If Penn State wrestling star Beau Bartlett was a college football, basketball or baseball star, the decision would be an easy one.
Bartlett is the No. 1 wrestler at 141 pounds, and barring something crazy, he’ll be the favorite to win his first national championship next month.
To put it in football terms, Bartlett is to his weight class what Caleb Williams is to the quarterback position.
Everybody knew the USC star and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner would declare for the NFL Draft as soon as he was eligible and he did just that after this past season. But wrestling isn’t like football, basketball or baseball. If it were, fellow Penn State stars Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks would be in the pros right now, not respectively going for their fourth straight individual national championships.
Bartlett has a decision to make, and was asked about that decision during a Penn State wrestling media availability this past Tuesday.
“I think there are some moving pieces,” Bartlett said. “I think coming in, as a freshman, I was like ‘awe, I’m going to use all these years.’”
When Bartlett came in as a freshman ahead of the 2020 season, he knew he’d have five years of eligibility.
He never had a redshirt, so next season would be his last at PSU of this one isn’t.
“I think as life progress, there’s some extra questions that need to be asked. I love wrestling. I love folk style wrestling. I love freestyle wrestling. There’s just… we’ll see. We’ll see.
“I fully am treating this like my senior year. I’ll so everything I can, and if I do everything right, we’ll see.”
