When Terrapins 141-pound wrestler Alfred Bannister stepped onto the campus in the fall, he was unsure where he stood on the team’s depth chart.

Though the La Plata native was a decorated high school wrestler at nearby Bishop McNamara — he finished his career as a four-time state champion with a state-record 272 wins — he had to beat out Shyheim Brown and Frank Goodwin, both former NCAA qualifiers at 141 pounds, without collegiate wrestling experience.

Before the Terrapin Duals on Nov. 2, coach Kerry McCoy settled on Brown, who sits second on the team in dual-meet wins with eight, as the starter and sent Bannister to wrestle in open competition as a redshirt.

“We have two solid options there,” McCoy said about his wrestlers at 141 pounds. “So it made the most sense for us to have Baby J sit this year and then be ready to come back and have four straight years of competition.”

In his redshirt year, Bannister has put together a stellar freshman campaign, compiling a 31-4 record while taking home three open tournament titles. And though Bannister won’t see the mat when the Terps travel to take on No. 14 Illinois tonight, he appears ready to help his team navigate through the grueling Big Ten schedule in the future.

“It’s the next biggest thing to the NCAAs,” Bannister said of Big Ten wrestling. “Normally whoever is in the finals in the Big Ten, you can catch them in the finals of the NCAAs. It’s a great opportunity for me, and I can’t wait to compete in it.”

Despite being a top-40 recruit according to D1 College Wrestling, Bannister has embraced his redshirt season. Instead of wrestling one match every dual, open tournaments allow wrestlers to compete in several matches, something Bannister said has helped his endurance and conditioning.

In addition, he gives credit to his 141-pound teammates, whom he grapples with in practice, for his success.

“Shyheim Brown and Frank Goodwin are some of the best in the country,” Bannister said. “I have some of the best practice partners that could be offered.”

Brown, who will likely represent the Terps (5-11, 0-5) at 141 pounds against the Fighting Illini (9-4, 3-3), also had success in open competition in his first season in College Park. He went 32-9 that year, finishing second in wins behind former 184-pound and two-time All-American Jimmy Sheptock.

Brown said battling Bannister in practice has helped him prepare for tight matches.

Citing his strength and quickness, Brown said Bannister is tough to score on, which is something Brown has struggled with so far this season. In his eight losses, the redshirt sophomore scored 19 points.

“You find yourself in the same situation in the third period,” Brown said. “If you’re able to take down guys in the room, then you’ll have that confidence going into the match because usually you’re not going to be as tired as you are in practice.”

While Brown has been a mainstay as the Terps’ 141-pound starter for the past two seasons, he said expects to move to 149 pounds with Bannister sliding into his current spot next season.

Bannister still has work to do this season though, as he plans to compete in the Messiah Open on Feb. 7 before grappling at the National Collegiate Open on March 2.

As Bannister looks to finish the season strong, McCoy’s squad hopes to do the same, starting with tonight’s dual with Illinois. But however the rest of the year shakes out, the veteran coach believes Bannister will be a valuable to the Terps going forward.

“I think he’s going to win a couple of national championships and be a multiple All-American,” McCoy said. “That’s what the plan is.”