Lucas Byrd on returning to Illinois, college wrestling in 2025-26: 'That's kind of where I'm at right now'

Lucas Byrd could’ve ended his career on top with a 2025 NCAA title for Illinois wrestling. But there’s a good chance he’s back for the 2025-26 season.

Byrd utilized a medical redshirt last season and actually has one more year of eligibility, as far as he was told. Byrd would be a 7th year senior for Illinois next season, should he choose to return before embarking on an MMA career.

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A wrist injury sidelined Byrd last season following a 2023 campaign that ended in the Blood Round. It took two years, but Byrd climbed the mountain, and could very well do it again.

“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. “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 has been told he has the ability to wrestle one more year, so a timeline for a decision is still a little up in the air.

“I still, I mean, I’m from what, like, I’ve been told I have it,” Byrd said. “But I don’t know … I should probably actually figure that out, but I don’t entirely know what the whole situation with it is.”

Byrd went 23-1 this 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.

Illinois showed out this season, with Byrd getting through an absolutely loaded weight class. Should he back next year, he’ll be the favorite to repeat as champion.