Penn State wrestling fans were curious to see PJ Duke not listed in the team’s starting lineup for Friday night’s season opener against Oklahoma at the Bryce Jordan Center.
When Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson told reporters at Tuesday’s media day that there was a good chance Tyler Kasak would redshirt, that seemed to signal that Duke would start at that weight as a true freshman.
But it was Joe Sealey, not Duke, who got the start against OU.
The good news for Penn State fans is that Duke will be just fine, and the plan is for him to compete at the Black Knight Invitational Sunday, Nov. 23.
“I think PJ’s first competition plan is for the Black Knight open,” Sanderson told reporters afterwords.
This makes sense considering Duke’s freestyle schedule.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.He wrestled in three world championships: U20, U23 and, most impressively, Senior Worlds, which he qualified for just after graduating from high school.
Duke grew up watching guys like Nolf, the current Pan American Champion at 79 KG, and fellow Penn State great Zain Retherford, who won two Hodge Trophies in college and has been a World and Pan American champion. He’s also admired guys such as Dake (another four-time national champ and four-time/reigning world champion) and Vito Arujau, who won a national title for Cornell this past March and is the reigning World Champion at 61 KG.
Whenever he’s done with wrestling, Duke wants to be known as somebody cut from the same cloth.
“That’s the plan,” he told Nittany Sports Now after committing in 2023. “Just be like them and win world titles.”
