Nebraska
Wrestling Preview: No. 1 Penn State at No. 6 Nebraska

Penn State wrestling is coming fresh off a record-tying utter domination of Michigan State, albeit with nearly half of the latter’s starting lineup not taking the mat. This week, they face a far more formidable opponent – the always tough Nebraska Cornhuskers, who are entering this matchup after a season-building win over then-#6 Minnesota (21-13). That win vaulted the Huskers back up the rankings, as they were the #9 ranked team after their first (and only) loss at the hands of Northern Iowa (24-9).
Nebraska is one of the few squads who, like Penn State, feature a ranked wrestler at every weight – but half of the Husker lineup is in the top ten, versus nine out of ten for PSU. Rankings aren’t everything, though, as the underdogs feature a number of bonafide studs who’ve had some impressive bouts in their NE careers.
It’s been five years since Penn State has wrestled in the Devaney Center, with none of the current roster having wrestled there before; the last time, a few weeks after the Lions lodged a narrow 20-18 win, the world shut down to a global pandemic. Let’s hope this year’s outcome doesn’t trigger similarly catastrophic consequences.
How To Watch
What: #1 Penn State vs #6 Nebraska*
Where: Devaney Center, Lincoln, NE
When: Friday, January 17, 9 PM EST
Audio: Free (via GoPSUSports)
Video: BTN
Lineup
#1 Penn State | WT | #6 Nebraska |
---|---|---|
#1 Penn State | WT | #6 Nebraska |
#12 – Luke Lilledahl (Fr., St Charles, MO) | 125 | #6 – Caleb Smith (Gr.,, HIgh Point, NC) |
#5 – Braeden Davis (So., Belleville, MI) | 133 | #16 – Jacob Van Dee (So., Union City, PA) |
#3 – Beau Bartlett (Gr., Tempe, AZ) | 141 | #6 – Brock Hardy (Jr., Brigham City, UT) |
#2 – Shayne Van Ness (So., Somerville, NJ) | 149 | #4 – Ridge Lovett (Sr., Post Falls, ID) |
#3 – Tyler Kasak (So., Doylestown, PA) OR Alex Facundo (So., Essexville, MI) |
157 | #5 – Antrell Taylor (So., Millard, NE) |
#1 – Mitchell Mesenbrink (So., Hartland, WI) | 165 | Christopher Minto (Fr., Cape Coral, FL) OR #7 – Bubba Wilson (Sr., Manhattan, KS) |
#2 – Levi Haines (Jr., Arendtsville, PA) | 174 | #15 – Lenny Pinto (Jr., Stroudsburg, PA) |
#1 – Carter Starocci (Gr., Erie, PA) | 184 | # 17 – Silas Allred (Jr., Anderson, IN) |
#4 – Josh Barr (Fr, Davison, MI) OR Lucas Cochran (Jr., Perry UT) |
197 | #22 – Camden McDaniel (Fr., Circleville, OH) |
#2 – Greg Kerkvliet (Gr., Grove Heights, MN) | 285 | #24 – Harley Andrews (So., Tuttle, OK) |
125 – Match of the Meet #1
I see Lightning Luke on the same trajectory as Mitchell Mesenbrink last year, with each week having him climb up the rankings after starting off the season far too low. This week will be a big test for Lilledahl, and he’s more than up to the task; Smith is a veteran wrestler and 2024 All-American, coming into this dual having split his last two bouts (a loss to #30 Anderson of UNI, and a win over #7 Flynn of Minnesota). All the pressure is on Smith, and Luke’s got the chance to show out.
Prediction: Lilledahl by decision
Score: PSU 3, UN 0
133 LBS
Davis isn’t coming out of nowhere this season – the reigning B1G champ at 125 is on everyone’s radar. He gets his third top ranked bout this year against the Nebraska grappler that teammate Aaron Nagao pinned in the conference tournament last year – but Van Dee is confident, coming off an upset over Minnesota’s Tyler Wells. I expect one takedown to make the difference here, and that three will be Braeden’s.
Prediction: Davis by decision
Score: PSU 6, UN 0
141 LBS
Beau says he’s having the most fun wrestling this year, and who am I to discount that? This week, he takes on last year’s #3 finisher at this weight. Hardy, like Smith, has split his last two bouts (losing to #5 Happel of UNI and beating #8 Vombaur of Minnesota); it doesn’t come easier for him. The best bet on this one is a tie late into the third, if not extra wrestling, with Bartlett snagging a last-second TD and the victory.
Prediction: Bartlett by decision
Score: PSU 9, UN 0
149 LBS
Ridge Lovett was the internet’s favorite wrestler a few years ago, an exciting athlete with a high-scoring style that even the most cursory of wrestling fans would find exciting, culminating in an NCAA finals appearance as a true sophomore in 2022. We’re all used to his on-mat theatrics now, and he’s not taking anyone by surprise; neither is Shayne Van Ness, who seems better than ever coming back after last year’s medical redshirt. This one starts out close but some swipes in the third give the Nittany Lion enough points to be just shy of bonus.
Prediction: Van Ness by decision
Score: PSU 12, UN 0
157 LBS
Antrell Taylor’s another Husker who split his last two outings, losing to UNI’s #4 Downey and beating MInnesota’s #9 Askey. He’ll be a tough outing for Tyler Kasak, and the Nittany Lion’s first major test since the All-Star Classic. I’ve got a feeling that Nebraska pulls off one big upset this week, and though this one might not be big, it would definitely be an upset – one Tyler gets back in the postseason.
Prediction: Taylor by decision
Score: PSU 12, UN 3
165 LBS
Even though this is listed as an “or” in Penn State’s official match preview, that doesn’t mean one Nebraska wrestler will be decidedly easier for Mesenbrink than the other – if it weren’t for returning NCAA qualifier Wilson, MInto would likely be highly ranked as well. But this is Mitchell Mesenbrink we’re talking about, and even top ten guys will likely be fodder for him on his quest for a title this year.
Prediction: Mesenbrink by tech fall
Score: PSU 17, UN 3
174 LBS
Lenny Pinto is one of the few Huskers who is on a winning streak, beating back to back ranked wrestlers – but he’s never had to wrestle Levi Haines. This week, Levi’ll get a turn that us fans will call a pin but the refs won’t; he will get bonus, though.
Prediction: Levi by major decision
Score: PSU 21, UN 3
184 LBS
I was originally going to pick this one to be close, but then I saw the results from the last two weeks – Allred’s top ten, but he was pinned by Parker Keckeisen and majored by Minnesota’s McEnelly. Carter is the heel of college wrestling right now, and I wouldn’t be a fan of his if I didn’t recognize he’d take those results as a distinct challenge. I don’t think he’ll get quite the angle he’ll need to take Silas Allred to his back, but he’ll get enough swipes to be thisclose to a tech.
Prediction: Carter by major decision
Score: PSU 25, UN 3
197 LBS
Josh Barr had his best test in the Nittany Lions’ last road trip, and passed with flying colors. His ranking reflects that, though, and his might be the second best bet this week. He’s facing a fellow freshman, but one who’s fresh off a pair of losses. This could get bad pretty quickly.
Prediction: Barr by pin
Score: PSU 31, UN 3
285 LBS
Kerkvliet went first last week against the Spartans, and isn’t used to having to leave the anklets on the mat so accidentally left to go to the locker room with them on after his first-minute pin. That has nothing to do with this bout, but just makes me happy – and there’s not much I can say that will make this bout any closer. Andrews was tech falled by Steveson last week, and I expect similar this week, putting a capper on a successful business trip for the Lions.
Prediction: Kerk by tech fall
Score: PSU 36, UN 3
Overall score prediction: Penn State 36, Nebraska 3
*The Penn State athletic department, in its official capacity, uses Intermat’s Tournament Power Index in all its match literature; I’m using Intermat’s Dual Meet Rankings because this happens to be a dual. Penn State is #1 in both rankings; Nebraska is #6 in the dual rankings, and #4 in the tournament rankings.

Nebraska
Nebraska lawmakers send school library bill to governor’s desk

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – A bill that would allow parents, guardians, and school administrators to see what books are available at a school and when their student checks out a book is heading to Governor Jim Pillen’s desk.
LB 390, introduced by Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, passed 34-14 during a final round of voting on Thursday.
The bill, once signed into law, would require each school board to adopt a policy relating to access by a parent, guardian, or school administrator to certain school library information at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year.
School libraries will have to publish an online catalog of books in the district’s library and provide the opportunity for a parent of a student to be notified of the materials checked out by their child.
Parents can sign up for notifications should they choose to — that would include the book’s title, author and due date.
Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Copyright 2025 KOLN. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
Tennessee Titans showing interest in Nebraska tight end

Throughout the pre-draft process, there has been much talk about the Tennessee Titans needing to add to their receiving corps. They have been connected to multiple wide receivers. They have also had contact with a few tight end prospects who have potential receiving upside.
In a recent article for Sportskeeda, NFL draft expert Tony Pauline added a new tight end to the list of players the Titans have shown interest in: Nebraska tight end Thomas Fidone II. While he didn’t mention where or when the meeting took place, he did say that Tennessee had completed it and that there could be some interest.
Fidone is a late-round prospect who appears to be rising in draft circles. The 6-foot-5, 254-pound tight end is more of a pure receiver than an in-line blocker and has shown the ability to stretch the field vertically with his combination of speed and catch radius.
As mentioned, he can struggle as a run blocker and must refine his technique and build functional strength before taking on a more significant role in an NFL offense. But his natural skills as a receiver give him a high ceiling and the potential to develop into a well-rounded offensive weapon.
The Titans would appear to have a solid tight end group heading into the draft. However, adding a dynamic receiving threat to the position could help fill the wide receiver room void by utilizing multiple tight end sets. Plus, with the team having six Day 3 picks, selecting a prospect with untapped potential could be enticing.
Nebraska
Tennessee football to play Georgia Tech in 2026-27, replacing Nebraska series

Tennessee football will play Georgia Tech in 2026 and 2027 after Nebraska backed out of its series with the Vols.
Both schools announced the new contract on Wednesday. UT also announced a home game against Kennesaw State on Sept. 19, 2026, with a contract that was finalized last fall.
The first game of the Georgia Tech series will be Sept. 12, 2026, in Atlanta. It could be played at Bobby Dodd Stadium, which has a capacity of 51,913. But Georgia Tech could explore moving that game to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to take advantage of a 71,000 capacity.
The second game will be Sept. 11, 2027, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.
It will be their first meeting since the 2017 season opener, when Tennessee won 42-41 in double-overtime in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Georgia Tech’s last trip to Neyland Stadium was 1987, when UT won 29-15.
The Vols own a 25-17-2 record in the all-time series. The programs met all but three years from 1954-87.
Last season, Georgia Tech posted a 7-6 record with a 3-4 mark in the ACC. The Yellow Jackets have gone 18-16 in three seasons under coach Brent Key.
Why Nebraska backed out of Tennessee series
Tennessee had to scramble to find a new opponent after Nebraska backed out of their 2026 and 2027 games, which had been under contract since 2006.
Tennessee athletics director Danny White anticipated having to schedule neutral site games in back-to-back seasons because of Nebraska’s late pullout. But he thanked Georgia Tech athletics director J. Batt for providing the Vols a good alternative on short notice.
“After Nebraska canceled the series, our main focus was to secure another home-and-home matchup with an opponent from a Power Four conference, which seemed improbable at the time,” Danny White said in a school release. “I sincerely appreciate athletic director J. Batt’s creativity in modifying Georgia Tech’s schedule to make this series possible. We look forward to seeing plenty of orange in Atlanta in 2026!”
Nebraska must pay UT $1 million in liquidated damages, or $500,000 per game, plus any expenses incurred in pursuance. It’s a relatively small penalty for a buyout, but that’s because the contract is so old.
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said the Cornhuskers backed out of the UT series because it had no incentive to play tough nonconference games along with a nine-game conference schedule in the Big Ten.
“Why in the world would a Big Ten team who’s already playing nine conference games, why would you ever play one of those games?” Rhule said on “The Triple Option” podcast with Urban Meyer. “… I love the SEC, I’m not anti-SEC, but there’s some SEC teams last year that only played three away games in another team’s stadium. We’re in a league where some years you have five home Big Ten games, and some years you have five road. You go on the road five times in the Big Ten with no like, Florida-Georgia on a neutral site.”
Tennessee football future nonconference opponents
Tennessee quietly added Kennesaw State to the 2026 schedule last fall.
Coincidentally, former UT running backs coach Jerry Mack was hired as Kennesaw State’s new coach in December after the future game was already on the books.
That means the Vols will open the 2026 season against Furman (Sept. 5), Georgia Tech (Sept. 12) and Kennesaw State (Sept. 19). They haven’t added a fourth nonconference opponent yet because the SEC is considering a nine-game conference schedule in 2026.
Here are UT’s other future nonconference opponents.
2025: Syracuse (in Atlanta); ETSU; UAB; New Mexico State
2026: Furman, Kennesaw State, Georgia Tech (in Atlanta)
2027: Western Michigan, Georgia Tech
2028: West Virginia (in Charlotte, North Carolina)
2029: Washington
2030: at Washington
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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