Penn State wrestling’s Jarod Verkleeren announced Thursday he’ll transfer to Virginia to continue his college wrestling career.

“Grateful for the last 4 years at PSU and thankful for everyone who reached out to me during this process,” Verkleeren wrote on Twitter.

Verkleeren said he’ll pursue a master’s degree down in Charlottesville. At Penn State, he majored in health policy administration.

In his three-season Penn State career, Verkleeren started 19 duals at 149 pounds and finished with a 32-14 overall record. He qualified for last year’s NCAA Tournament, but it never came to fruition due to the pandemic.

Down south, Verkleeren will join an already-loaded Cavaliers team. The Hoos sent eight wrestlers to the 2021 NCAA Championships and finished 3-3 in a shortened regular-season slate.

Verkleeren burst onto the Penn State wrestling scene three years ago when he lifted Kent State’s Kody Kamara off his feet and threw him to the mat for a fall. Throughout his time at Penn State, he notably remained open about his battle with Type 1 diabetes, which requires him to stay disciplined and control adrenaline spikes.

About the Author

Matt DiSanto

Matt proudly served as Onward State’s managing editor for two years until graduating from Penn State in May 2022. Now, he’s off in the real world doing real things. Send him an email (mattdisanto86@gmail.com) or follow him on Twitter (@mattdisanto_) to stay in touch.

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