Earlier today, there was a fresh twist in AJ Ferrari‘s transfer portal news. The 23-year-old committed his future to the University of North Carolina, ending his stint with CSUB. However, there was much confusion surrounding Ferrari’s move, and the 23-year-old himself was unsure before his switch. Interestingly, there was one person who was confident about where Ferrari would end up, and it was none other than the coach of the University of North Carolina, Tony Ramos.

Days before Ferrari confirmed his move there, Ramos dropped a cryptic tweet on his official X handle. He wrote, “It’s always a great day to be a Tar Heel! If I were you I would have bought stock in North Carolina wrestling yesterday!” It was clearly a subtle hint towards Ferrari’s transfer but lost amidst the rumors of a return to the Cowboys or a move to the Nittany Lions.

Earlier, Ferrari assessed all his options before confirming his switch to North Carolina. “I am so thankful for Cal State Bakersfield. I am entering the portal today and am considering all opportunities. I still have 2-3 years of eligibility left. I am starving for success on and off the wrestling mat,” Ferrari said, expressing his hunger to win back his 2021 NCAA title.

However, before Ferrari confirmed his next destination earlier today, there was a lot of confusion created over where he could end up. Zach Seyko of Locked on Nittany Lions said, “I’ve been told that Penn State wrestling and Cael Sanderson are NOT in contact with AJ Ferrari. There is no plan to make him the heavyweight next season.”  However, Pat Mineo of the Wrestling Room contradicted that by saying that Ferrari was in contact with Penn State and Oklahoma State.

Nonetheless, with Ferrari’s move sealed now, he has already set his sights on the next assignment. Ferrari made a confident admission during his return to the NCAA Championships last month.

AJ Ferrari shares his views on the US Open

Later this month, the top wrestlers in the U.S. will compete in the US Open Wrestling Championships, which will take place from April 23 to April 27 at The Expo at World Market Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. While Ferrari isn’t a guaranteed participant at the tournament, the 23-year-old has made his intentions crystal clear.

When asked about the competition, AJ Ferrari gave an assured response. “Oh, 100%, guaranteed, if my body’s feeling good, I gotta see how my body’s feeling, 100% be there, ready to dominate whoever’s at 92, 97 kilograms, you know, I want to give it a good shot, but again, like I said, I gotta see how my body feels, heal up, and yeah, go back to the drawing board.”

Another interesting thing to note is the possibility of Ferrari going up a weight class. He’s competed in the 197 lbs category throughout his collegiate career, but could he transition to the heavyweight category? It’s definitely possible.

All will be revealed come fall. While Ferrari has certainly shown glimpses of his best, the 23-year-old clearly senses that he hasn’t yet shown all that he’s capable of. It’ll be interesting to see if he participates in the US Open, which would be his first major assignment after the NCAA Championships.