Penn State wrestling’s Josh Barr has already made an impact on the squad in his redshirt season, and with departing wrestlers and returners moving up in their respective weight classes, he’s ready to step up to the plate in his inaugural full-season wrestling in the blue and white singlet.

A redshirt freshman, Barr competed in a handful of invitationals and Big Ten duals in his true freshman season at 184 pounds. Barr amassed a record of 14-0 with two dual wins, partly due to his four majors, six techs, and lone pin in those 14 bouts.

However, with four-time national champion Carter Starocci bumping up to 184 pounds, Barr has spent the offseason bulking up to successfully compete in the 197-pound weight class.

“I think I weighed around 180 when I got here last summer, so I have grown a lot since then… When Carter came back he told me he was going [to 184 pounds], I said to myself I was either going to get bigger or not,” Barr said Monday. “I talked with the coaches and made the choice that we could go up, and it has been fun ever since.”

Wrestling almost 20 pounds heavier than when he first came to Penn State has brought the wrestler a new perspective, realizing that some of his old moves and techniques might not be as successful at the higher level, especially against larger opponents.

“I’ve definitely improved the most here in top position, learning to also take smarter shots when I compete… In high school, I would just dive on legs and figure it out, but it doesn’t work when you are against big strong guys all the time, especially in here,” Barr said. “I had to learn that lesson the hard way a lot but one day, I just made that decision.

“Coming in, I honestly thought I was going to be a 74-pounder, but I figured out after a few months that was not going to happen… Last year at 184 pounds, I felt good but now since I’ve started putting on mass I feel a lot better, I feel stronger,” Barr continued. “The approach has changed a little bit, but it’s honestly easier because the guys get a little more tired, and they are a little less fit at 197 pounds.”

Barr had gained plenty of mass in the offseason and took the time to shout out teammate Tyler Kasak and the Kasak family for helping him gain the necessary weight.

“Me and Ty are really good friends,” Barr said. “When I moved here, I found out that Mr. Kasak would drive up red meat for him, so I decided that I wanted to get in on it, and I bought myself a cow, and that has been going good for me.”

Barr and the rest of the team will next be in action at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 8, when they travel to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to take on Lehigh.