11/4/2026 11:31:00 AM | Wrestling
Two nationally-ranked Terps are being recognized by the conference as the season gets started.
COLLEGE PARK, MD — Maryland wrestlers Branson John and Nicolar Rivera have been named Preseason Big Ten Wrestlers to Watch, the conference announced Wednesday.
John is coming off a historic 29-10, 2025-26 campaign that saw him qualify for the NCAA Tournament and earned his spot as the 22nd All-American in Maryland wrestling history. He's ranked No. 7 at 197 by both InterMat and Flo Wrestling to start the year. He opened his 2026-27 season with a 4-0 weekend at the Southeast Open. He won by fall, technical fall, major decision and minor decision en route to winning the 197 Open Bracket Championship.
John is coming off a historic 29-10, 2025-26 campaign that saw him qualify for the NCAA Tournament and earned his spot as the 22nd All-American in Maryland wrestling history. He's ranked No. 7 at 197 by both InterMat and Flo Wrestling to start the year. He opened his 2026-27 season with a 4-0 weekend at the Southeast Open. He won by fall, technical fall, major decision and minor decision en route to winning the 197 Open Bracket Championship.
Rivera comes to the program as a transfer this season. He's a two-time NCAA qualifier and has previously placed both fourth and ninth in two trips to the Big Ten Championships. He entered the season ranked No. 10 at 125 by FloWrestling and No. 11 by InterMat. He went 2-1 at the Southeast Open to claim second in the 125 Open Bracket in his first action as a Terp. Rivera has extensive experience wrestling both in the Big Ten and on the national stage, and is expected to be a bright spot for the Terps this season at 125.BRANSON JOHN IS YOUR 197 OPEN BRACKET CHAMPION! Brason opened his season with a dominant 4-0 day in the Southeast Open! Round of 16: 19-3 win by TF Quarterfinals: win by F Semifinals: 13-2 win by MD Finals: 8-5 win by DEC Have a day, Branson 👏🥇 #TurtlePower🐢💪 #TFIN https://t.co/nWlonCxsqK
— Maryland Wrestling (@TerpsWrestling) November 1, 2026
The Terps are back in action for Maryland this weekend at the 2026 Journeymen Collegiate Classic in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.Iron sharpens iron ⚔️ Regular season 🔜 #TurtlePower🐢💪 #TFIN https://t.co/6HnnZOOAbE
— Maryland Wrestling (@TerpsWrestling) October 25, 2026
Players Mentioned
197 lbs
/ Wrestling
125 lbs
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