REPORT: Penn State wrestling great lands multi-year suspension

A year after earning his first Olympic medal, it appears that Penn State wrestling legend Aaron Brooks will be sidelined from the mats until just before preparations begin for Los Angeles 2028.

Per a report from wrestling insider Pat Mineo on Tuesday, Brooks has earned a preliminary three-year suspension from competition from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). The suspension comes after Brooks tested positive for Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a banned anabolic agent, in April.

USADA has not officially posted a status for its ruling on Brooks. Regardless of the outcome, the case appears bound for arbitration, according to Mineo.

3 years.

Aaron Brooks has been given an initial suspension of 3 years, pending arbitration.

Brooks recently failed a USADA test for an OTC supplement from Wegmans that contained the banned substance DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone). This was his 2nd incident with USADA and it… pic.twitter.com/c3Z3Q87G9r

— The Wrestling Room (Pat Mineo) (@MrPatMineo) August 26, 2025

In June, reports surfaced that Brooks was facing a potential multi-year ban after failing a second drug test in the last three years. The Brooks camp later clarified that the four-time NCAA champion was flagged for taking over-the-counter medicine following a hospitalization for pneumonia this spring.

“To the next and upcoming generation, always be mindful of what you put in your body,” Brooks said in a statement in June. “Ignorance kills and even something that seems innocent at your local grocery store can cause consequences.”

If the suspension is upheld, Brooks may be barred from training with members of Team USA or at any USA Wrestling facilities, including the NLWC. The potential three-year ban would likely be retroactive to this spring, meaning that Brooks would be eligible to return just as Olympic Team Trials for the 2028 Games commence.

Brooks won a Bronze Medal at 86 kg at the 2024 Paris Games last August.

One year ago today: Aaron Brooks wins his first Olympic Medal, claiming Bronze at the 2024 Paris Games #WeAre #PennState #PSUwr pic.twitter.com/i9v9hBmpbL

— Basic Blues Nation (@BasicBlues) August 9, 2025

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