AJ Ferrari’s journey to Nebraska has been tumultuous. From reaching a career high by winning the national championship with Oklahoma State as a true freshman in 2021 to transferring to CSU-Bakersfield, then making a failed move to North Carolina, before finally landing at Nebraska, Ferrari has seen the highs and the lows. However, now he’s found a home with the Cornhuskers, and they’re letting him experiment.

That was apparent in Nebraska, welcoming the 197-pound wrestler with open arms. “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,” said Cornhuskers’ head coach Mark Manning. Now, two months after joining Nebraska, the wrestler had an update about his ambitious goal.

While announcing his commitment to Nebraska back in June, the NCAA star didn’t rule out a move to heavyweight. Considering the NCAA caps its heavyweight division at 285 lbs, a jump from 197 to being competitive at heavyweight sounded like a huge jump. What’s more? After AJ Ferrari’s latest bulking confession, the fans are skeptical.

“I mean, literally right after I get off this call I’m gonna go get a bite to eat,” the former National champion said while appearing on the Saturday Night Lights. “We get as many steaks as we want right now. I’m eating about five to ten steaks a day,” said the two-time All-American. The statement immediately invoked a hearty laugh from one of the hosts, but Ferrari continued.

“I’ve been eating quite a bit of calories,” added the 24-year-old before revealing how much fish he eats on the days he’s off the steaks. “On maybe Thursdays or Fridays, sometimes I’ll do like maybe 12 pieces of salmon, 12 four-ounce salmon,” said AJ Ferrari. While that sounds like someone who’s trying to get as close to 285 as possible would do, the fans are not convinced.

Wrestling fans doubt AJ Ferrari

The NCAA wrestler’s bulking confession sounded a little too good to be true for the fans. “I’m sorry, 5-10 steaks?” one fan commented in disbelief. Meanwhile, another joked that Ferrari was “speed-running high cholesterol” on X. Jokes aside, there’s no reason to doubt the 24-year-old’s commitment to reaching heavyweight, as he has constantly hinted at it since things didn’t work out with North Carolina.

When initially asked about his plans to move up a weight class, AJ Ferrai hinted that he was discussing the move with his coaches. “That’s between me and the coaching staff right now,” Ferrari said during his June Instagram live session. “I’m about 230 lbs right now,” added the former national champion. However, he has doubled down on it.

In fact, this isn’t even the first time Ferrari has mentioned that he is bulking. The college wrestler spoke about his diet while chatting with Nebraska USA Wrestling at the Fargo Camp. Nebraska USA Wrestling caught up with the NCAA star after the former No. 1-ranked wrestler led the camp at Fargo for a full day. That was when Ferrari mentioned what he ate just ahead of the interview.

“Just had two pounds of brisket. Gotta fuel the muscles. Getting big,” said AJ Ferrari. Even more interesting was the fact that he also revealed his weight during the conversation. The Cornhusker revealed that within a month, he had already put on 5 lbs of muscle and weighed 235. Yet, the fans still remained skeptical about how putting on so much weight would affect his wrestling.

“He will not be a competitive heavyweight,” commented one fan. “He doesn’t have enough time to put the kind of weight he will need to be competitive at heavyweight,” added another. Then again, it’s been another whole month since the former OSU wrestler said he was 235. Naturally, he’s put on even more weight since then, and that’s what Pat Mineo clarified.

The Wrestling Room Podcast host went against the doubts about AJ Ferrari’s competitiveness at heavyweight. “He weighs 242 right now… He will be the favorite at hwt,” Mineo wrote while responding to comments. He wasn’t the only curious and optimistic one, though. While most fans remained unconvinced, Joshua D. Phillips, Associate Head Coach at Westtown Wrestling, seemed curious.

“Kinda wanna see what this looks like come March,” he commented on the post. While going up 12 lbs in two months is impressive, AJ Ferrari still has ways to go. After all, top heavyweights like 2024 NCAA champion Wyatt Hendricson and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson weigh above 260 lbs. Yet, what do you think of AJ Ferrari’s bulking confession? Tell us in the comments.