Update: Nick Suriano is officially headed to Rutgers Wrestling

Ryan Dunleavy of nj.com is reporting that the Big Ten's Academics and Eligibility subcommittee has granted Suriano the waiver that would allow him to transfer to Rutgers and be eligible immediately.

The report indicates that Suriano has been taking online summer classes through Penn State but, as was reported here and elsewhere, Suriano has been working out in New Brunswick this past summer with the Scarlet Knights Wrestling Club.

Update: It's official!

Here are quotes from coach Goodale and Suriano, per the athletic department’s press release:

Coach Goodale

“We are excited that Nick has decided to come back home and join our program. This is a young man with an incredible work ethic and drive that doesn’t come around all that often. We are beyond excited that Nick is eligible to compete right away. This is a student-athlete that deserves the opportunity to chase his dream of becoming a national champion in his home state.”

Nick Suriano

“New Jersey is my home and it’s what I want to represent. I want to make history and bring New Jersey and Rutgers with me. I have all the support and coaching I need right here at this university. This was my decision, and I’m confident in it and the support of the team I have around me.”

Suriano, along with Rutgers' own Anthony Ashnault, are the only two undefeated four-time state champions in New Jersey history. If Suriano does in fact enroll at Rutgers, the Knights would have both of them in the same lineup.

Flowrestling, one of the top sources for wrestling news, is running the headline, "It's Official: Nick Suriano Is Going To Rutgers". But they are also citing nj.com as their source.

Freshman 125-pounder Brandon Paetzall transferred from Rutgers after the season, heading to Lehigh. The addition of Suriano would more than fill that slot, assuming the incoming wrestler is still at that weight. It would give Rutgers a legitimate favorite, or at least a co-favorite, for an NCAA title, something the Knights have never had.

This is an enormous game-changer for Scott Goodale and the Knights. While he is getting quality wrestlers, and Suriano considered RU after his senior season, getting a wrestler of this impact put Rutgers in the thick of the national conversation of top programs.