The Terps did just that in their first two duals of the season, notching bonus points in eight of a possible 20 bouts as Maryland cruised past Gardner-Webb, 27-13, and The Citadel, 24-9, in Charleston, South Carolina.

Jaxon Smith secures bonus points in both contests

In No. 5 Jaxon Smith’s return to competition last weekend, the 184-pounder cruised to commanding victories in two of his three contests, notching wins by technical fall and major decision.

Saturday offered similar resistance, as Smith’s first bout against Gardner-Webb’s Hadyn Danals lasted all of 33 seconds.

[Inside Branson John’s offseason regimen for Maryland wrestling]

After tallying a takedown roughly 13 seconds in, Smith put both arms around the waist of Danals and drove his back into the mat. Smith finalized the pin just 14 seconds later, marking his shortest bout this season.

The pin marked one of five bouts in which the Terps secured bonus points against the Runnin’ Bulldogs.

Smith’s second bout lasted the full seven minutes, but the score was not much closer. Smith remained aggressive in the opening period, tallying nearly half of his total points on a takedown and a near fall within the first 100 seconds.

He notched three more takedowns throughout the remainder of the match, resulting in an 18-4 win by major decision against The Citadel’s Brodie Porter.

125-pound struggles following strong start

Coach Alex Clemsen said Tuesday that both Tyler Garvin and Abram Cline would get an opportunity to wrestle in Maryland’s first two duals.

The two sophomores combined for a 13-2 record in the two prior tournaments. But Saturday’s bouts resembled more of what Maryland saw last season.

[Maryland wrestling notches three top finishes at Journeymen Collegiate Classic]

Garvin got the nod in Maryland’s (2-0) opening dual against Gardner-Webb (3-2) and was aggressive in the first period, taking two leg shots within the first 60 seconds. Garvin got nothing from either shot and struggled the remainder of the bout. Senior Tyson Lane took the opening round, 6-0.

Cline’s second bout differed in style, but yielded the same result. He took a more conservative approach, picking up a stalling warning early in the opening period against The Citadel’s (2-3) Gylon Sims and spending all but 30 seconds of the following period earning riding time.

With the score even at one heading into a sudden victory period, Cline had an opportunity to secure a win. But Sims tallied a takedown near the edge of the circle to cement a 4-1 victory.

Branson John stays undefeated

With two bouts remaining against Gardner-Webb, Maryland had an opportunity to clinch the dual without relying on its inexperienced heavyweight room.

The right player for that task stepped onto the mat: No. 16 Branson John.

The 197-pounder boasted a 7-0 record heading into Saturday, with three wins coming by major decision. The sophomore ended the match 46 seconds into the third period with a 19-0 win by technical fall. The two bonus points gave Maryland a 23-13 lead and ensured no chance of victory for Gardner-Webb in the final round.

John’s second bout carried the same result. The California native scored a majority of his points late in the third period, securing a win by major decision. The victory gave Maryland a 17-9 team score, making the final bout a moot point in the final outcome.

With senior Kal Miller electing to redshirt this season, the Terps need contributions from players other than No. 5 184-pounder Jaxon Smith and No. 10 133-pounder Braxton Brown.

No. 16 Branson John has shown promising signs he can do more than just contribute at 197 pounds. The sophomore sports a 7-0 record — three against opponents inside Flowrestling’s top 26 at the weight.

“I think he’s doing a good job of getting to his positions,” coach Alex Clemsen said. “He’s being very purposeful [and] he’s making sure that the action goes in the direction he wants it to.”

John was recruited to College Park as a 184-pounder, but moved down a weight class when Smith decided to drop to the 184-pound class. John began his freshman year at about 200 pounds and was forced to shed close to 26 pounds to make the 174-pound weight group. The cut took a toll on him.

[Maryland wrestling notches three top finishes at Journeymen Collegiate Classic]

“You think about it  24/7,” John said. “You wake up in the morning, check your weight, think about what you can put in, how much you can drink throughout the day.”

John added that he felt physically weaker and more sluggish. It showed on the mat during an inconsistent freshman campaign. John posted a 14-19 record, but finished strong, placing sixth at the Big Ten tournament and qualifying for the NCAA tournament.

John’s plan heading into the offseason was to redshirt the next season and take Smith’s position after he graduated, until his body “took off.”

John said he didn’t do anything differently in the summer, but entered his second season with more muscle.

The added weight and John telling the coaching staff he didn’t want to redshirt led Maryland to move him up two weight classes. Clemsen had dealt with an offseason physical change two seasons ago, when Brown jumped from the 125-pound to the 133-pound class.

After hearing he would wrestle at 197 pounds, John changed his diet. He began to consume more protein, drink a gallon of water everyday and use creatine daily.

When John made his debut at the 197-pound class in Maryland’s Red vs Black scrimmage, he shone, but was visibly tired in the final period.

John acknowledged that his stamina needed work after the scrimmage, and made an effort to improve it in the week before the season opener.

The sophomore ran for two miles on the treadmill twice a week and used the ski machine after practice.

[Oscar Williams made a case for a starting spot with Maryland wrestling]

“It kind of replicates like a snap down, in a way,” John said about the ski machine. “Just moving your full body and being able to do that for five minutes at a time, I feel like it helps my gas tank.”

The adjustments have yielded significant results for John, enabling him to maintain his aggressive play style while still having energy in later periods. One of the best examples came in John’s bout against Navy’s No. 17 Payton Thomas in the Journeyman Collegiate Classic.

After a reset to neutral position with 36 seconds left in sudden victory, John quickly walked back to the center of the mat as his opponent slowly got up to meet him. Six seconds later, John gained inside positioning and pulled Thomas to the ground, securing the winning takedown.

The win was John’s third against a ranked opponent this season and has contributed to his consistent rise.

“He’s doing a great job of staying on top of guys and making them carry his weight and making them work really hard to get up and get off the mat,” Clemsen said. “If you can be committed to really holding somebody down on top, he can change a match, and he’s doing a good job of doing that right now.”

The sophomore cruised through the competition despite jumping two weight classes, winning all of his bouts by at least seven points.

While John didn’t achieve the same level of success on Sunday, he claimed a second consecutive first-place finish at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It improved his season record to 7-0 and was one of three top finishes for the Terps.

Branson John continues torrid start

At the Southeast Open on Nov. 2, John was impossible to miss. The new 197-pounder not only flashed lopsided wins, but toppled two ranked opponents — one via major decision.

His performance launched him to No. 22 on Flowrestling’s 197-pound rankings. He continued his strong play Sunday.

John secured his first bout by major decision, but faced his toughest opponent in the early season in the following round robin round — Navy’s No. 17 Payton Thomas. John accrued most of his points in his prior five bouts by taking advantage of early opportunities to secure takedowns and put his opponents in a quick and early deficit.

He employed a similar strategy against Thomas, but struggled to notch takedowns. Despite multiple body slams to the mat, Thomas continuously kept his hips up to prevent his lower half from falling to the ground. The result left John frustrated as he trailed to begin the third period for the first time all season.

An early escape point and a riding time point from John forced a sudden victory, where John found similar frustration in securing a takedown. From the sidelines, coach Alex Clemsen encouraged John to “stick with it.”

[Oscar Williams made a case for a starting spot with Maryland wrestling]

John did that — recording a bout-winning takedown with 28 seconds remaining, which improved him to 3-0 against ranked opponents this season.

Jaxon Smith begins season with championship

Last weekend the Terps were without No. 5 184-pounder Jaxon Smith due to his participation the night prior at the NWCA All-Star Classic.

The redshirt senior struggled in that bout as No. 7 Zack Ryder used his strength and explosiveness to overpower Smith at certain points.

But Smith looked more like his All-American self from the season, cruising through two round robin contests via major decision.

Smith saw much steeper competition in the finals. Instead of unranked opponents, Smith faced No. 16 James Conway from Franklin and Marshall.

[Maryland wrestling’s Branson John, Braxton Brown shine at Southeast Open]

Smith’s difference in approach was noticeable. Instead of using early period take downs to build a sizable lead, he used the first period to feel out Conway. Smith attacked in the subsequent periods, notching a late-period takedown in both the second and third periods to claim a 7-4 win.

Maryland sees improved play from 157-pound class

Sophomore Mekhi Neal was the other Maryland first-place finisher Sunday.

The Terps entered the season with a gaping hole at the weight class with the transfer of three-time NCAA Qualifier Ethen Miller to Virginia Tech.

Maryland only started freshman Garrett Reece at the position at the Southeast Open. Reece struggled in the freshman/sophomore division, dropping his two contests.

The Terps elected to start Neal on Sunday, who Clemsen hinted may start in duals for the Terps in the preseason.

The sophomore provided immediate results for the Terps, winning his first bout by technical fall in just 85 seconds. Neal’s bout didn’t prove to be much more difficult than his first, winning his second contest by an 11-5 decision and holding an 11-4 lead until a takedown in the final seconds of the third period against Navy’s Charlie Evans to solidify a first-place finish.

The position was a strength last season. Seth Nevills placed seventh in the Big Ten playoffs but then graduated. The Terps brought in North Carolina State transfer Chase Horne, but he’s now injured.

The Terps are left with three heavyweight wrestlers and little experience, but Oscar Williams took steps toward seizing the open position.

The redshirt freshman was noticeable, finishing as the runner-up in the freshman and sophomore division.

“Probably just about every one of his wins, to be honest, there was something that he did great,” coach Alex Clemsen said. “The first two rounds, he rolled tech fall and a pin and in semis, in his quarterfinals, he did pretty darn well. So I just thought all weekend he wrestled well.”

[Maryland wrestling’s Branson John, Braxton Brown shine at Southeast Open]

Last season, the start of tournaments was a struggle for Williams. He frequently lost his first bout and spent the remainder of the tournament in the consolation bracket. The 2025 season opener was different — Williams dominated his first match and won by technical fall in the first period.

In Williams’ next bout against freshman Anthony Brown of Presbyterian, he immediately spotted Brown was undersized.

Williams used the advantage and started the match aggressively. Williams quickly looked for a takedown, ducking under the hand fighting to grab his leg and driving Brown to the ground for an early three points.

“As soon as I got to that take down, I took him down straight to his back,” Williams said. “So I felt pretty confident that I was like, ‘I could probably end this pretty early and pin him somehow.”

When Brown attempted to get up, he used a snap single-leg technique to drive Brown flat on his back, securing a pin and ending the match in 34 seconds.

Williams tallied a total wrestling time of almost three minutes out of a possible 14 minutes through the first two rounds. By the semifinals round against Franklin & Marshall sophomore Brody Kline, it was clear to Williams that his quick wins provided an advantage.

[After a decade of progress, Maryland wrestling tests its Big Ten staying power]

“In the third period, I was definitely starting to wear on him in the hand fight and move him a little bit more,” Williams said. “Eventually, I knew that I would either get a snap down, go behind, or he would take a bad shot, and he ended up just taking a bad shot.”

The 5-0 semifinals victory sent Williams to the championship round, where he lost to North Carolina freshman Jacob Levy.

Despite the runner-up finish, Clemsen said he needed to see more from the entire heavyweight group, as neither Williams nor redshirt sophomore Joey Schneck did enough to sway his choice at starter.

“Oscar just needs to be more consistent,” Clemsen said. “His skill level is high … He just hasn’t quite translated it yet to college wrestling, to Division I wrestling, at the highest level, and I know it’s in there.”

Sophomore Branson John dominated through the 197-pound open bracket, going undefeated and winning three of his four bouts by major decision. John placed first in his division and was one of seven Terps who finished inside the top five of their weight class.

Branson John cruises to championship

John moved up two weight classes to start the season. He spent all of last year at the 174-pound class and started Maryland’s Red vs. Black scrimmage at 197 pounds.

The sophomore flashed in the scrimmage with his aggressive style, winning 16-9. But by the third period, John was noticeably tired. His shoulders sagged, and he put his hands on his hips during time stoppages.

John acknowledged afterward that his conditioning needed to improve, and it did on Sunday. John continued his aggressive style, claiming at least three takedowns in every bout.

[After a decade of progress, Maryland wrestling tests its Big Ten staying power]

“You don’t score on the shots you don’t take. So just keep creating offense,” John said on Oct. 23. “The more shots you take, the more you set yourself up to win.”

John’s early aggression allowed him to build up big leads and use the third period to conserve stamina. By his final match, the difference in energy was obvious.

While West Virginia redshirt freshman Rune Lawrence had his hands on his hips and took heavy breaths, John continued to stay aggressive. He notched three takedowns in the first two periods and finished the bout with a 10-point margin of victory.

Braxton Brown places second

Jaxon Smith, the Terps’ 184-pounder, did not compete in Sunday’s tournament due to his participation in the NWCA All-Star Classic on Saturday Night in New Jersey. That left No. 8 Brown as the most experienced wrestler, and it showed in his first two bouts.

Brown played cautiously but strategically. The redshirt senior used the first two periods as a feeling-out process before pulling ahead in the third. In both bouts, Brown held a lead no larger than a point before scoring in the game’s final minute to advance to the next round.

His next two rounds were the complete opposite. While Brown jumped out to a big lead in the semifinals, No. 30 Dillon Campbell did the same in the finals.

[Fans growing restless as Maryland football drops fourth straight, 55-10 to No. 2 Indiana]

The Virginia Tech redshirt freshman claimed three takedowns within the first two periods, forcing Brown to play more aggressively in the final period.

Despite the loss, Brown still placed second in the open bracket.

Maryland’s 125-pound class turns in strong outing

In the preseason and after Maryland’s Red vs. Black scrimmage, coach Alex Clemsen challenged the entire 125-pound class.

He stated that no one in the class secured a starting role last season and was visibly frustrated by its performance in Maryland’s intersquad scrimmage.

“All three of them, they’ve been on notice for a while,” Clemsen said after the scrimmage. “They’re going to stay on notice till somebody separates and wrestles to the level that should be the standard of our program.”

The group entered the Southeast open short-handed, as an injury to Presden Sanchez’s elbow in the Red vs. Black scrimmage left the Terps with just two wrestlers in the weight class.

But sophomores Abram Cline and Tyler Garvin performed well. The two combined to win seven of their nine bouts, and both placed within the top five of the 125-pound freshman/sophomore bracket.

The two played prudently, preventing their opponents from gaining leverage for takedowns and surrendering four points or fewer in all but one bout. Cline had an opportunity to claim the championship, but fell 3-0 to Campbell’s Colby Crouch. The redshirt freshman produced both of Maryland’s losses at the 125-pound group.

Regardless, the two top-five finishes are a promising sign for a group that struggled last season.

The program hit several benchmarks, including its first road win against a top-10 opponent since 2009 and first All-American honors since 2019.

But roster changes and an injured heavyweight competitor force Maryland to play a young, inexperienced team this season.

“It kind of depends on what we do with our lineup,” coach Alex Clemsen said on the program’s next steps. “We may strategically redshirt a couple of guys, which could make us really young next year.”

One of those players redshirting is three-time NCAA qualifier Kal Miller. Clemsen first mentioned a redshirt year to him at the end of last season, and the two decided in the preseason to follow through, Miller said.

Redshirting still allows him to compete in open tournaments, including Maryland’s season opener at the Southeast Open on Sunday.

[‘I just wanted to wrestle’: Chase Horne’s journey from N.C. State to College Park]

When dual competitions start, the Terps will need contributions from less-experienced wrestlers such as freshman Jackson Young, who secured a victory as a 149-pounder in Maryland’s Red vs. Black scrimmage.

“He’s getting a lot better, so I’m excited for him and everyone at that weight,” Miller said.

Miller’s brother — Ethen Miller — transferred to Virginia Tech in the offseason. The 157-pounder sported a 23-5 record with nine wins coming by major decision. Filling his spot will likely be Mekhi Neal, who flashed in Maryland’s annual Red vs Black scrimmage, defeating his opponent 17-1.

The Terps will also begin the season with a young heavyweight room. Maryland brought in junior Chase Horne from North Carolina State to fill the void of Seth Nevills, but the Georgia native was on crutches during the Red vs. Black scrimmage due to an injury.

Clemsen did not comment on the status of Horne’s injury or if he will compete in Maryland’s season opener.

The injury leaves Maryland’s heavyweight class with little experience. The remaining three players boast just 20 combined wins.

But Maryland’s roster still has proven winners returning this season.

Redshirt senior Jaxon Smith highlights the group with All-American honors last season— Maryland’s first since 2019.

Smith ranks fourth at the 184-pound class according to Flowrestling and his season will start a day before the rest of the Terps as he faces No. 7 Zack Ryder from Oklahoma State at the NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 1.

[Maryland wrestling continued its slow climb through the Big Ten]

Redshirt senior Braxton Brown should also be a key player for Maryland. The 133-pounder advanced to the top 16 at the NCAA Championships while sporting a team-best 18-1 dual record.

If Maryland wants to take the next step, it will need contributions from both its newcomers and weight classes that have previously struggled.

The 125-pound class has arguably been Maryland’s worst during its climb through the Big Ten. Last year, sophomores Abram Cline and Tyler Garvin posted a combined record of 18-34.

“Our 125-pounders need to do more wrestling,” Clemsen said. “They need to try more moves. They need to be more offensive. They need to show their athleticism more.”

The Terps will have over two months of non-conference play to sort their unit. Then, a conference gauntlet awaits. The slate may work in their favor as five of its final seven duals are at the Xfinity Pavilion — where Maryland finished 4-3 last season. Over the last three years, The Terps’ have won more conference duals at home, so the team will look to those final Pavilion matches to prove itself as a staple in the Big Ten.

As a child, Horne was captivated by the Hardy Boyz as the tag team jumped off ring ropes and landed on opponents. Already a hyper kid with a brother three years older than him, it didn’t take the Horne brothers long to start imitating the moves they saw on TV on the couch, trampolines and even the neighborhood pool.

It eventually brought their parents to enroll the brothers in wrestling practices. Horne went on to win four Georgia State championships as a high school heavyweight and committed to N.C. State. But after a redshirt freshman year and inconsistent playing time, Horne transferred to a Maryland program in need of a heavyweight.

“I only have a limited time in college. So I really want to get my time to compete and wrestle and have fun,” Horne said. “I just needed an opportunity.”

Horne’s father first took him to a wrestling practice when he was six — and the experience stunned him. Expecting to see WWE moves and flying acrobatics, he watched technical motions on the mat instead.

Horne picked up the skill quickly. By seventh grade, Horne was talented enough that he practiced with his older brother on the high school varsity team.

“It’s the only time we’ve ever allowed a seventh grader to come up and practice with high school, with parental consent,” said Mitch Lawhorn, Horne’s high school wrestling coach. “Chase was definitely way more mature than a lot of his middle school counterparts.”

Regardless of the age difference, Horne was competitive in practice. Lawhorn credited Horne for improving his practice partners during training, who both later won state titles.

[Maryland wrestling continued its slow climb through the Big Ten]

It was not until eighth grade that Horne broke out.

His moment came during Christmas break when Horne was partnered with his older brother, then a senior. The two got paired in “take down kings,” a drill where athletes aim to record as many takedowns in two minutes as possible. Even with an 80-pound difference, Lawhorn said Horne “embarrassed” his brother.

The drill’s intensity continued to escalate as the two exchanged blows and were separated by the coaching staff. The Horne brothers didn’t speak to each other during dinner that night.

Lawhorn and another coach noticed the brothers had gotten close to blows before in the previous few practices.

“This is going to happen today,” Lawhorn remembers telling another coach ahead of the practice.

A year later, Horne dominated the Georgia high school wrestling scene. He finished his career with a 194-2 record while winning two Georgia State Titles at the 220-pound weight class and two at the heavyweight class. His only two losses came as a freshman, Lawhorn said.

Horne’s high school success caught the attention of N.C. State, who reached out to him during his sophomore campaign. Horne could not take an official visit due to COVID-19 restrictions, so the Wolfpack sent four-time All-American Trent Hidlay to Georgia to recruit him.

Horne arrived in Raleigh as MatScout’s No. 3 recruit at the 285-pound weight class, but elected to redshirt his freshman season because of a crowded heavyweight room.

The competition did not get easier for Horne as he progressed through college. Fellow heavyweight Owen Trephan was just a year older than him, and sixth-year Isaac Trumble jumped from 197 to the heavyweight class last year, earning an All-American nomination.

[Maryland wrestling star Ethen Miller transfers to Virginia Tech]

Horne’s coaches recommended that he drop down to the 197-pound class to compete more, but Horne’s transition was tough. To make the weigh-in for his new weight class, Horne needed to drop about 53 pounds.

“It was an insane cut and something that really hindered my performance,” Horne said. “I was way more worried about the weight than the actual wrestling I was doing.”

The experience drove Horne to the transfer portal. He believed he’d transfer to West Virginia, until he received a notification. The message did not come through the transfer portal, but instead from Maryland’s All-American Jaxon Smith over Snapchat.

Smith and Horne knew each other growing up in Georgia and played on the same travel wrestling club.

“Before I got the portal, I was thinking [Maryland] could be someone who may want to reach out,”  Horne said. “I was pretty set on West Virginia, and then he reached out and completely shifted me.”

Maryland’s coaching staff soon arranged for Horne to visit on Easter. Not long after his visit, he committed.

The move was necessary for Maryland as heavyweight Seth Nevills’ graduation left a room with just 20 combined collegiate matches between three other heavyweights.

Horne now hopes to bolster that position for the Terps and add to a program that has gradually won more conference matches in the last three seasons.

“This is the best I’ve felt,” Horne said. “I’m gonna win a lot of matches. I’m gonna be totally different than some of my past results.”

Maryland (9-10, 3-5 Big Ten) continued its upward climb through the Big Ten, a process that’s been slow but steady under six years of coach Alex Clemsen. The Terps finished with three conference wins, a top-eight finish at the Big Ten championships and a top-25 finish at the NCAA championships — all program bests in the last decade.

“I said it would take four years to be competitive and six years to be good,” Clemsen said on March 22. “We’re a good team. We’re not a great team, we’re not a dominant team — we’re a good team.”

The first three conference duals were the highlight of Maryland’s regular season. The Terps beat then-No. 10 Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin, resulting in their first ever 3-0 start in Big Ten play.

[Maryland wrestling’s Jaxon Smith becomes program’s first All-American since 2019]

Redshirt juniors Braxton Brown and Ethen Miller’s emergences were key to Maryland’s regular season success. The two were both ranked last season, but were never able to reach the top 10. This year, they both ranked as high as No. 5 late in the season.

Brown and Miller, along with redshirt junior Jaxon Smith, were the only Terps to hold top-10 rankings during the season. The three earned a combined 49-6 dual record and 198 total dual points. Junior Kal Miller and graduate student Seth Nevills also posted win rates of .500 or higher in conference duals.

Six Terps reached the podium at the Big Ten Championships — Smith, Brown, Kal Miller, Ethen Miller, Nevills and Branson John. John, a true freshman, won three matches as the 12-seed to finish sixth and qualify for the NCAA championships.

Four Terps picked up wins there. Ethen Miller and Brown each took a match, and Nevills won two. But the main story was Smith, who won four matches — two by fall — to finish sixth at 184 pounds and earn All-American honors. It was Smith’s first All-American selection and the first for any Maryland wrestler in the Clemsen era.

“[It feels like] a weight lifted off my shoulders,” Smith said. “This is something I’ve been waiting for since I came on to the University of Maryland.”

[Maryland wrestling star Ethen Miller transfers to Virginia Tech]

As of now, four of Maryland’s six qualifiers are set to return to the program. Nevills, a former Penn State transfer who gave the Terps two strong years at a much-needed weight, is out of eligibility. Ethen Miller announced that he’s transferring to Virginia Tech.

Both have in-house replacements. Maryland currently rosters four wrestlers set to return at 157-pounds and three at heavyweight, including two freshmen.

The Terps are in position to have one of the younger lineups in the conference again next season. Their younger wrestlers struggled this season, especially in Big Ten duals, but Clemsen feels the experience they picked up competing against veteran wrestlers will benefit them going forward.

“There’s some teams in our league that had seven COVID seniors — that’s gonna change here, the playing field is gonna really level out,” Clemsen said. “Being a young program for a couple years here while everybody’s been able to load up with these super seniors, I’m excited for that to be done and for our kids to be on a level playing field.”

Miller entered the portal on April 1 and was one of the most accomplished wrestlers available at the Division I level.

The redshirt junior is coming off his best season at Maryland. He finished the regular season with an undefeated record — the first Terp to do so since the 2013-14 season. Miller climbed as high as No. 5, tied for the highest of any Maryland wrestler this season.

[Ethen Miller aims to continue historic season with Maryland wresting in NCAA Championships]

He picked up eight ranked wins, the best against No. 1 Tyler Kasak. Miller’s resume made him the first Maryland wrestler to be the No. 1 seed at 157 pounds for the Big Ten tournament.

Miller also qualified for the NCAA tournament in all three years he competed and picked up a win each trip.

Maryland has four other wrestlers listed at 157 pounds — Mekhi Neal, Nathan Perry, AJ Rodrigues and Kevin Schork. Rodrigues was Maryland’s starter last season as a true freshman at 165 pounds.

Miller’s brother, Kal, could also compete at 157 pounds for the Terps — before this season started, there were plans for him to wrestle at that weight.

Jaxon Smith ended the drought at the NCAA championships this weekend. Maryland’s 184-pound redshirt junior ended the tournament with four wins, a sixth place finish and a black eye.

Smith was one of four Terps to pick up a win at the NCAA championships. Seth Nevills won two bouts, while Ethen Miller and Braxton Brown both won one. Maryland’s 18.5 team points were the highest for the program since 2014.

Jaxon Smith takes All-American Honors

Close matches have been a familiar theme for Smith all season. Three of his matches at the Big Ten championships were decided by a takedown or less, with Smith getting the win in two of them.

But neither of Smith’s matchups on the first day were close. He pinned No. 25 Jared McGill and No. 9 Reece Heller, a wrestler who took Smith to sudden victory earlier in the season.

The redshirt junior put both on their backs in the first period with impressive moves and hunted the fall. Both wins ended in a referee stoppage.

Smith ran into the top wrestler in the Big Ten in the quarterfinals — Penn State’s Carter Starocci. The four-time national champion overwhelmed Smith after a competitive start, taking a major decision.

The loss sent Smith to the consolation bracket, where a win would grant him All-American status.

Smith faced Oklahoma’s No. 14 DJ Parker and used a perfectly timed duck takedown in the second period to take a 3-1 lead. He held Parker off in the third for a 4-2 victory to become Maryland’s first All-American under Clemsen.

“I just wanted it more,” Smith said. “I’ve been in this position before. I’ve been in a blood round match. I know what it feels like to be on the losing side of it, and I didn’t like how that felt. All the work that I put in – all the blood, sweat and tears, I needed to get it done, so I had to.”

[Jaxon Smith, Ethen Miller lead Maryland wrestling into the postseason]

It was a crowning moment for the redshirt junior, who has steadily progressed to become one of the top wrestlers in the Big Ten.  Less than an hour later, Smith dominated Nebraska’s No. 12 Silas Allred 8-1 to clinch a top-six finish at NCAAs.

Despite losing his final two matches, his sixth-place finish was the highest finish of any Maryland wrestler since 2019. He’s just the 21st All-American wrestler in program history.

Seth Nevills ends collegiate career with strong showing

Last year, Seth Nevills was Maryland’s best performer at the tournament. Nevills was the only Terp to finish with two wins, collecting the most team points at the event for Maryland before eventually losing a tight decision in the second consolation round.

The graduate student handled Ohio’s No. 20 Jordan Greer in his opener this year, winning a comfortable 5-0 decision behind a dominant performance from the top position. He fell to No. 4 Owen Trephan in the round of 16.

[Maryland wrestling’s offensive control fueled record-breaking Big Ten tournament showing]

In the wrestlebacks, Nevills scored 12 points in the opening period against Cory Dayfirst bout, winning by tech fall. A disappointing ending against Ohio State’s Nick Feldman prevented Nevills from making the blood round.

“I feel for him. I know he wanted to have a finish on the podium, and worked really hard to try to make that happen. This tournament’s just super unforgiving,” Clemsen said. “He should never be ashamed of the way he competed and how he represented himself for our program, what he helped us do in College Park the last two years.”

Late losses limit Maryland team totals

The weekend was a success for Clemsen’s team, finishing with 18.5 team points, but the Terps could have finished even higher.

Ethen Miller was leading Chase Saldate in his opening match late in the third before Saldate caught him and pinned him. A win in the opening round would’ve given Miller a favorable draw for the remainder of the tournament. Instead he had to face No. 9 Tommy Askey in the second round of consolations, a razor-thin match he eventually lost in tiebreakers.

A fraction of a second cost Kal Miller a critical win. With a 4-2 lead, his opponent took him down at the buzzer —a match-deciding takedown that stood after multiple reviews, ending his season.

“We had some moments where a couple things got away from us, and we weren’t able to capitalize a couple times,” Clemsen said. “So there’s just always more work to do.”