State Media

Meet Branden Wentzel, a Penn State wrestler from Montoursville, Pennsylvania, whose wrestling journey started at just five years old under the mentorship of his father. In this up-close interview, Branden talks about growing up in a wrestling family, winning a Pennsylvania state title, overcoming the challenges of the COVID era in high school wrestling, and realizing he could compete at the colleg...

Is college sports still pure — or is TV money changing everything? Christian Hackenberg and Brian Tripp break down the growing influence of networks, conference power, playoff selection, and revenue in modern college athletics. On this episode of Statewide, Brian Tripp and former Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg discuss the money behind college sports, Big Ten and SEC influence, NCAA ba...

Penn State wrestling just keeps winning — but Mitchell Messenbrink and Sean Degl make it clear that the dynasty is not only about talent. In this episode of Off the Mat, Messenbrink and Degl break down what makes Penn State wrestling different: the coaching staff, the culture, the team-first mindset, the love for the program, and the discipline required to sustain greatness year after year. They t...

Connor Pierce shares his journey from growing up in Erie, Pennsylvania, to becoming part of the Penn State wrestling brotherhood. In this interview, Pierce talks about starting wrestling in first grade, choosing wrestling over football, his favorite high school wrestling memory, beating an Ohio State wrestler at the Edinboro Open, and the recruiting visit that convinced him Penn State was the plac...

Mason Ellis sits down to share his journey from Huntsville, Alabama to Penn State Wrestling — from starting the sport at 8 years old, winning his first state title, learning from key mentors, and choosing Penn State because of its championship culture, brotherhood, and legendary coaching staff. In this interview, Mason talks about growing up in Alabama, following in his father’s footsteps as a sta...

Nate Desmond opens up about his journey to Penn State Wrestling — from growing up around the sport in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, to being pushed by a wrestling family, beating the No. 1 pound-for-pound wrestler in the country, and realizing Penn State was the place he needed to be. In this interview, Desmond talks about family, faith, pressure, purpose, and what Penn State fans can expect from him ev...

Hayden Cunningham grew up in State College, Pennsylvania, surrounded by Penn State wrestling. In this interview, Hayden talks about growing up around the Penn State wrestling room, watching the dynasty develop, learning from the way the coaches adapted to every athlete, and fighting through years of injuries in high school and college. After missing key recruiting years and not having the flashies...

Penn State entering a completely new era at quarterback? Christian Hackenberg and Jason Cabinda break down Matt Campbell’s early momentum, the Rocco conversation, Penn State’s rebuilt roster, NIL chaos, and the future of the College Football Playoff. In this episode of The Pocket, Hackenberg and Cabinda discuss Matt Campbell’s recruiting start at Penn State, James Franklin’s move to Virginia Tech,...

Christian Hackenberg and Brian Tripp are back for Episode 2 of State Wide, your home for all Penn State sports coverage. This episode looks at the end of the 2025–26 Penn State athletics season, the modern challenge of building rosters through recruiting, the transfer portal, NIL, and revenue sharing, plus what Penn State programs can learn from a year filled with both adversity and major individu...

Penn State wrestling just keeps winning, winning, and winning. This is an up-close interview with Joe Sealey and Josh Barr as they explain why this dynasty is about way more than what you think it is. Coming off an unbelievable fifth-consecutive national championship season, the Penn State wrestlers break down how to win 5 national titles, what separates their training from other programs, and why...

In this interview, PJ Duke opens up about starting wrestling at four or five years old, winning a team state title in high school, overcoming injuries, choosing Penn State, Coach Cael Sanderson’s leadership, the culture inside the Nittany Lion program, and his long-term goal of chasing World and Olympic teams. Chapters: 0:00 — Meet PJ Duke 0:16 — His First Wrestling Match 0:40 — What Made High Sch...

In this interview, Rocco talks about growing up in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, the role his family played in his wrestling career, why his dad’s advice still drives him, and why Penn State felt like the place he needed to be to reach the next level. Rocco also shares what makes Penn State Wrestling different: the coaches, the details outside of wrestling, the team culture, the culture, faith, prepar...

Luke Lilledahl, Penn State’s 125-pound national champion from St. Louis, Missouri, reflects on his wrestling journey, his father’s influence, his time at boarding school, winning Ironman as a team, and why Penn State became the right place for him. In this interview, Lilledahl talks about the culture inside Penn State Wrestling, the high standards set by the coaches, competing in front of packed c...

On the debut episode of State Wide, Brian Tripp and former Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg sit down with Rocco Becht to talk about his transition to Penn State, his relationship with Matt Campbell, stepping into the role as QB1, Big Ten expectations, and what excites him most about this Penn State football team. Hackenberg and Tripp also break down what stood out from spring, where Pen...

Penn State Wrestling is coming off its fifth consecutive national championship and one of the most dominant seasons in college wrestling history. Behind the trophies is something even more powerful: a locker room built on a culture where every wrestler is chasing greatness. In this Off The Mat Media Day episode, Dawson Bundy, Cole Mirasola, William Henckel, and Kysion Garcia talk about what makes...

Penn State wrestlers PJ Duke and Mason Ellis join Off the Mat for one of the wildest conversations yet. The guys revisit the moon landing debate, then get into UFO’s, UAP’s, aliens, The Matrix, and then get into the importance of mindsets before sharing some anecdotes they’ve learned from Coach Cael. This episode starts hilariously off the rails, then turns into a deeper discussion about wrestling...

Penn State Wrestling’s Mason Ellis, Kyison Garcia, and Sean Degl join Off the Mat for one of the funniest episodes yet. Mason shares the story of how he became the “Alabama Slamma”, Kyle shares a wild story of wrestling in a state tournament with a broken leg, and then the episode takes an unexpected twist. The guys start debating the moon landing and more. This is a must-watch for any sports fan....

Penn State legends Christian Hackenberg and Jason Cabinda react to the 2026 NFL Draft, break down the Penn State players selected, recap Penn State spring game, and also analyze all the changes that are improving Penn State football. This is MUST WATCH for any Penn State die-hard. Chapters: 0:00 Spring Game + First Impressions 2:00 How the Culture Has Shifted 3:30 Depth Issues 5:00 What Looked GOO...

Whitney Lauenstein’s journey isn’t what you’d expect. She wasn’t the Gatorade Player of the Year. She wasn’t the most hyped recruit. She got told “no” by schools early on. But that’s exactly what made her dangerous. Going from Nebraska, to Texas, to Penn State, Whitney joins Her State to share her story of what it feels like to be overlooked, the mindset that helped her compete at the highest of l...

Penn State Baseball players Jayden Davis and Ben Hudson break down the wildest moment of their season — from a brutal hit at first base to a full team response and a walk-off win. This episode of The Clubhouse shows what college baseball is really like behind the scenes. Chapters: 0:45 Intro to Guests Jayden Davis and Ben Hudson 3:15 The Hit That Changed Everything 4:30 Team Fight & Standing U...

In this episode of The Pocket, Christian Hackenberg and Jason Cabinda break down what’s really happening inside the program after a deep, behind the scenes, inside look at spring practice, team culture, and roster changes. How close is Penn State to competing for a Big Ten Championship? What are the impressions left after spring ball? Any positional standouts? Recruiting insight? This is a must wa...

Marie-Eloise Leclair joins Her State to share her story, including competing in the Olympics against incredible odds and adversity. Somehow she has overcome it all and competed on the biggest stage in the world in the Olympics. Marie-Eloise gives an inside view of what it REALLY takes to make the Olympics, the life-changing moment she got the call, how her team set a national record, and what it’s...

Aaron Nagao’s journey didn’t start on the mat — it started with survival. Diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening disease as a child, Nagao wasn’t expected to make it. After a bone marrow transplant saved his life, he’s gone on to become one of the most unique wrestlers in college wrestling — blending jiu-jitsu instincts with elite NCAA competition. In an extraordinary interview, Aaron sits down t...

In this episode of The Clubhouse with Penn State Nittany Lions Baseball, Kyle Emmons breaks down his journey from being an inconsistent high school pitcher to competing at the Power 4 level — and why the transfer portal changed everything. Kyle opens up about his welcome to college baseball, the realities of the transfer portal, what it takes to the jump to power 4 baseball, and becoming a high-le...

In this conversation with Penn State softball player Michela Barbanente, she opens up about the reality most athletes don’t talk about: self-doubt, pressure, and the mindset shift that changed everything for her career. From struggling with confidence as a freshman to developing what she calls “delusional confidence,” this is a raw look at what it really takes to compete, not just in sports, but i...