CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Coming off their first top-10 finish at NCAA Championships since 2012-13, the Fighting Illini return eight of their ten starters from last year's team. The Orange and Blue will once again be led by two-time NCAA Champion Isaiah Martinez and All-American Zane Richards, while Zac Brunson and Brooks Black both seek their first All-America honor.
125
For the second year in a row, the Illini will have a new face at 125. With Francis Edelen likely redshirting, the Illini will send out true freshmen Travis Piotrowski and Jake Silzer. Piotrowski, a Prairie Ridge High School product, was a three-time All-American in high school and the 2016 IHSA Class 2A state champion at 126 pounds. Coming out of St. Rita of Cascia High School, Silzer was a three-time state placer in Class 3A.
Stat to Know: Prior to Edelen, the Illini hadn't had a freshman start at 125 since Logan Arlis in 2010.
133
Zane Richards took the next step in 2015-16, beginning the season by winning his first 23 matches, and ranking as high as No. 2 at 133. Setting a career-high in wins (27), the Carbondale, Illinois product is only 11 victories shy of the cracking the Illini top-25 career wins list. Richards' 71 points scored in dual matches ranked second on the team, and led him to a perfect 9-0 record in Big Ten duals. With two of his three losses coming against Iowa senior Cory Clark, Richards will once again tussle with the Hawkeye 133-pounder for conference and national supremacy.
Stat to Know: Richards is looking to become the first Illini 133-pounder to place in top three at NCAA Championships
141
After filling in for Brock Ervin last season, Mousa Jodeh will take the reigns at 141 pounds. Last season, Jodeh competed at both Midlands and Big Ten Championships in addition to the Big Ten dual meets, an experience that should better Jodeh entering his second season with the Illini. True freshman Michael Carr will provide depth to the weight class.
Stat to Know: Ervin was a five-time Kentucky state champion, including going undefeated against opponents from the state of Kentucky.
149
After going 6-2 during the non-conference slate, Brock Ervin added in an upset victory of No. 12 Steve Bleise followed by a victory at Michigan to start conference play. Unfortunately, Ervin's season was cut short by injury. Though he is still certified at 141 pounds, Ervin will wrestle up a weight class to start 2016-17. In reserve of Ervin this season will be redshirt freshman Eric Barone and redshirt sophomore Isaac Reinemann. Reinemann wrestled up three weight classes last season, filling in for an injured Zac Brunson, but will return to his preferred weight to start 2016-17.
Stat to Know: Ervin was a five-time Kentucky state champion, including going undefeated against opponents from the state of Kentucky.
157
It'll be a change of scenery for the Fighting Illini faithful with Isaiah Martinez not holding down 157. With the two-time NCAA Champion making the move to 165 pounds, Coach Heffernan and staff will look to red-shirt junior Kyle Langenderfer, moving up from 149, to fill the void. Langenderfer was a NCAA Championships qualifier two years ago, and brings two years of experience as a starter. After redshirting last year, three-time IHSA champion Carver James will serve as a backup to Langenderfer.
Stat to Know: Langenderfer placed third at Big Ten Championships as a redshirt freshman while wrestling at 149.
165
After dominating the 157-pound field each of the past two seasons, the two-time champ is moving up to 165 pounds. Already amassing a 67-1 record, Martinez will take aim at the conference's and nation's best 165-pound grapplers. Martinez is seeking to become the first Illini to win three NCAA titles, and the first two win titles at multiple weight classes. His biggest threats for a third consecutive Big Ten and NCAA crown likely looms in Madison, as Isaac Jordan returns for his senior season.
Stat to Know: Martinez is seven matches shy of qualifying for the Illinois career win-percentage rankings. His.985 win-percentage would break the school record.
174
While a 22-5 record would rarely be considered a disappointment, Zac Brunson was left wanting more after not reaching the podium at Madison Square Garden last March. Starting the season off 14-0, the Oregon native had his sights set on being the best at 174 pounds. After coming back from a mid-season injury, the junior fought back to place runner-up at Big Ten Championships, highlighted by a pin of Iowa's Alex Meyer that silenced Carver Hawkeye arena. As a senior, Brunson will now look to build off of last season and earn his first All-America honor. Backing up the Big Ten runner-up will be redshirt-freshman Xavier Montalvo. A product of Montini Catholic High School, Montalvo ranked third nationally in his weight class by FloWrestling and was a two-time IHSA state champion.
Stat to Know: Brunson's nine pins last season tied for the ninth-best in Illinois history. Adam Tirapelle holds the single-season record with 15 in 1999-2000.
184
With the absence created by graduating senior Jeff Koepke, the Illini will turn to red-shirt sophomore Emery Parker to take over at 184 pounds. Last season, Parker filled in for Zac Brunson at 174 pounds against Michigan and Minnesota, and compiled a 4-4 overall record on the season. Coach Heffernan will also have Danny Hicks to provide depth in the weight class, as the redshirt junior competed at Midlands last season and went 3-2 at the Reno Tournament of Champions.
Stat to Know: Illinois has qualified for NCAA Championships at 184 pounds for 18 straight seasons.
197
Andre Lee began the season with a strong 10-2 record, carrying him through a second-place finish at the Reno Tournament of Champions. However, upon entering Big Ten play, the first year starter struggled to overcome the tenacity of Big Ten wrestling. Although he only recorded one win during conference play, Lee progressed through the year and will look to build off of the experience as he starts his second year in the Big Ten.
Stat to Know: Lee won 10 of his first 12 matches last season, including a 4-1 record at the Reno Tournament of Champions.
HWT
Brooks Black came on strong at the end of 2015-16, notching key victories for the Illini down the stretch. At the end of the regular season, Black pinned Northwestern's Conan Jennings to finish off an Illini comeback against their in-state rival. The success continued into the postseason, as he finished fifth at Big Ten Championships, his second podium-finish in as many seasons. The red-shirt sophomore carried the confidence into NCAAs, upsetting No. 6 Denzel Dejournette and going to 2-0 to start competition. Now in his third year as a starter, Illini will depend on Black to add to the veteran core and be a bigger contributor at Big Ten and NCAA Championships.
Stat to Know: Four of Black's last five wins in 2015-16 came against ranked opponents.
