Maryland wrestling’s current campaign is arguably its most successful since joining the Big Ten. The Terps finished the regular season with a 9-10 record and 3-5 mark in conference play —  their best Big Ten record since joining the conference. 

With the postseason approaching, another first is attainable — Maryland could send more than five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships for the first time under coach Alex Clemsen. 

Here’s where Maryland stands at the different weight classes heading into postseason play.

133 pounds

In his first full season at 133 pounds, No. 5 Braxton Brown recorded a 20-2 record in the regular season with six ranked wins. The redshirt junior grabbed a win over last year’s Big Ten Champion and All-American in Rutgers’ Dylan Shawver earlier this month.

“I’m more just kind of trusting the process,” Brown said after beating Shawver. “Clemsen has a set practice for me to do … I just trusted him and trusted the process.”

Brown projects as a top-three seed at the Big Ten Championships. A strong showing would give him a more favorable draw at the NCAAs. 

141 pounds

In his first year as a starter, Dario Lemus was streaky. After a 5-0 start, the redshirt freshman lost his next eight, then won two before going on a five-match losing streak. 

Lemus projects as the 12 seed at Big Tens. His current resume isn’t enough for an at-large bid to the NCAAs, so a top-seven finish at the conference championships is the path to Philadelphia as the conference gets seven automatic bids at the weight. 

[Amid redshirt season, Dominic Solis grows to enjoy his new role with Maryland wrestling]

149 pounds

Junior Kal Miller projects to be seeded in the 7-9 range at the Big Tens, and the top eight finishers at the weight get an automatic NCAA qualification.  Miller holds a 19-8 record with three ranked wins.

A couple wins at the Big Ten Championships should get him an automatic bid to his third NCAAs in three years, but if not, he’d be firmly in contention to pick up one of the at-large bids. 

157 pounds

Ethen Miller went from a top-15 wrestler at 149 pounds last year to a top-five competitor one weight class above, finishing with a 20-0 record. It was the best regular season for a Terp since the 2013-14 season.

Miller’s chances to win his weight class at the Big Tens appear the highest out of all Maryland wrestlers. If he claims the title, he’d be Maryland’s first conference champion under Clemsen,  and potentially the top seed going into the NCAAs. 

174 pounds

Freshman Branson John rose in the big moments this season. He’s beaten three ranked opponents, including an upset over Michigan’s then-No. 25 Joseph Walker in Maryland’s dual victory. 

His performance at the Big Ten Championships determines how much he wrestles in March. Despite holding impressive wins, John’s 11-14 record makes an at-large bid unlikely, meaning that he’ll need a top-eight finish to qualify for the NCAAs. 

[Maryland wrestling tops Drexel in regular season finale, 23-13]

184 pounds

No one on Maryland’s roster has been closer to All-American status than Jaxon Smith — the redshirt junior was one win away from doing so at 197 pounds in 2023. Two years later, Smith will try at a different weight — 184 pounds. 

Smith competed against seven wrestlers currently in the top-15 this year. Despite going 3-4 in those matches, Smith was able to find some success in each one, except against Penn State’s four-time National Champion Carter Starocci, who won by technical fall. 

“I’ve never been beat that bad in my life,” Smith said. “Next time I plan on seeing him again, [the goal is] to not get overwhelmed and don’t get over pressured.”

197 pounds

At this weight, Maryland will likely send out Chase Mielnik, who has one win in conference play. The redshirt senior made a run at last year’s Big Ten Championships, winning three straight matches in the ninth place bracket. He’ll need a similar performance this season to qualify. 

285 pounds

If Seth Nevills’ regular season is any indication of the playoffs, his March will be defined by single takedowns. The No. 12 heavyweight finished his final season with a 16-4 record and multiple ranked wins, but three of his losses came in similar fashion — close matches where his top-15 opponents won with late takedowns. 

Being an aggressor late will be key in the graduate student’s hunt for an All-American spot. 

125-pounder Tyler Garvin and 165-pounder Alex Uryniak will also start for the Terps in the postseason. Both freshmen struggled in the regular season — finishing 4-17 and 2-13 respectively — and would need the autobids at their respective weight classes to advance to the NCAAs.