It’s been the subject of rumors for weeks and the secret is out. Jimmy Lawson is leaving Monmouth University and football to return to the wrestling mat where he was a 3-time New Jersey state champion.

While it’s not a surprise, Lawson’s destination is to many who assumed he would wrestle for Scott Goodale at Rutgers.

The heavyweight will be on his way to Happy Valley where he will wrestling for Penn State University, the defending NCAA Champions.  Lawson visited PSU and took in a wrestling match in mid-February and then last week Nittany Lions coach Cael Sanderson make a home visit to the Lawson family in Manchester Township and extended the scholarship offer.

The 6’, 285 pounder was a key member of the Hawks defensive line during his two years at Monmouth but many speculated that he was frustrated over being in a position where he did not stand out.

Lawson played inside at either tackle or nose guard and while he was very effective he was not the impact player he hoped to be when he chose football over wrestling.

That was not the case when he wrestled at Manchester and he’s only the second person to ever win three state heavyweight titles. Lawson is hoping that dominance will continue at Penn State, where he is likely to red-shirt next season and then have two years of eligibility remaining.

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