When there’s a tectonic shift, it naturally takes time for things to settle down. That’s precisely the current situation in the country’s collegiate wrestling scene. Olympic gold medalist David Taylor has been in charge of his new role as the head coach of OSU for some time now, but those at his alma mater aren’t letting him forget how they feel about his move, especially Carter Starocci.

David’s decision came after his Paris hopes were crumbled by NLWC wrestler Aaron Brooks at the Olympic Team Trials. Ever since then, the four-time NCAA champ Starocci has taken multiple digs at the Olympian for his alleged “betrayal” against Penn State. And now, he’s at it again.

Carter Starocci takes another targetted potshot at David Taylor

Taylor was recently interviewed by FloWrestling at the Iridium Wrestling Camp, and the interview was posted on Instagram earlier today. In the interview, Taylor discussed his experiences after spending a month as OSU’s coach and gave his honest review of a matchup between Aaron Brooks and Iran’s powerhouse Hassan Yazdani. Having wrestled both Brooks and Yazdani, Taylor had insightful comments about each athlete.

Noting how Yazdani’s confidence and Brooks’ versatility make them both formidable wrestlers, Taylor concluded his final thoughts with the statement: “They both should prepare for each other.” But, obviously, to Starocci, who never got on board with David’s call to lend his expertise to one of Penn State’s rivals, the latter’s take on the Yazdani vs Brooks situation also looked dubious.

“Cuz (David) wants Aaron to lose,” Carter’s comment can be seen in the IG post’s comment section, evidently looking to unmask David’s true opinion. Earlier this year, after Starocci’s impressive display against Iowa prompted Taylor to show his appreciation of the youngster’s skills, but it seems like Carter’s Sith-esque hate has him blinded about the Penn State alum.

While Starocci standing behind his college teammate would make many fans appreciate how the NLWC wrestlers have each other’s backs, this wouldn’t be the first time Penn State’s wrestling squad has displayed their strong bond.

Starocci, a product of Penn State’s competitive mentality

Carter Starocci and Iowa’s Gabe Arnold got entangled in a war of words after the latter called the reigning NCAA champ “overrated“. While Starocci didn’t get the chance to settle the debate, a soon-to-be NLWC wrestler took it upon himself to dish out the ruling. Penn State commit Zach Ryder defeated Gabe at the U20 World Championships Team Trials earlier this month, unlocking a mirth of comments from fans. “Love them or hate them, @pennstateWREST is a BROTHERHOOD. They have an us against at them mentality,” commented many followers of the NLWC.

Obviously, Starocci has snubbed any sort of reverence he had for his predecessor, who was also a driving force in helping Cael Sanderson establish his dominance in the early days as Penn State’s coach. On the other hand, Brooks himself seems to be coping with Taylor’s move rather well compared to Starocci. Instead, the 2023 US champ seemed to be taking a more pragmatic approach to ponder his colleague’s unexpected decision.

Keeping aside Carter’s banter, who would be your pick between Yazdani and Brooks, given that Yazdani has beaten Taylor several times before, as well as has been handed defeats by the American on even more occasions? Tell us your choice and its reason in the comments!