UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson appeared for the annual local wrestling media day.
Sanderson discussed topics such as Levi Haines’ eligibility, lineup decisions, Masanosuke Ono, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Marcus Blaze, Tyler Kasak, roster depth and NCAA eligibility changes.
Penn State’s Starting Lineup
Question: Cael, how are you doing? There’s a lot of anticipation for this season, especially regarding a few spots in the lineup. Do you have any clarity at this point about what your lineup will look like, particularly at 141, 157 and 165 pounds?
Cael Sanderson: Yeah, no clarity. Obviously, we have several really good wrestlers preparing.
We probably won’t announce anything or give any details until our first match, I guess.
We’re excited. It’s fun to train and prepare, but it’s more fun to compete.
Levi Haines’ Eligibility Situation
Question: Coach, in all your years of coaching, you’ve probably never had to worry about court cases and legal opinions when it comes to potentially getting a wrestler back in the lineup. Where do things stand? What has that process been like? Are you still holding out hope, or has that ship sailed?
Sanderson: We don’t find out anything any faster than anyone else does. We read about things in the news, and it’s like, “Oh, this has changed, and this might change.”
You just prepare, assuming what could or couldn’t happen.
I think you’re referring to Levi. He’s in class right now. He’d probably rather not be in class.
He’s preparing just in case he gets that opportunity.
We’re just like anybody else. We’re waiting to hear the final word.
It’s been a pretty wild five years of ups and downs, changes, twists and turns. Everyone’s in the same boat, trying to navigate and figure out what they’re doing.
We’re preparing, but we don’t know any more than anybody else.
Why More Lineup Positions Are Up for Grabs
Question: Cael, you mentioned the lineup and different possibilities. It feels like this year, or over the last few years, more teams have questions about their lineups, with more wrestlers battling for spots. Five or six years ago, you knew it would be Zain, Nolf, Mark and Cenzo. Why do you think that’s changed? What about the landscape has made more lineup spots available?
Sanderson: It’s just different.
There’s money, and scholarships are more available now. Top teams are going to have more depth.
For us, you don’t go to Penn State if you’re looking for a guaranteed starting spot. From that standpoint, it doesn’t really change.
Of course, when you’re looking at a kid who could redshirt, and then he’s going to redshirt, and then he’ll be a senior, and now he’s a fifth-year senior, and things change at the last second, that makes things a little tricky.
The whole landscape has changed. You adapt, and you just keep hustling.
You land like a cat. You get knocked down, or something changes, and it’s fine.
Everyone’s in the same boat.
Looking back at all the different changes, obviously NIL, scholarship limitations, roster caps, whatever, everything’s different.
Masanosuke Ono’s Development and Weight Class
Question: Coach, how has Masanosuke Ono performed this offseason? What have you seen from him? Is there a particular weight class he’s targeting, 133 or 141 pounds?
Sanderson: He’s been training really hard.
What you see of him on social media, he’s just a happy, hardworking, competitive guy. He’s a world-class wrestler.
He’s really excited about folkstyle. He’s been preparing for folkstyle for the last couple of years, year and a half, however long he’s been here.
For us, at least before RTCs and things, the transition from folkstyle to freestyle wasn’t always an easy transition.
It’s even more difficult to go from a life of freestyle to folkstyle.
But he’s gotten really good. He’s very disciplined and diligent in his training, in addition to being a phenomenal wrestler.
As far as the weight classes, that’s something we’re still working through.
We have a lot going on. We had a large group of our guys leave today to go to Kazakhstan for the Senior World Championships.
We’re preparing for the college season, but we’re also locked in on what’s next.
What Excites Sanderson About the 2026-27 Season
Question: What are you looking forward to this year that might be different from what you’ve experienced in the past?
Sanderson: It’s always exciting because it’s always a new team.
As a coach, with all the changes, you’re trying to continue adapting, stay ahead of the game the best you can and give your kids the best chance to reach their goals.
That’s the exciting part.
What’s exciting for me is who I work with every day and the coaching staff we have.
We’ve been together a long time. There’s complete love and trust there. It’s probably unique in all of college sports, what we have as a coaching staff.
It’s a special time.
With all the changes and what’s going on, I think our culture is going to be really strong, and it has been strong.
That doesn’t mean everything’s perfect. We’re still working with kids.
But overall, adversity and changes have given us a chance to take our program [forward].
Is This Sanderson’s Most Talented Penn State Team?
Question: With the amount of experience and success returning, do you think this might be the most talented team you’ve ever had at Penn State?
Sanderson: Talent? I don’t know.
Comparing isn’t something you should probably ever do if you’re a coach.
We love our team, and we have a lot of potential.
But we still have the awesome opportunity to go out there and score points when we compete.
That’s what it’s about.
It’s about figuring out where we are in November, getting better and being at our best in March.
That’s what we do.
Mitchell Mesenbrink’s Development After Winning the Hodge Trophy
Question: Mitchell won the Hodge Trophy last year. Does anything about him at this point feel different compared to this time last season?
Sanderson: I wouldn’t say so.
He’s Mitchell. He’s a pretty consistent guy and a ferocious competitor.
The bigger the match, the better he wrestles.
He’s been active. He was playing a part in a movie during the offseason and doing that kind of stuff.
But his training never slows down.
He’s a guy you have to tell, “Hey, Mitch, maybe it would be good to take a couple of days off.”
He’s always trying to get better.
You saw him jump levels last year. He got much better on the mat and turning opponents.
That’s his mindset. He’s a never-satisfied kind of guy.
But he’s Mitchell. He’s pretty dang good.
Penn State’s Culture and Coaching Continuity
Question: With so many returning wrestlers, how has that continuity helped maintain the team’s culture amid changes to eligibility rules and the college wrestling landscape?
Sanderson: Our team is really close.
That’s what I was referring to with the culture. It’s a close group.
Clay Steadman, our general manager, has done a great job.
When you have coaches you trust, and they live what they say, guys like Casey Cunningham, Cody, Nick Lee and all of our staff, it’s just a special place.
This is a special team and a special program in college sports.
We’re grateful to be part of it and to have the support we have from Dr. Kraft, Rick Kaluza, our administration and President Bendapudi.
It’s a good time, and we don’t take any of that for granted.
We know we’re very blessed, and I think our kids know that.
We hope and plan to compete with gratitude.
We have these incredible opportunities to compete at a high level, and it’s exciting.
Injury Updates on Tyler Kasak and Josh Barr
Question: Coach, a couple of wrestlers were banged up during international competition a few months ago, Tyler Kasak and Josh Barr. Can you update us on how they’re doing heading into the college season?
Sanderson: They’re both doing fine.
They were temporary injuries, weeks, not months.
They’ve both been back competing hard for a while.
Marcus Blaze’s Offseason and Potential
Question: What did Marcus Blaze’s offseason look like, and what’s his ceiling after his freshman season?
Sanderson: Blaze is a special human being.
He’s an incredible competitor, whatever he’s doing.
He lives the life. He trains, and he does everything right.
He’s just going to keep getting better.
Obviously, he’s wrestling in Kazakhstan next weekend and has a chance to compete for a world title.
I couldn’t say enough good things about Marcus.
He works so hard. He’s such a good kid and such a competitor.
He’s one of those never-satisfied guys.
He’s one of those guys you’re grateful to have on your team.
Levi Haines’ Training and Potential Return
Question: Cael, I wanted to follow up about Levi. You mentioned he’s in class. How is he working out with you guys in the wrestling room, beyond the wrestling club? What is the likelihood he’ll be able to compete?
Sanderson: I don’t know. I don’t know.
You hear different things.
It would really be nice for college sports if, at some point, the NCAA could enforce rules and have a say in what’s going on.
It’s pretty wild right now. It’s kind of embarrassing, I think.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t know.
But what are we doing here?
What’s the standard? What’s allowed? What isn’t allowed?
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.With Levi, he’s been preparing for the World Championships in freestyle. That’s what he’s been preparing for.
If he gets the call back to folkstyle, he’s been wrestling folkstyle his whole life. He’ll be good to go.
It’s not like he’s out in the woods hunting.
He wishes he were out in the woods hunting every day, and he is when he can.
But it’s not like we’re calling him back out of the woods.
He’s preparing. He’s training. He’s ready to compete.
Obviously, he has the World Championships next week, but if he gets the call back to folkstyle, he’s ready to go.
Five Years of Eligibility and Opportunities for Freshmen
Question: With the potential five-for-five eligibility changes, do you see opportunities to get different wrestlers into the lineup without worrying about burning a redshirt?
Sanderson: I don’t know.
Kids are coming in, and it’s go time.
It’s a mindset shift for them.
It’s not like, “Hey, I’m going to come in here and float around for a year.”
It’s more like, “If you’re ready to go, you’re ready to go.”
For a program like Penn State, this isn’t the easy path.
There are no guaranteed starting positions here.
That’s one of the reasons our guys are really good and ready to compete at a high level.
It’s also why the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club is as successful as it is.
We have the best guys in the world training here regularly. Iron sharpens iron.
I don’t know how that will play out with kids getting more opportunities. Maybe.
I hadn’t really thought about that.
They already had the rule where a true freshman could wrestle four or five matches before using eligibility, so you get accustomed to that.
Everything will adjust.
The big thing is hoping that, at some point, the NCAA can figure things out and have the ability to enforce standards and rules so we know where we stand.
That’s the biggest challenge in college sports.
What are the rules?
If we’re following the rules, are we at a big disadvantage?
Our program has been blessed because we follow the rules.
Everyone’s going to say that, of course.
We’ll find out.
Everyone is all hands on deck.
It’s not, “Hey, I’m redshirting this year, so maybe I’ll put on the freshman 15, 20 or 30 and get ready for next year.”
You might get called up on Friday, so be ready.
I think that’s a positive.
The Challenges of Managing a Deep Roster
Question: You mentioned that top programs have more depth than they did a few years ago. Is that a good problem to have?
Sanderson: Yeah. There are pluses and minuses.
As a coach, you love your guys, and you want to help every individual be the best they can possibly be.
One of the tougher elements of your job is deciding who’s going and who isn’t.
But in our sport, they decide when they compete, for the most part.
Obviously, somebody might compete better in actual matches than somebody else every once in a while.
But for the most part, whoever wins the spot wins the spot.
That’s tough because you care about every guy on your team, and you want everyone to have the opportunity to compete.
But that’s also the reality.
It’s your opportunity. You have to earn that spot.
It pushes everyone to a higher level.
Tyler Kasak’s Return and Jayden James’ Development
Question: How excited are you to potentially have Tyler Kasak back in the lineup? Also, what do you see in Jayden James and his future with the program?
Sanderson: It was tough redshirting Tyler last year because he’s such a competitor.
He’s a big-match guy.
He’s fun to have in the lineup because he’s fun to watch wrestle. He’s just a tough kid.
It’s nice to have him back.
With Jayden, he’s 18. He’s just a young kid.
We don’t know where he’s going to end up weight-class-wise.
The idea is to keep developing and getting better.
We’re thrilled to have Jayden coming in.
He’s special.
Cole and Connor Mirasola at Heavyweight
Question: How are the Mirasola twins doing? We know Cole has been the heavyweight starter. Is there a chance Connor pushes his brother for that spot, or will he fill a depth role between 197 pounds and heavyweight?
Sanderson: Cole doesn’t see himself as a depth guy.
He wants to be a national champion, and he’s right there, obviously.
He’s moved to heavyweight. I think you guys probably know that.
He wrestled heavyweight last spring, so he’s not wrestling 197, at least not this year.
Those guys have to be pushing each other as brothers.
They probably care more about one another than their own success, which is what brothers do.
They’re both big boys, getting better and helping each other by pushing each other.
Masanosuke Ono’s Transition to Folkstyle and Academic Success
Question: You’ve touched on this a little, but what’s it been like watching Masanosuke Ono’s transition from freestyle to folkstyle?
Sanderson: He’s just a breath of fresh air.
He brings such good, positive energy.
He’s a humble kid. There’s a lot of laughing, smiling and enjoying what he’s doing.
But he’s also an incredible competitor, and he wants to be successful.
Even watching what he’s done in school, he’s worked really hard to pass his classes.
Not only pass, but he’s got one of the best GPAs on our team.
He’s getting A’s, and that requires a lot of time from him.
Less and less as he goes along.
Seeing his devotion and character has been really good for everybody, in addition to what you’ve seen from him on the mat.
We’re really grateful and blessed to have him in the program.
He’s awesome.
Potential Weight-Class Changes for Duke and Mitchell Mesenbrink
Question: Do you envision Duke moving up and Mitchell moving up? Have you figured out what weight classes would be best for those two?
Sanderson: That’s a real possibility.
We’re still waiting to hear.
I think each guy knows where they’re going.
As a staff, I’m not thinking about the team as much as I’m thinking about each individual kid and what’s best for them.
I don’t see the benefit of telling everyone who’s going to what weight class.
Mitchell is big and strong.
But to me, it’s just development.
We keep developing, and the weight classes will take care of themselves.
How True Freshmen Have Evolved in College Wrestling
Question: You have a couple of reunions coming up this year with Mark Hall and Vincenzo Joseph, two true freshman national champions. When you think about when they won, how have true freshmen improved over the last decade?
Sanderson: I think the RTCs have played a big part in it.
These kids are training in senior-level clubs.
I think there needs to be some regulation because college wrestling has become a little crazy.
RTCs have become workarounds for NCAA recruiting rules.
I think USA Wrestling needs to figure that out.
The reason they haven’t wanted to figure it out is because you have kids competing at a higher level faster.
But for the integrity, honor and respect of college wrestling, RTCs need to follow NCAA recruiting rules.
Kids are ready to compete at a younger age.
That’s pretty clear.
