STILLWATER, Okla. -- A.J. Ferrari, the NCAA wrestling champion with Oklahoma State who suffered season-ending head and leg injuries in a vehicle collision this past season, is no longer with the program.
The school announced his departure Wednesday, did not provide details.
The Stillwater Police Department on Wednesday issued a release saying Ferrari has been identified as a suspect in an active sexual assault investigation, but no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed. Court records in Payne County, Oklahoma, where Oklahoma State is located, show that a judge granted a woman a protective order against Ferrari last week.
Ferrari was the 2021 NCAA champion in the 197-pound weight class.
In January, Ferrari and Oklahoma State runner Isai Rodriguez were returning to Stillwater following an appearance at a youth wrestling practice in nearby Cushing. Ferrari tried to pass three cars while cresting a hill in a no-passing zone, according to the state patrol, and his 2019 Dodge Durango collided with another vehicle, left the road, rolled and landed in a ditch.
Ferrari has signed a name, image and likeness deal with World Wrestling Entertainment as part of its "Next In Line" program.
He won the 2018 Junior Folkstyle National Championship and earned a bronze medal representing the United States at the 2018 Cadet Freestyle World Championships. He was U.S. Junior National Champion in 2020.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.