Maryland wrestling looks to stay undefeated against No. 16 Pittsburgh

Photo courtesy of Grayson Belanger/Maryland Terrapins.

Maryland wrestling takes on No. 16 Pitt in its first home dual Saturday at noon in Schanwald Pavilion at Xfinity Center.

 The Terps won all four early duals over Gardner-Webb, The Citadel, Morgan State, and American. They seek a big non-conference win against one of the best teams in the ACC before Big Ten action heats up. The Panthers hold a 5-1 record and bring a tough lineup full of nationally ranked wrestlers from strong early bouts – Maryland’s depth will be tested. 

Following the 125-pound matchup between either Abraham Cline or Tyler Garvin and Pitt’s Tyler Chappell, Maryland’s No. 12 Braxton Brown will meet Pitt’s No. 30 Evan Tallmadge at 133 pounds. Brown will be looking to grab early points and set a fast pace with his impressive speed and attacks.

 At 141 pounds, Terp No. 27 Dario Lemus or Spencer Gabrielson will line up Pitt’s Briar Priest., Ryan Pizzuto or Kyle Young will go up against Pitt’s ranked 149-pounder, No. 20 Kade Brown.  

 Key spots in the match occur at 157 pounds with Mekhi Neal, 165 pounds with AJ Rodrigues or Alex Uryniak, and 174 pounds with Dom Solis. These middle bouts could be very influential towards both team’s scores – Maryland will be looking to pick up bonus points while stopping Pitt in these swing matches.​

No. 5 Jaxon Smith, Maryland’s returning All-American at 184 pounds, has been getting pins and major decisions all season. He faces unranked Chase Kranitz – an opportunity for potentially crucial bonus points for the Terps’ highest ranked wrestler. 

Pitt’s strength is the upper weights, with No. 11 Mac Stout at 197 pounds and No. 17 Dayton Pitzer at heavyweight. No. 15 Branson John, Stout’s opponent, is 11-0 with wins over ranked opponents – he’ll be tested by the 2025 All-American. Heavyweight duty for Maryland falls to Oscar Williams or Joey Schneck. 

To pull off the top-20 upset win, keys for the Terps involve bonus points from their ranked wrestlers and strong performances in the middle weights – a theme in their early-season victories so far. 

This dual gives Maryland a shot to climb the national polls and prove its level against an opponent similar to ones it’ll face in Big Ten play.