Penn State wrestling senior Terrell Barraclough hasn’t spent as much time on the mats of Rec Hall as some of his Nittany Lion teammates. However, when duty calls, Cael Sanderson and Co. are confident to rely upon the Utah native.

Barraclough, a four-time Utah state champion, is 15-3 in his previous three years wrestling for the blue and white, posting a 6-3 record in his most recent season. This year, however, Barraclough is growing into his own.

“I think he just keeps getting better. He’s been in and out of the lineup since he was a freshman… He’s still been in big matches, and he’s always competed really well,” Sanderson said Tuesday after Monday’s Bryce Jordan Center dual. “He’s very consistent. He prepares for every match the same as if he is going to wrestle for every match. That’s a pretty rare thing,” Sanderson said.

The senior is 12-2 across all competitions so far this season with his last victory coming Monday. Barraclough was slotted into the starting lineup as the team battled Rutgers in the Bryce Jordan Center. Without missing a beat, Barraclough took down the No. 13-ranked wrestler in the country at 174 pounds, around 10 pounds heavier than where Barraclough usually wrestles.

“His weight is always right where it needs to be, no matter where you tell him. He’s always locked in and focused… He’s a pretty special individual,” Sanderson said. “It’s great to see him be able to go out there and do what he did [against Rutgers]. He’s had a great year with some really great wins.”

While some Penn State fans may not have seen Barraclough wrestle in some time, especially to that high of a standard, Barraclough’s triumphant victory and strong season so far have surprised no one on within team.

“That’s not a surprise to anybody in our program. He’s been here, and we’ve obviously seen him put a lot of time in in the room,” Sanderson said. “He’s just very poised and we love having him in the program… He’s an incredibly valuable piece of what we are doing here.”

Outside of Sanderson, Beau Bartlett also had a great time watching the Utah native Barraclough and fellow lineup fill-in Lucas Cochran beat ranked opponents in their bouts Monday.

“That was the highlight of my week for sure. The Utah boys put in on and went out there and stepped up,” Bartlett said. “They performed pretty well. It was awesome to see… We were all on our feet for sure.”

Penn State will be in action next when it takes on No. 3 Nebraska on Sunday, February 18, in Rec Hall. The dual will begin at 4 p.m. and be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.