Penn State Wrestling's Next Recruiting Priority? — Meet Mario Hutcherson, Elite 2028 Prospect!

Penn State wrestling fans, meet Mario Hutcherson—one of the country’s top prospects in the Class of 2028 and the reigning PIAA Class 3A champion at 189 pounds. In this exclusive Locked On Nittany Lions interview, Hutcherson explains why Penn State wrestling has always caught his attention, what he admires about the program’s development system, and why Mitchell Mesenbrink’s relentless attacking style has influenced his own approach. Mario also discusses training around the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, his relationships with Penn State recruits Landon Sidun and Elijah Brown, and what will eventually matter most when his formal recruiting process begins. But wrestling and recruiting are only part of Mario’s story. He and his family operate a snake-breeding business, and Mario explains why a snake’s patience, explosiveness and ability to attack reminds him of his own mentality on the mat. He also takes us through his rise from a sixth-place state finish as a freshman to winning a Pennsylvania championship as a sophomore, his upperweight athleticism, freestyle goals, interest in MMA and his desire to become a wrestler people genuinely want to watch. Follow Mario's wrestling journey! Mario on X: https://x.com/MarioHutcherso1?lang=en Mario on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mario\_hutchy/?hl=en Mario on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mario.hutcherson/ Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Become an every-dayer! Subscribe to Locked On Nittany Lions on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lockedonnittanylions?sub\_confirmation=1 Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get up to $500 in bonus credits when you trade $25. The Game Don't miss this chance to celebrate 40 years of The Game with 40% off your entire order. Visit https://TheGameCaps.com and use promo code LOCKEDON at checkout. Wayfair Patio season is here and these deals won’t last! Head to https://wayfair.com right now to get your outdoor space ready for way less. Wayfair. Every style. Every home. Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM to play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LONittanyLions?sid=YouTube Locked On College Conferences, HBCU, Basketball & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnCollege Follow the show on X! https://x.com/LockedOnNittany https://x.com/zach\_seyko #lockedonnittanylions #pennstate #nittanylions #pennstatewrestling #collegewrestling #bigtenwrestling #ncaawrestling #lockedon #weare #wrestling #wrestlingnews #wrestlingpodcast 00:00 Meet elite 2028 prospect Mario Hutcherson 02:25 Why Penn State wrestling interests Mario 03:23 How Penn State develops different wrestling styles 04:10 Mitchell Mesenbrink’s influence 05:02 Other programs and Mario’s recruiting outlook 05:59 Finding the right fit and coaching relationships 06:31 Landon Sidun and Mario’s Penn State connections 08:13 Academics, business and life after wrestling 10:25 Mario’s wrestling identity and snake business 12:13 How a snake’s mentality relates to wrestling 13:06 From sixth place to PIAA state champion 18:47 Controlling emotion and maintaining a high motor 19:06 Mario’s upperweight scrambling and athleticism 20:18 Freestyle development and international competition 20:56 World wrestling, MMA and long-term goals 21:34 Representing Western Pennsylvania 24:06 What Mario must improve next 24:49 “I want to put on a show” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.