NCAA gymnastics recruiting is constantly evolving, and the new ways coaches approach recruiting can play a major role in building a championship-caliber team. With the rise of the transfer portal, changing roster limits, NIL opportunities, and increased interest in international athletes, coaches are adapting their recruiting strategies to build the strongest teams possible. The traditional path of identifying a recruit early and developing them over four years is no longer the only way to add talent to a roster. Here are five recruiting trends shaping NCAA gymnastics throughout the offseason.
The Transfer Portal
Though the transfer portal has been around for years, it has quickly become one of the biggest factors shaping NCAA gymnastics recruiting. Rather than relying solely on high school recruits, programs can now use the portal to bring in experienced athletes who have already competed at the collegiate level and can make an immediate impact. One example is Emma Slevin using the portal to transfer from Minnesota to Arkansas. After competing one season at Minnesota, she transferred to Arkansas to use her final year in a different and new environment. It will be exciting to see Slevin embrace a new team, new coaches, and a new state as she begins the next chapter of her career in SEC gymnastics. Gymnasts can also use the portal to find a better fit in a larger role or to compete closer to home. As coaches balance incoming freshmen with experienced transfers, the portal has become an important part of building a competitive roster and finding athletes who can fill specific lineup needs.
House Settlement Roster Limits
The House settlement and new roster limits are also changing the way NCAA gymnastics programs approach recruiting. With fewer roster spots available, coaches have to be more intentional about which athletes they bring into their programs and how each recruit fits into their long-term plans. Instead of simply adding as much talent as possible and having the specialist strategy, teams must try to include more all-arounders while balancing high school recruits, transfers, and returning athletes. The changes have made each roster spot more valuable and added another layer to the recruiting process, forcing coaches to think carefully about both immediate impact and future team success.
Growth of International Recruits
The growth of international recruits has become another major trend shaping NCAA gymnastics. As more programs look beyond the United States for talent, international gymnasts are becoming increasingly interested in competing for the NCAA, which makes them an important part of college recruiting. Some international elites about to head to college include Michelle Pineda from Mexico going to UCLA, Dana Khalil from Egypt going to Michigan State, and Amika Every from Aruba going to Southern Connecticut. They each have their own successful elite careers for their country, and bring high-level elite experience, international competition backgrounds, and unique skills to NCAA lineups. For coaches, expanding their recruiting efforts internationally creates access to a wider pool of talent, while athletes from around the world have more opportunities to continue competing at a high level while earning a college education.
Class Movement
Class movement has also become an important trend in NCAA gymnastics recruiting, as athletes have more flexibility in when they enter college and which recruiting class they join. We are seeing more and more athletes participate in early graduation, deferrals, and reclassification, especially within the last two years for the 2028 Olympic cycle. Hezly Rivera is the biggest example of this, deferring her enrollment to LSU to train for LA28. For coaches, these movements can affect scholarship availability, roster planning, and how many athletes they can bring in during a given year. With recruiting classes becoming less predictable, programs have to remain flexible and adjust their plans as athletes’ timelines change.
Coaching Changes
This off-season we’ve seen an increasing amount of coaching movements and changes. New coaching staff can influence everything from recruiting priorities to an athlete’s decision about where they want to compete. We saw many athletes reconsider their commitments or transfer to another school after coaches announced their departures, a notable one being Joscelyn Roberson. After Jordan Wieber decided to depart from her position as head coach at Arkansas, Roberson entered the portal and ended up at Georgia with her former club coaches, Cécile Canqueteau-Landi and Laurent Landi. As programs continue to experience staff transitions, coaching changes are becoming an important part of the recruiting landscape and have a direct impact on where athletes ultimately choose to compete.
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