By Terin Frodyma on SwimSwam
It’s that time of the year again. SwimSwam will be previewing the top 12 men’s and women’s teams (and then some) from the 2026 NCAA Championships. Follow along with the College Swimming Preview Channel. Want to read even more? Check out the latest edition of the SwimSwam magazine.
Men’s #2: Florida Gators
Key Losses: Josh Liendo (60 NCAA Points), Ahmed Hafnaoui (35 NCAA Points), Gio Linscheer (32 NCAA Points), Koen de Groot (15 NCAA Points), Charlie Hutchinson (9 NCAA Points), Eric Brown (3 NCAA Points)
Key Additions: HM Liam Smith (MI – fly/IM/back/free), BOTR Santi Alzate (NC – free/IM), Zoltan Bagi (Hungary – free/fly), Tai Pearson (South Africa – fly), Miguel Tovar (Colombia – diving), Abdalla Youssef Nasr (Auburn transfer – fly), David Johnston (Texas transfer – free/IM)
GRADING CRITERIA
Over the years, we’ve gone back and forth on how to project points, ranging from largely subjective rankings to more data-based grading criteria based on ‘projected returning points.’ We like being as objective as possible, but we’re going to stick with the approach we’ve adopted post-COVID. The “stars” will rely heavily on what swimmers actually did last year, but we’ll also give credit to returning swimmers or freshmen who have posted times that would have scored last year.
Since we only profile the top 12 teams in this format, our grades are designed with that range in mind. In the grand scheme of college swimming and compared to all other college programs, top 12 NCAA programs would pretty much all grade well across the board. But in the interest of making these previews informative, our grading scale is tough – designed to show the tiers between the good stroke groups, the great ones, and the 2015 Texas fly group types.
5 star (★★★★★) – a rare, elite NCAA group projected to score 25+ points per event 4 star (★★★★) – a very, very good NCAA group projected to score 15-24 points per event 3 star (★★★) – a good NCAA group projected to score 5-14 points per event 2 star (★★) – a solid NCAA group projected to score 1-4 points per event 1 star (★) – an NCAA group that is projected to score no points per event, though that doesn’t mean it’s without potential scorers – they’ll just need to leapfrog some swimmers ahead of them to do itWe’ll grade each event discipline: sprint free (which we define to include all the relay-distance freestyle events, so 50, 100 and 200), distance free, IM, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly and diving. Use these grades as a jumping-off point for discussion, rather than a reason to be angry.
Also, keep in mind that we are publishing many of these previews before teams have posted finalized rosters. We’re making our assessments based on the best information we have available at the time of publication. Still, we reserve the right to make changes after publication based on any new information that may emerge regarding rosters. If that does happen, we’ll make certain to note the change.
2025-26 Season Lookback
The Gator men delivered a stellar showing at NCAAs last season, finishing 2nd to National Champions Texas, led by a triple gold-medal outing from Josh Liendo in his final collegiate meet, along with additional wins from Ahmed Jaouadi and Ahmed Hafnaoui.
The team saw contributions across the board at NCAAs, with 13 of the 14 individual qualifiers scoring points. Several other strong seniors led the team, including Gio Lincheer, Koen de Groot, and Charlie Hutchinson. At the same time, Florida staples Scotty Buff, Alex Painter, Jonny Marshall, and Conor Gesing also produced quality.
It was an all-around performance from the Gators, with scoring in each stroke and depth in several events.
Florida wrote a new chapter in its distance free dominance, with Hafnoui and Jaouadi each winning the 500 free and 1650 free, respectively. The biggest star of the season was Liendo, as he had been for much of his decorated collegiate career, finishing as the only swimmer at NCAAs to win three individual titles and topping the scoring ranks with 60 individual points.
The team looks very different this season, but with the talent brought in, they could be dangerous again. They will have their eyes set on another highly competitive 2026-27 season, hoping to clinch a national championship.
Sprint Free: ★★★
One thing this preview will mention over and over is how big of a loss Liendo is, and no group will feel those effects as badly as the sprint freestyle.
Liendo won both the 50 and 100 free last season in 18.06 and 39.91, times that are pretty dang hard to replace. Their likely best option to fill that void will be Alex Painter, who competed in all three sprint freestyle races at NCAAs, finishing 12th in the 50 (18.82), 28th in the 100 (41.96), and 27th in the 200 (1:32.69).
That seems to be the most likely replacement at least in the early stages of the season, though they will also have Scotty Buff to deepen the 50 free room, having finished 22nd in the event at NCAAs in 19.07.
Devin Dilger is another strong depth piece, with best times of 19.11, 41.86, and 1:34.25, which will also help soften the blow of Liendo’s departure, though it probably won’t be as big an impact.
Outside of Painter, no other Gator broke 1:33 last season in the 200 free, with the next quickest being Ahmed Jaouadi, who clocked a 1:33.34 at SECs. It is not the strongest event for Florida, but with Painter being as solid as he is, and his pure race ability, we could see a jump in production from him this season.
Overall, this isn’t the group it was when Liendo was running things, but that doesn’t mean they can’t still muster some scoring in his absence.
Distance Free: ★★★★★
This may be the best event group Florida has, and we need look no further than Ahmed Jaouadi, who won the 1650 last season in 14:10.03 and finished just behind his teammate and fellow Tunisian countryman Ahmed Hafnaoui in the 500 free in 4:06.90.
He is a beast and should be the favorite to repeat as champion in the 1650 this season, while also returning as a popular pick to win the 500 free.
This was a DEEP group last season for Florida, with Linscheer finishing 5th in both the 500 free and 1650 in 4:09.13 and 14:24.18, Charlie Hutchinson placing 13th in the 500 free (4:12.13), and Eric Brown picking up 3 points with his 14th place finish in the 1650 (14:46.61).
Now the downside is that all of those men are now gone, but the reloading process went pretty well.
Insert David Johnston, the US Olympian who raced in only one meet last season but was a top-10 finisher at the 2025 NCAA Championships in both the 500 free (10th, 4:09.48) and the 1650 (7th, 14:30.48).
It may be a small group, considering it’s mainly just Jaouadi and Johnston, but the scoring possibilities are high. It would not be too much of a surprise to see both of these men inside the top 8 at NCAAs and bring home big points for the Gators.
Santi Alzate should be another strong piece in the distance group, bringing in bests of 4:20.6/9:04/15:19; though he may not be an immediate scorer, he should be a solid young talent to help build up the distance program.
Backstroke: ★★★★
Jonny Marshall is back after his 17 points at NCAAs last season. He played the main backstroke role for the Gator men, and that will likely stay true this season.
He finished 17th in the 100 back in 44.90, though he was quicker off the start in the 400 medley relay, splitting 44.09. He is at his most dangerous in the 200, having finished 2nd at NCAAs in 1:37.15.
Had he gone that 44.09 in the prelims, he would have made the final, where that time would have finished 7th. If he can get that time back to his 43.22 career best from 2025, he is immediately back in national championship contention. His 200 back best of 1:35.85 would almost certainly earn him an NCAA championship title in 2027 and re-solidify him as one of the nation’s top backstrokers.
Outside of Marshall, Scotty Buff was 44.85 at SECs in the 100 back, but nobody else on the roster was under 45.9, which makes for a bit of a depth issue. Buff was the only other competitor in the 100 back at NCAAs for Florida, finishing 21st in 44.97.
Aiden Norman touched 31st at NCAAs in the 200 back in 1:40.78, though he was significantly faster at SECs, clocking 1:38.60, a time that would have been 12th at NCAAs. If he can hit his stride at the right time, there is no reason that Florida shouldn’t have multiple scorers in the 200 back.
Breaststroke: ★
Koen de Groot finished 4th in the 100 breast at NCAAs in 50.44, and was even quicker at SECs, touching in 50.22, making him the only swimmer last season for Florida to touch under 51.
Outside of de Groot, this is not a deep area for Florida; the next-quickest returner from a season ago is Nil Cadevall, who was 52.61 at the UGA Fall invite.
Cadevall also comes back as the fastest returning 200 breaststroker with his 1:54.00 from SECs. Jordan Willis is just behind him in 1:54.13.
The reality is that this is not a super strong area, and the relays will likely feel it the most, with no real ace in the hole like De Groot was. Still, Cadevall could make a jump as a sophomore, and potentially take over that breaststroke responsibility throughout the season.
Unfortunately for Florida, this wasn’t an area they necessarily targeted this off-season, with no incoming freshmen or transfers really helping the breaststroke deficit.
It took 51.53 to score at NCAAs last season, which may be just a touch too quick for Florida to earn points. The 200 breast was similar, needing a 1:52.02 to secure a point, well outside the returning talents for the Gators.
Butterfly: ★★★★★
Liendo was more than elite in the butterfly, but now the Gators will need to find a new top dog. One name that immediately comes to mind is Scotty Buff, who finished 6th in 43.67.
Buff already has the high-level racing experience a national title contender needs. Outside of Liendo and Buff, the next-fastest 100 butterflier was Matt Cairns in 46.61, leaving a sizeable gap between some near-sure points and the next-closest returning scorer.
Florida gets a big boost to its scoring potential from Auburn transfer Abdalla Youssef, who finished 12th in the 100 fly last season in 44.65. His biggest upside, however, comes in the 200 fly, where he finished 8th at NCAAs last season in 1:39.59, which would have led the Gator roster last season.
That addition is huge and gives Florida a serious 2nd-highest scorer after Liendo’s absence. Cairnes is the fastest returner from last season in the 200 fly in 1:43.55, though that time is well outside of the scoring range from NCAAs, which sat at 1:40.35.
Florida did bring in a plethora of butterfly talent, including Liam Smith, who holds a 200 fly best of 1:44.12, as well as Zoltan Bagi and Tai Pearson, who both will be racing some of the first yardage swims of their careers.
Had it only been Buff returning, this would be a pretty shallow group, but with Abdalla Youssef added, there is a lot to be positive about.
IM: ★★
Cadevall returns as the fastest returner in the 200 IM, posting 1:45.22 at the UGA Fall Invite, making him the 3rd-quickest performer on the roster behind Charlie Hutchison (1:44.38) and Aleksas Savickas (1:44.95).
It took a 1:42.39 to even secure a single point in the event at NCAAs, which leaves a hole in the scoring for Florida. Aiden Norman was also under 1:46 in 1:45.60.
The 400 IM is now razor thin as well, with Luke Corey, primarily a freestyler, coming back as last season’s top performer in 3:50.57.
David Johnston clocked a 3:38.56 in prelims at the 2025 NCAA Championships, which is a time that would have placed 8th at NCAAs last season. With that addition, Florida is in a pretty decent position to bring home an additional 10+ points in an event that had nine points between two swimmers last season.
Diving: ★★★★
Florida saw some really strong points from Conor Gesing last season, finishing 6th on 1-meter and 5th on 3-meter. He was one of three scoring divers last season, and all three are back this season.
Jesus Gonzalez picked up 16 points, competing in all three events and finishing 3rd on the platform. Jesus Agundez was 4th on 1-meter and also competed in all three events.
It seems to be a very strong group for Florida; with multiple top-8 performers in each event, they could be a real threat to several NCAA podiums.
Relays: ★★★★
Note that the grading system doesn’t align perfectly for relays as double points.
Relay grading system:
5 star (★★★★★) – 31+ points per relay event 4 star (★★★★) – 22-30 relay points per event 3 star (★★★) – 12-21 relay points per event 2 star (★★) – 5-11 relay points per event 1 star (★) – 0-4 relay points per eventThe biggest holes are in the medley relays; with de Groot and Liendo out, we need something to fill that void.
Cadevall seems to be the early breaststroke replacement, but the fly/free could be tricky, Buff can fill either, as can Abdalla in the fly, but Painter would likely slide into the freestyle role, and from there, the Gators are in a pretty solid spot.
Liendo is nearly irreplaceable, but with Buff, Painter, and Dilger all back, and Marvin Johnson still around, the sprint free relays look to be relatively taken care of.
The 800 free relay was 19th at NCAAs, and they only lose Charlie Hutchinson, who is replaceable; it will take some messing around with other potential fill-ins, but with the pure talent of this entire roster, they should be able to find a strong replacement.
Total Stars: 28/40
2026-27 Outlook
Florida will not look the same without Liendo, but the roster around him and the new talent this season will look to get back into the national title picture.
Ahmed Jaouadi is a star, Scotty Buff is proven to be able to race with anybody in the country, David Johnston brings some serious speed and depth, Abdalla Youssef brings in some fly speed to combat the losses of a national champion, and the Gators are ready to go hunting.
The diving group is among the best in the country, and there aren’t many glaring vacancies on this roster. We have seen Florida transform athletes into contenders before, and this roster may be the perfect baseline for Anthony Nesty to do just that.
Men’s 2026-27 College Preview Index
Rank (2026) Team Sprint Free Distance Free Backstroke Breaststroke Butterfly IM Diving Relays Total Stars 1 Texas Longhorns 2 Florida Gators ★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★ ★ ★★★★★ ★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ 28/40 3 Indiana Hoosiers ★★ ★★★★★ ★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★ ★★★★★ ★★ ★★★★ 29/40 4 Arizona State Sun Devils ★★★½ ★ ★★★★½ ★ ★★★★ ★★ ★ ★★★★★ 22/40 5 Tennessee Volunteers ★★★★★ ★★½ ★★½ ★★★ ★★★ ★ ★★★★ ★★★★½ 25.5/40 6 NC State Wolfpack ★★★★½ ★★★½ ★★★ ★ ★ ★★★ ★ ★★★★★ 22/40 7 California Golden Bears ★★ ★★★½ ★★★½ ★★★★ ★★½ ★★★½ ★ ★★★ 23/40 8 Michigan Wolverines ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★★★ ★★★★ ★★ ★★ 16/40 9 Virginia Cavaliers ★★½ ★ ★★★ ★ ★★★★ ★★★★ ★ ★★★½ 19/40 10 Stanford Cardinal ★★★½ ★★★ ★★ ★★½ ★★ ★ ★★★ ★★½ 19.5/40 11 Virginia Tech Hokies ★★★ ★ ★★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ 13/40 12 Louisville Cardinals ★★★ ★ ★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★ ★★★ 16/40Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2026-27 College Swimming Previews: #2 Florida Men Seek More Success in Post-Liendo Era with Jaouadi, Buff, Marshall
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