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Top 2024 wrestling recruit includes Iowa Hawkeyes among final 3, sets commitment date

Josh Helmer
·3 min read
2

The top recruit in the 2024 wrestling class has the Iowa Hawkeyes squarely on his radar.

Angelo Ferrari announced that Iowa joins Virginia Tech and Rutgers as his three finalists. His commitment will take place live on FloWrestling.com and on FloWrestling’s social channels on May 31 at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Ferrari visited Blacksburg, Virginia, in April, but it was Iowa that got his final official visit. He spoke with FloWrestling’s David Bray to discuss his recruitment and what he likes about the Hawkeyes.

“It’s like going to see Alabama football. (They have) such a dynasty over there,” Ferrari said of Iowa.

It also made an impression on Ferrari that he was a recognizable figure in Iowa City on his official visit.

“Walking around campus, everybody knows you. It’s amazing. Wrestling is part of the culture in Iowa,” Ferrari said.

Bray also wrote this about why Angelo Ferrari has Iowa in his top three.

Tom Brands is a key figure in Hawkeye lore, and Ferrari appreciated meeting Iowa’s head coach in person. Angelo has looked up to Brands since seeing his intense approach to wrestling in the intro of ESPN’s “The Season” series with the Iowa Wrestling program. Ferrari was further impressed with the Head Coach in person, but the intensity surrounding the Hawkeye program wasn’t the only differentiator. He was struck by Iowa’s medical staff and emphasis on recovery after training as well.

Iowa was also the only campus Angelo visited with his brother Anthony who committed to the Hawks in March. While Angelo emphasized that his college commitment decision is an individual one, not a family decision, he does like the idea of competing alongside his older brother Anthony, and if NCAA champ AJ Ferrari gets back to college wrestling, Angelo would love having him as a teammate as well. – Bray, FloWrestling.

As Bray notes, one of Angelo’s two older brothers committed to the Hawkeyes in March. Anthony Ferrari was rated as the No. 23 overall prospect in the 2022 senior class by MatScouts and originally committed to Oklahoma State where he was projected to wrestle at 157 or 165 pounds.

Ferrari never officially enrolled or joined the Cowboy program. The Stillwater News Press reported in August that two misdemeanor assault and battery charges had been filed against Anthony Ferrari. Anthony Ferrari was given a one-year deferred sentence on Tuesday, April 11.

The oldest brother in the family, A.J. Ferrari, is also a standout wrestler. He burst onto the collegiate wrestling scene as a true freshman when he won an NCAA title with a 4-2 decision over Nino Bonaccorsi at 197 pounds. A.J. Ferrari was 10-0 the following season before injuries sustained in an automobile accident in January of 2022 sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

Then, in July of 2022, A.J. was dismissed from the Oklahoma State wrestling program after prosecutors filed a sexual battery charge. According to online documents, A.J. Ferrari’s pretrial is set for July 18 and his jury trial is set for Sept. 26.

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Story originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire