Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson confirmed that one of the team’s starters will be out for the season.
Aaron Nagao suffered a shoulder injury that Sanderson said after Penn State’s win over Rutgers Saturday would “probably” require surgery.
Those words hinted that Nagao wouldn’t be able to wrestle again this season, and Sanderson confirmed it with reporters in his Wednesday availability.
It’s not yet known whether Nagao has wrestled his last match at Penn State, but it’s clear that his career in Happy Valley has, to this point, been marred by bad luck.
After being a national semifinalist at Minnesota in 2023, Nagao came to Penn State and instantly became the team’s starter at 133 pounds. Per Nagao’s Penn State profile, he “battled injury and illness all season long,” so although he competed in 24 bouts for Penn State, he wasn’t fully healthy.
Nagao then missed all of the 2024-25 season with injury, and his 2025-26 campaign was limited to seven matches.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.So now, Braeden Davis, who Penn State had planned to redshirt after a fifth-place finish at last year’s national championships, will be Penn State’s guy at 141.
Davis is in his first season competing at 141, after wrestling at 133 last year and at 125 as a true freshman in 2023-24.
He made his dual meet season debut Saturday against Rutgers’ Tahir Parkins and looked pretty good, winning 18-6 via major decision.
Davis, ranked No. 7 by InterMat, will have a bigger test this Friday in Iowa City, when he takes on No. 11 Nasir Bailey.
Penn State wrestling-Iowa is scheduled to begin at 7 on the Big Ten Network.
