Whereas a bulk of the crew factors in NCAA Swimming and Diving meets come from swimming, it’s no secret that diving has the potential to play an enormous function and sway ends in an unpredictable method.
In an effort to increase NCAA protection right here on SwimSwam, now we have compiled a listing of the highest 10 males’s recruits for the highschool class of 2026. The purpose of this expanded protection is to supply our readers with a extra full view of how recruiting will influence the way forward for a crew.
Methodology
Rating divers is extra advanced and fewer black and white than rating swimmers. Diving is a subjective sport, which means that merely scores doesn’t present a full image in comparison with a swimmer’s time. The scoring is open to interpretation, so it was essential for us not simply to take a look at outcomes whereas compiling these rankings, however to additionally analyze video and formulate our personal opinions within the course of.
Inside Division I of the NCAA, most twin meets in diving solely contest the one-meter and three-meter springboard occasions. Platform diving, for essentially the most half, solely comes into play for invitationals and championship meets. Divers with the power to compete on platform proper out of highschool usually are not quite common however are very beneficial. This versatility of getting a platform-capable diver is essential for faculty groups as a result of it merely means extra probabilities to attain factors.
Being profitable within the junior ranks in diving doesn’t all the time translate to success on the NCAA or senior degree. It was essential for us to think about potential when composing this rating as earlier success isn’t all the time a dependable indicator.
This record focuses on American-based athletes as it’s troublesome to foretell if worldwide athletes will select to compete within the NCAA. Moreover, this record isn’t exhaustive of all of the proficient NCAA recruits on this class and doesn’t imply any diver omitted doesn’t have the potential to make beneficial contributions to a school crew.
Honorable Mentions
Henry Palmquist – Mile Excessive Dive Membership – Pine, CO
Versatility is an effective attribute to have when going by way of the NCAA recruiting course of. Palmquist certified to the latest junior nationals in all three particular person occasions, which reveals his steadiness. Proper now, Palmquist’s diving is slightly messy, so this season he’ll be trying to clear up his kind with a purpose to try to crack the highest ten. Nonetheless, in accordance with his divemeets.com profile, he has not been diving competitively for tremendous lengthy, so we might see a big enchancment curve for him over the following yr.
Kielan Liu – Los Angeles Dive Membership – Los Angeles, CA
Whereas Liu does compete in all three occasions, he actually shines on the platform. He has good kind and good traces, which is already an enormous asset for him. Like Palmquist, Liu has not been competitively diving all that lengthy and has solely began competing on platform in 2023. Primarily based on the dives I’ve seen, his enchancment curve is already huge and if it retains up, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him in the primary record subsequent yr.
TOP 10 RECRUITS
10. Andrew Garrison – Mile Excessive Dive Membership – Littleton, CO
Andrew Garrison out of Mile Excessive Dive Membership begins out our record. Garrison’s finest occasion is the platform and his expertise are evident in his beneficial capacity to slice by way of the water cleanly on his dives. Whereas the entries to his dives are nice, his kind within the air leaves slightly to be desired and might be cleaned up a bit. That together with enhancing his problem could be what we’re searching for to maneuver him up on the record.
9. Luke Rawlings – New River Diving – Christiansburg, VA
Luke Rawlings is an attention-grabbing case as a listing addition as he did not qualify to the junior nationals on the springboard occasions and solely competed on the platform. Nonetheless, he has a sure “wow” issue to his diving. His capacity to cleanly enter the water (particularly off of the 10-meter) is extraordinarily beneficial. Presently, his skills largely shine by way of on platform, however we imagine that he has the potential to translate that to the decrease boards, which might make him a beneficial asset on the NCAA degree.
8. Mitchell Caldwell – American Flyers Diving – Solon, OH
One thing that I instantly observed when watching Caldwell’s diving is how excessive he jumps on springboard. This high quality simply screams “potential!” to school coaches. Alongside together with his pure springboard capacity, Caldwell has a decently troublesome platform record and a variety of expertise on that occasion. He’s additionally noticeably tall for a diver, which might make issues tougher on this sport, however may also be a bonus as it could possibly create the phantasm of elongated traces to the judges. In diving, extra grace equals increased scores. One weak spot I see in him proper now’s that he lacks a little bit of refinery in his kind. If he performs to his strengths and makes use of his lengthy traces, he might discover his means onto any upper-level program.
7. Jasper Nemeth – Los Angeles Dive Membership – Los Angeles, CA
Jasper Nemeth is a good platform diver with actually strong approach. A key attribute in a diving recruit is having sound fundamentals, as coaches have much less to “repair” as soon as an athlete lastly arrives on campus. He’s already coaching and competing in some fairly large dives, however has not but proven the power to place all of it collectively in a singular competitors record. Nemeth isn’t only a “one-trick pony,” he is also a really strong springboard diver. He has the power to leap excessive and has been coaching some troublesome dives. His energy in all the occasions makes him extremely recruitable.
6. Mason Lawson – Fishers Diving Workforce – Fishers, IN
Lawson has been throwing some actually large dives in his latest coaching movies, a few of that are solely seen competing on the highest ranges within the NCAA. Seeing this development in somebody so younger is tremendous spectacular, nevertheless it’s essential to notice that now we have not seen them in competitors but from him, so we can not overreact to this thrilling bit of data. Whereas he executes platform as effectively, Lawson’s skills actually lie within the one-meter and three-meter springboard. Relying on this system he chooses, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him focus solely on springboard post-high faculty. Nonetheless, together with his degree of energy and spectacular air consciousness, he’ll do exactly high quality wherever he chooses to go.
5. Noah Stasik – Orlando Dive Academy – Chuluota, FL
Stasik is usually a platform diver, however he’s a really proficient one. He does additionally compete on the one and three-meter springboard, however being a finalist on platform at the latest junior nationals is certainly his resumé booster. He has a very large 10-meter record that might already do effectively within the NCAA as is. With a few years to maintain progressing, he might doubtlessly have one of the vital troublesome dive lists within the NCAA on platform as only a freshman. One minor challenge we see is that he presently lacks sound consistency, however that comes with time and extra competitors. Seeing that Stasik has solely critically been competing for round three years, I’d guess that he’ll enhance that consistency earlier than enrolling in 2026.
4. Tristan Yang – New York Dive Membership – Jericho, NY
Tristan Yang has a number of the sharp traits and near-perfect approach that we come to anticipate not simply out of the highest divers nationally, however on the planet. Even with out platform expertise, he’s on the high of his class due to his good execution and aggressive problem at a younger age. For unknown causes, he didn’t compete at this yr’s junior nationals, so his outcomes aren’t as latest because the others on this record. Regardless, I can see a diver like him doing very effectively within the NCAA.
3. Thibault Lede – Dominion Dive Membership – Oakton, VA
Throughout all occasions, Lede has a comparatively straightforward and easy competitors record. Nonetheless, the rationale now we have him this excessive on this record is due to his class, execution, and stellar entries. These traits are all teachable within the sport of diving, however Lede has an plain expertise that no coach can merely replicate in different athletes. His latest outcomes don’t paint the total image, in my view, as he failed to complete in any occasion on the junior nationals. Nonetheless, his potential is big and I anticipate to see large issues from him subsequent season..
By analyzing his movies and looking out by way of his outcomes, it’s clear that Lede will get higher the upper up he goes. His capacity to tear on three-meter like a 10-meter dive would is a top quality that I’ve seen from solely a handful of divers. As soon as he will increase his energy and explosivity off the springboard, he’ll be capable to compete in these tougher dives. I’ve little doubt that with one other couple of years of improvement and a while in a collegiate-level energy and conditioning program, Lede has the capability to be an enormous NCAA scorer for his crew.
2. Mason Mankey – Indiana Worldwide Faculty of Diving – Decatur, IN
Mason Mankey had an excellent 2022 season, making the World Junior Championships roster for Workforce USA, however had a slight downturn within the 2023 season, failing to ultimate in that yr’s nationwide meet. This yr was a distinct story as he turned it round to place in a strong efficiency. His one-meter meet appeared particularly spectacular as he was constant and within the hunt for a podium end.
Mankey has the right steadiness of energy and beauty in his diving, which is completely exemplified by his troublesome dives accomplished with impeccable kind. Although he focuses solely on the springboard occasions, he already has the capability to attain on the convention degree and can seemingly be within the hunt to attain on the NCAAs by his freshman yr. If he continues on this trajectory, Mankey has a vibrant future forward of him.
1. Ivor Brown – Dominion Dive Membership – Chantilly, VA
Divers from Dominion Dive Membership take two of the highest three spots on this record as Ivor Brown is available in as our #1 recruit in the highschool class of 2026. Brown has been one in every of America’s high junior divers for years now, and with that, comes a variety of worldwide and senior-level expertise. As a junior diver coming into into the NCAA, that is extraordinarily beneficial as a result of it makes it simpler to compete on the increased degree championship meets, particularly freshman yr.
What finally guided us in the direction of placing him within the high spot is his general energy and his consistency over time. Although Brown is a strict springboard diver, he’s already coaching (and competing) a number of the higher-difficulty dives wanted to attain on the NCAA meet. The peak he already will get at such a younger age is unbelievable, and can seemingly be even increased by the point he begins his freshman yr. If there’s one space he can enhance on, it’s together with his consistency. Nonetheless, as soon as he will get that labored out, he’s certain to make an influence within the NCAA.
