The ILLINI Returning All-Americans

If the ILLINI finish with an All-American wrestler this year, the school will have produced at least one AA for thirty (30) consecutive seasons. I personally think the ILLINI get at least four this season, but would like to be surprised with more. 

The returning All Americans are Lucas Byrd and Dylan Duncan:

LUCAS BYRD.  Because of the Covid year, Lucas Byrd is still a redshirt Freshman with four years of eligibility remaining. He could become the ILLINI's first five-time All American. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio and La Salle High School, where he won multiple state championships and a Super 32 belt. Byrd posted a Covid-shortened 17-4 record last season. 

His only losses were to other AAs. 

During this next dual season, his big matches will be against Iowa's Austin DeSanto and Rutgers' Sammy Alvarez (although the Scarlet Knight will be a skeleton at that weight). At the MSU Open, he could face Steven Micic of Michigan. At the Midlands, he could face both DeSanto and Alvarez, and there's the possibility of a rematch (won by Byrd) with Pitt's Micky Phillippi. His only chance to see Penn State's RBY will be at the conference and national tournaments.

Here's Byrd at the Big Dance showing off a wicked throw by, a power half, a bow and arrow, and a beautiful foot sweep. The guys get special mention for all foot sweeps:

DYLAN DUNCAN.  This Senior grappler hales from Winfield, Illinois, and he wrestled at Montini in high school. Dylan had a 13-6 season last year, losing only to All Americans except for a hiccup against Purdue's Parker Filius, who finished in the Round of 16. Four of Duncan's losses were to Nebraska's Chad Red and Rutgers' Sebastian Rivera. He closed the gap in all of the rematches, and he eventually beat Red in the NCAA fifth-place match.

Dylan again has a brutal dual matchup schedule in which he'll have to face Rivera, Red, Iowa's Jaydin Eierman and Filius. He can look forward to tough matches at the MSU Open from Oklahoma's Dom Demas and Central Michigans Dresden Simon (who he beat at the NCAAs). The Midlands will be a minefield with eight wrestlers ranked in the Top Twenty, including Eierman and Rivera. 

Here's the War Room interview of Duncan before last year, where he said interesting things: