2022: The Preseason: Penn State Nittany Lions

 Looking over the lineups, if Penn State is going to beat  Iowa for the NCAA team title, it'll have to be through bonus points. If this comes down to a war of attrition, Penn State doesn't have the numbers.  As to where I can see Iowa putting all 10 wrestlers on the award stand, I see Penn State with a high of 7. Those extra 3 AAs make a difference & I don't see the Nittany Lions even qualifying 125 lbs. Robert Howard is going to redshirt and as of where I sit right now, I don't see anyone else at the weight making a big difference.  I don't think Penn State will All American at 149 or at 165 either.  Therefore, the pins, major decisions and technical falls will be crucial.  

133 
Roman Bravo-Young
Junior 
Record: 59-9
NCAA: 19'8th, 20'*, 21'1st 
BIG 10: 19'5th, 20'2nd, 21'1st 
SOUTHERN SCUFFLE: 19'3rd 

The future looks bright and sunny for Roman Bravo-Young.  The last two seasons he has went 34-2 and both of the losses he suffered were to opponents that have since graduated.  With that said, winning his second NCAA title this season will be anything but a shoe-in.  NCAA finals opponent Daton Fix of Oklahoma State will be seeking revenge and despite defeating Iowa's Austin DeSanto twice last season, he has lost to him in the past. Michigan's Stevan Micic returns and Rutger's Sebastian Rivera who owns a 7-2 victory over Bravo-Young moves down from 141 lbs.  Come NCAA time Penn State seems to always have it together and their former champions are like leprechauns in the way they guard their gold. Bravo-Young stands as good a chance as does anyone, but he'll have at least the four mentioned, if not more to contend with. 

141
Nick Lee
Senior 
Record: 100-14
NCAA: 18'5th, 19'5th, 20'*, 21'1st 
BIG 10: 18'3rd, 19'3rd, 20'2nd, 21'2nd
SOUTHERN SCUFFLE: 18'2nd, 19'1st 

I'd like to think that both the BIG 10's and the NCAA's will be a repeat of Lee Vs Iowa's Jaydin Eierman. No doubt that these two will meet at least three times this season and I highly doubt either of them go 3-0 against the other.  With that said, I must point out that despite not placing at the NCAA's last year, Oklahoma's Dom Demas does own a 13-9 victory over Lee.  Then I dare not overlook the always dangerous and unpredictable Chad Red of Nebraska. Lee is 3-0 against Red, but he's still not one to look past.  Ian Parker of Iowa State is always tough and in a 6-3 loss to Lee last season, Stanford's Real Woods looked solid as well.  The confidence of winning a national title, along with the seasoned and poised experience should serve Lee well this season. 

149
Beau Bartlett OR Bo Pipher 
Freshman OR senior   
Record: 8-3 OR Record: 33-36
OR SCUFFLE: 19'2nd 

I'm not sold that Beau Bartlett will be the starter for the Nittany Lions in 2021-2022. He failed to qualify for the NCAA's last season & I think that would leave the door of possibility open to Bo Pipher.  Despite the losing record, Pipher does have an assortment of reasons to think he could do well this season. Along with a Southern Scuffle runner-up finish, he has wins over All American D.J. Fehlman of Lock Haven, BIG 12 Champion Chase Straw of Iowa State and Midlands Runner-up Markus Hartman of Army.  Regardless of who starts here, I think this season Penn State qualifies 149 lbs to the NCAA championships.  All American? With an extremely good draw, slight possibility but in the realms of probability, no.  As good as a R12 though. 

157 
Joe Lee
Freshman 
Record: 31-13
NCAA: 21'NQ
BIG 10: 21'8th 
SOUTHERN SCUFFLE: 20''5th 

Sometimes when looking at the future, you have to take faith over results.  As to results, Lee was 6-7 last season. Yet history shows that Penn State has a habit of taking their younger talent and somehow or another transforming them into twice, thrice the wrestler they were the season before. And it's not just faith either, there is merit behind the soothsayer. Lee owns a fall over three time NCAA qualifier Connor Flynn of Missouri and even more impressive he defeated NCAA finalist Joe Wentzel of Pittsburg by a 10-3 score. Do I see Lee contending for an NCAA title this year? No, I don't.  Do I see him contending for All American honors and helping out in the team race? Yes, I think that's a very real possibility.  

165
Mason Manville OR Alex Facundo
Freshman OR Freshman
Record: 10-11

Manville has already shown promise by defeating two time EIWA champion Tanner Skidgal of Navy as well as having a win over NCAA qualifier Laurence Kosoy of Columbia.  PSU fans are also pretty high on Division (Michigan) state champion Alex Facundo.  Should be a good wrestle-off.  Facundo may redshirt. Not sure at this point. 

174 
Carter Starocci 
Freshman 
Record: 33-2 
NCAA: 21'1st 
BIG 10: 21'2nd 
SOUTHERN SCUFFLE: 21'1st 

Five time NCAA champion.  It's a record almost too impressive to believe, but with the extra year of eligibility we have to take into consideration that it is a possibility.  Like with the situation at 141 lbs, Starocci's main nemesis this season will always be a Hawkeye. Mike Kemerer.  The two are liable to meet three times this season and again, I highly doubt either go 3-0 against the other.  Indiana's D.J. Washington did upset Starocci last season, but I think he has bigger threats to concern himself with. Along with Kemerer, there are newcomers to the weight class in Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech and Hayden Hidlay of North Carolina State that have more than proven themselves at lower weights.  Then call me partial or call me cautious, I never count out the abilities of Michigan's Logan Massa. 

184
Aaron Brooks
Sophomore
Record: 38-2
NCAA: 21'1st
BIG 10: 21'1st 

Yet another returning champion, Aaron Brooks went 14-0 last season in route to his national championship.  His last loss was to Nebraska's Taylor Venz, 9-5, in 2020.  This season, he'll have to contend with finals opponent Trent Hidlay of North Carolina State and from what I have heard Olympic Bronze Medalist Myles Amine of Michigan will make a return in his last effort to win an NCAA title. For Penn State to stand a shot at the team race, Brooks is almost going to have to repeat as individual champ, but he more than has his work cut out for him. 

197
Max Dean OR Michael Beard 
Junior OR Freshman 
Record: 91-18 OR Record: 35-9
NCAA: 18'8th, 19'2nd OR 21'7th                         
EIWA: 18'2nd, 19'1st OR BIG 10 21'6th          
CKLV: 19'6th OR SOUTHERN SCUFFLE: 20'4th 

Dean takes the cake here, I'm almost positive of it, but it is sad that a returning All American will ride the bench this fall and winter.  With that said, I do hope that Penn State does enter the Southern Scuffle this season, so that fans outside Happy Valley can witness just how loaded PSU is at this weight class.  As to Dean's capabilities?  Perhaps I'm too high on Oklahoma State's A.J. Ferrari but the way he wrestled last season, I just cannot fathom him getting beat.  Dean as his finals opponent? That's a very real possibility.  Iowa's Jacob Warner and Pittsburgh's Nino Bonaccorsi will make accomplishing that feat about as impossible as they can, but it is a realistic expectation. 

HWT
Greg Kerkvliet OR Seth Nevills
Freshman OR Sophomore 
Record: 19-4 OR Record: 36-7 
BIG 10: 21'4th OR 
NCAA: 21'7th OR 

This is going to be a very interesting wrestle-off and this could very well mark the second of two 2021 All Americans that will not be the varsity starter for the Nittany Lions.  Kerkvliet looked very good in his 7th place finish last season, but there is reason to believe that Nevills could earn his spot back.  All Americans Tate Orndorff of Ohio State & Yousif Hemida of Maryland, two of the names Nevills has victories over. Kerkvliet defeated Orndorff as well. In fact, side by side, Nevills and Kerkvliet match up very evenly, especially in their losses.  Vs Gable Steveson, Kerkvliet lost 9-4 as Nevills lost 13-5.  Vs Mason Parris, looking at 11-3 Vs 12-2.  Vs Cassioppi 9-0 Vs 7-0.   Whether the starting spot is determined on head to head results or who does better verses the competition, I think the end result remains about the same.  A low to middle of the pack All American finish. 

=== 

Championships are won on BOTH sides of the bracket and I think that will prove itself this season as much as it did last.  Penn State has some awesome horsepower, but the NCAA championships are not a place to enter while missing parts.  125 lbs and 165 lbs, from where I sit, prove to be troublesome for the Nittany Lions. 

Best Case Scenario? 

125: DNQ
133: Champion 
141: Champion 
149: R12 
157: Low end All American (6th, 7th or 8th) 
165: NQ
174: Champion 
184: Champion 
197: 2nd 
HWT: Mid to Low end All American (4th at best, 8th at worst)