Penn State wrestling heavyweight Lucas Cochran has entered the transfer portal, per FloWrestling’s comprehensive portal tracker.

Over his five years at Penn State, Cochran went 36-8 with a 53.6% bonus rate, but wrestled only four of those matches in dual meets. A career backup, he spent his career at under-the-radar tournaments, dominating and picking up several notable wins against the likes of NCAA qualifiers Levi Hopkins, Remy Cotton, and Vincent Mueller.

Spending time at three different weights in his collegiate career, Cochran first suited up at heavyweight in January 2024, filling in for Greg Kerkvliet in a dual meet against Michigan State and doing it again a month later, picking up the best win of his collegiate career against Rutgers’ No. 8 Yaraslau Slavikouski at the Bryce Jordan Center.

He went into the 2024-25 season competing for the starting job at 197 pounds, but lost an effective wrestle-off to eventual national runner-Up Josh Barr at the Black Knight Invitational. He similarly competed with Cole Mirasola for the starting heavyweight job this past season, but lost out in the same fashion.

Cochran’s remaining eligibility is the question. He redshirted his true freshman season of 2021-22 and wrestled in each of the next four seasons. Even if the NCAA instituted a 5-in-5 rule, he would be ineligible to compete in 2026-27. The loophole he may be pursuing is a medical redshirt for this past season, when he medically forfeited out of the Southern Scuffle on January 3. Entering the transfer portal implies he’s pursuing a sixth season of eligibility, nonetheless.

Cochran is the first Nittany Lion to enter the transfer portal.