"One of the best teammates possible EVER"- Penn State's Carter Starocci reacts to teammate Terrel Barraclough entering NCAA transfer portal

Four-time NCAA champion Carter Starocci has reacted to teammate Terrel Barraclough entering the NCAA transfer portal, marking the 2023-24 season his final one at Penn State.

Barraclough primarily wrestled at 165 pounds for Penn State in the last season. He went 12-2 in the 2023-24 season for the Nittany Lions, and his final stats at the college read 27-15.

Last year, Barraclough started at 174 pounds for the three matches, taking the place of Carter Starocci. He secured two wins in those three matches, one with a huge upset when he defeated 13th-ranked Jackson Turley of Rutgers. A graduate of Penn State, Terrel Barraclough has now decided to spend his one-year eligibility at a different school, entering the transfer portal in the latest update.

Carter Starocci took to X (formerly Twitter) to wish his buddy good luck for the future. The 4x NCAA Champion also claimed that Terrel Barraclough was one of the best teammates he had ever had.

"Terrel :( gonna miss you bro. By far one of the best teammates possible EVER !! Go do your thing", he wrote.

Starocci crashed out of the U.S. Wrestling Olympic Trials in the quarter-finals. With an extra year of eligibility available to him, he could return to the Nittany Lions for his fifth year.

Carter Starocci weighs in on his chances of returning for a fifth year to Penn State wrestling

Carter Starocci wins 4th NCAA Championship title

At last month’s NCAA Wrestling Championship, Carter Starocci became the only 6th-ever wrestler to win the national title four times. He was soon joined by his teammate Aaron Brooks. With a year still left in his eligibility, Starocci has the chance of becoming the first-ever wrestler to win the NCAA Wrestling Championship a record five times.

Before the U.S. Wrestling Olympic trials, Starocci was highly unlikely to return for the fifth. He was highly favored to go through the 86 Kg category for a spot at the Paris Olympics but got knocked out in the quarterfinals. That also meant he doesn't have many international events to look for, increasing his chances of returning to Nittany Lions.

Speaking with Flo Wrestling in an interview, the 3x Big 12 champion admitted that his chances of return had increased.

"As I said in my last interview, I was 60-40 not coming back, but now that I’ve been thinking about it a little more, I’m 60-40 [for] coming back. So we’ll see," Starocci said.

He also added that he will sit down with Penn State coach Cael Sanderson and discuss the issue before making a decision.