Penn State wrestling nabs Ohio State transfer and former top recruit Greg Kerkvliet
The talent in Penn State’s wrestling room got yet another boost Thursday when FloWrestling’s top-ranked Class of 2019 recruit Daniel “Greg” Kerkvliet officially announced his transfer from Ohio State to the Nittany Lions.
“Just accepted my offer from Penn State University! I’m excited for what’s next to come in my journey both academically and athletically!,” he wrote on Instagram.
The Grove Heights, Minnesota, native initially verbally committed to the Golden Gophers in 2016, before switching his commitment to Oklahoma State about a year later. He signed his National Letter of Intent with Ohio State last November, before entering the transfer portal Nov. 1.
Kerkvliet was listed on the Buckeyes’ roster as a heavyweight. Defending national champ Anthony Cassar has been holding down the heavyweight spot for the Nittany Lions this season. Cassar is a sixth-year senior who could wrestle another year, should he choose to take the seventh year of eligibility granted to him by the NCAA. The Nittany Lions also have four-time California state champ Seth Nevills, who’s just coming off a first-place finish at Lock Haven’s Mat-Town Open, redshirting this year as a true freshman.
The news of Kerkvliet’s intent to transfer came less than a month after three-time NCAA heavyweight champ and Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder announced he was leaving the Ohio RTC to train at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. Kerkvliet was seen working out with the NLWC during the Nov. 19 media availability.
Kerkvliet joins freshmen Nevills, Terrell Barraclough, Aaron Brooks and Brody Teske, sophomore Roman Bravo-Young and senior Mark Hall as current Nittany Lions who won at least four state titles in high school. He’s also a 2017 Cadet World champion and two-time finalist, a Junior World silver medalist in 2018 and a 2018 USA Junior National champ. He placed fifth at the U23 World Championships in Budapest this fall.
The No. 3 Nittany Lions are back in action this weekend after the Thanksgiving break with duals against No. 13 Lehigh and Penn.
