Penn State Wrestling: Former NCAA Runnerup Rocco Welsh Transferring to Penn State
Former Ohio State wrestler Rocco Welsh lost to Penn State’s Carter Starocci in the finals of the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Next season, Welsh could replace Starocci in the Penn State wrestling lineup.
Welsh on Sunday announced that he will transfer to Penn State for the 2025-26 season, adding another All-American to a lineup that returns seven. Welsh, who redshirted for the Buckeyes this past season, will have three seasons oif eligibility. He announced his decision on the Justin Basch podcast.
“It really is just [about] being in the room with all those really good [training] partners and the coaches, obviously,” Welsh said of his decision. “They’ve accomplished all the stuff that I want to accomplish there, and I think it’s going to be a confidence thing. There’s other guys in the program doing the stuff you want to accomplish. So it’s like, it can be done there. That’s just really what I’m excited about.”
Welsh joins a Penn State wrestling program that has not skipped a beat since winning its fourth consecutive team title at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Welsh joined Japanese world freestyle champion Masanosuke Ono in announcing his commitment to Penn State following NCAAs. While Ono is a newcomer to folkstyle wrestling, Welsh brings a pedigree to the Nittany Lions’ lineup.
Welsh went 26-6 as a freshman for the Buckeyes during the 2023-24 season, making the NCAA final at 174 pounds as the No. 6 seed. There he lost a 2-0 decision to Starocci, who won the fourth of his landmark five NCAA wrestling titles.
Welsh, who is from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, did not compete in Ohio State’s regular lineup last season, instead compiling a 15-0 record wrestling unattached at 184 pounds. Coincidentally, that weight class is open in Penn State’s lineup following Starocci’s departure.
Welsh said on the podcast that he plans to wrestle at 184 pounds for the Nittany Lions, who also have redshirt freshman, and U20 world freestyle silver medalist, Zack Ryder at the weight class. Both Welsh and Ryder trained at the KD Training Center in New York.
“If I want to be the best wrestler in the world and accomplish my goals, if I can’t make a starting lineup, then I’m not on the right track,” Welsh said on the podcast. “Just being around guys in a crowded room will help me grow.”
Welsh also said that he was “offered a lot of money at a bunch of different schools, and a lot more money than what I’m going to [get at Penn State],” via NIL opportunities.
“That’s really not why I’m doing this,” he said. “I started wrestling because of the goals I have, so I’m just trying to focus on that through it all.”
Penn State placed its entire lineup of 10 wrestlers as All-Americans at NCAAs, becoming just the second team in college wrestling history to achieve that feat. Penn State also was the first to record 10 All-Americans with a national champ (the Nittany Lions won two in Philadelphia).
Seven All-Americans are scheduled to return for Penn State, including 2025 champ Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) and 2024 champ Levi Haines (now at 174). Six of Penn State’s returning All-Americans finished third or better under head coach Cael Sanderson, who won his 12th NCAA title at Penn State.
Check out Basch’s entire interview with Welsh here.
