How will Penn State do at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships? See our predictions
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Penn State projected to win Big Ten team title and set scoring marks.
- Six Nittany Lions entered as preseed No. 1 and are favorites.
- Penn State could break program mark with up to eight Big Ten champions.
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2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships
Penn State wrestling has claimed another Big Ten Championship, and this time Cael Sanderson’s squad did so at home. Below is a look at all of our coverage from the March 7-8 Big Ten Wrestling Championships at the Bryce Jordan Center.
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Five years ago, Penn State hosted the Big Ten Wrestling Championships in a fan-less Bryce Jordan Center while things slowly opened up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, the Nittany Lions will get to put their talents on display this weekend in front of a crowd that is expected to be near the team’s and NCAA indoor dual record of 16,006. They may also have a shot of setting a new program mark of champions — five is the most they’ve had in a single Big Ten championship.
Here’s a weight-by-weight breakdown of how we think Penn State’s wrestlers will fare in the conference tournament:
125 pounds: Luke Lilledahl
Nate Cobler: Lilledahl is one of six Nittany Lions wrestlers that were named the preseed No. 1 at their respective weight class. He is also the defending champ for the conference in the weight. The sophomore should have no problems making a run to the finals again, where his expected opponent will be Ohio State’s Nic Bouzakis. Bouzakis was Lilledahl’s toughest Big Ten opponent this season as the Penn State wrestler came away with a 4-1 win in sudden victory in the Feb. 13 dual.
Lilledahl’s finish: 1st
Champion: Lilledahl
Jon Sauber: Lilledahl will enter the weekend as one of many prohibitive favorites representing Penn State, and he should be able to earn his second straight Big Ten title. He’s 17-0 this season, with his closest Big Ten match coming against Ohio State’s Nic Bouzakis, defeating him 4-1 in sudden victory in February. He wouldn’t face the Buckeye until the finals, and he should be able to get to that point with relative ease. And once there, he should be able to repeat his February win and earn first place.
Lilledahl’s finish: 1st
Champion: Lilledahl
133 pounds: Marcus Blaze
Cobler: When the preseeds were released on Monday, it was a shock to see Blaze the No. 1 in the conference even though he’s No. 2 in the country behind Illinois’ Lucas Byrd. Both wrestlers are undefeated on the season, so it should be an interesting finals matchup — if they both get there. There is a possibility that the seeds get changed before things get kicked off on Saturday morning. If that happens, it would make things easier for Blaze, who will be in his first conference tournament. He’d just have to get by Ohio State’s Ben Davino, who Blaze edged, 3-2, in ultimate tiebreakers, in the semifinals. If Blaze stays No. 1, he may have to possibly go through Iowa’s Drake Ayala, Wisconsin’s Zan Fugitt, Maryland’s Braxton Brown or Rutgers’ Dylan Shawver.
Blaze’s finish: 2nd
Champion: Byrd
Sauber: The seeding here could change if Illinois’ Lucas Byrd (rightfully) moves up to No. 1 and bumps Marcus Blaze down to No. 2, but it shouldn’t change the finals matchup. Blaze and Byrd are the two best at the weight and are on a collision course as long as they’re on different sides of the bracket. It’s possible someone like Drake Ayala from Iowa or Ben Davino from Ohio State gets in the way, but I wouldn’t count on it. And if the projected final happens, Byrd should be able to defend last year’s crown.
Blaze’s finish: 2nd
Champion: Byrd
141 pounds: Braeden Davis
Cobler: The Big Ten only received seven automatic qualifiers in this weight class, which means Davis is right on the cusp of an automatic spot since he is preseeded No. 7. If he doesn’t grab one of the conference’s spots, he’ll end up getting an at-large spot, which will be announced on March 10. He’s going to have a tough opener with Rutgers’ Joseph Oliveri. It won’t get any easier if he gets past Oliveri because waiting is Nebraska’s Brock Hardy, who pinned Davis in the January dual. But this weight is Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez to lose, though he and former Penn State wrestler Beau Bartlett both lost in the semifinals last year as the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, so anything can happen.
Davis finish: 6th
Champion: Mendez
Sauber: This is the only weight where I don’t think Penn State has any chance of bringing home a title. Braeden Davis has been extremely volatile this season and that makes it difficult to see him putting together a run to even make the final. As the No. 7 seed, he’s going to need to wrestle to his seed or better to get to NCAAs, which he should be able to do. As for the rest of the bracket, there isn’t anyone in the conference — or really the country — that can knock of Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez right now.
Davis’ finish: 6th
Champion: Mendez
149 pounds: Shayne Van Ness
Cobler: Van Ness has yet to win a Big Ten title, but this season he looks poised and ready more than ever. Now, he was the No. 1 seed last year, and fell in the semifinals. If Van Ness’ head is in a match right away, he’s pretty unbeatable. He has shown that he can come back if he does get down — look at the Maryland dual. Van Ness should have no problems making the semifinals, where he’ll face either the Terrapins’ Carter Young or Michigan’s Lachlan McNeil. Look for him to make the finals and come away with his first conference title.
Van Ness’ finish: 1st
Champion: Van Ness
Sauber: Shayne Van Ness has picked up bonus points in all but one of his Big Ten matchups this season and his 12-5 decision over No. 6 seed Chance Lamer of Nebraska was the only one he didn’t get bonus in. He didn’t face No. 2 seed Ethan Stiles when Penn State took on Ohio State, and Van Ness can be prone to giving up big moves, but he should still earn his first Big Ten title. That being said, he’s the most vulnerable to getting caught among Penn State’s No. 1 seeds.
Van Ness’ finish: 1st
Champion: Van Ness
157 pounds: PJ Duke
Cobler: There’s a lot of excitement brewing for Duke as he enters his first collegiate postseason. He’s had one loss this year, which came from Nebraska’s Antrell Taylor. Taylor is the No. 1 preseed and Duke is No. 2, so the potential for a rematch in the finals is there, but it’s a matter of if both guys can get there. The Nittany Lions wrestler is going to have a gauntlet to get through to get there. He’s got a potential quarterfinals match with Ohio State’s Brandon Cannon, who is ranked No. 1 nationally by InterMat. Cannon has been out for quite some time recovering from a knee injury. Get through Cannon, Duke should get Illinois’ Kannon Webster, who stopped Van Ness from making the finals last year at 149 pounds.
Duke’s finish: 1st
Champion: Duke
Sauber: There’s a potential rematch in the final awaiting Penn State’s PJ Duke if he can get there, with No. 1 seed Antrell Taylor of Nebraska being the only wrestler he’s lost to this season. But there’s also a better chance than you’d expect that Duke gets bounced to the consolation bracket in the quarters if seeding holds. That’s because Ohio State’s Brandon Cannon is currently the No. 7 seed despite being the No. 1 wrestler in the class, according to InterMat. Cannon has dealt with an injury and hasn’t wrestled since Jan. 23, so it will be interesting to see how his Big Tens play out. His priority will likely be NCAAs, and that should benefit Duke and the rest of the bracket this weekend.
Duke’s finish: 1st
Champion: Duke
165 pounds: Mitchell Mesenbrink
Cobler: It’s been almost two years since Mesenbrink suffered his last and only loss — Iowa State’s David Carr in 2024 NCAA finals. Since then, he’s been demolishing wrestlers left and right, winning 46 straight matches — only three of them by decision. Sure, the conference sports Iowa’s Michael Caliendo, Purdue’s Joey Blaze and Minnesota’s Andrew Sparks, who will all probably be All-Americans in two weeks, but none of them are beating Mesenbrink. Mesenbrink and Caliendo squared off in the NCAA finals last year, and Blaze was a finalist too, but at 157 pounds, topping Penn State’s Tyler Kasak in the semifinals to get there.
Mesenbrink’s finish: 1st
Champion: Mesenbrink
Sauber: This is a strong class in the Big Ten, with the top three wrestlers in the country all coming from the conference. No. 2 Joey Blaze of Purdue and No. 3 Mikey Caliendo are both highly likely to be All-Americans and could reasonably finish at two and three at NCAAs in a few weeks — but they have very little chance of winning championships. Mitchell Mesenbrink has a strong case to be this year’s Hodge Trophy winner. He’s got one loss in his entire career and has a 100% bonus rate this season. There is no other realistic choice here.
Mesenbrink’s finish: 1st
Champion: Mesenbrink
174 pounds: Levi Haines
Cobler: When the preseeds were released, there was outrage when everyone looked at this weight because Haines was sitting at No. 2. The No. 1 wrestler is Nebraska’s Christopher Minto, who Haines beat in the January dual. Haines is also the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the country compared to Minto, who is No. 4, behind Iowa’s Patrick Kennedy, who is the No. 3 nationally and the No. 3 preseed in the weight. If the seeds change, it won’t matter because behind Mesenbrink and Mendez, Haines is probably the next wrestler that is considered a lock to win his weight class.
Haines’ finish: 1st
Champion: Haines
Sauber: It won’t matter if Penn State’s Levi Haines holds as the No. 2 seed or is moved to the No. 1 seed (where he should be) — he’s going to be a heavy favorite this weekend. Haines is undefeated with a decision win over No. 1 seed Christopher Minto of Nebraska. He’s looking to win his fourth Big Ten title, and second at 174 pounds, and his seeding will likely only provide motivation for him. Haines should roll and should go into NCAAs as the No. 1 seed in the country.
Haines’ finish: 1st
Champion: Haines
184 pounds: Rocco Welsh
Cobler: Welsh competes in the postseason for the first time in two years, where he lost to the Nittany Lions’ Carter Starocci as a true freshman in the 174 pounds finals. He finished third in the Big Ten that season. Welsh enters his first postseason with Penn State looking to claim his first conference and NCAA crown. He’ll have a tough opener as he’ll more than likely get Iowa’s Angelo Ferrari in the quarterfinals. Welsh handed Ferrari his first loss of the season by topping him in ultimate tiebreakers in the middle of January. Welsh became the No. 1 ranked wrestler nationally, and it was the last time Ferrari wrestled in the regular season. If Welsh gets past Ferrari, he should face Minnesota’s Max McEnelly in the finals. McEnelly came on the scene last year when he nearly beat Starocci in the Big Ten finals.
Welsh’s finish: 2nd
Champion: McEnelly
Sauber: Penn State’s Rocco Welsh is in his first postseason with the program after beginning his career at Ohio State, and has a chance to earn his first Big Ten title. He comes in as the favorite at the weight and the No. 1 seed, with a strong chance at the top seed at NCAAs if he wins the conference title. He’s currently set up for a difficult path, with Iowa’s Angelo Ferrari as the No. 8 seed despite being the No. 2 ranked wrestler nationally at the weight according to InterMat. Welsh beat Ferrari in tiebreaks back in mid-January, but that was the last time the Hawkeye took the mat.
Welsh’s finish: 1st
Champion: Welsh
197 pounds: Josh Barr
Cobler: Barr hasn’t lost a match in almost a year, to Iowa’s Stephan Buchanan in the NCAA finals. He’s head and shoulders above everyone else in the conference, and the same could be said over the country. The No. 2 seed in Nebraska’s Camden McDanel was walloped 21-9 by the Penn State wrestler in the January dual. Barr got a late start to the season after suffering an injury in freestyle competition. Since his season got started in December, the Penn State wrestler has won 16 straight matches with bonus points in all of them.
Barr’s finish: 1st
Champion: Barr
Sauber: Josh Barr has been dominant for Penn State this year and if he gets challenged, it’s not going to happen at Big Tens. He’s far and away the best wrestler in the class in the conference, and has a 100% bonus rate this year that should hold throughout the weekend. It’s just a matter of how many bonus points he gets in arguably the weakest weight in the conference. For some perspective, Nebraska’s Camden McDaniel is the No. 2 seed, and is ranked No. 8 nationally. Barr also beat him 21-9 in late January.
Barr’s finish: 1st
Champion: Barr
285 pounds: Cole Mirasola
Cobler: Mirasola wasn’t getting the No. 1 seed with two conference losses, but he couldn’t have asked for a better seed. Being the No. 4, yeah he potentially gets the top seed in Michigan’s Taye Ghadiali in the semifinals, but he avoids having to face either Nebraska’s AJ Ferrari (No. 2) or Ohio State’s Nick Feldman (No. 3) unless it’s a finals or consolation finals match. Mirasola topped Feldman, but lost to Ferrari and Ghadiali. The four-point loss to Ghadiali was the highest of the two for the redshirt freshman.
Mirasola’s finish: 3rd
Champion: Ghadiali
Sauber: This is one of two weights where Penn State has very little chance to win individual titles, but Cole Mirasola could still surprise with a run to the finals. His two conference losses were by decision, with a likely rematch coming in the semifinals against Michigan’s Taye Ghadiali. Ghadiali should take care of business there on his way to a Big Ten title, but Mirasola can bounce back and get third place, which I have him doing.
Mirasola’s finish: 3rd
Champion: Ghadiali
Team outlook
Cobler: Some teams’ lineups may not be good for a dual, but be good for a tournament. In Penn State’s case, its lineup is so good that it excels in both formats. Even though I only have the Nittany Lions winning six titles, it’s possible they get eight Big Ten champions, which the hometown fans would go nuts over. It would be just another record for the program, but would be even crazier as all eight could then end up being a No. 1 seed in Cleveland.
Penn State’s finish: 1st
Champion: Penn State
Sauber: Ohio State is an elite team with some of the best wrestlers in the country, and it still has almost no chance of finishing better than second. This Penn State team, as it seemingly is every year, is on another level and will have a chance to break some postseason scoring records. The team will roll this weekend and head into nationals as the likely champions once again.
Penn State’s finish: 1st
Champion: Penn State
Big Ten Championships
When: 10 a.m. Saturday (Session 1, First Round, Quarterfinals, Wrestlebacks); 5 p.m. Saturday (Session 2, Consolation Matches, Wrestlebacks, Semifinals (7 p.m.); Noon Sunday (Session 3, Consolation Semifinals, 7th-Place Matches); 4:30 p.m. Sunday (Session 4, 1st-, 3rd- and 5th-Place Matches)
Where: Bryce Jordan Center, University Park
Radio: Big Foot Legends (103.7 & 104.3 FM)
TV: Big Ten Network
Online: Streaming, Big Ten+; Radio, Lionvision at GoPSUsports.com
X: @byncobler, @pennstatewrest
This story was originally published March 5, 2026 at 9:47 AM.
