The TRUTH About Why Penn State Gets Transfers 

What elite wrestler would not want to learn from a humble leader like Cael Sanderson, the greatest NCAA Wrestler who is now the greatest NCAA Coach?

I've been saying something similar in defense of these PSU transfers. It's not about team titles. It's about guys wanting the best place to get better. PSU has shown they are taking guys to the next level, but not only NCAA. These young guys want a better chance to get with NLWC and go beyond. Cael is building THE elite training center. These guys want to be a part of that

I watched an interview with Zane Rutherford and he was talking about his recruiting process and he said that the determining factor to go to Penn State was that Cael was the only one that sat him down and asked him what his goals were and then talk to him about how he was going to help him reach his goals. So I think you were spot on.

Because Cael is a goddamned legend

These short form videos about the deeper levels of the sport are really good CP!

This is not cheesy, this is very real. Many of these guys I've had dreams of becoming a national, world, and Olympic champion from a very young age and there is no question the place to accomplish these goals is Penn State.

Best coaches best partners.. pretty simple

Christian Pyles, these 5- and 6-minute videos are interesting and entertaining. Don't discontinue these. They are short and informative.

Iowa gets transfers too. The last few years we saw Lugo, Eirman, Woods, DeSanto & I'm sure I'm missing some.

Too many people in these comments forget that college wrestling has always had waves of dominance by one school for a while, and that happened from the beginning of collegiate wrestling (so long before the transfer portal) Oklahoma State dominated for decades then some Iowa State, then Iowa dominated for nearly two or three decades; now it's Penn State. This is how college wrestling works, it is nothing new at all.

Penn State youth program is now going in part through David Taylor's M2 club (Levi Haines), to get coached by the GOAT (Cael Sanderson), and graduates to a choice between Olympic Champion Jake Varner's Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, or 3X NCAA Champ / MMA star Bo Nickal's American Top Team State College location which will soon include RBY. At no time in history has any program offered better options, and talented mentors.

Penn state competes with Iowa and Ohio state for these kids...All 3 can pay what the student wants but Penn State is the team today that consistently puts 3 or more guys on top of the podium

Great take! Just recently found some of your clips on here; will definitely be watching more!

I think Cael sandersons jaw muscles win state by themselves

Great points in this video. I think with the NLWC attracting such top Olympic talent, and being a regional training center, factors like these appeal to transfers and recruits. PSU wrestlers train with the NLWC, on occasion, if I'm not mistaken. "Iron sharpens Iron" has never been so evident.

It's not just Penn State; but all the people with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club that adds to the decision.

The NLWC and its wrestlers are a huge reason why penn state gets transfers. Being able to train with some of them is a dream come true to many. Also wrestlers are starting to want to go MMA after college. Now with American Top Team State College up and running and the legit possibility of Bo Nickal having success in the UFC, wait until you get guys go to state college after college to train mma there.

Because they have a great coach, a great person and a great program.

Simply put, if you are an elite wrestler.. Penn State gives you the best chance to win an NCAA title. It’s not an opinion, the statistics are open to everyone. Penn State wrestlers win in the National Semi Finals and Finals at a percentage significantly higher than any their program in the country.

Excellent observations and commentary.

PSU room could dang near win the Olympics

Spot on…wrestling IS a pure sport, athletes obsessed with a goal…”did YOU train today” Ranger Wrestling

Well stated...for the love of excellence.

Pyles: There is not a lot of money in wrestling Flo: You want to watch wrestling? That'll be $29.99 a month.

Thanks for the tips, CP. --- Signed Tom and Terry.

I went to a small east coast college. Somehow they recruited the best coach in the history of Long Island (Sprig Gardner) to be their head coach. Sprig recruited a couple LI aces and promptly had a heart attack and had to retire. Both his recruits were great, but one was transcendental. He only began wrestling as a HS Jr, and none of the big programs knew about him. Sprig was replaced by an assistant football coach who heasrd about wrestling once. We practiced 45 minutes a day, little drilling, no new moves, no running, no lifting. Any improvement we made was on our own. This guy became the greatest legman I've ever seen -- only Zain was close. His name was Joe Bavaro. With no training, no conditioning, wrestling his natural weight, he was 2x Div 2 NC and 2x NCAA D1 finalist, losing on a ref's decision in OT (no criteria back then). In today's world, Joe would have been wrestling his 2nd year at PSU or OSU on the way to creating a legend. His closest match his Sr year before the NCAA finals was when he was almost DQ'd for unneccesary roughness. He'd throw in those legs and blast a crossface from hell. Some refs didn't like it.

I am just really fortunate to live in PA and get to watch all these great guys just go for it.

I understand why they go there but it sucks knowing which team is gonna be number 1 each year.

Because they are the best college wrestling team lol

Been coaching wrestling for almost 40 years.... I don't watch wrestling very much though. So my observations are screenshots. Watched the NCAA finals a few years back. It was obvious that Cael was out coaching alot of great coaches. And then the exit interviews with the athletes after finals just made it more obvious. As for Kyle S., again, screenshots. He went to my high school, so I watched him a little closer. As the young Kyle, he was a big man wrestling like a lightweight. AT OSU, imo, he was a big man wrestling like a big man....and it showed. He is with Cael's team now, and how is he wrestling now?

I think there is powerful energy there and the best are magnetically attracted to that. If I were world class I would want the college Cael coached at.

There is not enough money in wrestling for that to be a main motivator, especially at the collegel level. NIL brings more money in the sport than previously, but it isn't near the level of football and basketball, again, especially at the college level. You don't wreslte in college or beyond and to get rich, because the odds of that are slim. If you are a top level guy you might not be super broke, but you will still have to work after your time is done. There just isn't money in most combat sports yet and the larger early starters have a corner on that money (UFC and ADCC mainly, Flo is trying to get there, ONE, Belator). Maybe things will change over the next ten years but I doubt it.

1:05 "It's not for going to some great school, it's not for going to some great institution". But it kinda is Real Woods said went to Stanford to get the degree from there, as I'm sure Shane Griffith did. Some studs are willing to sacrifice to further their education. And then when they grad transfer people lose their minds. Like let a guy chase his dreams. Same could be said about Bernie Truax.

Great video

Cael has proven to make champions. When other schools prove to make champions these students will go to those schools. We need to make this sport financially profitable also. We will then overcome football as the #1 sport in America.

your argument is smart… insightful

Completely on point!!! Some just dont understand the pursuit of wrestlers or the purity of it. Specially those outside the sport. I am an Ohio guy, southwest, and always was hearing how Jeff Jordan was recruiting which is illegal in highschool sports in Ohio. It made me laugh!!!! There was no need for him to do so, everyone who thought they could crack the line upwanted to go there. His state champ camps drew kids from all over the country, and many wanted to come there. The choice was up to the wrestler, of course you would get better but would you make varsity? Peronally i always told kids go to the camps get all you can from him, then come back and make your team and community better. So, who wouldnt want the opportunity to go to Penn State learn from the greatest collegiate wrestler and go the best club in the world to train?

Kind of eliminates parity. I suppose the reason to go to college is to make a career in sports. Alabama in football. others in basketball. Note on the Dake/Dean transfer , there were several reasons including Ivy season rules and NYS vaccination rules for schools with those rules being optional in Pa. It was not simply the friendship of Dake and Taylor. In the different strokes for different folks game, Bo goes on to MMA and Friedman goes on to lead Goldman Sachs. As far as a training ground for wrestling coaches goes.....how many head coaches went on from PSU vs Cornell?

Totally Agree

To be a varsity wrestler at Penn State says a lot.

Here is a new look at what is attractive about Penn State Wrestling, I just love to watch this sport and I have learned so much Just observing Cael every minute I can. I've watched him wrestle and coach, but I am attracted to his leadership, spirit and demeanor and would love to go to Penn State just to learn from him, even if I didn't wrestle. This man develops strong leaders we n eed so bad today. You see Cael mirrored in every one of his wrestlers.

This is true. When you practice with the Olympic champions, NCAA champions and people who want to win, then you are going to get better.

Who in the world wouldn't want to wrestle for the best program possibly ever, I love iowa and loved watching the brands brothers but I wish that iowa along with the cowboys got someone else at this point, penn has made it look too easy

Also, it’s odd that when people get to college they all of a sudden start talking about “loyalty”. Especially when your starting spot, money, and coaches are all but guaranteed.

The portal has turned into a defecto free agency

Dynasty !!!! Best program in the World !!!!

Pyles, anyone ever tell you you’re the every man’s Ryan Reynolds?

Don’t understand messenbrink would come he projects at 157/165 Haines is currently at 157 but 165 is in his future so I don’t get why he would take that chance and I didn’t even mention facundo unless the coaches (like myself and a lot of other fans) have lost a lot of faith in facundo

I think this is legit and unfortunately will damage the NCAA culture fans have come to love; if all the top (mostly) wrestlers go through one, top program. And it's not because these wrestlers or Penn State want to dominate the NCAAs, because it is not. These athletes want to be the best they can be after their college careers and that means they need to be in that Penn State practice room.

I’m glad it’s the reason Russia is so good. They all train together. It’s the one reason we hav e lagged behind them for so long. With all our studs training together we are closing the gap. You even see it work in Cuba. They leaned from Russia. And even this small island is good. If we all trained together all ways. We would be the best in every Olympics and world championships. We would dominate Russia. By having their own clubs around the country it makes us worse.

Cael doesn't recruit, he picks. I am a PSU Wrestling Alumni. I do NOT like this "portal" system in college athletics, period. If you want to transfer, fine, but you sit out one year.

So are these Pyles short videos replacing FRL on RU-vid??? Lame if that is the case

The best coach will always bring out the best in any student. Sanderson is in a league of his own. No one comes close. Its not a secret. Iowa can try to buy the best talent. But Iowa lacks the coaching standard of Sanderson.

I'd be willing to bet that there is a huge list of wrestlers that people have never heard of at the college d1 level that are capable of being a d1 ncaa champion but they aren't because of academics. Obviously college isn't for everyone and it's unfortunate that simply college isn't for them they won't get the eyes or notoriety they deserve as a wrestler. That said I'm sure there is a big list of kids that wanted college and wouldn't have got the opportunity to go to college without a wrestling scholarship. It's too bad a team type league outside the school setting at all wrestlers could benefit from after highschool.

All great points but it's terrible for the NCAA level. When one team runs away with it every year it's not exciting

Spot on!

I dont think there's anything but the fact that Penn State and the Regional Training center affiliated with the team there have CLEARLY become the center of the best wrestling in the USA. I mean...the talent they have there is something that you imagine rivals that of wrestling rooms in the old centers of the sport in Russia and Iran. Doubt that anyone thinks there's something crooked going on.

Is this a PSU Promo video???

Simple: best program, best coaches, best chance to win individual national titles, best chance to team national titles.

This has made wrestling boring, or maybe it has always been boring with only the powerhouses winning titles.

I think thats what help Nick Suriano wrestling fot 3 different schools

You look like Ryan Raynolds

Cael is the man who wouldn’t want to wrestle in that room?

What is your point?

Nail it

Almost hit it on the head Christian. There is something much more pure at Penn State and I understand why you didn’t mention it. Above and beyond wrestling is the focus on Jesus being first and foremost when reaching for those wrestling goals.

The PSU fan boys in this thread are hilarious.

I hope that somewhere buried in "I wanna fulfill my dreams" thoughts, that the recent words of Max Dean surface. .....The world is in desperate need of leaders, and we have one....That's not an exact quote but you get the point. Honestly, I live 45 minutes from State College and PSU is not the pillar of goodness and wholesomeness that it once at least appeared to be, and I'm not talking about Sandusky. I would feel great about it if my son had the ability to join that team because of the leadership. BE HUMBLE, CHOOSE WORDS CAREFULLY, and be a BADASS!!!!

Money

Cael has built the best college wrestling program in the country has 80% of the United States Olympic wrestling team and now the ball is rolling to have all the UFC champions. Anybody who doesn't go to Penn State at this point is a second tier wrestler and definitely doesn't have goals of being the best. 🤷🏽 That's why everyone wants to be at Penn State. Iowa gets transfers too but they get worse. Everyone gets transfers but only Cael gets national championships with them. Look at every transfer Iowa has gotten not a single national championship in the bunch. Most were number 1 seeds going into the national championship. People transfer to Penn State because they get results they are looking for.

Take a look, take a listen? What do you hear comming from the wrestlers? They are praising Jesus! Penn State wrestling loves Jesus!

Caption obvious

Synder lost. Gilman lost. Money is 90% Synder lost his style after he went to penn state. One cult doesn’t equal another cult.

Still need help at 125...as usual.

Flo!! Please as a flo pro subscriber please can we get away from the videos where Pyles is talking? The content is good but man the presentation of just his face and him talking is tough to watch. Please man.

as much as I am a okla st fan it’s hard to feel bad for John smith. I don’t know how much he set his program back but now he has to sleep in the bed he made

One word. Cael

Money is NEVER the driving force in this sport. That's is why ONLY the purest of heart will pursue it.

but wait, Oklahoma State has Derek Fix….why aren’t kids going there. honest question-has any other elite wrestler dad sponged more of their kid

"The truth"? Everybody already knows the truth: Cael produces champions.

Unfortunately, the "if you're not first, you're last" mentality is pervasive in 'rastling"

And you are just leaving out the billionaire who funds the NLWC?! So many coming for partials when they could get more $ elsewhere. End up with loans that are paid off by the club upon graduations along with a new stream of $. They continue to recruit over kids too. All legal, but also shady.

Relax.....Iowa gets transfers, no?

There will always be haters and those who get jealous of success. They will ascribe their beliefs and project them onto others. I wrestled. My son wrestled. And the level of excitement for Pennsylvania wrestling is nothing new. But you better gosh darn understand that when Cael came, the entire state went into hyperdrive. We already were a wrestling state of pure craziness. So when Cael came he fit right in. I liken it to Phil Jackson with the Lakers. Los Angeles was already a big basketball town. But when Phil came, it pushed it up a notch. Some states are built different for different sports. Texas is crazy about football. Insane. High school teams have nfl size football stadiums. PA just so happens to be a wrestling state. Cael knew that. You don’t grow up wrestling in a family of wrestlers traveling all across the country to tournaments in Pa and not find out just how insanely passionate we Pennsylvanians are about wrestling. The crowds are awesome, the parents insanely committed. And the athletes are super dedicated. He was a perfect fit waiting to happen. Glad he did.

The real dogs will go it alone

$$

NIL money. Enough said. Truax 250k. Penn st is the New York Yankees

We agree. PSU is by far the best college in the Country or even World to obtain your Wrestling Goals especially if you want to be a World Champion !!!!

WHY would ANYONE that knows wrestling go to a school like Cornell or others?!?! If you are serious about wrestling GO TO A WRESTLING SCHOOL!!!!!! Iowa - Penn State - Oklahoma top three! If you go elsewhere you are cheating yourself or hoping to start when you're not good enough for the top three.

Penn State is the king….Gillman, Snyder, Dake….. Brands are dinosaurs…..Penn State turns out terminators

Doesn't American Top Team have a facility at or near PSU?

They’re fantastic liars