David Taylor, Oklahoma State lands pair of Penn State wrestlers from transfer portal

Penn State wrestling might have just won its fourth NCAA title in a row, but a roster laden with this much talent usually means departures to the transfer portal as wrestlers fight for starting roles. Sometimes, those losses come to rival programs. That’s precisely what happened on Monday evening, as former Nittany Lions Alex Facundo and Gary Steen committed to David Taylor and Oklahoma State.

Facundo and Steen entered the transfer portal a week and a half ago during the Nittany Lions’ NCAA Championships run. Taylor obviously has a relationship with both from his years in the Penn State wrestling room. After the former Nittany Lion great took over at Oklahoma State last year, the program immediately ramped up funding for recruiting and the transfer portal. The moves paid off this season, as the Cowboys finished third and produced two national champions at the NCAA Tournament.

Both Gary Steen and Alex Facundo have committed to Oklahoma State after leaving Penn State pic.twitter.com/nCgL2k1Au6

— Joey Klender (@KlenderJoey) March 31, 2025

Looking for a way to stay up-to-date with all the most important news surrounding Penn State wrestling and Nittany Lion athletics? Follow us on social media and subscribe to our free newsletter for live news and insights sent directly to your feed!

Facundo was 34-10 with a 44% bonus as a Nittany Lion. He went 5-1 this year; his lone loss was a 5-2 decision to Tyler Kasak at the Black Knight Invitational at 157 pounds. Previously competing at 165 pounds, Facundo was an NCAA Qualifier in 2023 as a redshirt freshman. Although going 0-2 in that year’s tournament, he showed promise toward securing a lineup spot.

But after taking an Olympic redshirt last season, Facundo was replaced by Mitchell Mesenbrink at 165. Mesenbrink locked down the starter’s spot after finishing the year one point away from a national title. Facundo bumped down to 157 to compete with Kasak but did not wrestle again after suffering an injury in December.

The former Nittany Lion will have three years of eligibility left and will likely wrestle at 157, 165, or 174 for the Cowboys.

Gary Steen went 19-25 in his Penn State wrestling career, going 9-6 in open tournaments the last two seasons. Steen wrestled at 125 pounds his first three years before bumping up to 133 after the arrival of No. 1 overall recruit – and now 2025 All-American – Luke Lilledahl.

Steen will likely wrestle at 125 or 133 for David Taylor in Stillwater.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation, one of the fastest-growing outlets covering Penn State athletics. Part of the Full Ride network, we are an alumni-owned and operated, credentialed media outlet dedicated to providing you with updated and reliable insights for all your favorite Nittany Lion sports. Whether it’s Penn State football, basketball, wrestling, or anything in between, you can find it all on Basic Blues Nation!

Please follow us on our social channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for breaking news and notifications. For feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on social media.