After Multiple Penn State Setbacks, Latest Exit Directly Hurts Chances at NCAA Wrestling Championships

When it rains, it pours. Amidst massive victories this year, Penn State wrestling has also suffered some major hitches. It started with David Taylor ending his long-standing association to join Oklahoma as Head Coach after Aaron Brooks foiled his chances to defend his Tokyo gold at Paris. Post his exit, some of Penn State’s elite pillars toppled like dominoes. Namely, Thomas Gilman and Jimmy Kennedy from Penn State’s leadership followed in Taylor’s footsteps, joining Stillwater as their new assistant coach and associate head, respectively.

And now, another piece of news is that Terrell Barraclough has declared his Penn State exit. Could this be a significant setback for Cael Sanderson’s reigning NCAA champions ahead of the 2024-25 season?

A former Nittany Lion decamps to Utah

According to a post on X by Justin Basch, Terrell Barraclough has announced his graduate transfer to Utah Valley. The wrestler, who has a year of COVID eligibility remaining, has paved his way back to his roots in Utah, where he once reigned as a four-time Utah State high school champion.

As per the records, it looks like the Wolverines just landed a wrestling asset! In the 2023-24 season, Barraclough finished with a 12-2 record in the 165 and 174-pound categories. Earlier this year, one of his highlight matches was defeating Jackson Turley from Rutgers with a score of 4-3. This was followed by Coach Sanderson’s remarks about the star, “I think he keeps getting better.” Evidently, Barraclough measured up to Sanderson’s expectations who had trusted him as a substitute for the injured Carter Starocci.

No one-hit wonder, Barraclough’s previous 2022-23 season was equally impressive, boasting a 7-3 record. At the 2023 Black Knight Invitational, Barraclough secured a second-place finish with a 3-1 record. After defeating Matt Lee and Caleb Fish, the Penn State senior lost to Mitchell Mesenbrink by an 8-5 decision. Despite his remarkable performances, it remains questionable why Barraclough was never a fixed part of the lineup. Admittedly, Sanderson has also agreed stating,”“He’s been in and out of our lineup since he was a freshman and he’s been in big matches and he’s always competed really well.”

Hopefully, his switch to Utah ushers in ‘the Barraclough golden era’ that many wrestling fans have been anticipating. Meanwhile, as the fate of Penn State’s wrestling team hangs in the balance, their football squad is gearing up to welcome a 4-star cornerback.

Amidst wrestling upset, Penn State football adds No. 11 cornerback

Recruitment for 2025 has just become more significant for the Nittany Lions. According to Nittany Sports Now’s Joe Smeltzer via X, Penn State has received a commitment from Mater Dei High School’s Daryus Dixson. With an X post, Daryus announced the same, captioning it with, “All Glory To God. Respect My Decision.”

Sealing it with an official visit to Happy Valley, Dixson informed 247 Sports, “Just the connection I made with the coaches over the weekend, really felt like home.” He adds, “Their vision is to have me outside and the slot covering people, and what excites me about their plan is how versatile I’m going to be on a big stage.” Showing faith in James Franklin’s vision, Dixson exhibits that their plans resonate greatly.

Dixson could be a valuable addition to the side with his impressive defensive tactics. And thus, naturally, there is an uproar amongst Penn State football fans. Nonetheless, the wrestling fans await some good news to fade the clouds on the horizon.