Four-time NCAA champ Carter Starocci will officially occupy a new home in the Penn State wrestling lineup for the 2024-2025 season. Per Flo Wrestling, the four-time All-American will compete in the 184-pound match at the NWCA All-Star Classic next month at Rec Hall in State College, meaning the Erie native is moving up one weight class, and not two as some originally suspected, for his final college season after dominating the 174-pound division for the last four years.

Starocci is chasing history this winter. He is trying to become the NCAA’s first five-time champion. His season will start in an exhibition bout at the classic opposite four-time All-American and 2023-2024 184-pound NCAA champion Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa. InterMat’s preseason rankings have Starocci at No. 1 at 184 and Keckeisen at No. 2.

The NWCA All-Star Classic is Sat., Nov. 16 inside the home of Penn State wrestling. It starts at 7 p.m. ET and will stream exclusively on FLO Wrestling’s website.

Six Nittany Lions are set to compete at the NWCA All-Star Classic

FLO also announced Tuesday that 2023 149-pound All-American Tyler Kasak, a Penn State sophomore, will face Ohio’s Peyton Kellar in the 157-pound match. That signals, of course, that the second-year Nittany Lion is bumping up a weight class, as well. InterMat has Kasak No. 4 at 157 and Kellar No. 3.

Other matches featuring PSU stars include junior Levi Haines taking on Ohio State’s Rocco Welsh at 174 pounds, which means the Nittany Lion is moving up two weight classes after winning the 157-pound title at nationals a year ago. Multi-time All-American Beau Bartlett will face Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez in a rematch of last year’s NCAA final at 141 pounds. Last year’s 285-pound NCAA champ, Greg Kerkvliet, will face Ohio State’s Nick Feldman. And, 2023 All-American No. 2 Shayne Van Ness is healthy again after missing most of last season due to injury and will wrestle No. 3 Ty Watters of West Virginia at 149 pounds.

A look at the projected 2024-2025 Penn State lineup

Penn State is looking to defend last year’s regular season and postseason Big Ten titles in addition to its NCAA title. The lineup is starting to come into focus as the season approaches. Here’s how it could look:

125 pounds: Luke Lilledahl

133 pounds: Aaron Nagao OR Braeden Davis

141 pounds: Beau Bartlett

149 pounds: Shayne Van Ness

157 pounds: Tyler Kasak

165 pounds: Mitchell Mesenbrink

174 pounds: Levi Haines

184 pounds: Carter Starocci

197 pounds: Lucas Cochran OR Joshua Barr OR Connor Mirasola

285 pounds: Greg Kerkvliet

Who will the Lions wrestle this year?

The dual meet schedule is not officially out yet. But, we can piece some of it together. Here are the dates and opponents we know so far:

Nov. 16: NWCA All-Star Classic/Army Black Knight Invitational

Nov. 17: vs. Drexel

Dec. 8: at Lehigh, 2 p.m. (PPL Center in Allentown)

Dec. 15: vs. Wyoming

Dec. 21-22: Collegiate Wrestling Duals (Nashville, Tenn.)

Feb. 21: vs. American

There will be eight Big Ten matches, as well. Four are at home and four are on the road. The dates and times for those are not yet out. But, the opponent list is:

Penn State wrestling home Big Ten matches: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Maryland

Nittany Lion wrestling road Big Ten matches: Nebraska, Illinois, Ohio State, Rutgers

Last but not least, we know Penn State will wrestle twice at the Bryce Jordan Center. Who it will face there and when, though, has not yet been announced.

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