Lucas Byrd, the 2025 NCAA champion at 133 pounds, will return to Illinois for the 2025-26 season, his final year of eligibility. Not only that, the program announced four-time NCAA qualifier Luke Luffman (285 pounds) will return for his final year as well. Following his title in March, Byrd joined On3 Wrestling and said he […]
Lucas Byrd, the 2025 NCAA champion at 133 pounds, will return to Illinois for the 2025-26 season, his final year of eligibility. Not only that, the program announced four-time NCAA qualifier Luke Luffman (285 pounds) will return for his final year as well.
Following his title in March, Byrd joined On3 Wrestling and said he planned on coming back, should he be granted one more year of eligibility. Combined with the COVID-19 waiver and injuries, Byrd was granted a 7th year for the upcoming campaign.
He recently competed in jiu jitsu in Fury Grappling, making his professional debut in the sport. Back in May, he was pitted against current undefeated MMA fighter and former West Virginia wrestler Lucas Seibert, losing via submission.
A wrist injury sidelined Byrd in 2023-24 following a 2022-23 campaign that ended in the Blood Round. It took two years, but Byrd climbed the NCAA title mountain, and could very well do it again next March.
“I don’t know how it all works with it being a medical but from what I’ve been told, I do have an extra year left,” Byrd told On3 in March. “I don’t know how (exactly), because I know you get in at the end of your career, but I don’t know if, like, they just tell me, hey you have the year … (As far as using it next year), that’s kind of where I’m at right now. I’ve been, you know, sitting on it, talking with friends, family, really trying to figure out what the best path for me is.”
Byrd went 23-1 last season, beating Iowa’s Drake Ayala in the NCAA finals 3-2 in tiebreakers. He previously pinned Ayala in the Big Ten finals two weeks prior after losing to him in the dual earlier this season.
Byrd is 96-16 in his career and is a three-time All-American, finishing fifth in 2021 and ‘22. The 2023 season ended in the Blood Round as Byrd lost to Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez, who went on to win the national title in 2024 and ‘25 at 141 pounds.
Luffman went 19-8 last year, getting to his fourth NCAA Championships. He owns a career record of 69-41 and will be a staple in the Fighting Illini lineup this coming season that’s sure to cause headaches for opponents.
Category: General Sports
