COLLEGE PARK, MD — The Terps will open their home 2026 Big Ten slate on Friday, Jan. 14, against Purdue. The dual will take place at Schanwald Pavilion at 7 p.m. ET and will stream on B1G+.

The matchup marks the first meeting between the two programs since last season, when Maryland fell to Purdue, 23–14, in West Lafayette to close out its Big Ten dual schedule.

The last time the two teams met in College Park came during the 2022–23 season, when the Terps defeated the Boilermakers, 19–18, in a tightly contested dual. The victory marked Maryland's first win over Purdue since the 2012–13 season.

Maryland will then conclude a two-match swing on Sunday, Jan. 18, facing No. 23 Indiana at noon in Bloomington.

• True freshmen Ryan Kennedy and Sepanta-Ahanj Elias each earned their first career dual wins for the Terps against No. 18 Wisconsin on Sunday, Jan. 11.
• At 141 pounds, Kennedy secured a tightly contested 6–3 decision over Wisconsin's Carson Exferd after the bout was scoreless through the first period. He sealed the win with a late takedown in the final 45 seconds.
• At 184, Ahanj-Elias, wrestling a weight class down, dominated David Malin en route to a 13–1 major decision, controlling the match from start to finish.

Kennedy secured a tightly contested 6–3 decision over Wisconsin's Carson Exferd

• The Terps added a dynamic competitor in Carter Young as a mid-year transfer from Oklahoma State, marking the first mid-year addition of the Clemsen era. Young has started his Maryland career 6–0, outscoring his opponents, 76–21.
• Young made an immediate impact, rolling through his first action with multiple bonus-point victories and earning a statement 7–5 decision over No. 8 Cross Wasilewski. He later finished sixth at the Southern Scuffle, with match-count limitations affecting his placement.
• His momentum has carried into Big Ten competition, where he opened with a 5–1 decision over Northwestern's Sam Cartella before adding another ranked win against No. 17 Joseph Zargo of Wisconsin, 11–6.
• At Oklahoma State, Young was a reliable starter and consistent competitor in both duals and open tournaments. During the 2024–25 season, he started nearly every match, posted a 10–10 record with five bonus-point victories, and placed fifth at both the Michigan State Open and the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
• Earlier in his career at 141 pounds, Young qualified for the 2022–23 NCAA Championships by finishing fifth at the Big 12 Championships. He recorded multiple top-10 wins—including a career-best victory over No. 3 Jake Bergeland—and earned Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honors.

Terps added a dynamic competitor in Carter Young as a mid-year transfer from Oklahoma State

• The Terps are coming off one of their most successful seasons since joining the Big Ten. Maryland set program records for points and individual placers at the Big Ten Championships, recorded its highest team finish, and secured the most regular-season dual wins in program history. A signature moment came with a victory over No. 10 Michigan — the program's first win over a top-10 opponent since Nov. 20, 2009.
• At the 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 the program's first All-American since 2019. The Terps qualified six wrestlers for the NCAA Championships — their most since 2012 — including returners Braxton Brown, Branson John, and Jaxon Smith, while also setting a new program record for Big Ten dual victories.
• Head Coach Alex Clemsen enters his seventh season leading the program, joined by associate head coach Nick Brascetta. Assistant coach Ethan Laird returns for his third season, while Cole Matthews has been promoted to assistant coach in his second year with the Terps.

Jaxon Smith earned All-American honors with a sixth-place finish at 184 pounds last season.