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Josh Barr injury update: What's the latest on the Penn State wrestling 197-pound starter before nationals?

Greg Pickelby: Greg Pickel03/13/25GregPickel
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Penn State wrestler Joshua Barr celebrates his 3-2 win over Michigan's Jacob Cardenas. (Pickel/BWI)

Penn State 197-pound starter Josh Barr drew the number four seed for next week’s 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships on Wednesday night. On Thursday, Nittany Lions head coach Cael Sanderson offered his first update on the status of the redshirt freshman after he suffered an injury at Big Tens. After losing in the quarterfinals in sudden victory to Michigan’s Jacob Cardenas, Barr was forced to medically forfeit his consolation semifinal match with Minnesota’s Isaiah Salazar due to a left leg injury. Following an early scramble in which he appeared to hurt himself, the Nittany Lion was taken down off the restart, asked for the match to be stopped, and was eventually helped off the mat with the help of staff members. He was putting little to no weight on his left leg at the time. Barr also medically defaulted out of his fifth-place match.

Speaking on the Penn State Coaches Show with Steve Jones, Sanderson said he will be ready to go for nationals.

“We kind of had to carry him off the mat a bit last week. But, he’ll be ready to go and scrapping next week,” Sanderson said. “We’re happy for him.”

It marks the second year in a row that Penn State enters nationals with a starter dealing with a leg injury. Last year, current 184-pound starter Carter Starocci hurt his right knee in the team’s final dual meet of the season. He medically defaulted twice at Big Tens to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Once there, he ultimately won the championship at 174 pounds, which was his fourth. He seeks a record-setting fifth next week.

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Who does each Penn State wrestler face first at nationals?

Check out the full list below. And, click here to see our five thoughts on the Lions’ bracket draws.

125 pounds: No. 1 Luke Lilledahl, PSU vs. No. 33 Caleb Weiand Michigan State OR No. 32 Marcelli Milani, Cornell

133 pounds: No. 8 Braeden Davis, Penn State vs. No. 25 Kurt Phipps, Bucknell

141 pounds: No. 2 Beau Bartlett, PSU vs. No. 31 Jordan Titus, West Virginia

149 pounds: No. 3 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State vs. No. 30 Gabe Willochell, Wyoming

157 pounds: No. 1 Tyler Kasak, PSU vs. No. 33 Richard Fedalen, Colorado vs. No. 32 Landon Johnson, Northern Illinois

165 pounds: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State vs. No. 33 Chandler Amaker, Central Michigan vs. No. 32 Jared Keslar, Pittsburgh

174 pounds: No. 2 Levi Haines, PSU vs. No. 30 Avery Bassett, Lock Haven

184 pounds: No. 1 Carter Starocci, Penn State vs. No. 33 TJ McDonnell, Oregon State vs. No. 32 Caden Rogers, Lehigh

197 pounds: No. 4 Josh Barr, PSU vs. No. 29 Tucker Hogan, Lehigh

285 pounds: No. 3 Greg Kerkvliet, Penn State vs. No. 30 Sam Mitchell, Wyoming

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