Skip to main content
Join Now
Team Avatar
North Carolina

North Carolina Wrestling All-American Lachlan McNeil enters NCAA transfer portal

IMG_6598by:Nick Kosko•03/25/25•

nickkosko59

USATSI_20249938 (1)
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

North Carolina wrestling All-American Lachlan McNeil entered the transfer portal, On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed. McNeil has made the podium the last three years for the Tar Heels.

McNeil went 25-7 this season and finished 5th at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships. It was his first time at the weight in his varsity career.

CLICK HERE to watch Unstoppable on Prime Video — The true story of the indomitable spirit of Anthony Robles

McNeil wrestled at 141 pounds the three previous seasons and finished 4th in 2023 and 6th in ’24. He’ll be in contention for a national title in 2026 wherever he ends up.

Over the course of his career, McNeil holds a record of 75-23, per WrestleStat. His losses at this year’s NCAA Tournament came to Penn State’s Shayne Van Ness and Ohio State’s Dylan D’Emilio.

McNeil’s finish at NCAAs ensured he was the sixth Tar Heel with three or more All-American honors, joining Jan Michaels, Rob Koll (the current head coach), TJ Jaworsky, Justin Harty and Austin O’Connor. North Carolina has also had at least one All-American in seven straight tournaments.

Lachlan McNeil highlights latest wrestler movement

McNeil will be a big lightweight get for one team moving into the 2025-26 season. But he wasn’t the only splash move made this week.

Penn State signed Japanese World Champion Masanosuke Ono to the team and he plans on transitioning to folkstyle. At this point, he’ll be in the running for an NCAA title.

Ono’s world title in 2024 included a win over two-time NCAA champion Vito Arujau (Cornell) in the semifinals. Now, he’s ready to take on American wrestling full-time in the Big Ten.

“I signed to Penn State University to wrestle for the Nittany Lions!,” Ono wrote on Instagram. “I am excited to learn folkstyle and to compete for PSU! I will work to become an NCAA champion and I am eager to work with Coach Cael, Coach Cody, Coach Nick Lee, and Coach Cunningham. I love State College and the culture in the wrestling room at Penn State. I am excited to compete for all the great PSU wrestling fans!”