Carter Starocci stoked for Penn State wrestling, NCAA's: 'I'll take them all on in 3 days'

Carter Starocci's message was pointedly clear, even amid some laughs and easy-going banter with reporters this week:

The injured Penn State wrestling star is recovered and ready to dominate next week's NCAA Championships as previously expected.

No matter the knee injury that frustratingly kept him out of the Big Ten Championships.

No matter his surprisingly-low seed in the 174-pound bracket he will begin wrestling at the NCAA's in Kansas City next Thursday.

He said he's over the frustration of working back from the injury suffered in his final Penn State dual meet, of having his NCAA-best win streak broken, of being forced by his coaches to sit out last week's league tournament against his will.

He's back and properly prepared to become only the sixth college wrestler ever to win four individual national titles. (Teammate Aaron Brooks can become the seventh next week, as well).

"I’m like fully healthy. I can do everything right now," Starocci said during a Wednesday interview session in State College.

"At the end of the day a Big Ten title is cool, so is an NCAA title, but all that stuff comes and goes. I just truly enjoy really beating on guys. I can’t do this forever, so I want to make sure I take everybody out and do it again and again, so that’s fun for me."

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Starocci was the undefeated, No. 1-ranked wrestler at 174 pounds — and owning a 64-match win streak — before injuring his right knee at the end of a dominating Senior Day victory over Edinboro late last month.

Since, he worked to recover in time to wrestle last week's Big Ten Championships in College Park, Maryland − said he was fully ready to go. "I think me being a competitor and just who I am and how I was brought up, I just wanted to take all those guys out and keep sending messages ..."

But Penn State coach Cael Sanderson and his staff vetoed his participation, saying it was not worth the risk of compromising his injury with the more-important NCAA tournament in sight.

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Starocci admitted he was temporarily upset at the decision, evidenced by an admittedly emotional social media post in which he hinted that his Penn State wrestling career may be over.

This week, Starocci said he made up with Sanderson, praising his coach. “He’s the man. He’s done everything I’ve ever wanted to do in this life in wrestling, outside of wrestling. .... I would do anything for coach Cael."

Starocci also sounded as if he's re-focused and will be wrestling next week with extra motivation, if any was possibly needed.

Because he medically forfeited out of the league tournament, he was forced to take an at-large bid to next week's NCAA Championships.

And he was seeded a somewhat stunning ninth in Wednesday evening's bracket release. He will face No. 24 Andrew Sparks of Minnesota in Thursday's opening round. He's in line to face undefeated and No. 1 Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals.

Starocci seemed energized, in a way, that he would be forced to work his way up through the bracket.

“I want to earn my spot … I kind of like it. I don’t care what they seed me at. Don’t even have me seeded, just have me wrestle every single kid in the bracket, one by one, and I’ll take them all on in three days," he said with a big grin. "I just think it’s more enjoyable this way.

“I just like beating people up. That’s just really fun for me. Not being able to compete at the Big Ten’s, I’m just ready (now) ... It’s going to be business."

Sanderson sounded confident, too, in one of the most accomplished wrestlers he's coached during Penn State's run of 10 national titles in 12 years.

“He’ll be ready to go. He’s Carter. He’s just passionate. He loves wrestling. He’s a competitor. He wants to win," Sanderson said. "He wants to be the greatest and he wants to dominate every match. I love it, I think it’s great.”

Could there be a different Starocci performing next week, in any way, after all he's been through?

“It’ll be a better Carter Starocci" he said, "because I believe as every day goes on I keep getting better."

Frank Bodani covers Penn State sports for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Carter Starocci is stoked for Penn State wrestling, NCAA Championships