AJ Ferrari Fuels Iowa Transfer Rumors, Potentially Taking on Carter Starocci at NCAA Finals

AJ Ferrari can never stay too far away from the action. After the fiasco at last year’s Soldier Salute tournament, Ferrari’s collegiate wrestling career was under question, with the Iowa Hawkeyes choosing not to confirm his place among their ranks. However, the elder Ferrari sibling continued to train at Hawkeye Central with rumors of his stepover to the MMA, which kept popping its head every now and then. But now, it looks like AJ taking on the black and golden stripes is only a matter of time.

The 2021 NCAA champ’s recent Instagram story sparked the speculations once again. Sharing the original post by Wrestler Grind, Ferrari dabbled with the thought of stepping up to add depth to the Hawkeyes’ roster in the 197lb weight class, where he can go on to potentially face one of the country’s top collegiate wrestling figures.

After a disappointing run at the US Wrestling Trial, Penn State’s Carter Starocci is set to return for another year under Cael Sanderson. Taking a cue from that, Ferrari’s IG story and the Wrestler Grind’s post evoked the thought of the two giants meeting at the weight class for the 2025 NCAA tournament. “Just imagine. . 2025 197 lbs NCAA Finals“, reads the caption of the post and the possibilities look titillating.

While Starocci has made his mark at the 174lg weight bracket, he might as well bump up his category with Ferrari waiting to take on the 4-time NCAA champion. A couple of days ago, AJ shared a photo from the Hawkeyes’ gym with the 285-pounder Ben Kueter, ushering more speculations about him finally finding his permanent home. However, it remains to be seen how the entire thing pans out and if Starocci indeed takes on the mat at a higher category for his final run with the NLWC. Meanwhile, let’s take a look at what inclusion of Ferrari might mean for Iowa.

How the Hawkeyes could shape up with AJ Ferrari in the mix

Suppose Ferrari is finally introduced to the Hawkeyes lineup, especially considering the fact that he’s been training at their gum for quite some time now. In that case, we daresay the Iowa wrestling squad will become a force to be reckoned with, and even Starocci & Co. will have to get back to the drawing board if they wish to retain their national title at the end of the 2024/25 season as well. But the is a flipside as well.

The Iowa team currently has two contenders for the 197lb spot: Zach Glazier and Kolby Franklin. If Ferrari decides to postpone his MMA plans for the time being for another shot at the national title, it could disrupt the Hawkeyes’ balance, and new plans have to be devised to decide who will step onto the mat for matches in this weight bracket.

While Starocci’s bracket for the next season is still unknown, the Iowa wrestlers will give him a run for his money even at 174. The 2023 NCAA All-American Nelson Brands and freshman Gabe Arnold will wait to lock horns with the Penn State star who will be on the lookout to extend his NCAA title run just enough to make it go down in the history books. With so many possibilities, what do you think fate has planned for Carter? Share your thoughts in the comments.