Nebraska’s wrestling coach, Mark Manning, confirmed yesterday that two-time All-American and 2021 NCAA Champion, AJ Ferrari, will join Nebraska this year. The former No.1 overall recruit from the 2020 class has tallied a 51-2 career record with two finishes within the top three of the NCAA tournament.
Before transferring to Nebraska, Ferrari wrestled for Oklahoma State (2020-22) and Cal State Bakersfield (2024-2025). Recently, Ferrari had committed to North Carolina, even signing a two-year, $1.1 million NIL deal, but was denied admission to UNC without explanation. Ferrari was utterly blindsided by UNC’s decision, leaving his future uncertain even though he had an impressive ACT score and had Dean’s List-level grades. While we may never know why UNC backed out, we do know that Ferrari is officially a Cornhusker and the entire wrestling community will be watching. Ferrari will have two or three years of eligibility left due to a COVID year and a medical redshirt.