Backed by an elite incoming recruiting class, incredible depth, and multiple athletes with flexible weight classes, Penn State is already well-positioned to defend its 2016 NCAA championship title.

As a result, Penn State's lineup for the 2016-2017 season is likely the most challenging to project.  

125 lbs: Nick Suriano, True Freshman

OK, this was an easy one—Penn State doesn’t have another option. Even if they did, nobody could compete with Suriano's potential for productivity. In the NCAA, more and more true freshman are entering their programs ready to wrestle right away, and is especially true for Suriano. His strength, hand-fighting and positioning are already beyond requisite for the Division I level. All-American honors are rarely assumed for true freshman, but with Suriano, it seems more than possible that he’ll be on the podium in year one, barring injury.

Suriano cruises to a Super 32 title:

133 lbs: Jered Cortez, Redshirt Sophomore

Cortez lost a year of eligibility in 2015 when he transferred from Illinois to Penn State, another Big 10 Conference member. This year, he knocked off his All-American teammate, Jordan Conaway, as well as Geoff Alexander, Scott Delvecchio and Scott Parker. Plus, he went undefeated at both 133 and 141 pounds last year. The 133-pound spot is where the questions begin. It seems like Cortez will stay here, but if he moves up, it's likely that previous 133-pound All-American Jimmy Gulibon would head back down.

141 lbs: Jimmy Gulibon, Redshirt Senior

An additional year of bodybuilding for Guilbon at 141 pounds will be a good thing for Penn State. Though he failed to reach All-American status this year, Guilbon showed glimpses of greatness that could suggest success down the line. It's been said that when Guilbon was at 133 pounds his sophomore year, the cut was difficult, so it doesn't seem like he would attempt to cut all the way down again. Shrinking his body is not a viable solution or cure-all for Guilbon. Plus, Penn State boasts a strong track record of guys moving up and succeeding.

149 lbs: Zain Retherford, Redshirt Junior

NCAA competitors have two more years of Zain at 149 pounds.

Have fun with that.

157 lbs: Jason Nolf, Redshirt Sophomore

Nearly everyone expected Nolf to move up this season. The word is he hasn’t grown as many thought he might, so he’ll likely stay at 157 pounds. Combine that with the major growth spurt of Vincenzo Joseph, and there’s no real reason to bump up the point-scoring phenom.

165 lbs: Vincenzo Joseph, Redshirt Freshman

I've been quite bullish on Joseph despite a redshirt year that left some wondering what was going on with the blue chip recruit. Joseph didn’t make 157 pounds at the Southern Scuffle (there was speculation was he was well over 157), and people began to wonder. He made 157 in November, but by January, he wasn’t able to make it.  

If push came to shove, Joseph could probably make 157, but there’s simply no need. He showed everyone this weekend in Las Vegas that he can do more than just compete against 165-pounders (would have loved to see him against Logan Massa). He’s put on effective size for 165, and is going to shore up a weight that was in flux all year long for Penn State. Next year should be a big one for Joseph.

Joseph takes on Valencia for third at UWW Juniors:
Joseph vs. Joe Smith

174 lbs: Bo Nickal, Redshirt Sophomore

The prediction starts getting tough again here. I’m not sure what the plan for Nickal is—it’s possible a decision hasn't even been made at this point. With Nickal's size, build and style, there’s no reason to believe he’d have any struggle moving up to 184. 

For Penn State, Nickal staying at 174 may be their best option. But with Nickal's international aspirations up at 86kg, it could be better for Bo to wrestle at 184. At some point in his career, he’ll likely wind up there—it’s simply a matter of when. The timeline for this move could be accelerated by Mark Hall wrestling year one. Although Hall is more likely to defer or redshirt a year rather than wrestle right away, it has not been ruled out. 

184 lbs: Matt McCutcheon, Redshirt Junior

Injuries plagued McCutcheon's season a year ago. He turned in some excellent showings and wins, but by the end of the year, he was a shell of his former self. Over the past two seasons, he’s knocked off TJ Dudley (multiple times), Blake Stauffer, Sammy Brooks, Willie Miklus and Zack Zavatsky. Those elite wins don’t come by accident. Matt is not a weak spot for Penn State—he’s an asset when healthy. While Penn State has options at 184, I believe McCutcheon is the answer in most situations.

197 lbs: Anthony Cassar, Redshirt Sophomore

We didn’t see Cassar on the mat this season for Penn State, but I believe he’ll be the man at 197 for the Nittany Lions. A year ago, Cassar looked outstanding on the freestyle scene—he made the Junior World team at 96kg looking sharp. Cassar was rolling until he suffered a brutal shoulder injury that set him back and off the mat for a considerable chunk of time.

Reports out of PSU indicate Cassar is back in training and looking excellent. Although his redshirt season a year ago lacked elite wins and had a few head-scratching losses, his talent jumps out. Cassar passes the eyeball test.

285 lbs: Nick Nevills, Redshirt Sophomore

After two straight seasons hampered by injuries, here’s to a healthy year three for Nevills. The Clovis product looked strong as a redshirt before suffering a foot injury at the Southern Scuffle. Last year, he tore his pec in practice and was sidelined right up until late in the year. When Nevills returned, it was clear he wasn’t the same guy he'd been pre-injury.

With an offseason to get healthy and stronger, look for Nevills to have a fine showing for Penn State. The question will never be talent, work ethic or athleticism for Nevills. If he’s durable, you can pencil him in for a top-eight finish. At least I will.

Penn State Depth Analysis:
At 141 pounds, Penn State has two tough options between Kade Moss and Gary Dinmore. I'm curious to see if Dinmore can still hold 141. If so, he’s a fine option. Moss was the starter two years ago for Penn State at this weight.  

Geno Morelli was a very solid starter at 165 for Penn State last year, and qualified for NCAAs. He will be there if called upon, but is an unlikely day-in, day-out starter.  

Brian Brill (174) and Kellan Stout (184) could start for many other programs and have shown to be solid potential contributors.

Shakur Rasheed is the most interesting piece for Penn State. He’s a real talent, but too big for 165. He has casually earned takedowns and transitioned to cross-face cradles early in matches, but fades late. Realistically, he could be used from 174-197 next year. The question is, who can he beat out to start? If Nickal moves up, he’s a contender at 174. If not, he could be on the outside looking in.

Using him to spell starters with injury issues like McCutcheon or Cassar could be his role. But if anyone goes down, or if Rasheed improves, he could be a key cog next year. And there’s a real possibility for him to go up three weight classes to become the starter at 197. Perhaps that's the smart pick based on his health and talent. It’s tough to pencil someone up three weights with no real inside information to confirm.

Rasheed looked fantastic early against NCAA fifth-place finisher Steven Rodrigues:

Although Penn State will have plenty of talent in multiple weights next year, they could be in serious trouble should injury befall Suriano or Cortez. Apart from Guilbon dropping down to 133, I’m not sure how they’d successfully bridge that gap. The same is true at 285 pounds. Hall looms large as a potential cog for Penn State. I don’t think we’ll see him or Mason Manville next year. Where Manville fits long-term is a question without an answer.