UNC denied wrestler AJ Ferrari admission. His new coach blames Jordon Hudson
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- UNC denied AJ Ferrari admission due to legal history and PR concerns.
- Coach Mark Manning suggested Jordon Hudson influenced the decision, despite denials.
- Ferrari joined Nebraska after brief UNC commitment and continued competitive success.
North Carolina’s athletics department dodged the full impact of another potential public relations issue when the university denied admission to talented but troubled wrestler AJ Ferrari in May.
One prominent college wrestling coach partially blamed UNC football coach Bill Belichick’s 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, for the school’s decision.
Others close to the program and with knowledge of the situation denied those claims, while adding that concerns about his legal history and additional negativity it could create for the university did play into the decision.
“We do not comment on admissions decisions,” Robbi Pickeral Evans, senior associate athletic director for external affairs and strategic communication, told the News & Observer when reached for comment on the situation.
Ferrari committed to UNC at the beginning of April. On May 29, reports surfaced on social media saying Ferrari was denied admission to the university.
Ferrari has since joined Nebraska’s wrestling team.
Cornhuskers wrestling coach Mark Manning discussed the UNC situation while a guest on the Hurrdat Sports podcast last week.
“They didn’t let him in admission-wise for various reasons, and Bill Belichick’s girlfriend had something to do with that,” Manning said.
“Coach, I think some people think you’re joking,” said podcast co-host Damon Benning.
“No, it’s very serious,” Manning said. “One of the elements along with the men’s basketball player that had a sexual assault [report come out] the week before. A lot of drama, I think, for that chancellor.”
Manning referred to Hudson’s public involvement with Belichick and the News & Observer report that Zayden High was suspended last fall for violating school policy on sexual exploitation. High has reportedly petitioned for a return to activities.
Manning also said Ferrari was “already there training some,” referring to Chapel Hill, although there’s been no confirmation Ferrari worked with the team.
After Ferrari’s enrollment was denied, Manning said UNC head coach Rob Koll called and convinced the longtime Cornhuskers coach to recruit the wrestler.
In an interview to discuss his commitment to Nebraska, however, Ferrari framed the departure as a mutual decision.
“We decided to part ways; nothing but respect to coach Rob Koll and all the coaches there,” he said.
Hudson is not the first person outside of UNC wrestling to catch blame for the school’s decision. Madison Soltys, the former partner of a Carolina wrestling alum and former Hillsborough police officer, criticized the university and Ferrari in an interview following his commitment.
Soltys received backlash from people in the online wrestling community and shared a public letter defending her statements, saying she was glad the university revoked Ferrari’s offer.
“If I am the sole reason that AJ Ferrari, an accused sexual offender, is not on UNC’s campus, then I am happy about it,” Soltys wrote days after the news broke. “However, if you want me to answer more honestly, I’d say that probably took a bit more than a few quotes from little ole me to do anything. I just shared my opinion regarding AJ Ferrari’s alleged past behavior. I’m responsible for the words out of my mouth, not anyone else.”
Ferrari’s legal, behavioral troubles
Ferrari was the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2020, but his career has been marked more by controversy than his competitive success.
The 23-year-old began his career at Oklahoma State, a program with 34 national team championships and 145 individual titles. Ferrari contributed to those numbers in 2021 by becoming the third true freshman in program history to win an individual title. Off-mat issues, however, ended his Cowboy career early.
Ferrari was the driver at fault in a 2022 crash that left him and his passenger injured. He passed three cars in a no-passing zone and struck another vehicle head-on, causing Ferrari’s vehicle to overturn and catch fire. He did not compete that season due to the injuries he sustained in the crash.
On July 5, 2022, an Oklahoma judge issued an emergency protective order against Ferrari due to claims of sexual assault. Ferrari was dismissed from the Oklahoma State wrestling team in the following days.
Ferrari was arrested and charged on Aug. 3, 2022, with sexual battery, a felony that carries a punishment up to 10 years in prison. He was released the following day after making the $25,000 bond, according to Oklahoma court records.
The victim requested the case be dismissed in October 2023, citing ongoing harassment.
While taking two consecutive redshirt seasons, from 2022-24, Ferrari competed in and was disqualified from the Soldier Salute tournament in December 2023 after engaging in a fight with an opponent and making an explicit hand gesture toward the crowd. He has been criticized in the past for trash talking, shoving opponents and obscene language.
A two-time All-American, Ferrari initially planned to transfer to Iowa before opting to wrestle last season at California State-Bakersfield, where he went 21-1 and placed third in the 2025 NCAA Championships.
This story was originally published July 3, 2025 at 5:19 PM with the headline "UNC denied wrestler AJ Ferrari admission. His new coach blames Jordon Hudson."
