Country roads are taking Luca Felix home.
The 2024 state wrestling champion spent his first two collegiate seasons at NC State in Raleigh, NC, in the ACC.
But come this fall, Felix will don a new singlet and compete in a new conference as he announced his commitment to transfer to WVU and battle for his hometown team.
“Entering the portal is definitely a humbling experience,” Felix said. “I had a lot of great schools reaching out to me, and that was relieving. I just think the opportunity to come home and compete in my hometown is one that a lot of guys never have, and I’m so excited to represent West Virginia University.”
After redshirting during his freshman season, Felix split time wrestling between 149 and 157 pounds, eventually earning the starting role for the Wolfpack at 157.
But after his sophomore season concluded, Luca knew it was time to explore his options, and, to his fortune, WVU came calling right away.
“WVU reached out to me on day one,” he said. “That stuck out to me a lot, especially because two years ago, when I had the opportunity to commit out of high school, I chose NC State. But once I realized the chance to come home and compete in front of family and friends was a reality, I couldn’t pass it up.”
Felix will see a few familiar faces in the Mountaineer wrestling room, as his former UHS teammate, Brock Kehler (HWT), and former NC State teammate, Louie Gill (125), are both currently on the WVU roster.
Plus, although entering the WVU wrestling room will be a bit different as he does so as a WVU athlete, Luca isn’t completely unfamiliar with the program, as his dad, Danny, served as an assistant coach for the program when he was younger.
Felix will enter his junior year with three years of eligibility under his belt and ready for a fresh start.
“That’s what it feels like, honestly,” he said. “Being able to come home and have that support system there is everything to me. My house is less than ten minutes from the Coliseum, and I’m excited to be in an environment that I’m already comfortable in.”
