The Future of NCAA Swimming: A Deep Dive into the Class of 2028 Recruit Rankings

The landscape of collegiate swimming is shifting beneath our feet. As top-tier high school talent accelerates the recruiting timeline, the pressure to identify future stars early has never been higher. Today, we continue our annual tradition of “Way Too Early” recruit rankings, turning our focus to the high school girls’ Class of 2028.

These rankings are designed to provide context for the rapidly evolving recruiting market. While the most reliable metric remains the cold, hard reality of stopwatches and pool times, these projections reflect the priorities of NCAA coaches who scout for versatility, relay impact, and the potential to score at the national championship level.

The Methodology: Decoding College Recruitment

Our ranking system is built on years of coverage and dialogue with collegiate coaching staffs. We focus exclusively on American-based athletes. International recruiting presents a unique set of variables—uncertainty regarding timing, eligibility, and the specific graduating class—that make standard comparisons difficult.

Beyond raw speed, our analysis weighs:

• Versatility: The ability to contribute in multiple individual events and relays.
• NCAA Scoring Potential: How close an athlete is to current championship cutlines.
• Developmental Trajectory: Year-over-year improvement curves and age-group records.

It is essential to note that these lists are not a definitive prophecy. They are snapshots in time. We recognize that collegiate swimming history is littered with unranked recruits who went on to become legends, just as it features top-ranked prospects who struggled to adjust to the rigors of the NCAA.

Top Times in the Class of 2028

The class is defined by a handful of generational talents who have already begun to flirt with NCAA scoring times. Below are the current benchmarks for the class:

Event	Swimmer	Time
50 Free	Gabi Brito	21.66
100 Free	Gabi Brito	47.77
200 Free	Reina Liu	1:44.49
500 Free	Brinkleigh Hansen	4:38.51
100 Breast	Mikayla Tan	59.04
100 Fly	Gabi Brito	50.74
200 IM	Gabi Brito	1:55.76

The Elite Tier: Profiles of the Top Prospects

1. Gabi Brito (Santa Monica, CA)

Leading the class is Gabi Brito, a powerhouse sprinter whose versatility is matched only by her speed. With a 21.66 in the 50 free and a 50.74 in the 100 fly, Brito has already cleared the hurdle of NCAA ‘A’ final consideration. Her progression over the last 12 months—specifically her transition from a regional standout to a national threat—marks her as the most significant prospect in the 2028 cohort.

2. Reina Liu (Cary, NC)

Reina Liu stands as the most "complete" swimmer in this class. She holds the most NCAA-qualifying times of any recruit in the group, showing elite aptitude in the 100 back, 200 IM, and sprint freestyle. Her recent experience at the Canadian Trials has provided her with the high-pressure international exposure that often differentiates good collegiate swimmers from great ones.

3. Mikayla Tan (San Ramon, CA)

Breaststroke is the backbone of any championship team, and Mikayla Tan is the premier breaststroker in this class. Her 2:06.74 in the 200 breast, clocked at Winter Juniors, suggests she is already capable of making an ‘A’ final at the NCAA level. Her ability to anchor a medley relay while contributing in the 200 IM makes her a high-priority recruit for every major power-five program in the country.

Chronology of Development

The past two years have seen an unprecedented jump in performance across this class. In the 2024-2025 season, we saw athletes like Karina Plaza become the youngest woman in history to break the 1:00 barrier in the 100-yard breaststroke. Simultaneously, swimmers like Ellie Clarke have redefined the "distance-flyer" archetype, showcasing an ability to win six-for-six individual events at major sectionals.

These athletes are not just swimming faster; they are training smarter. The current generation of juniors is benefiting from a more sophisticated understanding of taper, nutrition, and psychological preparation, leading to the rapid decay of long-standing age-group records.

Supporting Data: The "Cutline" Reality

In our analysis, we utilize the NCAA cutline—the threshold required to qualify for the national championships. Currently, only a select few in this class—including Alex Siegel, Jianna Amores, and Gabi Brito—have already posted times that meet the 2026 qualifying criteria.

While swimmers like Meghan Ayres and Lane Francis didn’t crack our top 20, they represent the "Honorable Mention" tier—athletes who are within 2% of the cutline. For college coaches, these swimmers are often the most attractive, as they possess high ceilings and significant room for physical and technical development before their freshman year.

Official Perspectives: The Coaching Philosophy

When speaking with college coaches, a common theme emerges: they are no longer just looking for the fastest swimmer; they are looking for the most "adaptable" swimmer. The NCAA championship format, with its three-event individual limit and relay heavy-scoring, necessitates athletes who can pivot.

"We want a recruit who isn’t married to one stroke," says one veteran Division I coach. "If a swimmer can give us 50-second 100s in fly, back, and free, they are worth three times as much to our program as a specialist who only swims one event."

This sentiment is reflected in our ranking of Heba Fouitah, whose versatility across the 200 IM, 100 fly, and 200 free makes her a swiss-army-knife asset for any roster.

Implications for the Future of Collegiate Swimming

The emergence of this class signals a broader trend in American swimming: the professionalization of the youth circuit. As the talent pool deepens, the "gap" between high schoolers and collegiate standouts is shrinking.

1. The Relay Impact

The importance of the 50 and 100 freestyle has never been greater. With the current scoring structure, the ability to split 21-low or 48-mid on a relay can single-handedly swing a team’s placement at the NCAA championships. Prospects like Kennedi Southern and Stella Canoles are being scouted specifically for their "takeover" speeds, which are currently trending toward elite collegiate standards.

2. Strategic Specialization

For athletes like Brinkleigh Hansen, the path to the NCAA involves mastering the long-distance events while maintaining relay-worthy speed in the 200 free. Because the 1650 free is now a standalone test of endurance and pacing, distance swimmers who can also contribute to the 800 free relay are the most valuable commodities in the recruiting cycle.

3. The "Junior Year" Crunch

With top recruits committing as early as their sophomore and junior years, the window for negotiation is closing. Programs that fail to identify and build relationships with swimmers like Grace Koenig-Song or Emma Hussein early will find themselves out-recruited by the time the signing period arrives.

Conclusion

The Class of 2028 is shaping up to be one of the most talented in recent memory. With a core group of swimmers who have already breached the NCAA cutline, the coming years will be defined by how these athletes handle the transition from high-intensity age-group swimming to the high-stakes environment of the NCAA.

While we celebrate the current rankings, we must maintain a sense of perspective. Swimming is a sport of attrition and growth. For the athletes on this list, the work has only just begun. For the programs recruiting them, the challenge is to nurture this talent without burning it out. As we look ahead to the next two years of development, the only certainty is that the standards will continue to rise, and the next wave of collegiate icons is already hard at work in the pool.

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Disclaimer: These rankings are based on current data and performance trends. They are not an exhaustive list of all high school talent. If you believe a top-tier swimmer has been omitted, we encourage civil discussion in the comments. We are committed to accuracy and welcome information that helps us better document the future of the sport.