After the disappointments of last season, Illinois (3-0) had high hopes for its wrestling team this year after starting the season ranked No. 12 in the InterMat’s preseason rankings. So far, behind a deep and talented group, the team has lived up to its billing.
Starting strong
In their opening meet against the Southern Illinois Salukis, the Illini dominated all aspects of the dual. After a surprising opening loss by graduate transfer Ramazan Attasauov to SIUE freshman Drew Davis, redshirt senior Lucas Byrd responded with a win to put the Illini ahead 4-3. From there, the Illini never looked back, scoring 29 unanswered points in a 41-3 rout of the Salukis.
The Illini then traveled to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for WrangleMania, where they competed in team and individual events. On the team side, the Illini delivered two blowout wins, one against Binghamton, 30-10, and then even more impressive — a 31-point commanding win against No. 21 Arizona State, 37-6.
In the individual competition called the Journeymen Collegiate Classic, the Illini had five wrestlers place first. The Illini’s relentless start signals a promising season ahead.
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Key players have already made their mark on Illinois’ early success this season. According to InterMat’s rankings, Illinois has a top-25 ranked wrestler in each of the 10 weight classes, showing how deep this roster goes.
Illini standout freshman
Earlier this week, redshirt freshman Kannon Webster won Big Ten Freshman of the Week, marking the first time an Illini has won the award. The No. 10 wrestler in the country at the 149 lbs mark is off to a scorching 6-0 start. Most impressive has been Webster’s diversity in his wins. He can pin his opponent or just outlast them in a major decision victory.
Undefeated beginnings
Alongside Byrd and Webster, redshirt junior Danny Pucino, graduate student Jason Kraisser, redshirt freshman Braeden Scoles and redshirt seniors Zac Braunagel and Luke Luffman have all started their seasons undefeated, providing extreme production for this very deep team.
Although he lost his dual to junior Will Ebert of Binghamton at WrangleMania, redshirt senior Edmond Ruth is almost certain to provide production to this team. He sits at 2-1 this year, and the 174-pounder was an All-American last year, finishing first at the Big Ten championships.
With such depth and talent across the roster, the Illini are poised to make an impact as the season unfolds.
The consistent contributions from top-ranked wrestlers in each weight class have fueled Illinois’ undefeated start this season. These performances have been key to this early success and must continue as the season progresses.
Looking ahead
As Illinois starts to get into Big Ten play, the competition will rise significantly. The Big Ten, typically regarded as the best conference, is especially tough this year. Each one of Illinois’ Big Ten opponents this year is ranked. No. 1 Penn State and No. 2 Iowa are atop the nation and are the teams to beat going forward.
With little time to prepare before their home opener against No. 7 Missouri on Nov. 21, one question remains: Can the Illini maintain this level of dominance against the toughest teams in the country?
