After Maryland wrestling won a program-record two Big Ten duals last season and returned most of its starters, the Terps’ lineup was expected to stay mostly the same.

But Maryland made big changes, moving four starters — including three who qualified for the NCAA championships last season — to different weight classes.

Kal Miller, Ethen Miller, Jaxon Smith and Chase Mielnik are all off to impressive starts in their new weight classes. The Millers and Smith are undefeated, while Mielnik is 3-1 in his last four after an 0-2 opening weekend.

Maryland’s coaching staff planned to move junior Kal Miller up in weight since the end of last season. In April, coach Alex Clemsen announced that redshirt freshman Dario Lemus would be the starter at 141 for the 2024-25 campaign while Kal Miller would redshirt.

Those plans changed — Kal Miller was listed at 157 in late August, but nothing was definite at that point. Clemsen said determining what to do with him in the upcoming season was the big question at the middle weights for the Terps.

[Maryland wrestling’s John Martin Best, Chase Mielnik have been successful in earned roles]

The coaching staff decided that Kal Miller would compete at 149 pounds, while his older brother would move up to 157. Ethen Miller, a redshirt junior, gained 13.5 pounds of lean muscle from last March to this September, moving him from a large 149-pounder to a comfortable 157-pounder.

The moves have paid off early. The two are a combined 9-0, with Ethen Miller already notching two ranked wins. Both wrestlers have said they feel more comfortable at their new weights.

“The weight cut’s not hard at all,” Ethen Miller said following Maryland’s win against American. “I got up there this year in the summer, up to about 168-170, so now from the last couple of matches, my weight’s starting to come down.”

Smith and Mielnik’s decisions to swap weight classes made sense for both wrestlers. Smith said he walked around at about 190 pounds last season despite competing at 197, while Mielnik would walk around at about 194 and cut down to his weight class of 184.

[Maryland wrestling dismantles American with shutout in complete showing]

Mielnik, a redshirt senior, now walks around in the 205-206 pound range before cutting down to 197 — a smaller weight cut than last season. Smith, a redshirt junior, said he doesn’t have to manage his weight too much outside of the last few days before weighing in, despite being in a lighter class of 184.

Both wrestlers think their skillset benefits their new weight classes.

“Having heavy hands and being stronger feels a lot better at a bigger weight class, whereas before, the guys who have a lot faster feet would kind of be in a more advantageous position there,” Mielnik said. “I feel like I’m in a much better position. My hand fighting feels a lot more comfortable.”

Smith thinks that his speed, counter offense and style — traits that made him one of the top 197-pounders in the country last season — play well at 184.

“I feel more comfortable on my feet, and especially now being a little bigger at 184, I feel stronger,” Smith said. “I control the matches a lot better.”

Following last year’s NCAA championships, Clemsen said that the marriage between coaches and players depends on the staff developing and implementing a plan and the players buying in and executing it.

Both things are happening for the Terps in new weight classes — and the results are showing.