In total, 48 sets of brothers have competed in the black and gold singlet since the inception of Iowa wrestling, and brothers Tom and Terry Brands have a rare opportunity to add one more set to this famed list.
AJ Ferrari, former 2021 NCAA Champion at the 197-pound division, entered the transfer portal on March 26 with the portal officially opening up on March 19.
The Texas native has a unique incentive to join the Hawkeye wrestling squad, as the phenom would be joining his electric younger brother and presumably Iowa’s starting 184-pounder next season, Angelo Ferrari.
This news has wrestling fans anxiously waiting to see where the top-ranked transfer will spend the rest of his two to potentially three years of eligibility.
Per a post by Ferrari on X, formerly known as Twitter, Ferrari is weighing and considering all options that come his way through the portal. Ferrari spent his first collegiate season in 2021 at Oklahoma State. Ferrari’s reign as a Cowboy was soon cut short following a car crash and some off the mat controversy.
Per the Oklahoman, Ferrari was arrested and charged in August of 2022 with one felony count of sexual battery arising from a party in Stillwater that occurred earlier in the summer. The charges on Ferrari were dropped, and Ferrari soon departed from the OSU wrestling program.
After taking some time off, Ferrari found himself competing at CSU-Bakersfield this season. Here he led a 22-1 campaign and a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships, his first NCAA Championship appearance in over four years.
Ferrari’s only loss of the season came to Iowa’s very own Stephen Buchanan in a narrow 3-0 decision in the semi-final round.
With an impressive 50-2 career record, Ferrari would be an amazing get for the Brands’ brothers to strengthen the back half of the lineup. However, it is no secret that Ferrari’s name brings some baggage and controversy, particularly to the Hawkeye family.
Iowa fans’ first image of Ferrari was a sour one, and one that ended in Ferrari using his hands to signal the wrong kind of bird to former Hawkeye wrestler Zack Glazier. The two faced off in the championship match at the Soldier Salute back in December 2023 with Ferrari wrestling as an independent.
The two duked it out on the mat for three periods, leading to an overtime sudden victory with a 2-2. Ferrari gained a late takedown in sudden-victory to initially take a 5-2 win.
Ferrari and Glazier had a heated exchange immediately following the match, leading Ferrari to throw a punch at the Hawkeye wrestler and flip off fans at Xtream Arena. This split-second erroneous decision from Ferrari left many fans in the Hawkeye state to turn their backs on Ferrari ever wrestling in a Hawkeye singlet.
Ferrari briefly spoke about his abrupt departure from the Iowa wrestling program to FloWrestling following his run at the NCAA Championships.
“Having to leave Iowa, you guys know the coaches wanted me,” said Ferrari. “Every coach in the country wanted me, they knew my character. The athletic director and president of the school said ‘AJ Ferrari, birds, can’t happen. It’s too much for the University of Iowa…’ So for me it was like take this time, remember this, and learn from that.”
As time has continued to progress since the Soldier Salute, so has Ferrari’s mindset on and off the mat. Here’s what Ferrari had to say prior to the 2025 NCAA Championships:
“I want to cement my legacy, have fun, give God all the glory, ” Ferrari told On3 Sports. “Super grateful for all the support I have all throughout the world. A lot of prayers, big support system is why I’m here.”
Ferrari has always been a vocal athlete, but a statement like this suggests that he has grown substantially mentally, giving the Brands something to work with if he were to join the Hawkeye wrestling family.
With more light than ever being shined on collegiate wrestling, an addition like Ferrari to Iowa wrestling brings moxy and a little bit of swagger back to the sport of wrestling.
“I think we need to embrace big personalities like myself [in] big matches,” said Ferrari. “And I think at the end of the day growing our sport is going to be key to have good personalities that show themselves.”
While focusing on improvements for the front-half of the lineup has been a point of emphasis for the Brands this off-season, the Hawkeyes graduate Buchanan, who is fresh off a successful 2025 NCAA title run at 197 pounds.
This leaves a perfect opportunity for Ferrari to make amends with Iowa wrestling fans by joining his brother and the Brands in the pursuit of a team title.
“Action speaks louder than words, and that was important to me whether I won, lost, or drew today,” said Ferrari. “Keeping my composure, finishing strong, and showing everybody that’s No. 1. Finishing. No matter what you do. Finish the race.”
Ferrari’s words to the media following his third-place finish at the NCAA Championships highlights the long-going narrative that people truly can change with time.
Like Ferrari, Hawkeye fans must be willing to put in the work and look past Ferrari’s mistake during his highly intense matchup with Glazier.
While the transfer portal and NIL have drastically changed recruiting efforts in the college wrestling world, the Brands’ brothers must not get lost in the complexity of the portal and keep Ferrari as a priority.
