Two-time All-American and 2021 NCAA champion AJ Ferrari will join the Nebraska wrestling program as a transfer, head Ccoach Mark Manning announced Saturday. The two-time conference champion has tallied a 51-2 career record, and has finished top three in both of his NCAA tournament appearances.

The rising redshirt junior spent his previous collegiate seasons at Oklahoma State (2020-22) and Cal State Bakersfield (2024-25). Most recently, Ferrari finished his campaign as a Roadrunner with a 22-1 record, claiming third place at the NCAA tournament in Philadelphia. Originally from Allen, Texas, he began his college wrestling career as a Cowboy under coach John Smith, where he went 20-1 his freshman year, claiming the 197 national title and outscoring his opponents 195-55. He became only the third true freshman in OSU history to win a national title. His second year was cut short, having gone 10-0, due to injury. Ferrari also took an Olympic redshirt in 2023-24.

“We're excited about AJ joining our family here at Nebraska,” Manning said. “This decision was a collaborative effort from my team, staff and our administration. AJ's wrestling accomplishments speak to the dedication, work ethic and competitive spirit that aligns with our program. We believe AJ adds tremendous value to our team's fight and passion for our sport.“

Prior to college, Ferrari was a 2020 graduate from Allen High School where he was coached by Jerry Best. He collected a 96-1 record in his prep career, ranked the No. 1 overall wrestler in his class and a two-time Texas state champion. Also competing at Blair Academy (N.J.) and Bergen Catholic (N.J.), he had a decorated prep campaign. Ferrari was the 2017 champion at both the Fargo Freestyle and Walsh Jesuit Ironman tournaments. He earned a bronze medal representing the United States at the 2018 Cadet Freestyle World Championships and won the 2018 Junior Folkstyle National Championship.