In early June, a literal bomb exploded upon the country’s collegiate wrestling scene. Despite being intensely rumored to join the University of North Carolina, the 2021 NCAA gold medalist, AJ Ferrari, turned the entire thing on its head. Instead, the former Oklahoma State wrestler announced he would transfer to Nebraska from Cal State Bakersfield for the remainder of his eligibility years. While his move to the 2025 NCAA second-place finishers was indeed a big moment for the wrestling followers, the man himself believes that it wouldn’t be possible without his brief stint at California.

In May, UNC handed Ferrari a major setback to his plans by denying him admission. While the reason behind the call wasn’t made public, fans quickly jumped to the conclusion that the athlete’s past trysts with the law were to blame for the situation. However, being the indomitable spirit that Ferrari is, he kept his head up and kept doing what he loved to do: Train and sharpen his skills on the mat. And it paid off. Ferrari will now head to Lincoln, Nebraska, to join one of the top collegiate programs in the country. But he couldn’t do it without Cal State’s help.

In an interview with sports writer Nick Kosko, Ferrari talked about how his colleagues in California helped him to become a better athlete. In an Instagram upload by Kosko on July 10, Ferrari elaborated more on the matter. On being asked by Kosko about AJ’s experience in Cal State, the NCAA sensation said flatly, “Amazing.” Evidently, despite only collaborating for one season, Cal State managed to leave a lasting impression on Ferrari.

“It was absolutely amazing,” Ferrari said further, lauding the head coach of the program, “You know, the coach out there. You know, Coach Luke Smith. Just the biggest thing for me going there was just his belief in me.” After a horrific car crash in 2022, Ferrari was sidelined from the action for almost two whole years. Naturally, having someone by your side who believes you can bounce back is a motivation booster for the wrestler. AJ went on to reveal how the Cal State coach resorts to encouragement instead of chastisement to bring out the best in the athletes.

“The big thing with him was like, it wasn’t like, ‘Oh, if you make one mistake we’re going to get you out of here. We’re going to help you grow. We’re gonna give you these resources’,” Ferrari told Kosko. The former NCAA champ, however, did note that Cal State didn’t have a lot of wrestling resources to provide its stars. But the one thing they had was people resources; the whole staff would come together to support and help an athlete out of a rough patch, Ferrari elaborated.

This extensive support worked wonders. With Coach Smith by his side, Ferrari won bronze at the 2025 NCAA D1 Wrestling Championship and also bagged All-American honors. His third-place finish at the national tournament was the highest finish by a Roadrunner at the competition since 1999. But could Nebraska offer something even better to the collegiate wrestling celebrity?

Nebraska could be where AJ Ferrari reaches his fullest potential

Wrestling for Cal State, Ferrari finished the 2024-25 season with a spectacular 22-1 record, before finishing the national championship in third place in the 197lb bracket. With such a track record, you’d assume that UNC would be eager to rope in the scintillating talent to its roster. And yet, despite the UNC associate head coach, Tony Ramos, joking that the college’s stock prices could go up if Ferrari headed their way, the plan ultimately failed to go through. But AJ wouldn’t let that stand in his way.

“We decided to part ways. Nothing but respect for Rob Koll and all the coaches there,” said Mr. Fast Twitch during an Instagram live session. And it does seem like Ferrari is determined to show his worth in more weight brackets than one. “I’m about 230 lbs right now,” he revealed only recently, before news of him joining the Nebraska roster as a 235-pounder for the 2025-26 season.

In Lincoln, Ferrari will have a lot of top talent to help him get even better. A bunch of All-American Husker wrestlers are set to make their return to the college for the upcoming season, including Jacob Van Dee, Brock Hardy, Antrell Taylor, Christopher Minto, Silas Allred, and Camden McDanel. One look at the names mentioned, and it’s easy to comprehend why Ferrari thought that Nebraska would offer him the perfect place to get better on the mat.

But will that be enough for Ferrari to finally be able to walk the talk and put the mighty Penn State in its place? What do you reckon?