Is Penn State picking up Rocco Welsh out of the transfer portal? Here's what we know

Note: New information about the Penn State pursuit of Welsh was added to the bottom of this story at 8:15 am.

Speaking Wednesday on the BaschAMania podcast about Japanese World champion Masanosuke Ono committing to join the Penn State wrestling lineup, Nittany Lions sophomore-to-be and 125-pound All-American Luke Lilledahl said two things that would quickly turn out to be prophetic. The first is that, when it comes to outsiders learning about the inner workings of the program, info is usually scarce.

“We try to keep a lot of secrets,” Lilledahl told Basch. “We don’t really want everybody knowing all of our business here, which I think is a good thing.”

The second is, when it comes to the plan for the next season’s lineup and beyond, there’s always a rhyme to the reason despite what it might look like from the outside looking in.

“Coach Cael, Coach Cody, Coach Casey, they’re already planning for that stuff, I’m sure,” Lilledahl said. “And I think that’s one of the things that makes them great is that they’re always planning ahead and they’re always trying to evolve with the game, too.”

Why is all of this germane less than a week after the Lions won their fourth straight NCAA team title at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia? Well, a part of the program’s apparent plan is no longer a secret.

News broke Thursday night that Ohio State All-American Rocco Welsh, who lost to now five-time NCAA champ Carter Starocci in the 2024 174-pound national finals, is entering the transfer portal. A short while after that fact became public, Willie Saylor of MatScouts reported that the he was told Welsh’s destination is Penn State when he exits the portal, and that “it’s done.”

What else do we know about Penn State and Rocco Welsh?

That tweet sent shockwaves through the college wrestling world. Welsh was to bump up to 184 pounds for the Buckeyes in 2025-2026. But, he only ended up competing in open events for reasons that still aren’t clear. He will have three years of eligibility left. As of Friday morning at 6 a.m., he’s not listed in the Penn State student directory. Which, is no great surprise, considering he hit the portal roughly 12 hours ago as of the time of this post. And, similarly, Welsh has not posted any social media updates regarding the portal or his next school.

As for why the fit makes sense, it’s admittedly initially a head-scratcher. Penn State has All-American Levi Haines returning at 174 pounds. He has one year of eligibility left and also a redshirt year available. At 184 pounds, redshirt freshman Zack Ryder figured to be the replacement for Starocci. Now, he might have to battle Welsh for that job. The two share a connection with the KD Training Center in Yonkers, N.Y. And, so do other Nittany Lions. Class of 2025 signee PJ Duke also works out there. New Class of 2026 commit Jayden James does, too. And two-time NCAA champ Roman Bravo-Young is also listed on the center’s testimonials page.

Could the explanation be as simple as Welsh, who is from Waynesburg, Pa., heard about his peer’s experiences at Penn State and wants to return to the Keystone State and wrestle for Sanderson and co., regardless of the obvious obstacles that exist to make the starting lineup? It could be. We’ll find out soon enough.

For the time being, Lilledahl’s words are worth remembering. The Lions always have a plan. And the gist of it will rarely be fully shared in the public light.

8:15 am update: The aforementioned Basch shares on social media Friday morning that other schools, like Oklahoma State, are still in the mix to land Welsh:

While Penn State remains a possible landing spot for Rocco, nothing is finalized. Other programs – including Oklahoma State – are still actively in the mix and looking to meet with him today. https://t.co/on0HvtAUlk

— Justin Basch (@JustinJBasch) March 28, 2025