Penn State wrestling is back, folks.

The Nittany Lions will open their season against Bloomsburg on Thursday at Rec Hall. Despite the dual’s proximity, fans are still somewhat in the dark about which wrestlers will actually take the mat.

After head coach Cael Sanderson addressed the media Tuesday and shared a lot about how this year’s roster will shake out, let’s see who in the lighter weight classes has the best odds of facing the Huskies in the season opener.

125 Pounds: Luke Lilledahl

This one’s pretty easy. Luke Lilledahl is a reigning NCAA champion coming off a perfect 25-0 season. His only loss came to his own teammate Nate Desmond in the Army Black Knight Invitational last November.

With Desmond moving up out of the 125-pound weight class, Lilledahl has an uncontested path to the starting lineup.

133 Pounds: Nate Desmond

Speaking of Desmond, it’s likely he’ll be the one to see action at 133 pounds to open the season. It’s rumored he lost the wrestle-off to Masanosuke Ono, but Ono has an ongoing eligibility case, so it’s still up in the air if we’ll see him early in the season.

Sanderson said it’s “possible” Ono wrestles Thursday as well, but nothing is set in stone.

Marcus Blaze, last year’s starter at this weight, was confirmed Tuesday to be moving up to 141 pounds, so expect plenty of action from both Desmond and Ono this year once the eligibility case settles.

141 Pounds: Marcus Blaze

Blaze is likely to see the bulk of the action this year at 141 pounds for Penn State. Coming off a stellar freshman season that saw him go 25-3, Blaze moves up a weight to prepare for the Olympics, where he will likely wrestle at 65 kilograms.

It’s unclear whether Blaze will be eased into his new weight or start right away against Bloomsburg. If Blaze can’t go, Braeden Davis, Cael Nasdeo, or Kyison Garcia will fill the void early in the season.

149 Pounds: Shayne Van Ness

Shayne Van Ness is going to start at 149 pounds. It’s almost a certainty.

Van Ness is a two-time All-American coming off of his first Big Ten title. While Connor Pierce is very capable and will likely see some action this season, Van Ness is locked into the starting spot with little drama.

The senior looks to avenge his lone loss last season in the NCAA Wrestling Championships and aims to ride off into the sunset on top in his final year of eligibility.

157 Pounds: Tyler Kasak

Sanderson confirmed that last year’s 157-pound starter, PJ Duke, will move up a weight class. That clears the path for Tyler Kasak to return to action.

Coming off a redshirt season, Kasak last finished third at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships. The two-time All-American shocked the world as a freshman, winning seven consecutive bouts at the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships to take third place.

Kasak’s return to the Nittany Lion lineup gives them yet another powerhouse. The junior was ranked No. 2 by InterMat ahead of the season.

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