Who Are Lucas Byrd and Ellie Holzman? Know About the Famous NCAA Couple Going Viral on the Internet

“We did meet at a bar. That’s kind of cliché,” Ellie Holzman told the BIG10 Network about the night she first met NCAA wrestler Lucas Byrd. “I was like, ‘You kind of look like Harry Potter a little bit,’ and the conversation just kind of flowed,” said the former Illinois volleyball star. However, meeting at a bar and an interest in Harry Potter was where this couple drew the line for clichés.

That’s because the Illinois Fighting Illini athletes overcame the biggest cliché to become one of the most loved and wholesome couples on the internet. This was their height difference, which became a problem because, at 6’2, the former Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year (volleyball), stands nearly a foot taller than her 133 lb wrestler boyfriend. And despite their progressiveness, overcoming the conventional perspective was no easy task.

How prejudice made Ellie Holzman hesitate

The former NCAA volleyball player revealed how difficult it was to change her viewpoint. Despite growing closer by the day, Holzman consciously made an effort to not let things progress beyond friendship. “I never really let myself see anything past that. ‘Cause I’m like, Oh he’s shorter than me I’m never going to date him’.” said the New Orleans native.

However, at the same time, the former National Gatorade Player of the Year couldn’t help but develop feelings for the wrestlers. Soon, rumors began that the volleyball player’s ‘best friend’ was in love with her. Still, Ellie Holzman hesitated before ultimately choosing to ignore conventions. “Once I got over it like it flourished into this, like a, beautiful thing,” added the Illinois student.

Shortly after the couple officially started dating, it was Holzman who thought of sharing their story. In their first video, Holzman shared how, at one point, she had ignored the rumors that she was dating the 133 lb NCAA wrestler. However, the moment she let go of her prejudice, their relationship flourished, and that video went viral on TikTok. Suddenly, 5’6 Lucas Byrd and 6’2 Ellie Holzman stood under the spotlight of internet fame.

How Holzman and Byrd became one of social media’s favorite couples

“There was a very obvious trend that anything that showed our height difference went viral,” said Holzman. As the couple continued to share the little details of their story, the views kept pilling. Byrd told the BIG10 Network that some of their videos have around 20 million views. A quick glance through their TikTok profile reveals that one of their videos has nearly 48 million views.

While their height difference did draw millions of views, it was Lucas Byrd and Ellie Holzman’s wholesome nature that earned them nearly 400,000 TikTok followers. Some of those followers have even recognized the couple on the street and thanked them. “We’ve had people come up to us that have said my boyfriend’s shorter than me and you guys helped me get over that,” Byrd recalled.

Even Byrd’s coach and teammates appreciated how their story not only went viral but inspired others to view convention with a different lens. “I remember how big of a deal it was when it went from her TikTok to Ellie and Bird TikTok,” said Fighting Illini senior Luke Luffman. Another thing that’s won fans over is Ellie Holzman’s support for her boyfriend.

Ellie Holzman is Lucas Byrd’s fiercest supporter

Both the wrestler and the volleyball star have faced hurdles in their journey as athletes. While Holzman showed promise, the outside hitter’s athletic career took a massive blow in college. Holzman totaled 35 kills on a .187 hitting percentage in just 13 sets before sustaining a season-ending injury. “I tore my ACL,” confessed the volleyball star, and decided to retire.

“It was definitely a hard decision,” admitted the outside hitter. However, she chose her long-term health over resuming her college volleyball career. Although Ellie Holzman doesn’t compete anymore, she has redirected her energies toward helping Byrd in his journey. That’s because despite finishing 5th in the NCAA, Lucas Byrd had his own struggles.

While the 133 lb division wrestler placed 5th in the NCAA his first two years of college, an injury sidelined his progress. After not placing in the NCAA ranking during the 2023-24 season, Byrd redshirted due to medical reasons. That’s when Holzman helped Lucas Byrd bounce back. “Hey, you got this. We’re going to get through this together,” she told Byrd.