CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – Lucas Byrd is setting the bar even higher for himself after winning a national title at 133 pounds in March of 2025.

Bryd, who returns for his seventh and final year with the Illini, hopes to accomplish a number of things before moving on from college.

Dan Hodge Trophy

There aren’t many ways to improve off a season that resulted in a
Big Ten and national championship. Byrd went 23-1 overall in 2024-25.

How could 2025-26 be better?

For starters, he’s chasing the Hodge Trophy. It’s an award given annually to the most dominant wrestler, across all weight classes, in collegiate wrestling.

“You got to score a lot of points, you got to be real dominant to win the Hodge Trophy,” Byrd said. “So that’s kind of the goal, is to be the most dominant wrestler in the country.”

Byrd says his style might have to be even more aggressive to win this award, rather than just wrestling good enough to win, he’ll need to win dominantly on almost every occasion.

Team success

Byrd’s return, in some ways, shows off his care for the University of Illinois. He doesn’t just come back with hopes of accomplishing more individually.

“There’s always an urgency to be on top, win it again — but getting the team [higher],” he said. “We’re a team that – we have a lot of guys now – I think we’re better than we were last year. Really it’s about helping those guys grow… into the wrestlers that can continue the Illinois legacy.”

Byrd hopes Illinois can finish top five in the country after taking 10th in 2025.

Packed Huff Hall

The Cincinnati, Ohio native hopes to wrestle in front of some full crowds in Champaign during his final season.

“I think it’d just be awesome to have not just only our normal wrestling fans show up but having kids from the school, kids on campus,” he said. “Let’s get all that support, it’s just cool for us. It kind of creates those core memories… It’d be cool to see Huff Hall packed where the duals are very competitive, we’re winning a lot of matches and it’s exciting.”

Exciting brand of wrestling

One could see a way where defending a national title adds more pressure. Byrd doesn’t see it that way.

“I’ve done a goal that some people never will do, and some people it’s a big dream of theirs,” he said. “To have to go back and not battle any stress or anything is something that I’m really looking forward to.”

Having checked the highest box available is freeing to the Illini seventh-year senior.

“It’s a relaxing kind of feeling,” he said.

Now, he hopes that ‘free’ feeling shows up in his wrestling. He wants to have fun every time.

“This team we have is going to be really exciting. A big motto that, personally, I’m going to try and push this year is like just being exciting,” he said. “Just score points and look to have fun. Wrestling ends at some point and for me, my journey is coming to an end. In seven and a half months my journey is done. The real world is just to have fun, look to score points and put a show on for everybody that’s there.”

Illinois wrestling has not announced its 2025-26 schedule at this time.