Former Oklahoma, Purdue wrestler Gerrit Nijenhuis commits to Cal State Bakersfield

Former Oklahoma and Purdue wrestler Gerrit Nijenhuis committed to Cal State Bakersfield, according to a post on his Twitter page.

Nijenhuis entered the portal in the beginning of the month. He’ll now head out west for his final year of eligibility.

“I will be using my final year of eligibility to compete for Cal State Bakersfield!,” he wrote on Twitter.

Nijenhuis is a three-time NCAA qualifier, getting to the tournament with Purdue in 2021 and ’22 and with Oklahoma in ’23.

Nijenhuis bounced between 165 and 174 pounds throughout his career, going 7-7 last year at 174. However, he did not wrestle in the postseason.

Nijenhuis is 52-37 in his career. As a true freshman in 2021, the shortened season, he went 11-7 but made it to the Round of 16 at the NCAA Tournament in St. Louis. That was his best finish to date.

He bumped up to 174 the following season and went 18-14, going 2-2 at the NCAA Tournament. From there, Nijenhuis transferred to Oklahoma and went 16-9 during the 2022-23 campaign.

However, he went 0-2 at 165 pounds during NCAAs. Nijenhuis bumped back up this past season and is projected to stay at 174, for now, for the 2024-25 season.

Nijenhuis attended Cannon-McMilan High School (Pa.) and was a two-time Pennsylvania state champion at 170 pounds (2019) and 182 pounds (2020).

Nijenhuis is out but Oklahoma landed Carter Schubert earlier this spring in the portal. The Cal Baptist transfer is a young buck wrestling at 165 pounds.

Schubert was in redshirt last season and went 3-1 in unattached matches at 165 pounds. A Wyoming-Seminary (Pa.) product, Schubert went out west for his first year of collegiate wrestling.

“I am thrilled to announce my commitment to Oklahoma University!,” Schubert wrote on Instagram. “I am deeply grateful for this incredible opportunity and excited to get to work and fulfill the dream. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way. Boomer Sooner!

“I want to express my appreciation to CBU wrestling for the opportunity and time invested in me over the past year. Thank you Coach Moore, Morrill, Elroy, and all the athletes for the unwavering brotherhood and many memories that I will never forget.”