The top-ranked Penn State wrestling team discusses recruitment, but NIL before Bassett’s decision…

After a dominant win against No. 2 Iowa, Penn State coach Cael Sanderson met with the media ahead of a pair of weekend duals.

Sanderson noted the constant support his team receives from former Penn State athletes, including Dallas Cowboys star pass rusher Micah Parsons.

“(Micah’s) been a great supporter, and it means a lot,” Sanderson said. “He’s been to matches in the past … and when he was in school, he was a guy that was trying to get coach (James) Franklin to let him come over here and wrestle.”

Sanderson continued to utter nothing but respect and admiration for Parsons’ NFL career, with comparisons to another NFL player.

“Him and (Saquon) Barkley, it’s two of the best players in the NFL representing Penn State,” Sanderson said. “It’s pretty cool at any level.”

The support from high-profile professional athletes such as Parsons has transitioned to social media as many highly ranked recruits get set to commit.

Highly decorated recruit Bo Bassett is expected to make his commitment on Tuesday and Parsons took to social media to make his pitch.

Parsons ended his post by saying, “Come join the greatest legacy ever created!”

With Bassett and other Class of 2026 recruits committing soon, Sanderson discussed the future of Penn State wrestling.

“We like where we’re at,” Sanderson said. “We like and love the kids we have in the program and the kids coming into the program.”

Despite the advancement in NIL and the increased spending for top collegiate and high school players such as Bassett, the Nittany Lions aren’t focused on NIL.

“Our greatest recruiting tool is we’re going to help you get to the top of the mountain,” Sanderson said.

Similar to other programs at Penn State, NIL is something that hasn’t come around just yet for wrestling. However, it’s seemingly not a major focal point for the coaching staff.

“We’re not going to get anybody because of NIL money, that just goes against what we believe,” Sanderson said.

With some of the top recruits making decisions in the upcoming weeks and months, the Nittany Lions will continue to rely on the success of the program as their top recruiting pitch.