Penn State wrestling has turned into a program that every other collegiate program is trying to catch up to. The Nittany Lions have won 11 of the last 14 national championships under coach Cael Sanderson and are well on their way to a potential 12th national championship in the last 15 years.
“He is one of one, he’s a unicorn,” Penn State vice president for intercollegiate athletics Pat Kraft said.
Sanderson has turned Penn State wrestling into a powerhouse prior to the NIL era. As NIL continues to become a mainstay and focal point of collegiate athletics, programs like Penn State will have to adjust to the different times in collegiate wrestling.
Multiple generational-type prospects in the “backyard” of Penn State were missed out on in favor of other programs that seemingly have a focal point on NIL.
Bishop McCort’s Bo Bassett and Jax Forrest committed to Iowa and Oklahoma State, respectively.
“We’re not going to get anybody because of NIL money,” Sanderson said. “That goes against what we believe.”
Despite the way the wrestling program is structured under Sanderson, NIL money would be there if he were to need it.
“If Cael walked in here and wanted $100 million, ‘I would find you $100 million,’ but in reality, it’s the opposite,” Kraft said.
Sanderson builds his program around wrestlers that fit the culture that’s already been established within the wrestling room.
“He recruits amazing young men who understand and are fully committed to being the best, and Cael does it in a way that is so special and unique,” Kraft said.
The recruiting trail will become a bit different with the expansion of scholarships on the team. The team will go from nine scholarships to a potential 30 scholarships.
“We’re not going to have 30 scholarships,” Kraft said. “We’re working through the scholarship number right now, but Cael will have more scholarships to invest in the program.”
An additional number of scholarships could play a bigger factor in recruiting than it may seem from the outside.
Despite losing out on the top two recruits in the 2026 recruiting class, Sanderson has the top two recruits in the 2025 recruiting class in Marcus Blaze and PJ Duke.
The Nittany Lion powerhouse doesn’t seem to be slowing down with the young dominance on the team, in addition to the top two recruits in the upcoming graduating class.
