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Penn State Wrestling Commit Jayden James Scores Another Huge Win

The future Nittany Lion avenged a 2025 loss to qualify for the U20 World Championships.
Mark Wogenrich|
Delbarton High wrestler Jayden James celebrates a victory at the 2026 NJSIAA Boys Wrestling State Championships in Atlantic City.
Delbarton High wrestler Jayden James celebrates a victory at the 2026 NJSIAA Boys Wrestling State Championships in Atlantic City. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Before beginning his Penn State wrestling career, Jayden James will compete for another world championship. The incoming freshman and two-time New Jersey state champion will represent the U.S. at the U20 World Wrestling Championships in August in Slovakia.

James qualified for U20 worlds with a 2-0 sweep Friday at the World Team Trials in Geneva, Ohio. James defeated Oklahoma State freshman Ladarion Lockett 5-4 and 4-2 in a best-of-three series in the 74 kg freestyle weight class. James is the only wrestler who will represent Penn State at U20 worlds.

The victory was pivotal for the 17-year-old James, who avenged a loss to Lockett at the 2025 U20 World Team Trial Finals. Lockett swept that series 6-1 and 15-2, hitting a throw to secure the technical fall in the second bout. Lockett went on to win a silver medal at U20 worlds.

James delivered a striking reversal this year, twice scoring late takedowns in 5-4 and 4-2 victories over Lockett. That included the clinching takedown with 32 seconds left in the second period of Round 2.

James will wrestle at his first U20 World Championships after winning U17 U.S. Open and world titles last year at 71 kg. At the 2025 U.S. Open, James outscored six opponents by a combined total of 64-1.

This has been an exceptional freestyle season so far for James, who secured his spot in the team trials by winning the U.S. Open in April. James then reached the final of the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in mid-May. There he scored wins over future Penn State teammate Joe Sealey and two-time NCAA finalist Mikey Caliendo of Iowa to reach the final at 74 kg.

Despite falling to two-time NCAA champ David Carr, James made a superb run to the final as the weight class' ninth seed. James defeated three wrestlers seeded above him, including two-time Princeton All-American Quincy Monday. James dominated Sealey in a 10-0 technical fall.

James is the standout prospect of Penn State's 2026 class and a contender to make the Nittany Lions' lineup in 2027. He won two New Jersey titles at Delbarton High, going 79-0 in that stretch. James initially committed to Virginia Tech before flipping to Penn State in 2025.

Penn State's William Henckel and Connor Mirasola are two of the contenders at the U23 Nationals, also being held this weekend in Ohio. Henckel is competing at 79 kg after winning a gold medal at the 2026 Pan American Championships and silver at the 2025 U20 worlds.

Mirasola, a Penn State redshirt freshman, is competing at 125 kg. He is a two-time qualifier to U20 worlds and won bronze last year at 92 kg.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

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