 Pounds: Carter Starocci

Peyton: First Place

If there is one wrestler who won’t stop until he gets what he wants, it would be Carter Starocci. As he attempts to make history and walk away with a fifth national title, there is very little to stand in his way. Starocci will have his first tests in the semifinals, where he could potentially take on either Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State or Bennett Berge of South Dakota State. With this being Starocci’s first year in the 184-pound weight class, he has yet to face either of these opponents.

With Starocci on the hunt to make history, I think he will find himself competing against Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa for a second time this season. Starocci took down Keckeisen, who was previously ranked No. 1 at 184 pounds, earlier this year at the NWCA All-Star Classic. It wasn’t an easy defeat for Starocci, as the match went into sudden victory. However, Starocci knows what he wants, and that is a fifth national title.

Brendan: First Place

Will Starocci achieve a feat never seen before in Division I wrestling and a feat that will likely never be achievable again? Short answer, yes. Starocci is once again undefeated in the regular season, up a weight class, and competing much closer to 100% than last season when he suffered a lower leg injury, sidelining him from the Big Ten tournament, resulting in a tough bracket run. Although, you know how that ended.

This year, Starrocci has looked bigger, faster, and stronger throughout his final season wrestling for the blue and white, amassing a handful of tech falls and major decisions along the way. In his final tournament run, look out for a potential semifinal match against a tough No. 4 Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State. However, in my pick of a bout of the weekend, all signs point to Starocci facing off against No. 2 Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa in the finals, a rematch of their exhibition at the NWCA All-Star Classic at the beginning of the season. In the exhibition bout, not adding to either wrestler’s records, Starocci took down Keckeisen by way of a 4-1 decision in sudden victory.

Now that Starocci has wrestled an entire season at his new weight class, another victory over Keckeisen seems likely, awarding Starocci an unfathomable fifth national championship.

Cooper: First Place

After unsurprisingly going undefeated once again in the regular season, Carter Starocci went to sudden victory against freshman Max McEnelly of Minnesota to claim his third Big Ten title. Despite the close match, Starocci has been nothing short of dominant in his last season at Penn State. As the Nittany Lion embarks on his journey for a historical fifth national title, he’ll need to maneuver a fantastic 184-pound weight class.

Starocci should run unopposed until a great matchup with Oklahoma State’s Dustin Plott. The Cowboy went 18-4 this season as one of the team’s leaders losing to Northern Illinois’ Parker Keckeisen. After his semifinal bout, expect the Nittany Lion to face Keckeisen for the first time since their bout at the NWCA All-Star Classic where Starocci won in sudden victory. This is a matchup everyone wants to see again as this will be the final match of Starocci’s legendary career. Starocci wins again in a final victory to claim his fifth national championship — a feat no other wrestler may complete ever again.

197 Pounds: Josh Barr

Peyton: Third Place

No. 4 Josh Barr has made a name for himself this season as a freshman with only three losses on the season. Unfortunately, Barr had a rough go in the Big Ten Championships where he was forced to medically forfeit his 5th-place bout due to injury. However, according to coach Cael Sanderson, Barr is ready to compete this weekend. The Nittany Lion is another Penn State wrestler who will have a tough road to a national title. Barr could potentially face Camden McDanel of Nebraska or Trey Munoz of Oregon State earlier on. With not much information regarding Barr’s injury, it is difficult to determine if it will affect him in any of his earlier matches.

Predicting that Barr will advance to the quarterfinals, he will only continue to be challenged. Barr will likely wrestle either Michael Beard of Lehigh or Stephen Little of Little Rock. Neither wrestler will go down without a fight, but Barr has already defeated them both earlier this season. If Barr can pull off another victory, he will move on to the semifinals and potentially take on Jacob Cardenas of Michigan. Barr and Cardenas have already competed against each other twice this season, both taking a match. It is still unpredictable how Barr’s injury will affect him, and his match against Cardenas could be where we finally see that injury come into play.

Brendan: Third Place

Even though head coach Cael Sanderson said Barr will be “ready to scrap” at the beginning of the national tournament, it is worth the assumption that the Nittany Lion will not be wrestling at 100%. In an eerily similar fashion to Starocci’s postseason last year, Barr suffered a lower-body injury at the Big Ten tournament, not allowing him to wrestle his final two bouts, slotting him into the No. 4 seed at nationals.

From the No. 4 seed, Barr will have a tough road to the finals, likely coming across No. 5 Michael Beard of Lehigh in the quarterfinals and No. 1 Jacob Cardenas in the semifinals. While Barr will narrowly get past Beard, his bumps and bruises may catch up to him in his bout against Cardenas, dropping him into the consolation bracket.

However, expect Barr to want to finish out the tournament despite any lingering injuries, wrestling for and winning third-place honors against someone like No. 3 AJ Ferrari.

Cooper: Second Place

Josh Barr has surpassed all expectations in his first season as the 197-pound starter. The redshirt freshman went 16-3 and beat No. 1 seeded Jacob Cardenas of Michigan in the regular season. After a frightening sight in the Big Ten consolation semifinals where Barr had to be helped off the mat with an apparent leg injury, he injury defaulted into a sixth-place finish.

As the No. 4 seed, Barr will be fighting an uphill battle in the NCAA Championships. His first test will come from No. 5 Michael Beard of Lehigh who went 20-1 this season. If Barr’s health can hold up, he will have to take down Cardenas in the semifinals. If Barr is truly “ready to scrap” as head coach Cael Sanderson said Monday, I’m tempted to gamble that he could pull off the upset and improve to the finals. It would come down to Barr and Stephan Buchanan of Iowa, an opponent that beat the Nittany Lion in the regular season. This is an upset I can’t get behind as Buchanan has been outstanding all season. Barr places second in his first-ever national championships.

285 Pounds: Greg Kerkvliet

Peyton: Second Place

After dominating as a heavyweight last season, Greg Kerkvliet has seemingly been stopped by the return of Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson. Kerkvliet and Steveson battled each other for the third time in the Big Ten finals, where Kerkvliet fell in a 10-3 decision. The Nittany Lion has yet to beat Steveson, and it doesn’t look like it will be happening anytime soon. Kerkvliet should have some competitive matches where he could potentially meet Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State in the semifinals. Kerkvliet has consistently ruled over other opponents, but Steveson seems to be that one opponent that he can’t seem to conquer.

Brendan: Second Place

Unfortunately, the 285-pound weight class has been a race for second place.

With the return of Gable Steveson, the odds of Kerkvliet going back-to-back at nationals dwindled. Despite the Nittany Lion’s regular season dominance, Kerkvliet’s lackluster performance against Steveson in the Big Ten finals gave a taste of what we can expect at the national tournament, placing Kerkvliet as the No. 3 seed this upcoming weekend.

Kerkvliet will be tested early in a potential semifinal match against No. 2 Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State. Kerkvliet defeated Hendrickson two years ago in the 2023 NCAA national championships with a 4-2 decision, since then, their paths have yet to cross. While Kerkvliet may get through the Air Force transfer in the semifinals, an impending collision against Steveson in the finals will likely end his tournament run and college career.

Cooper: Second Place

Greg Kerkvliet may have conquered the heavyweight class last season, but Gable Steveson made his surprise return to the college scene this season. All hopes for a second-straight title went down the drain for the Nittany Lion as he fell to the Gopher at the Big Ten Championships.

As the No. 3 seed, Kerkvliet will take on No. 2 Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State in the semifinals. This will be a good test before inevitably facing Steveson in the finals. I would be shocked, but if Kerkvliet pulls off this upset, it would go down as one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport.