Penn State wrestling adds All-American Bernie Truax Jr. from transfer portal
Penn State wrestling added a big addition to its 2023-2024 lineup Wednesday night. Bernie Truax Jr., a three-time All-American at Cal Poly, announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions via Twitter. He is a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.
Truax was a 197-pounder at Cal Poly last season but told The Mustang News, a student-news organization at Cal Poly, that he will wrestle at 184 pounds in his only season in Happy Valley.
That likely means Penn State 184-pounder Aaron Brooks, a three-time national champion, will move up to 197 pounds next season to vacate the spot left by Max Dean — who Truax defeated this year.
The latest addition helps bolster a lineup that will once again be favored to win a national title and brings it to seven wrestlers who were All-Americans last season. He joins Beau Bartlett (141 pounds), Shayne Van Ness (149 pounds), Levi Haines (157 pounds), Carter Starocci (174 pounds), Greg Kerkvliet (285 pounds) and Brooks. Starocci and Brooks won individual titles, while Haines and Kerkvliet both finished in second in their weight classes.
Truax finished in fourth place at 197 pounds.
