Maryland’s wrestling team is preparing to face No. 2 Ohio State in an upcoming Big Ten dual meet scheduled for February 15, 2026, at Schanwald Pavilion. The event will start at 2:00 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on B1G+.
This match comes as part of Maryland’s final three duals of the regular season homestretch. The Terrapins are also set to host No. 2 Minnesota in what will be the tenth meeting between the two programs since 2013. Maryland has yet to secure a win in this series. The dual will serve as Military and First Responders Appreciation Night.
Several Maryland wrestlers have earned national recognition as postseason competition approaches. According to the Coaches Poll, Braxton Brown (133 lbs) is ranked No. 11, Carter Young (149 lbs) is ranked No. 6, and Branson John (197 lbs) holds the No. 18 spot. In the NCAA RPI rankings, Brown is listed at No. 4, John at No. 7, and Dario Lemus (141 lbs) at No. 27.
Head Coach Alex Clemsen said that multiple Terps continue to position themselves among the nation’s best as they move toward the end of the regular season and into postseason competition.
Maryland enters this matchup with a record of four wins and eight losses overall, including victories over Gardner-Webb, The Citadel, Morgan State, and American University. In Big Ten play so far this season, they have faced Northwestern, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Penn State, Rutgers, and Minnesota.
Individually, Carter Young holds a 9–1 record with his only loss coming against the nation’s top-ranked wrestler; he has notched ranked wins over Joseph Zargo (Wisconsin), Gavin Brown (Purdue), Joey Butler (Indiana), and Andrew Clark (Rutgers). Branson John secured victories over Wyatt Ingham (Wisconsin) and Gabe Sollars (Indiana), recorded a pin against Northwestern, and recently defeated Gavin Nelson (Minnesota). Braxton Brown has a dual record of seven wins and three losses with technical falls against several opponents including Blake Boarman (Purdue) and Dylan Shawver (Rutgers).
Other notable Big Ten victories for Maryland include Ryan Kennedy over Carson Exford (Wisconsin), Sepanta Ahanj-Elias over David Malin (Wisconsin), AJ Rodrigues over Isaac Ruble (Purdue), Joey Schneck over Caleb Marzolino (Indiana), and Dario Lemus over Mason Gibson (Rutgers).
The program is coming off one of its most successful seasons since joining the Big Ten Conference. Last year saw Maryland set records for points scored and individual placers at the Big Ten Championships while achieving its highest team finish to date in conference history. A highlight included a win over then-No.10 Michigan — their first victory against a top-10 opponent since November 2009.
At last season’s NCAA Championships, Maryland matched its highest team point total and finish since 2014. Jaxon Smith earned All-American honors with a sixth-place finish at 184 pounds — becoming Maryland’s first All-American since 2019 — while six Terps qualified for nationals; this was their largest contingent since 2012.
Head Coach Alex Clemsen leads Maryland into his seventh season alongside associate head coach Nick Brascetta; assistant coach Ethan Laird returns for his third year with Cole Matthews promoted to assistant coach for his second year.
“Several Terps continue to position themselves among the nation’s best,” said Clemsen.
Jaxon Smith earned All-American honors last season by finishing sixth at the NCAA Championships in his weight class.