COLLEGE PARK, MD — The Terps head into the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships with four qualifiers: 133-pounder and No. 23 seed Braxton Brown, 141-pounder and No. 30 seed Dario Lemus, 149-pounder and No. 12 seed Carter Young, and 197-pounder and No. 16 seed Branson John.

This marks the fifth consecutive year Maryland has qualified four or more wrestlers for the NCAA Championships.

Redshirt senior Brown is making his fourth consecutive NCAA appearance for the Terps in a highly competitive 133-pound weight class. True sophomore John is making his second consecutive NCAA appearance after moving up two weight classes from his freshman season. Transfer redshirt senior Carter Young is making his first NCAA appearance as a Terp and his third overall, earning the highest seed of his career. Lemus, a redshirt sophomore, is making his first NCAA tournament appearance after securing an automatic qualifying spot at the Big Ten Tournament.

• After four NCAA appearances at 133 pounds, Braxton Brown has been a steady contributor in Maryland's lineup. A three-time NCAA qualifier prior to this season, he earned his fourth straight bid in 2026.
• Brown placed fifth at the 2025 Big Ten Championships and sixth in 2024, and owns a Round of 16 finish at the 2025 NCAA Championships. He posted a 24-6 record in 2024-25, including an 18-1 mark in duals and 7-1 in Big Ten action, with wins over Kyle Burwick, Dylan Shawver (twice), and Jacob Van Dee.
• This season, Brown recorded multiple Big Ten dual wins at 133 pounds, including a sudden-victory win over a ranked Rutgers opponent, finishing with one of Maryland's top conference win totals while securing his fourth consecutive NCAA appearance.
• He holds a 17-9 record this season. 

Braxton Brown will face no. 26 Dylan Shawver (RUT) in the first round. 

• Redshirt sophomore Dario Lemus enters the NCAA Championships at 141 pounds after earning an automatic qualifying spot at the Big Ten Championships. Competing in a weight class with just seven qualifying spots—the fewest in the conference—Lemus battled through the consolation bracket to secure his first NCAA appearance.
• After a narrow 6-4 loss to Penn State's No. 6 Braeden Davis, Lemus responded with three consecutive wins, including an upset fall over Michigan's No. 5 Dylan Ragusin and a 9-7 decision against Northwestern's No. 8 Billy DeKraker to clinch his NCAA berth.
• Lemus has steadily developed over his career in College Park. During his redshirt  campaign, he posted a 17-13 record while continuing to gain experience in a competitive Big Ten lineup.
• As a freshman, he went 16-6 in his redshirt season, recording six technical falls and three major decisions while placing third at the Tiger Style Invite. 

Lemus will open his first NCAA Tournament against Utah Valley's No. 19 Haiden Drury

• Redshirt senior Carter Young enters the NCAA Championships at 149 pounds for his third career appearance and first as a Terp.
• Young earned an automatic qualifying spot at the Big Ten Championships as the No. 5 seed, becoming Maryland's first NCAA qualifier of the tournament. He opened with an 8-1 decision over Purdue's No. 12 Gavin Brown before dropping a narrow 5-3 bout to Michigan's No. 4 Lachlan McNeil. Young responded with back-to-back major decision victories in the consolation bracket to secure his NCAA berth and will compete Sunday for a top-six finish.
• In his first season in College Park, Young has made an immediate impact in the Terps' lineup at 149 pounds. He posted a 6-1 Big Ten dual record and collected multiple ranked wins against conference opponents from Wisconsin, Purdue, and Rutgers, along with a major decision in league action.
• Prior to Maryland, Young built an experienced résumé at Oklahoma State, where he was a two-time NCAA qualifier at 141 pounds. As a true freshman, he went 12-9 and earned an automatic NCAA bid, later returning to the national tournament in 2023 after a fifth-place finish at the Big 12 Championships. That season, he notched several top-10 wins and earned Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honors.

Carter Young will take on Wisconsin's no. 13 Joseph Zargo in the first round. 

• Redshirt sophomore Branson John enters the 2026 Big Ten Championships at 197 pounds following a breakout season in his first year competing at the weight class.
• John earned his NCAA Championships qualification after a strong showing at the Big Ten Championships, highlighted by a key opening-round victory over No. 13 Gabe Arnold of Iowa. He secured a 4–1 decision to advance to the quarterfinals, where he fell to No. 5 Luke Geog of Ohio State by a 9–4 decision.
• Battling through the consolation bracket, John picked up a signature sudden victory win over No. 11 Gavin Nelson of Minnesota, 8–5, to stay alive in the tournament. He later dropped a narrow 2–1 decision to No. 8 Gabe Sollars of Indiana before finishing seventh by medical forfeit over No. 9 Ben Vanadia of Purdue.
• In his first full season at 197 pounds, John has emerged as one of Maryland's most consistent and productive wrestlers. He holds a 25–7 overall record, surpassing the 20-win mark for the first time in his career, and leads the team in total victories. John has also been a major factor in bonus-point production, recording multiple major decisions, technical falls, and pins throughout the season.
• John first made national noise at the Southeast Open, where he captured the title in a competitive bracket with wins over ranked opponents, including Minnesota's Gavin Nelson (11–4 decision) and West Virginia's Rune Lawrence (12–2 major decision). Following the performance, he debuted in the national rankings at No. 22 and climbed as high as No. 16 during the season.
• His success has continued into conference competition, where he has recorded several notable Big Ten wins. These include a fall over Northwestern's Alex Smith, an 8–4 decision against Wisconsin's No. 28 Wyatt Ingham, a 4–1 decision over Minnesota's No. 25 Gavin Nelson, and a statement pin against Ohio State's No. 10 Luke Geog.
• After qualifying for the NCAA Championships at 174 pounds as a freshman, John returns to the national stage at 197 pounds with momentum, experience, and a résumé that positions him as a contender in one of the country's toughest weight classes.

Branson John will take on Bucknell's no. 17 Dillon Bechtold in the first round