Penn State wrestling won its 80th consecutive match with a shutout versus Northwestern on Sunday, Jan. 18. In preparation for the Nittany Lions' next meeting, against Indiana on Friday, Jan. 23, they welcomed back a familiar face to Happy Valley.
Penn State wrestling's biggest match of the year is set vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Branden Wentzel, a 125-pound and 133-pound competitor on the mat, returns to Penn State as a midseason transfer, according to On3's Greg Pickel. Wentzel was previously part of the blue and white's Class of 2023 as the 175th-ranked wrestler from his class. After a redshirt season and a 3-2 finish at the National Collegiate Open in Feb. 2024, he transferred to Lock Haven. He went 1-8 in the 2024-25 season.
Branden Wentzel transfers to Penn State wrestling in midst of 2025-26 season
According to Pickel, head coach Cael Sanderson said that redshirting wrestlers, if able, is the route he wants to take in order to retain talent for as long as possible. Luke Lilledahl, a sophomore in the 125-pound bout, only has a backup in freshman Nate Desmond. Sanderson said that the adjustment to college wrestling and the Penn State program was going to be challenging. He said he's focused on refining his skills and turning him into the best four-year player he can be.
Now with Wentzel on the roster, though, Desmond can potentially redshirt his true freshman season, add another year of strengthening and building his foundation, and come back better for years to come. Wentzel is not only familiar with collegiate wrestling, but knows the Nittany Lions' program. Wentzel also gives Lilledahl more competition in practice and can be a more reliable backup if Lilledahl cannot compete.
In the 133-pound weight class, Wentzel is one of many backups if needed. Junior Masanosuke Ono and sophomore Kyison Garcia backup freshman Marcus Blaze. Ono is on track to redshirting the 2025-26 season, securing a spot in the lineup for the future instead. While a security depth wrestler in this weight class, Wentzel is still a strong competitor to go up against in practice for this trio while allowing multiple people on the roster — Ono and Desmond, specifically — to redshirt if that's the route Sanderson wants to take them.