WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue wrestling head coach Tony Ersland announced the signing of junior college transfer Austin Richens on Wednesday.
Richens, a highly touted heavyweight who spent the past two years at Northwest College in Powell, Wyo., won the 2026 NJCAA national championship at 285 pounds in March to close his sophomore season. He was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the NJCAA tournament and earned the prestigious David Rowlands Award, given annually to the top male JUCO athlete in the country among all sports.
Richens, who holds a collegiate record of 49-4, became just the second wrestler in the history of the David Rowlands Award to earn the highest honor possible for a JUCO athlete.
He comes to Purdue as a two-time NJCAA All-American after also placing third nationally at 197 lbs. as a freshman in 2025. Prior to Northwest College, Richens won two individual state titles for Uintah High School in Vernal, Utah, and was a two-time high school All-American.
The Utah native figures to be a key component for the Boilermakers as the team looks to replace graduating heavyweight Hayden Filipovich. Richens has at least two more years of college eligibility.
Richens bolsters Purdue’s class of 2026 which was already ranked No. 13 in the country by FloWrestling. It marks the third time in the past four years Purdue has had a top-15 recruiting class. Purdue is one of just three Big Ten programs and one of six programs nationally to have eight or more top-250 signees on the final MatScouts Big Board: No. 46 Camden Baum, No. 53 Zach Stewart, No. 125 Xavier Smith, No. 129 Nathan Rioux, No. 200 Parker Reynolds, No. 204 Drake Hooiman, No. 228 Tylin Thrine and No. 250 Jackson Bradley.
Including the class of 2025, when Purdue had six top-250 signees, Purdue is tied with Nebraska for most top-250 signees in the conference with 14 over the past two years.