Penn State wrestler Lucas Cochran picks his transfer destination; where will he compete next?

Penn State wrestler Lucas Cochran put his name into the NCAA transfer portal in late April. He now knows where he’ll compete next. The Perry, Utah, native is going to Nebraska, he announced on social media Thursday night.

“Excited to be a Husker,” Cochran wrote on Instagram.

Cochran appears to be seeking a medical redshirt for the 2025-2026 season. On paper, it is the only way he would have eligibility left to compete for the Cornhukers. He could go at either at 184, 197 or 285 pounds for head coach Mark Manning’s team. WrestleStat currently lists him at 184.

After going 6-1 between the Shorty Hitchcock Memorial, which he won, and the Army Black Knight Invitational, where he finished second to teammate Cole Mirsaola, Cochran made the semifinals at the Southern Scuffle. But, he medically forfeited out of the tournament and never took the mat again this past season. The nature of his injury is unclear.

Of course, it’s also worth noting that Cochran being back at Penn State last season was a bit of a surprise in its own right. He looked likely to move on following 2024-2025. However, he returned to battle Mirasola for the starting heavyweight job. Mirasola won it in the room during the preseason and then solidified it with a 3-1 decision win up in West Point back in November.

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“Lucas was a guy who had a lot of opportunities,” head coach Cael Sanderson said in November. “He graduated. And, we’re very grateful to see him come back. It just makes sense for him to move up the heavyweight just because of the depth that we have at 97 with [Josh] Barr and then Connor Mirasola, two of the best guys in the country.

“So he looks good. He’s tall. He’s had success at heavyweight. If you remember, he’s filled in there a few times, weighing probably around 200 pounds, maybe a little bit more at that time. So we have a lot of confidence in him. Obviously, Cole Mirasola made the U20 World Team. Wrestled great. Just very consistent. Obviously talented. History of success. Two really good people and friends.”

Penn State continues its offseason at the U.S. World Team Trials May 14-15 in Kentucky. To date, it has not added a wrestler from the NCAA transfer portal. You can read more about the World Team Trials here.