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NCAA Wrestling – Pre-Season Power Rankings – Can anyone compete with Penn State?

By Chris Snyder

Mar 19, 2022; Detroit, MI, USA; The Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling team poses with the trophy after taking first place at the NCAA Wrestling Championships at Little Cesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2022; Detroit, MI, USA; The Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling team poses with the trophy after taking first place at the NCAA Wrestling Championships at Little Cesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Penn State’s Aaron Brooks, left, celebrates after scoring a decision against Michigan’s Myles Amine at 184 pounds in the finals during the sixth session of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Saturday, March 19, 2022, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich.220319 Ncaa Session 6 Wr 068 Jpg
Penn State’s Aaron Brooks, left, celebrates after scoring a decision against Michigan’s Myles Amine at 184 pounds in the finals during the sixth session of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Saturday, March 19, 2022, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich.220319 Ncaa Session 6 Wr 068 Jpg /

806. . . . Nittany Lions . 1. team

2022 Dual Meet Record: 17-0
2022 NCAA Finish: 1st (131.5)
Returning All-Americans: 5

133 Roman Bravo-Young (1st)
174 Carter Starocci (1st)
184 Aaron Brooks (1st)
197 Max Dean (1st)
285 Greg Kerkvliet (4th)

Not only do the Nittany Lions return five All-Americans from last season, but they also return four of the five NCAA champions. All-time Penn State great Nick Lee is the only champion who has run out of eligibility.

Penn State will also lose the services of Brady Berge and transfer Drew Hildebrandt, both of which were competitive guys who helped maintain the Nittany Lion wrestling room as the best in the nation.

Robby Howard looks poised to once again claim his spot at 125 following season ending surgery last year, and Beau Bartlett may finally find his perfect home down at 141, now that it has opened up following Lee’s departure.

The top and bottom of Penn State’s lineup was clearly it’s strength last season and this will be the case going into next year. The biggest question marks remain at 149, 157, and 165. Will the Nittany Lion faithful see highly rated recruits Alex Facundo (No. 2 recruit in 2021) or Shayne Van Ness (No. 4 recruit in 2021) lock down any of these spots?

Van Ness appeared in the Clarion Open at 149 (2-0) and Facundo competed in various opens and invitationals at 165 (12-3). Is Levi Haines (No. 9 recruit in 2022) ready to go at 157?

Or are the transfer rumors surrounding Iowa State’s David Carr going to prove to be true?

In all honesty, everything I’ve said in the past four paragraphs probably doesn’t matter and won’t really impact the results for next year. If Cael Sanderson continues to do what he’s already done, and the Nittany Lions stay relatively healthy, there’s no reason to think anyone will knock them off their throne in college wrestling.

And this won’t just be the case for next year or the year after …

dark. Next. The best Nittany Lions to never win an NCAA Wrestling title.

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