Amid transfer to Oklahoma, Zack Ryder makes feelings known about joining Penn State Wrestling early in NCAA career

Modified Apr 08, 2025 04:45 GMT

Zack Ryder shares feelings about joining the Penn State [Image Source : Oklahoma State Cowboys' Instagram]

Zack Ryder has recently committed to the Oklahoma State Cowboys' wrestling team. The young wrestler shared his thoughts about joining the Penn State Wrestling team, before he committed himself to the Cowboys for the 2026 season.

Ryder was a special guest on the latest episode of Bo Nickal's 'Nickals and Dimes' podcast. The wrestler talked about how he felt when he received the call to join the Nittany Lions. In his words,

"I was like, oh wow I have some options. But then I'm like, 'Oh, where's Penn State?' That day, I'm like, where is Penn State. 8:15, finally, hey this is Cael Sanderson, want to chat. I was like, Yes! I was like yes, and then we chatted, like I remember that day vividly." [48:10 onwards]

Ryder jokingly added that he skipped a visit to his girlfriend to attend the call from Penn State. In his words,

"I was in my Jeep, ready to go to my girlfriend's, and he said, 'Hey'. And I stopped, parked the car in the driveway, and was like, 'Hey, I'm going to be late.' "

Zack Ryder was one of the top contenders for Penn State in the 184 lbs. category after Carter Starocci completed his fifth and final year at the Penn State Nittany Lions. However, with Ryder agreeing to the transfer, Rocco Welsh might take his place sooner than later.

Zack Ryder opened up about his feelings after the U20 World Championships

Zack Ryder talks about his position post the U20 World Championships [Image Source: X]

Before committing to Oklahoma State Cowboys for the 2026 season, Zack Ryder had proven his worth at the Under 20 World Wrestling Championships in 2024, where he clinched a silver medal.

In his conversation with USA Wrestling after his final bout at the U20 Championships, Ryder said,

"Nerves come and it's all I've been getting but I'm like a vet kind of on this world stage but the nerves are still coming but it feels good that the hard work is finally paying off."

Zack Ryder also won two bronze medals at the U17 World Championships in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The young wrestler had a record of 8-0 as a redshirt for the Penn State Nittany Lions before he agreed to a transfer to the Oklahoma State Cowboys for the 2026 season.

About the author

Animesh Pandey is a seasoned content writer at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience, having previously worked as an intern for Follow Your Sport before joining SK as a columnist in 2017. A graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing, he also worked at TFI Media Private Limited and contributed as an intern for the movie website Nettv4u. He has extensively covered events from World Championships to the Olympics, providing insights and analyses that resonate with his audience. His belief in mastering the basics and delivering accurate, relevant, and ethical information through thorough research is reflected in his work. He was notably invited to the National Sports and Adventure Awards 2018 at Rashtrapati Bhavan after winning a MyGov quiz on Indian Sports, where he engaged with celebrated athletes such as Rahi Sarnobat, Hima Das, Jinson Johnson, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, and Subedar Neeraj Chopra, who also happens to be his favorite Olympian. Despite being a field hockey enthusiast, Animesh's most cherished Olympic moments include Wayde Van Niekerk's unexpected world record in the 400 meters at Rio and Chopra's historic gold medal in Tokyo. When not immersed in writing or watching the Olympics, Animesh indulges in his love for movies, embracing quality cinema regardless of the language.

Know More

Edited by Anisha Chatterjee