Illinois wrestler Lucas Byrd has returned for his final year of college eligibility after a record-breaking 2025 season. The 133-pound graduate student won both the 2025 Big Ten and national championships.
In doing so, Byrd became Illinois’ first-ever national champion at 133 pounds and the program’s 21st champion overall.
The Cincinnati native battled a wrist injury that forced him to redshirt the 2023-24 season. Byrd’s return from injury didn’t just bring a powerhouse back to the lineup but also solidified him as a leader. Head coach Mike Poeta said the example Byrd sets for the team lifts Illinois wrestling as a whole.
“His impact goes far beyond results,” Poeta said. “He puts his arm around the guys, helps them out and genuinely tries to make everyone around him better. As a teammate and as a person, he’s unbelievable. He’s really stepped up in the leadership aspect of the team.”
According to his teammates, Byrd’s intensity while training every day pushes them to be better. His presence in Huff Hall helps elevate the people around him.
One-hundred-and-fifty-seven-pound redshirt sophomore Kannon Webster said the most important thing he has learned from Byrd is toughness.
“He’s a hard-nosed, gritty guy,” Webster said. “He does a great job of sharing that with the rest of us. He makes sure the next generation of wrestlers coming in keeps that same toughness and helps keep this program where it’s at.”
Now in his sixth season at Illinois, Byrd has the Dan Hodge Trophy as his final target, alongside another national championship. Poeta described the trophy as “college wrestling’s Heisman” and said Byrd wants to separate himself from the rest even more.
“Being the Hodge Trophy winner means you’ve gone undefeated,” Byrd said. “It means you’ve won nationals, and you’ve proven you’re the best college wrestler in the country. It’s the ultimate recognition — showing total dominance across the season.”
An Illini wrestler is yet to win the trophy, and Byrd is committed to becoming the first to bring it to Champaign-Urbana. But his return wasn’t fueled by personal accomplishments alone. Byrd thinks the team has all the elements to make a special run this season.
“We can absolutely be in trophy contention,” Byrd said. “We reloaded the lineup with guys who were already in position to place last year. Now that everyone’s older and more experienced, it felt like the right time to come back and make a special team run. If things click, we’re a top-three team.”
Byrd’s return has also helped Illinois draw in some top wrestlers. One-hundred-and-twenty-five-pound graduate student Spencer Moore transferred to Illinois to train alongside the reigning 133-pound champion.
“Lucas draws great wrestlers to Illinois,” Poeta said. “(Moore and Byrd) working out back-to-back in the room is going to make both of them better, and it’s great for our program’s future.”
With only one year left in Champaign, the 2025 Dike Eddleman Athlete of the Year wants to create a lasting legacy at Illinois and help the current group of wrestlers take the program forward.
“I’ve been fortunate to set a bar, and I want the next guys to aim higher,” Byrd said. “When they wrestle or train with me, I want them to feel like they’re competing with one of the best — because that builds confidence across the whole room.”
Byrd wants to continue wrestling after college. His next goals are competing in MMA and fighting in the UFC. He wants to become a full-time fighter while contributing to the collegiate level as a coach.
All eyes will be on Byrd as he starts the final year of his collegiate journey. He has already carved out a name for himself at Illinois and is one of the top wrestlers to ever compete in C-U. As his name hangs in the rafters of Huff Hall, Byrd wants to go one step further and achieve the pinnacle of college wrestling: The Dan Hodge Trophy is next.
