Flip!: Penn State Wrestling Lands Jayden James From Virginia Tech
Penn State wrestling has snatched one of the top Class of 2026 prospects, Jayden James, from Virginia Tech.
James, a star from Delbarton High School in New Jersey, flipped his commitment late Tuesday afternoon.
This is a big deal.
James is the No. 4 recruit in the country in his class per FloWrestling. Penn State missed out on the top three, with Bo Bassett picking Iowa, Jax Forrest picking Oklahoma State and Dreshaun Ross also picking Oklahoma State.
Now, the 2026 recruiting class has its crown jewel.
James is coming off a state championship at the 150-pound weight class. So, yeah, he’s pretty good.
WHERE WILL JAMES COMPETE?
So what weight class will James compete at in college?
It’s hard to say at the moment since James still has a year of college left and plenty of time to grow.
It seems like a good bet that, as of now, 165 and 174 are the two most realistic options. In 2026, Penn State’s current 165-pounder, Mitchell Mesenbrink (defending national champ, BTW) will still be on the fold with one year of eligibility.
174 will be a little more interesting since Levi Haines, a former national champ (157) who took third in his first season at 174, will be out of eligibility barring something unexpected.
Regardless of what class James competes at, there’s plenty of star potential.
