Former NCAA runner-up Max Dean joins Penn State wrestling, per brother Gabe Dean
Penn State wrestling has made an addition to its upper weights for the 2021-22 season. Former Cornell wrestler Max Dean will wrestle with the Nittany Lions under head coach Cael Sanderson moving forward, according to his brother Gabe Dean, a former two-time NCAA Champion.
“He’s at Penn State now,” Gabe said Monday on an episode of “Beyond The Fight,” hosted by Chael Sonnen. “He’s going to be training and wrestling there.”
Max, who is a two-time All American and finished second at the 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships at 184 pounds, will be a junior when it comes to eligibility. The 184-pound slot on Penn State’s roster is held down by 2021 NCAA Champion Aaron Brooks, but Gabe said his younger brother will likely bump up a weight.
“I think so,” Gabe said when Sonnen asked if his brother will bump up to 197 pounds. “Aaron entertained the idea of maybe potentially going up.”
Michael Beard occupied the 197-pound spot in the lineup last season and finished seventh at nationals as a freshman.
The younger Dean will join a roster that finished second at the 2020-21 NCAA Wrestling Championships and crowned four individual champions.
Penn State did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
