Wrestler Brody Teske to transfer from Northern Iowa to Iowa

Brody Teske will finish his college wrestling career with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Teske announced his plans to transfer to Iowa on Sunday evening. He entered the transfer portal in late July after spending 2 1/2 years at Northern Iowa.

The four-time state champion from Fort Dodge graduated from Northern Iowa this summer, making him a graduate transfer. He plans to bump up to 133 pounds and has two years of eligibility remaining.

”I have a vision & I owe it to myself to fulfill it,” Teske wrote in an Instagram post, announcing his intent to transfer. “Go Hawks.”

This will be the second time Teske has transferred during his college career.

After graduating from Fort Dodge in 2018, he originally attended Penn State. He redshirted during the 2018-19 season, and was an on-again, off-again starter at 125 pounds for the Nittany Lions during the first half of the 2019-20 season.

Teske transferred to Northern Iowa midway through the ‘19-20 season and quickly became the Panthers’ mainstay at 125. He won a Big 12 title in 2021, is a two-time NCAA qualifier, and has compiled a career record of 33-13.

"My window of opportunity is closing quickly," Teske told The Fort Dodge Messenger. "I’m someone who has always valued self-reflection and focused on constant growth. At the end of the day, I am what I am at this stage in my career: a two-time NCAA qualifier who has gone 2-2 twice at nationals. That’s not good enough.

"I’m unsatisfied with myself," Teske continued. "I’ve got two short years (of eligibility left collegiately) to make this work. So I sat down and evaluated where I’m at and what I need to reach that next level. And to me, there’s no better place and no better room to push myself to see my full potential than as an Iowa Hawkeye."

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Teske is joining a potent Iowa squad. He was recruited by the Hawkeyes during his decorated high school career, during which he went 177-1 and became Iowa's 26th four-time state champion. Years later, he's finally headed to Iowa City.

With Teske in the fold, Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands now has multiple options at 133 pounds ahead of the 2022-23 season.

Cullan Schriever, a sophomore from Mason City with a redshirt available, is considered the front-runner for the job after going 15-5 during the '21-22 season. He was a three-time state champion and two-time men's freestyle national champ in high school. In May, he took eighth at the U.S. Open at 61 kilograms (134 pounds).

Behind Schriever and Teske, Charles Matthews and Iowa Central transfer Aidan Harris are also available. Jace Rhodes, a two-time Class 3A state finalist from Mason City, is expected to redshirt.

"It’s sink or swim time," Teske told The Messenger. "I’m not going to be able to do anything more than demand the very best for myself in a room with that kind of talent. I’ll be training with the elite, and will have incredible resources and facilities in my corner."

Teske's departure leaves a hole at 125 for Northern Iowa.

Kyle Golhoffer, a sophomore, is the on-paper front-runner, with a 22-10 career record in three years with the Panthers. Two true freshmen, Cory Land and Trever Anderson, are also options and could perhaps see starting time immediately.

Teske says he has no animosity toward the Northern Iowa program or head coach Doug Schwab.

"When I left and moved back from Penn State (in January of 2020), (the Panthers were) exactly what I needed at the time," Teske told The Messenger. "I couldn’t thank Coach Schwab more for the opportunity he gave me. I just feel like I’ve outgrown Cedar Falls in some ways.

"I gave it my all, and it’s a chapter I’ll always appreciate, because it got me here and helped me grow as a man. I’m just ready to get back into the Big Ten, and I’m at a point in my life where I felt like I needed to go for it."

Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and high school sports for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Brody Teske to transfer from UNI to Iowa wrestling program