We Are Back. Penn State Still Won’t Go Away. And College Wrestling Might Act

It’s been a while. A little hiatus, an extended vacation, maybe a self-imposed suspension from the wonderful world of internet wrestling experts. But somewhere out there, a few of the OG TOM guys are probably still lurking. Older, grayer, considerably more opinionated, and still convinced they could coach a better match from Section 114 with a pretzel in one hand and a lukewarm beer in the other.

Some things never change.

But I’ll tell you what, this college wrestling season has my attention.

I was going to say I’m fired up, but at my age that usually requires a heating pad and a couple of Advil. Let’s just say I’m interested. Very interested.

We’ve got young guns, aggressive wrestling, fresh faces, and some seriously talented kids who apparently never got the memo that you’re supposed to ease your way into college wrestling.

And then, of course, there’s Penn State.

Because apparently Cael Sanderson has decided that losing is an optional activity, and he’s simply not interested in participating.

We get it, Cael. You’re good at coaching wrestling. Save some trophies for the rest of civilization.

The Cowboys, the Magic Man, and Everybody Else

Down in Stillwater, David Taylor, the Magic Man, the unicorn whisperer, whatever we’re calling him these days, is building something worth watching.

Oklahoma State has a young, crowded, nasty room full of kids who seem to share one philosophy: go get the other guy.

Imagine that. Wrestling where people actually wrestle.

What a concept.

I love what Taylor has going on. The Cowboys have talent, attitude, and enough firepower to make this season interesting. They aren’t just collecting participation ribbons and posting inspirational quotes about the process. They look like they’re coming for something.

Minnesota’s Gophers are trying to make some noise again. Iowa will be Iowa, which means they’ll be competitive, physical, and their fans will continue acting like every questionable stalling call is a federal crime.

Stanford? Love seeing what they’re doing.

A few years ago, that program was practically being measured for a coffin. Now they’re bringing in serious talent and making noise nationally. Good for them. College wrestling needs more programs building something, not fewer programs fighting to survive.

And Virginia Tech brings in Bo Bassett.

Good Lord.

This kid looks like somebody threw John Smith’s technique and the Brands brothers’ intensity into a blender, hit puree, and forgot to install an off switch.

Aggressive, slick, relentless, and apparently allergic to boring wrestling.

Can’t wait to watch him.

So, can anybody knock off Penn State?

Maybe.

Is it likely? Well, let’s not start drinking before breakfast.

Cael has another loaded lineup, and until somebody proves otherwise, the Nittany Lions remain the team everyone else is chasing.

And yes, Penn State fans, we hear you.

WE ARE!

Wonderful. Congratulations. We’re all very proud.

Now sit down and let the rest of us discuss wrestling.

Right now, my early money, figuratively, before somebody calls the gambling police, is on Penn State and Oklahoma State making this a two-horse race.

Iowa, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, and a few others certainly have something to say about it, but those two look like the heavy hitters.

Of course, my knowledge isn’t quite as encyclopedic as it once was. I’ve been away from the daily grind. That’ll change once the season gets rolling.

Hell, I even have a fantasy wrestling team.

Which means I should know everything, right?

Naturally, half my roster will probably spend the first semester doing everything except actually wrestling.

Welcome back to college wrestling.

Anyway, enough rambling. Let’s get to the rankings and see how badly I can embarrass myself before the first whistle.

125 Pounds: Luke’s World, Everybody Else Is Renting

Luke Lilledahl of Penn State sits on top, and I don’t see a compelling reason to move him.

Marc-Anthony McGowan at Princeton is dangerous. Nico Provo at Stanford belongs in the conversation. Jore Volk of Minnesota and Vincent Robinson at Nebraska aren’t exactly showing up to collect a free sweatshirt.

This is a tough little weight class with some seriously talented lightweights.

But Lilledahl looks like the guy.

He’s smart, composed, technically sound, and has that annoying Penn State ability to make really good wrestlers look like they forgot how to wrestle.

My take: Lilledahl is the man to beat. Somebody might catch him, but I wouldn’t bet the mortgage on it.

133 Pounds: Jax Forrest and the Blaze of Glory

Jax Forrest.

That’s it. That’s the paragraph.

Seriously, this kid is an absolute blast to watch. Aggressive, entertaining, and seemingly convinced that every match should include at least one sequence that makes the crowd collectively lose its mind.

I’m a fan.

And then there’s Marcus Blaze.

Love the name Blaze for a wrestler, albeit the last name. We’ve got a few of them to entertain us.

You don’t have the last name Blaze and expect to grow up selling extended car warranties. You’re practically obligated to wrestle, or at least enter the arena with some pyrotechnics.

But don’t overlook Ben Davino, Aaron Seidel, or Ryan Crookham. There’s enough talent here to make 133 one of the most entertaining weights in the country.

My take: Forrest is my pick. But this weight is loaded, and somebody is going to ruin somebody else’s bracket in March.

141 Pounds: Welcome to the Bo Show

Here’s where I might ruffle a few feathers.

Bo Bassett isn’t sitting at No. 1 in the preseason rankings.

That’s cute.

Luke Stanich deserves respect. Evan Frost is dangerous. Vance Vombaur can wrestle. There’s plenty of legitimate talent here.

But I’ve watched enough of Bassett to know that this kid isn’t showing up at Virginia Tech to politely introduce himself and gain some valuable experience.

He’s coming to win.

Will he?

We’ll see. College wrestling has a funny way of reminding even the best young talent that grown men are waiting on the other side of the circle.

Still, if Bassett doesn’t end up standing on top of the podium, I might be genuinely surprised.

My take: Give me Bassett. Call it a bold prediction, freshman hype, or early-onset dementia. I’m sticking with it.

149 Pounds: Pick a Horse, Any Horse

Now this is an interesting one.

Caleb Henson sits at the top of the preseason rankings, and rightfully so.

But Sergio Vega? I like him. A lot.

Aden Valencia? Absolutely capable of winning the whole thing.

And then there’s Shayne Van Ness.

Because apparently Penn State couldn’t just sit this weight class out and let everyone else have some fun.

This is one of those weights where you could make a pretty convincing argument for several guys and not sound like a complete idiot.

Which, on a wrestling message board, already puts you ahead of approximately 80% of the population.

I’m leaning Vega.

Why?

I don’t have some elaborate statistical breakdown or groundbreaking scientific explanation.

I just like the kid.

Sometimes wrestling analysis really is that complicated.

My take: Vega gets my early vote, but Henson, Valencia, and Van Ness could all make me look stupid. Wouldn’t be the first time.

157 Pounds: Landon Robideau Is a Problem

Landon Robideau.

Another Oklahoma State stud. Another reason David Taylor probably sleeps pretty well at night.

This kid is tough, talented, and has that relentless style I love watching.

Tyler Kasak, Antrell Taylor, Brandon Cannon, and Kannon Webster aren’t exactly chopped liver. Any one of them has the tools to make things interesting.

But Robideau looks like the real deal.

And when you start looking at Oklahoma State’s lineup, you begin to see why I’m so high on the Cowboys.

Forrest at 133. Vega at 149. Robideau at 157.

That’s a pretty nice little collection of potential national champions.

My take: Robideau is the favorite. Oklahoma State is building a serious case for itself, and I’m buying what they’re selling.

165 Pounds: P.J. Duke and the Usual Suspects

P.J. Duke comes in as the early favorite, because naturally Penn State needed another ridiculously talented wrestler in its lineup.

Nicco Ruiz, Joey Blaze, Bryce Hepner, LaDarion Lockett, and Will Denny all bring legitimate talent to the table.

And there’s another Blaze.

See? I told you. There’s enough Blaze around college wrestling to start a small brush fire.

Duke is a phenomenal talent, but I’m not quite ready to engrave his name on the trophy.

This weight has enough talent and enough uncertainty to produce a few surprises.

And frankly, I hope it does.

Nobody wants to watch an entire season where we already know the ending.

Unless you’re a Penn State fan, in which case you’ve probably had your championship T-shirt preordered since August.

My take: Duke is the favorite, but I expect some chaos along the way.

174 Pounds: Mitchell Mesenbrink. Next Question.

Mitchell Mesenbrink.

We know the story.

We know the song.

We know what this guy does.

He wrestles like somebody told him the other guy stole his lunch money, insulted his mother, and parked in his driveway.

And he does it for seven minutes.

You want the title?

Go beat him.

Good luck with that.

My take: Mesenbrink. Moving on.

184 Pounds: The Gophers Have a Big One

Max McEnelly gives Minnesota fans something legitimate to get excited about.

And as somebody who enjoys seeing the Gophers relevant, I’m all for it.

McEnelly is a beast.

Rocco Welsh is going to give him everything he can handle, and I expect those two to be in the conversation all season long.

Angelo Ferrari and others may have something to say about it, but right now this looks like a weight where the top two have separated themselves.

Of course, this is college wrestling, where being a preseason favorite and actually surviving until March are two entirely different things.

My take: McEnelly gets the nod. But Welsh isn’t going anywhere, and I wouldn’t be surprised if these two give us one hell of a showdown.

197 Pounds: Josh Barr and the Guy Who Won’t Go Away

Josh Barr is sitting on top.

Cody Merrill is right there.

And then there’s Stephen Little from Little Rock.

I love this guy.

He just keeps showing up, keeps competing, and keeps making people pay attention.

Little Rock power, baby.

There’s something refreshing about programs and wrestlers who don’t seem particularly interested in asking permission to sit at the big-boy table.

Keep an eye on Stanford’s Nick Posada, too. Another talented young guy who could make some noise as the season develops.

Barr deserves the favorite label, but this weight has enough depth to get interesting.

My take: Barr is the sensible pick. Little is the guy I’ll be cheering to shake things up.

Heavyweight: Your Guess Is as Good as Mine

Ah, heavyweight.

The land of giants, questionable conditioning, and the occasional match where two very large human beings spend seven minutes trying to convince the referee that the other guy should be called for stalling.

And yes, heavyweights are used to hearing all kinds of pop-offs. I disagree with most of them, but haters gonna hate.

I say that with love.

Mostly.

Konner Doucet, Ben Kueter, and the rest of the big fellas have plenty of talent, but I’m not convinced this weight is as settled as the rankings might suggest.

Doucet deserves his spot near the top. Kueter is dangerous. And there are enough quality heavyweights floating around to make this interesting.

Heavyweight matches are funny. One bad position, one big scramble, one guy deciding he’s had enough of your nonsense, and suddenly the whole bracket changes.

My take: Toss-up. Let the big boys sort it out.

Final Thoughts: Same Circus, Some New Animals

So there you have it.

The first hot take of the 2026-27 college wrestling season.

Some educated opinions. Some wild guesses. A few predictions that will undoubtedly age like milk in the Florida sun.

But that’s half the fun.

College wrestling is in a pretty good place right now, at least when it comes to the talent on the mat.

We’ve got young stars who actually want to score points. Programs trying to climb back into contention. Coaches bringing fresh energy. And enough individual talent to make just about every weight class worth watching.

Oklahoma State looks exciting.

Virginia Tech has everybody’s attention.

Minnesota looks interesting.

Stanford deserves some love.

Iowa will be there, because Iowa is always there.

And Penn State?

Well, Penn State is still Penn State.

Cael will probably keep producing champions, their fans will keep reminding everybody who they are, and the rest of the country will keep hoping somebody finally crashes the party.

But since Penn State has taken a few shots here, let’s give credit where it’s due.

As much fun as it is to bust their chops, Penn State fans deserve a ton of appreciation for what they’ve meant to college wrestling over the years. The passion, the packed arenas, the traveling support, and the attention they bring to this sport. That’s good for everybody.

And let’s be honest, one of the best parts of wrestling, or at least what it used to be, was taking shots at each other.

Everybody has a favorite team. Everybody has their guys. Everybody thinks their wrestler got screwed on a stalling call, and everybody enjoys pushing somebody else’s buttons.

That’s the fun of it.

Somewhere along the way, people started taking every little jab like somebody insulted their grandmother. Come on, people. It’s wrestling. A little trash talk should be practically mandatory.

Welcome to The Broken Ear. The OG Refugee Island.

And that’s exactly why The Broken Ear exists.

For the OG TOM refugees. The old-school wrestling crowd. The people who remember when message boards were actually fun, when you could argue about a match for three days, call somebody an idiot, and still buy them a beer at Nationals.

Think of this as your own little island. A place to hang out, shoot the shit, talk wrestling, argue over rankings, relive the glory days, and occasionally remind each other that nobody is nearly as smart as they think they are.

Maybe even make fun of JB every once in a while.

Just kidding, JB. Much love. Seriously, make sure you’re tuning in to his stuff. The guy has done a tremendous amount for wrestling, even if giving him a little grief is practically a tradition.

And who knows? Maybe The Du catches a few strays along the way.

Just kidding, Du. This whole crazy thing started a long time ago, and it’s been pretty damn cool seeing where you’ve taken it. Much respect.

That’s what this place is supposed to be about.

Good wrestling. Good people. Bad jokes. Strong opinions. And the occasional completely ridiculous argument that nobody is ever going to win.

So follow along. Check in every once in a while. Jump into the conversations. Tell somebody they’re wrong. Hell, tell somebody they’re an idiot. Just be prepared for the favor to be returned.

And if there are features you’d like to see, discussion areas, rankings, fantasy wrestling, whatever, speak up. This place is being built for the people who actually use it.

This is your place. Your house. Your island.

The Broken Ear is simply here to provide the spot, keep the lights on, and make sure there’s always room for another opinionated wrestling degenerate to pull up a chair.

Anyway, enough rambling.

Peace, everyone. Good luck this weekend, enjoy the wrestling, and remember, it’s perfectly acceptable to hate Penn State for seven minutes and buy their fans a beer afterward.

Welcome to The Broken Ear. The OGs still have plenty to say.