Nebraska heavyweight AJ Ferrari’s season ended in heartbreak at the NCAA Championships, where a knee injury forced him to forfeit his semifinal bout against Iowa State’s Yonger Bastida. The setback came after a whirlwind college career, two seasons at Oklahoma State, a year at Cal State Bakersfield, and his first campaign at heavyweight for the Huskers. Ferrari, the 2021 national champion at 197 pounds, had finished third last year, but his latest injury has raised questions about his future at Nebraska after reports suggested he won’t return next season. Is that true?
Turns out, that was partially confirmed by Nebraska wrestling head coach Mark Manning, who revealed that Ferrari is set to undergo surgery for a knee injury.
“Well, as the kicker, he’s, he’s (AJ Ferrari) gonna have to have surgery here, um, on his knee,” Manning said as per a video on X.
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Despite the injury, Ferrari powered through early rounds at the 2026 NCAA Championships, pinning South Dakota’s Luke Rasmussen, topping Pittsburgh’s Dayton Pitzer, and edging Oklahoma’s Juan Mora to prove he remained a title threat. His run ended against Iowa State’s Yonger Bastida, followed by a medical forfeit from the tournament.
That saw many question whether AJ Ferrari had actually injured himself or if something else was brewing, but Manning’s comments effectively rule out anything else. HuskerOnline first reported it, as they revealed that the 24-year-old wasn’t going to return to Nebraska despite spending only one season with them.
However, the report also revealed that Ferrari has no more time left on his eligibility, which means he would have needed an NCAA waiver to wrestle again. But Manning refuted that claim and revealed the wrestler could have up to 1 year of eligibility remaining.
“Uh, he probably has a year,” Manning explained. “We have to do, uh, paperwork on him, and he definitely has probably a year if the paperwork gets done correctly and, and, uh, a doctor signs off on it, on his injury. So probably one, I don’t know about two, but yeah.”
Many questioned whether AJ Ferrari was truly injured after defaulting in the medal rounds.
Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning confirmed he did suffer a knee injury in the NCAA quarterfinals and will require surgery.
Manning also wished AJ well and said he enjoyed his time with… pic.twitter.com/FRmgWcuvSQ
— The Wrestling Room (Pat Mineo) (@MrPatMineo) April 6, 2026
Not to mention, AJ Ferrari’s season wasn’t already short on drama. According to a report from The Daily Nebraskan, Authorities arrested AJ and booked him into Lancaster County Jail on a fugitive-from-justice charge in January, thrusting him into national headlines. He posted bail soon after, and authorities dismissed the extradition case, clearing him to wrestle again for Nebraska.
After his semifinal loss to Iowa State’s Yonger Bastida at the NCAA Championships, Ferrari stirred controversy again. Allegedly claiming that Bastida was using a banned substance, HGH, after the match, before quickly walking back the remark and apologizing, saying the two remained friends.
In the meantime, Freshman Cade Ziola appears poised to take over the heavyweight spot next season after going 2-1 in duals and 16-3 overall while redshirting. Although there is no solid confirmation yet.
Now, while Manning has stayed quiet about Ferrari’s next move, the 24-year-old made it official himself.
AJ Ferrari confirms that he will leave Nebraska to test NCAA free agency
The 24-year-old has endured a long, winding college wrestling career dating back to 2021, when he first committed to Oklahoma State. While he did win the 2021 NCAA championship and became a Big 12 Conference champion, the season didn’t count against any wrestler’s eligibility. But off-mat issues meant that he never wrestled for Oklahoma again, not competing in 2022/23 or 2023/24 seasons either, eventually landing at Cal State Bakersfield in 2024.
He then placed third upon his comeback for Cal State and then re-entered the transfer portal before signing for Nebraska in 2025, moving up to the heavyweight division at the same time.
“Grateful for my time at Nebraska and everyone who’s supported me,” Ferrari wrote on Twitter/X. “Giving all glory to Yahuah for guiding my journey. Entering the transfer portal. Focused, hungry, and ready for what’s next. 1–2 years of eligibility left. Open to all opportunities.”
With AJ Ferrari leaving yet another college program, his next destination remains uncertain. Rumors suggest the 24-year-old All-American plans to drop to the 197-pound division in 2026, a move that could put him back in the mix for a national title, but it’s still unclear which school will bring him in.
Written by
Edited by
Firdows Matheen