The 125-pound class appears to be wide open following the graduation of three wrestlers who reached the NCAA tournament finals at least once. Most notable is Iowa’s three-time NCAA champion Spencer Lee who transcended the sport with his masterful top game and his ability to score points in bunches.

With Penn State releasing their schedule today, I thought it would be a good time to remind everyone that their lineup could look very different than expected, especially at the beginning of the season. This is due to one thing: 2024 is an Olympic year. Olympic years cause some unusual disruptions to the sport of wrestling.

Below is a partial list of NCAA D1 lightweight wrestlers (125, 133, 141) who are returning and will contest for a varsity spot after at least one year.