FloWrestling has released its early rankings, and as always, Penn State wrestling is well-represented.
The program boasts the No. 1 pound-for-pound wrestler in the country in Mitchell Mesenbrink (165).
Mesenbrink came within a whisker of winning an individual national championship in his first season at Penn State in 2023-24.
He not only finished the job this past spring, he did so without anybody seriously challenging him. The next step for Mesenbrink is the Hodge Trophy (wrestling’s Heisman). Mesenbrink was nominated this spring but lost out to Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson, who won the award, and teammate Carter Starocci, who placed second. Both Hendrickson and Starocci are out of eligibility, which makes Mesenbrink many people’s favorite to be the country’s top overall wrestler.
Photo by Penn State Athletics: Mitchell Mesenbrink
Not far behind Mesenbrink is the man that follows him on the starting lineup, Levi Haines.
Haines is No. 1 at 174 and No. 3 overall.
Contrary to Mesenbrink, Haines won it all in 2024 but didn’t repeat last season, falling to Oklahoma State’s Dean Hamiti in the semifinals.
Hamiti went onto beat Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole in the final. Both Hamiti and O’Toole used their last seasons of eligibility this March.
So Haines is the top returning dog at 174. He’s proven that he can win it all at 157. Now, he’ll have to do the same two weight classes up.
Photo by Penn State Wrestling: Levi Haines
At 157, Tyler Kasak comes it at No. 2 and No. 12 in the pound-for-pound rankings. Kasak is looking for his first national title, having finished third in the past two national championships. A question is whether Kasak will even get the chance to compete for a title. It’s not that Kasak— who entered last year’s championships ranked No. 1– has lost a step. It’s that Penn State has PJ Duke at 157. Duke could well become one of the best wrestlers of all time when all is said and done, as evidenced by the fact that he’s already made a senior World Team having only been out of high school for a month.
Only defending champ Antrell Taylor of Nebraska is ranked ahead of Kasak at 257.
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: Tyler Kasak
Just behind Kasak in the pound-for-pound rankings is Shayne Van Ness. SVN is No. 14 overall and No. 2 in the 149-pound weight class, behind only Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Like Kasak, Van Ness is looking for his first national title, having finished third last season.
Photo by Penn State Athletics: Shayne Van Ness
At 197, Josh Barr is the top dog. Barr, who made it all the way to the national finals last season, is now No. 1, with the guy that beat him, Iowa’s Stephen Buchanan, no longer standing in the way.
But AJ Ferrari is still there.
Not only is the 2021 national champ still competing collegiately, he’s in the Big Ten for the first time ever, having committed to Nebraska last month.
Photo by Penn State wrestling: Josh Barr
Just below Barr at 184 is new Nittany Lions Rocco Welsh.
Welsh is No. 3 in his weight class— not ranked in the pound-for-pound group— having redshirted last season at Ohio State. The season before that, Welsh made it all the way to the NCAA Finals as a true freshman at 174 before falling to Penn State’s Carter Starocci.
Now, Welsh is succeeding Starocci at 184.
At 125, Luke Lilledahl, going into Year 2, is ranked No. 3 at his class. This follows up a successful true freshman campaign in which Lilledahl won the Big Ten and then finished third at the national championships.
Two of Penn State’s projected new starters are also in the rankings. Cole Mirasola, expected to succeed former national champ Greg Kerkvliet at heavyweight, is ranked No. 11 in his class.
Marcus Blaze, America’s top overall Class of 2025 recruit, is ranked No. 12 at 133.
