By Greg Pickel On3.com
Penn State wrestling junior Aaron Nagao is not close to returning to the mat, head coach Cael Sanderson said on Monday. The second-year Nittany Lion, who started last season at 133 pounds and finished third at Big Tens, lost his job to sophomore Braeden Davis this offseason due to an undisclosed injury. And it does not sound like he is anywhere close to ready to return to the mat to try and one day earn it back.
“He won’t be back anytime soon,” Sanderson said. “He had a major surgery. Had an injury last spring, and had surgery right away. But it’s an injury that, you take as much time, and even more than you need, just to ensure the long-term health. So he’s not trying to get back anytime soon.”
Nagao battled bouts with injuries and illness during the 2023-2024 season. He finished the year 17-7 and one win shy of All-American status. Davis is currently No. 10 in InterMat’s 133-pound rankings. However, he tweaked his knee in the Drexel match and missed the Army Black Knight Invitational despite winning his bout against the Dragons. He should be back in the lineup this weekend against Lehigh in Allentown.
“The decision to have him go is more about, is he excited about it? Is he ready? And what do the trainer and the doctor say? But, he’s been back on the mat last week, so I think he’s doing pretty good,” Sanderson said.
Updates on Penn State starting spot battles
Sanderson was happy with how his team performed at the Black Knight Invitational two weekends ago. The Lions won or shared titles in nine of 10 weight classes. Focusing on weight classes where questions remain about who the long-term starter will be, at 125 pounds, freshman Luke Lilledahl beat teammate Kurt McHenry in West Point, N.Y. Tyler Kasak beat Alex Facundo at 157. And, Josh Barr handled Lucas Cochran at 197 pounds. Lilledahl is locked into his starting spot. Can Kasak and Barr say the same thing yet?
“Yeah, I’d say we’re getting closer to that [being the case],” Sanderson said. “[The Army Black Knight Invite results are] one more step. A lot still needs to play out. We got matches the next three weeks. You’ve seen this in the past. Nothing is really set until the Big Ten tournament starts.”
In other words, Kasak and Barr are the leaders in the clubhouse. But, they’ve not secured their starting spots yet.
