He’s not a Hawkeye yet, but signs point to AJ Ferrari wrestling for the University of Iowa. Ferrari made a social media post indicating an official visit with Iowa, and now he’s registered unattached at 197 pounds for the Soldier Salute in Coralville, Iowa, at Xtream Arena on December 29-30.

The former Oklahoma State star won the 2021 NCAA Championships at 197 pounds as a true freshman before suffering season-ending injuries from a car wreck on January 24, 2022, during his sophomore campaign with the Cowboys. The Allen, Texas, native entered the transfer portal on July 20, 2022, and has not competed in a college match since a 12-2 win over Lehigh’s JT Davis on January 23, 2022. 

Ferrari’s career college record is 29-1. His lone setback was a 3-2 loss to West Virginia’s Noah Adams on February 14, 2021.

Speculation is that AJ will compete for the Hawkeyes. His brothers, Anthony and Angelo, signed with the Iowa — and the expectation is that their older brother will, too. Anthony is registered unattached at 149 pounds.

AJ’s best competition in the bracket is Iowa’s Zach Glazier,  and Minnesota’s Garrett Joles and Gavin Nelson.

Schedule (all times Central Standard)
Friday, December 29
Session 1 – 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM  
Session 2 – 3:30 PM – 8:30 PM  

Saturday, December 30, 2023
Session 3 – 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM  
Session 4 – 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM

141 Pounds Is The Weight To Watch

Iowa’s Real Woods will earn his #1 ranking at this year’s Soldier Salute. No. 5 Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina), #8 Clay Carlson (South Dakota State), #13 Josh Koderhandt (Navy), #29 Kai Owen (Columbia), and #31 Vance Vombaur (Minnesota) are registered. 

A potential showdown between Woods and McNeil would be the match of the tournament — if it happens. McNeil recently took the first step to becoming a 2024 Olympian. The Tar Heel star won the Canadian Olympic Trials at 65 kg (143 pounds) with 7-2 and 10-0 wins over Mike Asselstine in the best-of-three series. 

McNeil will represent Canada at the 2024 Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier in Acapulco, Mexico, on February 29-March 2 for the right to participate in the Olympics. The Toronto native will have one more opportunity after that if he doesn't place in the top two in Acapulco. 

Drake Ayala vs Patrick McKee, Part 5? 

Iowa’s Drake Ayala (#17) and Minnesota’s Patrick McKee (#19) have quite a history after the two met four times during the 2021-22 season. McKee won 8-4, 6-5, 8-6, and 5-2 at the UNI Open, Southern Scuffle, Iowa-Minnesota dual, and Big Ten Championships, respectively. Ayala entered the line-up as a true freshman when Spencer Lee was out for the season due to an injury.

McKee placed third at the 2021 NCAA Championships and fifth in 2022 — but didn’t place in 2023. Both have one loss on the season and should be seeded on the same side of the bracket. 

Wyoming’s #7 Jore Volk enters as the favorite and will likely face the winner of a semifinal match between Ayala and McKee. North Carolina’s #26 Spencer Moore will also be a factor.

De Facto Wrestle-offs

Iowa has five wrestlers entered at 133: Jace Rhodes, Kale Petersen, Jesse Ybarra, Brody Teske, and Cullan Schriever. Teske is ranked #11, but we’ll see if he stands out against his teammates. 

Iowa’s Victor Voinovich, Caleb Rathjen, Joel Jesuroga, Cade Siebrecht, and Anthony Ferrari (unattached) are entered at 149, as are Michael Caliendo and Patrick Kennedy at 165. These matchups and results could determine Iowa’s starters for the second semester. 

174 Pounds Could Be Interesting

Tyler Eischens (North Carolina), Bubba Wilson (Nebraska), Gabe Arnold (Iowa),  and Shawn Harman (Missouri) have a chance to build their resumes at Soldier Salute. Arnold notched an important win for Iowa at 184 pounds during the Iowa State dual when he knocked off returning All-American Will Feldkamp. This is his first competition back at his natural weight. 

Iowa vs Iowa State

Iowa’s Jared Franek and Iowa’s State Paniro Johnson could square off at 157 pounds. Franek defeated Cody Chittum, 4-2, during the dual, but this is an intriguing match-up after Johnson's freshman campaign at 149 that included a handful of signature wins. 

#1 vs #1

The top-ranked women’s NAIA program and the top-ranked women’s NCAA program are participating in this year’s tournament.

Life University will bring a full team from Marietta, Georgia, to participate in the Soldier Salute on December 29-30, then stay through the week for the NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on January 5-6. 

Top-ranked Iowa has several entrants, but several starters are absent. Bella Mir is expected to make her Hawkeye debut at 155 pounds, while Reese Larremendy and Ella Schmit will continue their battle for the 143-pound spot. 

This is also the expected college debut of former high school star Janida Garcia of Tiffin. The favorite, though, is returning NAIA finalist Latifah McBryde of Life. This will be a weight class to watch during the women’s freestyle tournament.