PAT DOWNEY TO TRANSFER TO IOWA WRESTLING

Pat Downey is headed back to Iowa, and this time he’ll be wearing a Black and Gold singlet.

The former Cyclone wrestler is reportedly en route to Iowa City to begin his career as a Hawkeye wrestler as a graduate transfer. He’s expected to begin training with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club immediately, while taking online classes through Iowa State to earn his degree.

Downey was ousted from the Cyclone program a year ago for “violating team rules.” He’s been an outspoken figure in wrestling, and has a pretty ... interesting Twitter. He told Andy Hamilton that tweeting won’t be a problem for him at Iowa.

“We’re here to win this national title,” he said. “His [Terry Brands’] stipulations as far as on the mat and the lifestyle requirements of me being a Hawkeye, those are clear. But tweeting doesn’t affect my wrestling, if anybody’s concerned about that.”

Downey is the third grad transfer Tom Brands is taking on this year, alongside Patricio Lugo from Edinboro and former Lock Haven lightweight Patrick Duggan.

It is interesting, and a little uncharacteristic for the Brands’ to bring on a figure with such a checkered past, but he has a history of success at the sport (he placed fifth at the 2016 NCAA Championships out of his weight class at 197) and Iowa has a need at his ideal weight, 184 with the departure of Sammy Brooks.

So, it looks like Downey will fill a hole for the Hawkeyes sometime in the future, but will it cost them? This could be a high-risk, high-reward move the Hawks, but I’m always for rolling the dice.

Welcome aboard, Mr. Downey.