The second-ranked Illini wrestling team will begin their season this weekend, which they hope will end in an NCAA championship.

On Sunday the team will travel to Columbia, Mo., to compete in the Fourth Annual Missouri Open, where they will square off against several other nationally ranked teams.

"It's not a team event," head coach Mark Johnson said. "It's just more of an individual tournament to see where individuals are. That's really what I'm looking for, to see how some of our individuals are coming along."

Each wrestler is put in a certain bracket within his weight class, and six victories earn a Missouri Open championship. Mark Jayne (133 lbs.), Brian Glynn (184 lbs.), and Kyle Ott (125 lbs.) are all returning Missouri Open champions for the Illini. The team is confident in their chances this year.

"Every one of our starters is capable of winning," senior co-captain Jason Potter said.

Johnson likes the tournament because every member on his team can participate, rather than just the normal 10 starters.

"Everybody brings their full team so you get a lot of matches," Johnson said. "I can take 30 guys there to compete."

This weekend, the Illini are looking forward to seeing Oklahoma, the consensus No. 1 team in America.

"If we can knock off a team like that it's going to show how good our team really is," Potter said. "On paper we're ranked well, but we need to go out and beat some good teams."

The Missouri Open and the wrestle-offs, the inter-squad meet that occurred earlier this month, will be the key factors in solidifying the starting lineup.

"There are definitely some spots that are up in the air right now," Johnson said. "At 149 (pounds) we are yet to determine the starter. The heavyweight position is still up in the air. 133 was an overtime match, and at 174 the returning state qualifier (Pete Friedl) got beat. There is some stuff that will change this weekend and solidify this weekend as well."

The wrestling program is buzzing right now about the three recruits who have signed this fall. Joe Gomez, ranked in the top 15 nationally, committed earlier this week from Glenbard, IL.

"We are going to be stacked next year," Johnson said. "Our best years so far as a team are going to be the next few years. To have that good of a recruiting class with losing very little is fun. We're happy with what we got, and we are going to get even better in the future."