One of college wrestling’s biggest personalities is back in the NCAA Wrestling Championships quarterfinals, but a lot has changed for AJ Ferrari in one year.
The 2021 NCAA champion at 197 pounds and former Oklahoma State Cowboy placed third last year when he was wrestling for Cal State Bakersfield. He then transferred to Nebraska and, well, he packed on the pounds.
But in a good way.
Ferrari bulked up to 235 pounds and is competing in the heavyweight, 285-pound, weight class in 2026.
It’s gone well so far. Ferrari finished second at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships earlier this month, losing to Michigan’s Taye Ghadiali, but entered the NCAAs as the No. 4 seed in the tournament.
A two-time All-American at 197, Ferrari is attempting a third in the largest weight class in Cleveland.
So how did he do it? Well, it wasn’t by junk food and Nebraska-grown corn. FloWrestling went to a Ferrari workout earlier this season. And, well, it was quite something.
‘Every Set Has To Be To The Brink Of Death’: Here’s What An AJ Ferrari Lift Day Looks Like
When Does AJ Ferrari Wrestle At NCAA Wrestling Championships 2026?
Juan Mora of Oklahoma pulled off two massive upsets on Day 1 of the NCAA tournament. He faces Ferrari now in the quarterfinals. The action begins at noon ET.
NCAA Wrestling Championships 2026 Results
Session III, which includes the quarterfinals, beings at 12:00 p.m. ET on March 20.
NCAA Wrestling Championships Brackets (Quarterfinals)
Quarterfinals
125 lbs
- (1) Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) vs. (8) Dean Peterson (Iowa)
- (5) Troy Spratley (OK State) vs. (4) Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh)
- (14) Jacob Moran (Indiana) vs. (6) Jore Volk (Minnesota)
- (10) Marc-Anthony McGowan (Princeton) vs. (2) Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech)
133 lbs
- (1) Jax Forrest (OK State) vs. (8) Markel Baker (Northern Illinois)
- (5) Kyler Larkin (Arizona State) vs. (4) Aaron Seidel (Virginia Tech)
- (3) Marcus Blaze (Penn State) vs. (6) Drake Ayala (Iowa)
- (7) Lucas Byrd (Illinois) vs. (2) Ben Davino (Ohio State)
141 lbs
- (1) Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs. (8) Vance Vombaur (Minnesota)
- (5) Luke Stanich (Lehigh) vs. (4) Anthony Echemendia (Iowa State)
- (3) Brock Hardy (Nebraska) vs. (6) Vince Cornella (Cornell)
- (7) Nasir Bailey (Iowa) vs. (2) Sergio Vega (OK State)
149 lbs
- (1) Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) vs. (8) Casey Swiderski (OK State)
- (12) Carter Young (Maryland) vs. (20) Chance Lamer (Nebraska)
- (3) Cross Wasilewski (Penn) vs. (11) Lachlan McNeil (Michigan)
- (10) Aden Valencia (Stanford) vs. (2) Jaxon Joy (Cornell)
157 lbs
- (1) PJ Duke (Penn State) vs. (8) Brandon Cannon (Ohio State)
- (5) Landon Robideau (OK State) vs. (4) Kaleb Larkin (Arizona State)
- (3) Meyer Shapiro (Cornell) vs. (11) Ty Watters (West Virginia)
- (7) Kannon Webster (Illinois) vs. (2) Antrell Taylor (Nebraska)
165 lbs
- (1) Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) vs. (9) Bryce Hepner (North Carolina)
- (12) Cesar Alvan (Columbia) vs. (4) Nicco Ruiz (Arizona State)
- (3) Mikey Caliendo (Iowa) vs. (27) EJ Parco (Stanford)
- (10) Will Denny (NC State) vs. (2) Joey Blaze (Purdue)
174 lbs
- (1) Levi Haines (Penn State) vs. (9) Beau Mantanona (Michigan)
- (5) Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) vs. (4) Carson Kharchla (Ohio State)
- (3) Christopher Minto (Nebraska) vs. (11) MJ Gaitan (Iowa State)
- (7) Cam Steed (Missouri) vs. (15) Danny Wask (Navy)
184 lbs
- (1) Rocco Welsh (Penn State) vs. (8) Silas Allred (Nebraska)
- (5) Brock Mantanona (Michigan) vs. (20) Brian Soldano (Oklahoma)
- (3) Max McEnelly (Minnesota) vs. (6) Eddie Neitenbach (Wyoming)
- (7) Angelo Ferrari (Iowa) vs. (2) Aeoden Sinclair (Missouri)
197 lbs
- (1) Josh Barr (Penn State) vs. (9) Angelo Posada (Stanford)
- (5) Joey Novak (Wyoming) vs. (4) Colton Hawks (Arizona State)
- (3) Stephen Little (Little Rock) vs. (11) Camden McDanel (Nebraska)
- (7) Cody Merrill (OK State) vs. (15) Remy Cotton (Rutgers)
285 lbs
- (1) Yonger Bastida (Iowa State) vs. (8) Ben Kueter (Iowa)
- (21) Juan Mora (Oklahoma) vs. (4) AJ Ferrari (Nebraska)
- (3) Taye Ghadiali (Michigan) vs. (27) Hunter Catka (Rutgers)
- (7) Konner Doucet (OK State) vs. (2) Isaac Trumble (NC State)
NCAA Wrestling Championships 2026 Schedule
Friday, March 20
- 12:00 p.m. ET: Session III (Quarterfinals, Consolation Matches) – ESPNU
- 8:00 p.m. ET: Session IV (Semifinals, Consolation Matches) – ESPN2
Saturday, March 21
- 11:00 a.m. ET: Session V (Medal Matches) – ESPNU
- 6:30 p.m. ET: Session VI (Finals) – ESPN
How To Watch NCAA Wrestling Championships 2026
- The 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships will be broadcast across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU from March 19-21 in Cleveland.
- Every match will also be streamed on ESPN+, including concurrent mat coverage.
NCAA Wrestling Championships Seeds 2026
Here are the top eight seeds for each weight class at the NCAA Wrestling Championships. See more here.
125 lbs
- (1) Luke Lilledahl, Penn State
- (2) Eddie Ventresca, Virginia Tech
- (3) Nic Bouzakis, Ohio State
- (4) Sheldon Seymour, Lehigh
- (5) Troy Spratley, Oklahoma State
- (6) Jore Volk, Minnesota
- (7) Nico Provo, Stanford
- (8) Dean Peterson, Iowa
133 lbs
- (1) Jax Forrest, Oklahoma State
- (2) Ben Davino, Ohio State
- (3) Marcus Blaze, Penn State
- (4) Aaron Seidel, Virginia Tech
- (5) Kyler Larkin, Arizona State
- (6) Drake Ayala, Iowa
- (7) Lucas Byrd, Illinois
- (8) Markel Baker, Northern Illinois
141 lbs
- (1) Jesse Mendez, Ohio State
- (2) Sergio Vega, Oklahoma State
- (3) Brock Hardy, Nebraska
- (4) Anthony Echemendia, Iowa State
- (5) Luke Stanich, Lehigh
- (6) Vince Cornella, Cornell
- (7) Nasir Bailey, Iowa
- (8) Vance Vombaur, Minnesota
149 lbs
- (1) Shayne Van Ness, Penn State
- (2) Jaxon Joy, Cornell
- (3) Cross Wasilewski, Penn
- (4) Collin Gaj, Virginia Tech
- (5) Koy Buesgens, NC State
- (6) Caleb Tyus, SIUE
- (7) Ethan Stiles, Ohio State
- (8) Casey Swiderski, Oklahoma State
157 lbs
- (1) PJ Duke, Penn State
- (2) Antrell Taylor, Nebraska
- (3) Meyer Shapiro, Cornell
- (4) Kaleb Larkin, Arizona State
- (5) Landon Robideau, Oklahoma State
- (6) Jude Swisher, Penn
- (7) Kannon Webster, Illinois
- (8) Brandon Cannon, Ohio State
165 lbs
- (1) Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State
- (2) Joey Blaze, Purdue
- (3) Mikey Caliendo, Iowa
- (4) Nicco Ruiz, Arizona State
- (5) LaDarion Lockett, Oklahoma State
- (6) LJ Araujo, Nebraska
- (7) Max Brignola, Lehigh
- (8) Matty Bianchi, Little Rock
174 lbs
- (1) Levi Haines, Penn State
- (2) Simon Ruiz, Cornell
- (3) Christopher Minto, Nebraska
- (4) Carson Kharchla, Ohio State
- (5) Patrick Kennedy, Iowa
- (6) Matty Singleton, NC State
- (7) Cam Steed, Missouri
- (8) Alex Facundo, Oklahoma State
184 lbs
- (1) Rocco Welsh, Penn State
- (2) Aeoden Sinclair, Missouri
- (3) Max McEnelly, Minnesota
- (4) James Conway, Franklin & Marshall
- (5) Brock Mantanona, Michigan
- (6) Eddie Neitenbach, Wyoming
- (7) Angelo Ferrari, Iowa
- (8) Silas Allred, Nebraska
197 lbs
- (1) Josh Barr, Penn State
- (2) Rocky Elam, Iowa State
- (3) Stephen Little, Little Rock
- (4) Sonny Sasso, Virginia Tech
- (5) Joey Novak, Wyoming
- (6) Justin Rademacher, Oregon State
- (7) Cody Merrill, Oklahoma State
- (8) DJ Parker, Oklahoma
285 lbs
- (1) Yonger Bastida, Iowa State
- (2) Isaac Trumble, NC State
- (3) Taye Ghadiali, Michigan
- (4) AJ Ferrari, Nebraska
- (5) Nick Feldman, Ohio State
- (6) Nathan Taylor, Lehigh
- (7) Konner Doucet, Oklahoma State
- (8) Ben Kueter, Iowa
FloWrestling College Wrestling Team Rankings
- Penn State (Points: 164, Prev Rank: 1)
- OK State (Points: 95.5, Prev Rank: 3)
- Ohio State (Points: 94, Prev Rank: 2)
- Nebraska (Points: 76.5, Prev Rank: 5)
- Iowa State (Points: 68.5, Prev Rank: 4)
- Iowa (Points: 66.5, Prev Rank: 6)
- Virginia Tech (Points: 53.5, Prev Rank: 9)
- Cornell (Points: 52, Prev Rank: 7)
- NC State (Points: 48, Prev Rank: 8)
- Arizona State (Points: 41, Prev Rank: 14)
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Fans can follow every bout with pro-grade brackets, mat schedules, team rosters and detailed wrestler profiles—all seamlessly integrated within FloWrestling.
This move delivers a faster, smarter and more connected experience for the wrestling community. Through the updated FloSports app, users can track live results, explore brackets and even sign up for free alerts so they never miss a match.
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