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 championships under Sanderson since 2010 and set NCAA tournament records for scoring and margin of victory last season.

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. 2023 All-American Shayne Van NessHe redshirted last season due to injury. As a result, Penn State is the overwhelming favorite in the country to claim another title at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

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

At the head of Penn State’s roster is Starocci, who will make an unprecedented move. fifth national championship Wrestling in NCAA Division I. Starocci has a career record of 78-4 over the past four years at 174 pounds.

Starocci will move up to 184 pounds this season. Sanderson said the move makes sense for the team and will make it easier for Starocci to focus on wrestling rather than maintaining his weight. Starocci feels as confident as ever despite his new weight class and the huge target on his back.

“If you’re doing less than me, I’m going to go out there and dominate you,” Starocci said. “There’s no way you can do more than me because it’s impossible. And if you are, your body is overtrained and I will still dominate you. So I feel like there’s no real way around this. So for me, that’s where I get my confidence from.”

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

“He’s confident and he’s not trying to sneak out there with a win, so he’s always looking at the big picture,” Sanderson said. “…I think the process of improvement never really ends, so I don’t think you’ll see a change in his mentality of trying to hold on to something or trying not to lose it.”

Beyond Starocci, there is some turmoil on Penn State’s roster. Now at 174th is Levi Haines, who made two NCAA finals at 157 and won the national title in 2024. At 157, Haines could be replaced by Tyler Kasak, who finished third at the NCAAs at 149. As a true freshman, Kasak became the ninth wrestler in NCAA history to lose his first tournament match and finish third by winning seven consecutive matches.

Also notable is Big Ten champion Braedan Davis’ move from No. 125 to No. 133, where he replaced injured incumbent starter Aaron Nagao. At 125, freshman Luke Lilledahl looks like a real loser.

Penn State has stability at 141 and defensive back Beau Bartlett will get another shot at the NCAA championships. Bartlett is an elite player (third in 2023, second last season) but has yet to reach the podium. This year, Sanderson said, “We’re going to see some really good Beau Bartlett.”

“I don’t think I’ve reached that breakthrough yet,” Bartlett said. “I know how I train, I know how I feel, and no one has seen that yet, so I’m excited to show everyone what I’ve been working on.”

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

“Our room, our culture and our energy have never been better,” Sanderson said. “We’ve got a great group of kids. … It’s been a really productive and positive season for us. We’ve been very fortunate to really be able to improve our program over the last six months and we’ll continue to do that.”

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