Penn State wrestling is almost back, folks.

A new season is just over three weeks away for the reigning back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back national champions, and while the offseason isn’t quite over yet — with several wrestlers heading to Kazakhstan for the Senior World Championships next week— Cael Sanderson met with the media on Tuesday to talk about the upcoming season.

Here’s what we heard from Sanderson about the 2026-27 Nittany Lions:

On Lineup Uncertainty

The first of several big questions for the Nittany Lions is how the lineup will shake out.

There’s no uncertainty about Luke Lilledahl at 125, Marcus Blaze at 133, Shayne Van Ness at 149, Rocco Welsh at 184, or Josh Barr at 197, but the other five positions are uncertain, with multiple wrestlers competing for each spot.

“No clarity; obviously, we got several really good wrestlers preparing,” Sanderson said. “We probably won’t announce anything or give any details until our first match.”

That first match, scheduled for Thursday at Rec Hall against Bloomsburg three weeks from now, will be our first taste of what to expect from the 2026-27 Nittany Lions.

On Levi Haines

One lineup hang-up is that Penn State still isn’t sure whether reigning back-to-back national champion at 174 pounds, Levi Haines, will get a fifth year of eligibility.

It’s been a complicated offseason for hundreds of athletes who graduated just before they could take advantage of the five-in-five rule change the NCAA enacted in June. They’ve gone from eligible via preliminary injunction to ineligible via a Court of Appeals stay to selectively eligible based on region and different lawsuits.

At the moment, Haines is ineligible to compete in 2026-27, but the wrestling program hasn’t closed the door on him competing this season.

“[Levi’s] in class right now,” Sanderson said about Haines. “He probably would rather not be in class, but he’s preparing just in case he gets that opportunity.”

It’s unclear whether an active lawsuit involving Haines is being processed or whether he’s waiting for a national ruling to be finalized, but recent cases show players getting a fifth year.

Penn State men’s basketball recently got Josh Reed back after a long summer of separate litigation, while an executive order by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine granted all athletes in his state that extra year of eligibility, which has prompted longtime Ohio State wrestling rival Jesse Mendez to be put back on the Buckeyes’ roster.

“We read about things and see what might change. You just prepare, assuming what could or couldn’t happen,” Sanderson added. “It’s been a pretty wild five years of twists and turns and changes, but everyone is in the same boat and trying to navigate and figure out what they’re doing. We’re preparing, but we don’t know more than anyone else.”

Haines’ uncertainty likely explains why the Nittany Lions haven’t published their 2026-27 roster yet, so they’re hoping for a conclusion sooner rather than later.

When asked about the likelihood of Haines competing, Sanderson gave a noncommittal answer but also took a shot at the NCAA’s bungling of the situation over the last few months.

“I don’t know,” Sanderson said. “It would be nice for college sports if, at some point, the NCAA could enforce rules and have a say in what’s going on right now. It’s kind of wild and kind of embarrassing. What are we doing? What’s the standard? What’s allowed and isn’t?”

Should Haines be ruled eligible, it’ll be an easy adjustment. He’s been training in State College with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club (NLWC) ahead of the Senior World Championships in Kazakhstan later this month, so he’ll be ready to go if something changes.

“Levi’s been preparing for the World Championships in freestyle. If he gets called back to folkstyle, he’s been wrestling folkstyle his whole life; he’ll be good to go,” Sanderson said. “He wishes he was out hunting, but it’s not like we’re calling him back out of the woods. He’s preparing, he’s training, and he’s ready to compete.”

On Masanosuke Ono

Few wrestlers in the sport have more eyes on them in 2026-27 than former world champion freestyler Masanosuke Ono, who’s been with the NLWC for almost two years preparing to compete collegiately at folkstyle.

Sanderson didn’t confirm whether Ono will have a spot in the starting lineup this year, but he had nothing but good words to say about the Japanese phenom.

“He’s been training really hard. You see what you see on social media; he’s just a happy, hard-working, competitive guy. He’s a world-class wrestler,” Sanderson said. “The transition from folkstyle to freestyle isn’t always easy; the transition from freestyle to folkstyle is even more difficult, but he’s gotten really good. He’s very disciplined and diligent in his training, in addition to just being a phenomenal wrestler.”

Sanderson also didn’t share which weight class he’s aiming for this season, citing the team’s frantic offseason with the freestyle tournaments as contributing to the uncertainty.

On Jayden James

No wrestler had a more frantic offseason than Jayden James, the Nittany Lions’ top incoming recruit.

He won silver medals at the U20 World Championships in Slovakia and the U23 World Championships last weekend in Las Vegas, but the biggest storyline might be his and the program’s decision to grayshirt him in 2026-27.

The grayshirt, which will bar James from competing in a Penn State singlet this season, will let him maximize his eligibility in the new five-in-five system, since he’s a year younger than the average incoming freshman. He’ll be able to compete in a clearer lineup picture in 2027-28 with more experience under his belt in a college system.

“With Jayden [James], he’s 18, he’s just a young kid, so we don’t know where he’s going to end up weight class-wise,” Sanderson said. “We’re thrilled to have Jayden coming in. He’s special.”

On Mitchell Mesenbrink, PJ Duke, & Tyler Kasak’s Potential Weights

Penn State continues to wait on Haines’ eligibility, but as it stands, it’ll have to sort out who replaces him at 174.

Could that be the reigning Hodge Trophy winner, Mitchell Mesenbrink? He’s been rumored to be moving up a weight class, alongside PJ Duke, to fit Tyler Kasak into the lineup at 157 pounds. Sanderson said it’s a possibility, depending on the status of Haines.

“That’s a real possibility. We’re still waiting to hear, and each guy knows where they’re going,” he said. “Mitchell’s big and strong, but to me it’s about development and keeping developing, and the weight classes will take care of themselves.”

The trio, who were discussed plenty on Media Day, could all contend for a national title at those respective classes.

“He’s a pretty consistent guy,” Sanderson said about Mesenbrink. “In terms of his training, he doesn’t ever slow down. He’s a guy you’ve got to tell him, ‘Hey, maybe it’s good to take a couple of days off.’ Saw him jump levels last year. He’s a never-satisfied kind of guy.”

“It was tough redshirting Tyler [Kasak] last year because he’s such a competitor,” he said about Kasak. “He’s a big match guy. He’s just a fun guy to have in the lineup and fun to watch wrestle; he’s just a tough kid. It’s nice to have him back.”

On The Mirasola Twins

Maybe the most clarity we got on Media Day came from the heavyweight position, where Sanderson confirmed that there will in fact, be a battle for the main event spot in the wrestling lineup.

Incumbent starter Cole Mirasola is coming off a solid season, but one marked by inconsistency and a failure to earn All-American honors. His twin brother, Connor, backed up Barr last season at 197 and did great early in the season when the future national champion missed time with a rib injury.

But Connor Mirasola has competed at heavyweight in freestyle tournaments over the last year. Since we last saw him on the mat in folkstyle last December, he’s been wrestling well above where he would have to cut to make 197 this year, so the coaching staff is deciding to have the two twins compete for a starting spot.

“Connor doesn’t see himself as a depth guy; he wants to be a national champion, and he’s right there,” Sanderson said. “He’s moved to heavyweight; he wrestled heavyweight last spring, so he’s not wrestling [197 pounds] this year.

If any weight class could have an open battle deep into non-conference play, it’s this battle between brothers. Imagine the bragging rights for whoever wins.

“Those guys gotta be pushing each other as brothers. They care more about one another than about their own success, which is what brothers do,” Sanderson added. “They’re both big boys and getting better, helping each other by pushing each other.”