Why Penn State wrestler Carter Starocci is returning for one more season as a Nittany Lion

Penn State wrestler Carter Starocci announced Wednesday night that he planned to return for his final season of eligibility as a Nittany Lion, setting up the possibility of an unprecedented fifth individual NCAA title.

Starocci redshirted in 2019 before rattling off four straight individual NCAA titles at 174 pounds. He capped off his latest campaign with his fourth individual national championship — a 2-0 win over Ohio State’s Rocco Welsh — despite wearing a large, bulky leg brace and injury-defaulting at the conference championships.

The 23-year-old Nittany Lion said that experience played into his decision to return for a sixth year, which he and other NCAA athletes attained due to the COVID pandemic.

“As everyone knows, this year was difficult as I had to deal with many things both on and off the mat,” Starocci wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Even though this season ended with me on top of the podium, I was not satisfied. I’m here to take over.

“With one year of eligibility left, I want to end my collegiate career on my terms. Healthy, in style, and in a dominant fashion.”

Starocci’s announcement is undoubtedly a big boon to the program — and to fans of the blue and white — but it isn’t altogether surprising. Starocci told reporters in mid-March that he hadn’t ruled out a return and, two weeks ago, he told FloWrestling that he was leaning “60/40” toward a return.

His decision to come back could prove to be a historic one. Only seven wrestlers in NCAA history have won four individual national titles — including Starocci, Penn State’s Aaron Brooks and Cael Sanderson — and no one has ever won five titles.

It’s unknown at this early point if Starocci will compete at a different weight class in the 2024-2025 season, but he previously hinted at the possibility of moving up two classes to 197 pounds.

Whatever he decides, the Nittany Lions should be better for it — and, Starocci is hoping, he should be too. His last match came at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, where he lost 15-7 to three-time All-American Trent Hidlay. Starocci has previously said his ultimate goal is to win at the Olympics.

Not counting his two injury defaults at Big Tens — where he shook hands with his opponents and immediately forfeited — Starocci has not lost an NCAA match since March 2021. He won more than 60 consecutive bouts before those injury defaults.