It looks like Penn State wrestling will have Masanosuke Ono in the fold for the 2026-2027 season.
Not that it was ever really in question.
From Ono’s commitment to Penn State in March 2025, it was only a matter of time before the 2024 Senior World Champion would be in PSU’s starting lineup.
Last season, Ono redshirted. An injury dashed any hopes of his competing without burning his redshirt. But Ono is healthy now, and showed that this past weekend at the All Japan Corporate Wrestling Championships, winning all four matches by tech fall. None of those bouts were particularly close, but Ono’s next match might be a different story.
Ono will be competing at RAF12 in Cleveland Aug. 22. His opponent will be a guy Penn State wrestling fans are already familiar with.
Ohio State’s Ben Davino took on Penn State’s Marcus Blaze at 133 pounds three times last season, losing to Blaze in February’s dual meet at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.But Davino avenged that loss in his return to the BJC at the next month’s Big Ten Championships, then won the season series in Cleveland during the national semifinals.
Now, Davino will be taking on another Penn Stater, this time on the freestyle circuit, and Ono is his name. It remains to be seen whether this is an indicator of the weight at which Ono will compete this winter. Ono’s freestyle weight is 61 KG, which is roughly equivalent to 134 pounds. If this holds, Ono will compete at 133 for Penn State, but there’s always the chance he could bump up to 141.
In any case, Penn State’s 133- and 141-pounders will be Blaze and Ono, in whichever order coach Cael Sanderson and company see fit.
Each of those guys could win a national title.
