Penn State Wrestling Welcomes 3-Time All-American From Transfer Portal

Bernie Truax IV, a standout for Cal Poly, joins the Lions' loaded roster.

Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson reached into the NCAA Transfer Portal for an interesting addition to his roster. Bernie Truax IV, a three-time All-American at Cal Poly, will join the Lions' roster next season potentially at 197 pounds.

Truax announced his decision Wednesday on social media, calling it a "dream of mine to wrestle for this program since I was a little kid." The Lions recently won their 10th NCAA team title under Sanderson. Truax joins Penn State's roster as a graduate transfer with one season of eligibility remaining.

I am official committed to Penn State! It has been a dream of mine to wrestle for this program since I was a little kid! pic.twitter.com/OG3nrkguSi

— Bernie Truax IV (@TruaxBernie) April 19, 2023

Truax placed fourth at 197 at the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships, defeating defending national champ Max Dean of Penn State in the consolation round. Now, Truax could replace Dean in Penn State's lineup.

Truax has three fourth-place finishes at Cal Poly, where he compiled a career record of 82-28. He won two Pac-12 titles and was Cal Poly's Male Athlete of the Year during the 2020-21 season, when he went 13-3 and won the Pac-12 title at 174. Truax has wrestled at 165, 174, 184 and 197 during his career. He'll immediately add to Penn State's upper-weight dominance, should all its eligible wrestlers return.

The Lions face an interesting situation from 174 to heavyweight, where three NCAA finalists, two of whom won titles, are eligible to return. Three-time champ Carter Starocci would retain his lock on the lineup spot at 174 if he returns. However, Starocci is eligible for an Olympics redshirt and has made clear his goal of winning an Olympic gold medal next year.

Meanwhile, fellow three-time champ Aaron Brooks returns at 184. Brooks conceivably could wrestle at 197 as well, meaning Truax might be asked to drop to 184. Sanderson certainly appreciates the luxury of that decision.

With Truax's decision to transfer, Penn State could return as many as seven wrestlers who placed fourth or better at the NCAA Championships. That includes runners-up in Levi Haines (157) and Greg Kerkvliet (285) and third-place finishers Beau Bartlett (141) and Shayne Van Ness (149).

Truax, from Oceanside, California, began his career at Cal Poly in 2018, when he redshirted but went 14-7 competing in open tournaments. He went 18-11 as a redshirt freshman during the 2019-20 season and placed third at the Pac-12 championships at 165.

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