Rec Hall, home of Penn State Wrestling (Photo by Chris Snyder, for NittanyCentral)
Taking a look at each of the recruits in the 2026 recruiting class for Penn State Wrestling.
In last week’s edition, we shone a spotlight on the No. 77 overall recruit in the 2026 cycle, Elijah Brown.
Now, we’re going to break down the Nittany Lions’ second commitment, Sam Herring, and what he brings to their talented wrestling room.
Wrestling alongside the No. 1 (Jax Forrest) and the No. 2 (Bo Bassett) recruits in the 2026 class at Bishop McCort, Herring probably flew a bit under the radar. Which makes sense, as one of his high school teammates also won a national title at the 2026 NCAA Championships.
But make no mistake about it, Sam Herring (No. 21 recruit) is a talented wrestler. And he will be a great addition to the Nittany Lion roster.
Accomplishments Sam Herring brings to Penn State Wrestling
Sam Herring Accomplishments
-Career record of 89-17 at Bishop McCort High School (3 seasons)
-Junior Year 50-5 (District & Regional Champion)
-PIAA State 3rd place finish (2025)
-3x place finish in Super 32
-4th place finish 2024 Ironman
-3x Fargo All-American
-6th place finish 2026 US Open U20
Herring forwent his senior year at Bishop McCort and instead focused on his training and prep for college. Additionally, Sam is highly accomplished in freestyle and he holds a career record of 106-32 across all tournaments.
Most recently, he had a fantastic showing in the U20 US Open in Las Vegas. Herring put together a 6-2 record and a sixth place finish after falling to Tyler Dekraker 6-5 in the fifth place match.
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Sam Herring’s Lineup Fit for Penn State Wrestling
In his three years at Bishop McCort, Herring competed at both 139 and 145 pounds. And in the aforementioned 2026 US Open, he wrestled at 65 kilograms (143 pounds).
Based on his frame he will most likely complete at either 141 or 149 inside the Penn State Wrestling room. Which would be the perfect fit as both Shayne Van Ness (149) and Connor Pierce (149) will be out of eligibility following the 2026-2027 season.
Couple this with some unknowns going forward at 141, and it’s very possible Herring could see some action in the lineup sooner than later.
But speculation is not my strong suit. So I’ll just leave these decisions up to the best coach in college wrestling.
Penn State Football Recruiting: 5 Blue-Chip Targets Trending Toward the Nittany Lions’ 2027 Class
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Education: Penn State University
Location: State College, PA
Even though he had no prior journalism experience, Chris has now covered Penn State Wrestling and Penn State Football for the past three years, including as the Penn State Wrestling Beat Writer for VictoryBellRings.com, part of the FanSided network.
And it's clear he also likes constant torture as he's been a PSU Basketball fan for way too long.
Several years back, Chris made the seamless transition from PGA Professional to computer programmer and thoroughly enjoys following and writing about all things related to Penn State sports during his spare time.
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