What do you do for an encore? 

Later this summer, we'll have a feature breaking down Penn State's decade of dominance. The cliff notes can be found in the trophy case; eight of the ten NCAA Championship trophy this decade are displayed at Rec Hall.

The old cliche, 'they don't rebuild, they reload,' seems appropriate, but the adage is incomplete. In addition to recruiting, PSU's 2010 decade includes wrestlers jumping levels, a collective out-of-this-world bonus rate, a perennial Hodge contender or two, a sixth-year senior in his NCAA debut beating an NCAA Champ, and a first time starter winning an NCAA title.

The pieces have seemingly fell Penn State's way under the magic of Cael & Co. and the Nittany Lions enter the '20's with a full cast of studs. And yet, at least for the 2019-2020 season, their lineup outlook is about as clear as the LA skyline.

Juggling talent and weight classes is one thing. Even the delicate job and uncertainty of developing (and plugging in) new starters and youth is a common task for a wrestling coach. But this year's PSU team will feature two key pieces on medical redshirts, the NCAA cinderella from 2018 that's taken a year off, and the unprecedented move of greyshirting almost an entire recruiting class. And oh yeah, it's all compounded by the Olympic calendar. 

Below we'll analyze the roster and the new faces in an attempt to solve what might be the trickiest year to project a Lion line-up in quite a long time. And it's uniqueness might make for the most complicated ever.

New Faces In 2019-2020

Penn State had the #1 recruiting class in 2018. Only #12-Roman Bravo-Young matriculated. The following wrestlers deferred enrollment and will be True Freshmen this year. 

#20-Joe Lee, IN (165)

#2-Aaron Brooks, MD (184)

#11-Michael Beard, PA (197)

#22-Seth Nevills, CA (285)

2019 Ranked Recruits

#9-Carter Starocci, PA (174)

Graduate Departures

Jason Nolf, 157 - National Champ

Bo Nickal, 197 - National Champ

2020 Commitments

Robert Howard, NJ (125/133)

Beau Bartlett, AZ (133/141)

Current Depth Chart

125 & 133

Recent History:  Nico Megaludis was a perennial power for the Lions, garnering four All American honors and a National title. Jordan Conaway AA'd once at 125 and once at 133. While Nick Suriano looked to be the anchor of the lightweights, his tenure lasted just one year in state college and his departure threw a wrench in the PSU plans down low. 

This Year:  There was a time when the thought was the PSU lightweights would be led by Suriano and Adam Busiello, who committed as a high school freshman. The stress and uncertainty in the lightweights was suppressed with Bravo-Young's talent and his AA'ing as a true freshman, but at least for another year - until Robbie Howard gets to town - 125 is in flux. 

Teske wrestled sparingly last year, going 6-2. So there's not a whole lot of indication how effective he can be. There was also speculation that he may have gotten too big for 125. A lot rides on Teske. If he's good - even serviceable - Happy Valley can breathe a sigh of relief as he'll represent both optimism and flexibility down low.

The other option at 125 for Penn State this year is Devin Schnupp who was 6-17 last year. He went 0-3 at the Big Ten Tournament and won just one Big Ten dual match.

A third option exists in Matty Parker - a talent coming out of high school. He was 13-2 for Lehigh as a redshirt in 2017-18, but didn't wrestle a match last year and has had injuries. It's difficult to say where he's at in the pecking order and it would be too presumptuous to project national-level efficacy from him at this time.

Recruiting Needs: Projecting weights is basically impossible. How beautiful would it be for Howard and RBY to hold 25/33 their entire careers? More likely is that they both move up at some point. Which means Penn State still needs a 125. In fact, it should be their #1 priority in my opinion and to me, that means one guy. Stevo. 

I don't think they're gonna mess around with anyone that 'might' hold 125; they want someone they can count on. I think Poulin is the complete package, and bar-none my #1 uncommitted 125lb prospect. Ayala would be interesting as well, though Iowa to Pennsylvania is a rarity. 

Potential Targets: Stevo Poulin (NY); Kyle Rowan (OH); Drake Ayala (IA)

Middleweights

Recent History: Zain Retherford and Jason Nolf made for one of the deadliest tandems in college wrestling history, terrorizing the country to the tune of 8 AA's and 6 natty titles. Predecessors Andrew and Dylan Alton and James English were solid, but accounted for just two AA's among them. It's a new era now: Nick Lee-Verkleeren-Berge.

This Year: This is the one area where we have certainty. Nick Lee will man 141 after AA'ing his first two years. Verkleeren will move into the 149 gig where he performed solidly the last couple years with a 24-8 tally. Brady Berge really took one for the team last year. Blocked by Nolf, he made the hard cut to 149 going 20-5 and 2-2 at NCAA's. I like him to make a big leap this year.

Recruiting Needs: After this season, Nick Lee will have one year left while Berge and Verkleeren have two. At some point I think we see RBY come up to 141, but the Nits still need bodies and talent in the middle. I would say that after 125, a 149/157 is their next priority. 

I'm high on the upside of Joey Zargo. I see him as a guy with his best wrestling ahead of him and one that thoroughly enjoys the sport. I think he fits in with the PSU culture. Also, it's a few years down the road, but I'd bet PSU lands Ryan Crookham and (with a little less confidence) Alejandro Herrera. 

Potential Targets: Joey Zargo (NJ); Ryan Crookham (PA); Alejandro Herrera (PA); Matt Lee (IN); Jesse Mendez (IN)

165 & 174

Recent History: In the last decade, Penn State has AA'd at 165 and 174 16 of 20 opportunities while putting seven different wrestlers in the finals at these two weights. 

This Year: Penn State has a pair of wrestlers looking to make their fourth straight final. While Vincenzo Joseph seems locked into his final 165 campaign, less is clear about Mark Hall and his 174 spot. Mark has the ability - via a Junior World Title - to take an Olympic redshirt. Should he not take it then there's not much to talk about here - PSU's lineup would be clear from 141 to 174 or even 184. 

But things get interesting if Mark does take it (and I'm pretty darn sure he is). The next option would be Mason Manville. But wait...Mason can and should take an OLY year as well. 

That would have the Lions turn to one of two freshmen - either Aaron Brooks who, you guessed it, is also eligible for not only an OLY year, but a regular redshirt. He won't take the OLY because that would require not being enrolled and he already deferred one year. He'll try to bulk to 184 to take over for Rasheed. The one thing I can say with surety in this whole mess is that the odds Brooks is in the lineup this year is close to non-existent.

Then we have Carter Starocci who, I promise, is gonna be a force. I also think the best thing for him is to be pressed into the lineup as a frosh, whether that's 65 or 74.  Joe Lee could also be a possibility at 165.

Wait. 165? I thought you said Cenzo got that on lock?

Don't let it break your brain if Cenzo goes 174. It's a real possibility being discuss and it makes sense based on both Starocci's chances at 165 and the mass exodus that will occur at 174 this year. I'll leave that as a tease and write a 165/174 insanity breakdown at a later date.

One last twist. What if Mark Hall is intent on going 74kg for the Olympic Trials? He once said that his 74kg days were over, but if he has once last go at the weight in him, 2020 is the year. My intuition is that he IS going 74kg and that he IS taking an Olympic year. However, what if he wrestles an abbreviated schedule and goes 165 with Cenzo at 174? It's not far fetched. 

Bottom line is - be prepared for a lot of permutations - for PSU and nationally. 

Recruiting Needs:  Lee and Starocci should have these weights covered for the foreseeable future. Hall could have an extra year and Manville would be a solid starter. Nothing, in my opinion, is pressing here, largely because I believe in Lee and Starocci. And there aren't many 2020 options at these weights, of those still uncommitted, that are very enticing. However in the case that something should happen - should they get injured or not show promise during a period where they could be evaluated, 2021 offers some talented options and with mutual interest.

Potential Targets: Paddy Gallagher (OH); Alex Facundo (MI); Clayton Ulrey (PA); Thayne Lawrence (PA)

Upperweights

Recent History: Nittany Lions have made the finals with regularity at 184 and 197 - Ed Ruth, Quentin Wright, Bo Nickal and Morgan McIntosh all accomplished that feat. Their heavyweights have quietly been solid, particularly in the last half of the decade. After not having a 285 AA from 2010-2014, PSU saw their heavies place in four of the last five years. Cassar just won a title in 2019. Jimmy Lawson was 6th in '15, and Nevills went 5th in '17 and 7th in '18.

This Year: Shakur Rasheed is the clear starter at 184 and should be considered a title threat. He was undefeated and looking great (13 of 14 bonus) until he clearly got injured during a 5-0 win vs. Wisconsin and then wasn't quite himself, going 6-3 thereafter. He defaulted out of BIG's and went 2-2 at the dance. 

197 offers the option of Kyle Conel, who was 3rd at NCAA's in 2018 for Kent State. There are some questions here though. How healthy is he? And 'Just how good is Conel'? Prior to that tournament, he wasn't a model of consistency. Will he become better and more consistent under a year of training at PSU? Almost assuredly. 

You also have Michael Beard, arguably the #1 prospect at 197 in the Class of 2018. He already took a greyshirt and had a great season going 12-0 with three open titles. Is he a better, more consistent option? I think so. But does that outweigh the benefit of wrestling Conel and then having Beard locked in for four years? 

Ultimately I think Beard wants to be in the lineup, but the wisest personnel decision would be to go with Conel. 

Cassar, who went from a platoon role at 197 to winning an NCAA title, is locked in HWT. He actually has two more years of eligibility granted via medical exemption. He'll wrestle this year and then decide if he's coming back for the second year. That's a question for '20-'21 but PSU is in good hands thereafter with Seth Nevills.

Recruiting Needs: Brooks-Beard-Nevills. Penn State should be on cruise control (recruiting wise) up top for quite a while. I'm looking at current freshmen or sophomores only if I'm PSU.

Potential Targets: TJ Stewart (VA); Seth Shumate (OH); Kolby Franklin (PA); Nate Schon (PA); Kyonte Hamilton (DC); Gavin Garcia (PA); Rylan Rogers (WA); Dayton Pitzer (PA); Grant Mackay (PA); Brayden Thompson (IL)

Projected 2019-2020 LineUp

Season Outlook

Penn State will certainly be in the title hunt. Depending on who starts, they could actually put themselves in position for history tying/making marks. Another NCAA title would match Iowa's 9 in 10 record. And another undefeated dual season would likely see them break the all-time dual meet streak early in the 2020-21 season.

Of course, they will be tested in both formats. Iowa and Ohio State would present intriguing matchups in a dual.

From a tournament perspective, Penn State could be considered the preseason favorite again. They have certainty at 133 and 141 and the entire back half of the lineup has finalist potential. They'll have little room for error. At least on paper and in June. We've learned how that summer analysis usually works out; Penn State improves by tournament time and poses for pictures with the big trophy on Saturday night.