Welcome to the second half of our rankings for the 2024 Males’s NCAA Division I recruiting lessons. We’ve been counting down from #16 and you may take a look at the beforehand ranked applications under. On this article are the groups we’ve ranked eighth by means of fifth greatest, that means that we’re now totally in “these are stacked lessons” vary. Keep tuned for our prime 4 recruiting lessons, coming later this week.
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Earlier than we get caught within the rankings, a couple of vital notes:
- The rankings listed are primarily based on our Class of 2024 Re-Rank. “HM” refers to our honorable mentions and “BOTR” refers to our Better of the Relaxation part for top-tier recruits.
- Like most of our rankings, these placements are subjective. We base our crew ranks on quite a few elements: prospects’ incoming instances are by far the principle issue, however we additionally contemplate potential upside within the class, class dimension, relay influence, and crew wants. Larger weight is positioned on recognized success in brief course yards, so international swimmers are barely devalued primarily based on the problem in changing lengthy course instances to quick course manufacturing.
- Transfers are included, although they’re weighed lower than recruits who arrive with 4 seasons of eligibility.
- For the complete listing of all verbally dedicated athletes, click on right here. A giant thanks to SwimSwam’s personal Anne Lepesant for compiling that index – with out it, rankings like these could be far much less complete.
- Some groups had not launched a finalized 2024-25 crew roster on the time these articles had been revealed, that means it’s attainable we missed some names. Tell us within the feedback under.
#8 Arizona State Solar Devils
- Prime-tier additions: #15 Michael Hochwalt (WA -IM/fly/again), #19 Quin Seider (CA – free), HM Brady Johnson (IL – free/again), BOTR Tolu Younger (WA/Fiji – dash free)
- The “Relaxation”: Tommy Palmer (Arizona switch – dash free), Jonathon Adam (UK – again), Oscar Bilbao (UAE – breast), Alex Burton (Grand Canyon switch – diving), Carson Christiansen (CA – diving), Isaac Fleig (IN – free), Finn Kemp (Luxembourg – breast), Jacob Pins (IA – free), Bryce Rohr (VA – distance free), Leo Verschooten (Belgium – free/fly), Lucien Vergnes (France – breast)
The reigning NCAA champions start a brand new period this season as Herbie Behm takes the reins as head coach. This recruiting class displays what the Solar Devils roster appeared like final season: loads of worldwide recruits, rangy IMers that may additionally throw down within the stroke 200s, and drop useless sprinters.
Their two top-20 ranked recruits characterize the crew’s areas of energy effectively. #15 Michael Hochwalt is likely one of the most versatile swimmers within the class; he made dramatic enhancements in his senior yr, dropping to three:42.88 within the 400 IM, which makes him one among ten swimmers on this class to have a time that will’ve certified for 2024 NCAAs. He additionally popped a 15:05.76 within the 1650 freestyle (which provides ASU three 15-minute low first years in him, Isaac Fleig, and Jacob Pins). ASU can use him within the IMs, distance freestyle, and 200s of stroke. #19 Quin Seider initiatives as a 50/100/200 freestyle sprinter who’ll match proper in as a relay piece due to his private bests of 19.78/43.03/1:34.97.
Arizona switch Tommy Palmer provides his skills to the dash group, as does BOTR Tolu Younger. Palmer has two years of eligibility left and has thrown down an 18.45 flying 50 freestyle, which ought to earn him a spot on the 200 freestyle relay. Younger, a freshman and Fiji Olympian, shall be an excellent coaching accomplice for Seider within the 50/100 free as he owns lifetime bests of 19.61/44.14.
HM Brady Johnson is one other Solar Satan recruit who made huge jumps in his highschool senior season. He and Jonathon Adam ought to assist ease the lack of Hubert Kos and Owen McDonald, although it could take Adam and the opposite worldwide recruits time to regulate to yards. He’s bringing in bests of 46.65/1:42.69 within the 100/200 backstroke, instances that may put him within the ‘A’ closing of 2024 Huge-12s, which is ASU’s new convention.
Worldwide recruits Oscar Bilbao, Lucien Vergnes, and Finn Kemp add their firepower to the breaststroke ranks. Vergnes and Kemp finaled at European Juniors, with Vergnes successful the 2022 200 breast title. Kemp was additionally a finalist at World Juniors.
It is a sturdy class for the Solar Devils. It’s not possible to recreate the newly turned skilled Leon Marchand, this class provides Behm and the ASU teaching workers lots to work with, although with so many worldwide recruits it’s laborious to gauge long-term influence earlier than they’ve had an opportunity to regulate to yards. That doesn’t solely apply to the worldwide Solar Satan recruits, however to all of the international freshmen, it doesn’t matter what college’s cap they placed on.
#7 California Golden Bears
- Prime-tier additions: #3 Lucca Battaglini (NC – dash free), HM Nick Mahabir (CA/Singapore – breast), BOTR Thackston McMullan (OH – dash free), BOTR August Vetsch (AZ – dash free), BOTR Freddy Klein (NC – distance free), BOTR Carter Lancaster (FL – IM), Mewen Tomac (France – again)
- The “Relaxation”: Frank Applebaum (CMS (D3) grad switch – fly/IM), Edward Huang (CA – free/again/fly), Lars Antoniak (Estonia – breast), Matthew Elliott (CA – dash free), Trey Hesser (AZ – free), Yamato Okadome (Japan – breast), Nans Mazellier (France – dash free/fly)
Talking of worldwide recruits, Cal is bringing in a robust group of its personal, highlighted by Mewen Tomac, a French nationwide document holder recent off a house Olympic Video games. Tomac remains to be getting his NCAA compliance sorted out, sources inform SwimSwam, so there’s some hedging on his arrival – but when that every one will get straight, he he provides a robust bat to an already deep Golden Bear backstroke contingent. Japan’s Yamato Okadome, a 2022 Junior Pan Pacs silver medalist, and Estonia’s Lars Antoniak be a part of the Cal roster, as does France’s dash freestyler/butterflier Nans Mazellier, who arrives in Berkeley after a niche yr.
Cal’s recruiting class is headlined by #3 Lucca Battaglini, the quickest 50 freestyler within the class (19.04), who initiatives as a 50 free/100 fly/100 freestyler within the NCAA format. Battaglini’s 19.04 propelled him up the category’s rankings because it all however ensures Cal one other 18-point relay swimmer, even when he doesn’t crack the ‘A’ relay straight away. “Better of the Relaxation” recruits Thackston McMullen (20.20/43.67) and August Vetsch (19.71/43.21) additionally add gas to Cal’s formidable dash group, as does Matthew Elliott (19.89/44.39).
It is a well-rounded class for the Golden Bears, as they add a minimum of one swimmer to each self-discipline. BOTR Carter Lancaster (1:45.02/3:46.65) joins the IM crew, Freddy Klein (4:19.68/15:02.12) and Trey Hesser (4:19.37/15:15.56) be a part of the gap freestylers, HM Nick Mahabir (55.13/2:01.09), Antoniak, and Okadome add their firepower to the breaststroke group, and Frank Applebaum (47.13/1:43.39) received the DIII title within the 200 fly twice.
A brand new period begins for Cal this season as they be a part of the ACC. They’re additionally searching for to reclaim the nationwide title after ASU beat them in 2024. This class could assist them in that mission and will definitely assist them make themselves often called a menace within the ACC, however extra importantly, it’s an evenly unfold group that ought to develop effectively in Berkeley and maintain Cal on the prime of the nationwide rankings past this 2024-25 season.
#6 Florida Gators
The Florida Gators did effectively of their home recruiting, snagging commitments from #9 Luke Whitlock, the quickest distance swimmer within the class and now a U.S. Olympian; HM Devin Dilger; and BOTR recruit Luke Corey. They’ve additionally bought a rising variety of Canadians on their roster as dash freestyler Paul Dardis and backstroker Aiden Norman arrive in Gainesville this fall. Their different worldwide recruits embrace Matthew Cairns, Alex Painter, and Denmark’s Fred Lindholm.
“Freestyle College” is an apt nickname for Florida and unsurprisingly, lots of their recruits specialise in that self-discipline. Whitlock, Dilger, Corey, Dardis, and Lindholm will assist them proceed that freestyle legacy. Whitlock arrives in Gainesville with a sub-15 minute mile time (14:50.37), and a 500 free time (4:15.75) a couple of second off what it took to qualify for 2024 NCAAs. Corey additionally provides his skills to the gap group (1:37.3/4:21.4/15:04.8) as does Lindholm, a multi-time Danish and Nordic nationwide and junior nationwide champion. Dropping down in distance, Dilger is a robust sprinter for Florida who may develop right into a relay function later in his profession (19.69/42/72), as may Dardis, a World Juniors finalist.
However as with every crew often contending for a top-five end at NCAA Championships, the Gators are good at greater than only one factor. Norman simply swept the backstrokes on the 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships and may slot in properly with a backstroke group that accommodates fifth-year Adam Chaney and sophomore Jonny Marshall.
Painter and Cairns each arrive from Millfield as versatile swimmers who may swim backstroke, freestyle, or butterfly occasions (Painter leans in the direction of an emphasis on dash free and Cairns on backstroke).
Florida returns a stacked roster and all twenty of their NCAA relay legs as they give the impression of being to proceed their streak as SEC champions and enhance on their third place end at 2024 NCAAs. With such a deep crew returning, it could be laborious for these swimmers as a category to make the identical speedy influence that some freshmen lessons at different applications will. However even when they don’t burst onto the scene, this class has the potential to grow to be a robust one which continues Florida’s convention and nationwide success.
#5 NC State Wolfpack
- Prime-tier additions: #1 Kaii Winkler (FL – dash free), #18 Matt Marsteiner (NC – distance free), BOTR Charlie Bufton (IL – IM), BOTR Nolan Dunkel (VA – again/free), BOTR Hudson Schuricht (AZ – breast), David Betlehem (Hungary – distance free)
- The “Relaxation”: Simon Bermudez (VA/Colombia – free/fly/again), , Hudson DeGroote (NC – free/IM), Arsen Kozhankhmetov (Kazakhstan – breast), Calvin LeBlanc (RI – diving), Will Schwallier (MI – diving), Brasen Walker (NC – breast), Noah Wanzer (VA – diving)
The Wolfpack’s recruiting class depth took successful when Daniel Diehl graduated highschool early and joined the roster in January—however solely a small one. Kaii Winkler, our #1 recruit on this highschool class, arrives on campus this fall. Winkler fractured his wrist and elbow final summer season, however he nonetheless posted lifetime bests within the 200 freestyle and the 100 fly in his senior season. He swam a nationwide highschool document of 1:32.68 within the former, including one other NCAA-qualification-worthy occasion to his arsenal that put extra distance between himself and the #2 swimmer on our listing.
Winkler will make a direct influence for the Wolfpack, each in his particular person occasions and as a member of their relays. He’s not the one ranked recruit becoming a member of NC State both, as #18 Matt Marsteiner additionally fits up for NC State this fall. Marsteiner owns the second-fastest mile time on this class with a 15:00.38. He’s additionally a robust 200 flyer and whereas that will imply there’s a grimy double in his future, it does give him a 3rd occasion which many distance swimmers wrestle to search out in an NCAA championship schedule with out the 1000 free. NC State’s formidable distance core additionally positive aspects David Betlehem, a Hungarian nationwide document holder who simply completed fourth within the 1500 freestyle on the 2024 Olympics (14:40.91).
NC State graduated a robust fifth-year class however they’re seeking to offset the loss and proceed their reign as one of many prime groups in a new-look ACC by additionally including Charlie Bufton, Nolan Dunkel, and Hudson Schuricht, three “Better of the Relaxation” recruits, who cowl a large unfold of disciplines. Breaststroke is an space the place the Wolfpack are sometimes weak, and so they’ve made an effort to proper that by bringing in Schuricht, Arsen Kozhankhmetov, and Brasen Walker. In the meantime, Dunkel brings in dash freestyle skills; Bufton and Simon Bermudez add IM depth, and Bermudez particularly initiatives as a robust utility man.
It’s a troublesome name between Florida and NC State for which program breaks into the highest 5, however we finally selected the Wolfpack. They’ve extra ranked recruits than Florida, each within the prime 20 and by totaling the highest 20, HMs, and BOTR. But additionally, within the NCAA format, Winkler is an exceptionally priceless addition which is just too laborious to disregard.
