Penn State Wrestling: Freshman Plans to Enter Transfer Portal, Report Says
Penn State wrestling’s roster continues to churn after the team won its fourth consecutive title at the NCAA Wrestling Championships. Three days after Ohio State’s Rocco Welsh announced his decision to transfer to Penn State, Nittany Lions freshman Zack Ryder reportedly is entering the transfer portal.
According to Justin Basch, host of the BaschAMania wrestling podcast, Ryder intends to transfer from Penn State after one season. Ryder wrestles at 184 pounds, the same weight class at which Welsh plans to wrestle for the Nittany Lions next season.
Ryder, a four-time New York state champion at Minisink Valley High, was the sixth-ranked wrestler overall in the 2024 recruiting class, according to FloWrestling. He went 8-0 for the Nittany Lions last season and was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after winning the 184-pound title at the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Ryder went 5-0 at the tournament with a pin and technical fall. He beat two ranked wrestlers in the field and won the weight class with a 6-1 decision in a sudden-victory final. Ryder also reached the final of the Army Black Knight Invitational, where he would have faced Starocci in the final. The bout was declared a no contest.
Before beginning his freshman season at Penn State, Ryder claimed a silver medal at the U20 World Wrestling Championships in Spain. Before arriving at Penn State, Ryder reached the 57 kg freestyle final with straight technical-superiority victories and a 6-3 decision. Ryder previously won two bronze medals wrestling in the U17 classification at worlds and a U20 Pan-Am title.
Ryder was Penn State’s likely starter at 184 next season until Welsh announced his decision to transfer from Ohio State. Welsh was the 2024 NCAA runner-up at 174 pounds, falling to Starocci 2-0 in the championship bout. Welsh redshirted at Ohio State last season and has three seasons of eligibility remaining. In announcing his decision to transfer, Welsh to Basch on his podcast that he will compete at 184.
“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 BaschAMania podcast. “Just being around guys in a crowded room will help me grow.”
Coach Cael Sanderson’s roster has undergone some change since the team broke its own scoring record at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia. Ryder is the seventh Nittany Lion to enter the transfer portal. Two, Alex Facundo and Gary Steen, have committed to Oklahoma State and coach David Taylor.
Meanwhile, Penn State has brought in Welsh and Masanosuke Ono, a Japanese world champion who has trained with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. Penn State currently has seven returning All-Americans on its 2025-26 roster, including two NCAA champs in Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) and Levi Haines (157 in 2024).
Sanderson is entering his 17th season as Penn State’s wrestling coach. The Nittany Lions have won 12 NCAA titles under Sanderson, whose team also brings a 71-match win streak into next season.
