2023-24 Maryland Preview

Maryland - I’ve been a big fan of Alex Clemsen and company since they got to College Park, Maryland. What they’ve been able to do over the last couple of years has been pretty great. They have remained patient with their approach, redshirting some top recruits and unleashing many of them last season with some solid success. This year they look to build on that, having four returning 2023 NCAA Qualifiers, all of which are only sophomores for the Terrapins. They have added some young talent, as well as a big transfer (literally and figuratively big), to boost their continued development. TOP RETURNERS Leading the way is Jaxon Smith who made the Bloodround last season, placed third in the B1G behind the B1G champ and the defending NCAA Champion. His only losses were close and very justifiable, and he had wins at the B1G tournament over Jacob Warner and Zac Braunagel (whom he beat more than once during the season). Next up, it’s Miller Time. Kal and Ethen Miller (141 and 149, respectively) had solid first seasons in the lineup. The brothers each qualified for NCAAs, and each showed signs of greatness in some of their matches. Consistency is going to be key for Miller Time, and from what I hear they are both looking like they’re jumping levels. I’m excited to see what these two can develop into in their sophomore campaigns. Braxton Brown was their last returning qualifier from last season. Their stud at 125 had some solid wins and some tough losses. That’s not a knock on him though, as remains the case, the B1G is always a battle. What I liked about Braxton was that his attacking style remained the same no matter who was on the other side of the line. I expect another year of maturity will help him wrestle with more consistency and he’ll be a podium threat. Dom Solis is an NCAA Qualifier from 2022 and looks to get back to this season. He’ll have home-field advantage being that the B1G Tournament is being hosted by Maryland. See you there! KEY DEPARTURES Jaron Smith was a tremendous Terrapin. I still remember when he was wrestling for them at 184 as a freshman. He battled injuries throughout his career, but it was sure great watching him get another shot to finish his career healthy and on the mat. He was an NCAA qualifier last year for Maryland, and he was a great contributor during his career. Thankfully for Maryland, they were able to use the transfer portal to address this need at Heavyweight. More on that in a moment. NEWCOMERS The newcomers list starts with Seth Nevills who transferred for his final year of eligibility from Penn State. Nevills was one of the top recruits in the country, going 169-1. He comes to Maryland hungry to prove what he can do and have his chance to compete in a varsity lineup. He’s coming into the season with the rare combination of being battle-tested and fresh. I expect he will have some bumps as he gets used to a full season of competition, but should finish strong and I expect him to be at NCAAs. Dario Lemus is an exceptional recruit and has looked good in the room. He’s expected to redshirt this season, but sometimes things change. Redshirt or not, he has a couple matches of eligibility that he can use up along the way, which should be exciting. WRESTLER TO WATCH I’ve always been a Michael North fan. He has shown that he can beat some of the better wrestlers in the country. He had wins over several ranked opponents last season (Andrew Cerniglia of Navy, Dazjon Casto of Pitt, and Jake Keating of Virginia), and had a 10-4 record in dual competition. I’m excited for him to finish his career for the Terrapins with the B1G tournament being hosted in College Park. TOP OUT-OF-CONFERENCE DUAL At first glance, I thought the dual with Pitt was their top out-of-conference dual. But that answer is too easy. One of Maryland’s impressive dual wins last year was (they beat Oklahoma, Virginia, Navy, and…) Pittsburgh, so of course that jumps out. Pittsburgh is ranked 15th currently in our dual rankings, with Maryland ranked 22nd, it does make sense that it’s their biggest dual. Not for me though, and this is cheating, but I’m going with their duals with American and Morgan State. These teams are all part of the geographic region known as the DMV, and Clemsen is trying to establish this as his territory. American is a team on the rise, and Morgan State in its first year back. Additionally, Jahi Jones is a Maryland alumnus, and the Executive Director of the HBCU wrestling initiative, so there’s a lot to connect these as more important. I include importance in this ranking system, which makes them their top out-of-conference dual(s).

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2023-24 Maryland Preview

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