Penn State Wrestling 2025 Recruiting Spotlight

Taking a look at each of the recruits in the 2025 recruiting class for Penn State Wrestling.

It’s hard to believe, but the Nittany Lions have had Dalton Perry’s commitment in their back pocket for the past three years.

Yep, that’s right. The rising superstar announced he was going to wrestle for Penn State following a PIAA state title his freshman year at Central Mountain.

Talk about a guy knowing what he wanted.

But can you blame him?

First off, Perry wrestled in a gym only 35 miles from Rec Hall.

Additionally, if Cael Sanderson wants you to wrestle at Penn State, then chances are you’re fairly proficient at it. I mean how can you turn down the opportunity to be in the same room as Luke Lilledahl, Josh Barr, and Tyler Kasak?

Heck, it’s worth it solely just to witness Zack Ryder’s antics up close.

So if you’re unfamiliar with Dalton Perry, then let’s get you up to speed on just how good this young man is.

Accomplishments Dalton Perry brings to Penn State Wrestling

Dalton Perry Accomplishments

-161-16 career record at Central Mountain HS
-Top three finish all four years in the PIAA Championships (1st 2022 – 3rd 2023 – 2nd 2024 – 2nd 2025)
-2024 Top Hat Tournament Champion
-2024 King of the Mountain Champion
-2024 Super 32 runner-up
-2023 PNL Chicago Folkstyle Champion

According to FloWrestling, Perry comes in as the No. 41 overall recruit in the 2025 class.

And yes, as you can see, Dalton was “only” able to secure one PIAA state title. But my goodness was he close to being a three-time champion.

Perry fell to Maddox Shaw 3-1 in sudden victory in the finals in 2024. And just four days ago Dalton was denied his second state title in a razor-close match.

Going up against Council Rock’s Eren Sement, Perry gave up an escape early in the second period. An unfortunately for the him, this was the only scoring in the entire match.

Sement seemingly willed his way to victory as he stayed on top for the entire third period. Dalton fought hard, however he fell just short. I’m sure it was a tough loss to take.

But guess what? It’s hard to learn anything from blazing your way through each field you compete in. Wrestling gives you the exam first and then the lesson second. So I’m sure Perry has learned quite a bit from his time at Central Mountain.

Additionally, he’s coming into the Penn State Wrestling room. Where I’m sure he’s hit just the tip of the iceberg in terms of learning and gaining experience.

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Fit for Penn State Wrestling

Perry wrestled at 126 his freshman year and then finished his high school at 145. Based on his frame and size it looks like the best fit for him in college will be at 141. However, he could potentially move up to 149 down the road if needed.

Dalton proved to be a tough guy to handle from the top position. His leverage and strength from all platforms were evident as he finished his high school career with an incredible 97 falls.

Yes, you read that right. Sixty percent of Dalton Perry’s career wins ended with him on top and his opponents shoulders on the mat.

Having another hammer in the early portion of the lineup will be crucial for Penn State Wrestling down the road. Especially with Beau Bartlett finishing up his career this year. Then add in the fact that Shayne Van Ness only has two more years of eligibility following this season.

But I’ll say this, wherever Dalton Perry ends up in the lineup, he’s going to be someone the Nittany Lion fans will be cheering on for years to come.

MORE Penn State Wrestling News from NittanyCentral:

Nittany Lion Wrestling’s 2026 Recruiting Big Board-Top Targets to Watch, More

Key takeaways from Penn State’s Big Ten Championship Win

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Chris Snyder

Penn State Wrestling Beat Reporter at NittanyCentral

Expertise: College Wrestling, College Football, Lays Chips
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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