NCAA Super Early Look at Next Year (2026)

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Just because I get ADD tendencies I started looking at who was coming back next year for each nationals squad and then started looking at score contributors and who is leaving. This is the table I came up with:
Returning ProductionSenior Loss Impact
Utah69%0.29
OU64%0.34
Mich State63%0.49
Alabama63%0.49
Florida61%0.48
UCLA57%0.71
Mizzou57%0.51
LSU54%0.54

Returning production is pretty self-explanatory. Senior loss impact is just a metric I created to try and capture how much the graduating seniors contributed to the score. I sorted from highest to lowest the % of production to team of each gymnast and then took the % of production from top gymnast and kept adding individual gymnasts production till it was over 50% of contribution to team. Then of those gymnasts what contribution percentage of the seniors contributed to that 50% total. So for example the top 4 gymnasts for Utah in terms of contribution, contributed 56% of total team production. Grace was the only senior and her contribution was 16% so 16/56 = 0.29.

Takeaways
  • UCLA really benefited from senior leadership, and if you consider Emily Lee and Jordan Chiles are technically seniors, but have one year eligibility left, it is a potential explanation at how well they were able to "lock-in" at nationals and not suffer the same fate as Utah and Mizzou with shakey final performances. But next year will be a challenge and a real measure of McDonalds impact.
  • LSU had a window close on them. Their most productive gymnast was Chio so that is solace, but it will be difficult to repeat the last 2 year dominance. But they most certainly will be in the thick of things.
  • Looks like OU is not going anywhere and with another top class coming in, they have to be the favorites again. But Utah and Mich State should expect to get back to nationals
  • Alabama and Florida are kinda in the middle there, but Alabama benefited from hosting a regional if you look at their total production number, it is much lower than the top teams. Florida is more likely to return.
Of course lets see what the transfer portal brings.
 
Michigan doesn't lose too much.
Jacey Vore on UB/BB
Jenna Mulligan on VT/BB

Carly Baumann is coming back for a 6th year due to a red shirt year. That's big news.
Plus Myli Lew and Ashlee Sullivan coming in as freshman.
Amy Fukami couldn't compete this year either.

So watch out for Michigan next year, they will definitely be back in the hunt to make Nationals and possibly for the team title.
 
With Sullivan surging as an elite, I wonder if she'll still start as a freshman next year, or if she'll go the Jade route with deferments. NCAA and elite simultaneously has had mixed results. The best results have come from athletes who spent extra time in their home gym (Chiles) or had their home gym come with them (Carey)
 
Idk, that would be a pretty big jump for Michigan which unfortunately didn't show a whole lot of growth this year and at the end of the season. But I agree they have talent to contend.

Kentucky is going to be the Alabama of this year as they are hosting regionals this upcoming season and I see them slotting into that 10-14 ranking + home crowd + home scoring and you know how it ends lol.
 

CGN has their "way too early" power rankings out:
  1. Oklahoma
  2. Florida
  3. LSU
  4. UCLA
  5. Utah
  6. Arkansas
  7. Georgia
  8. Michigan State
  9. Missouri
  10. Alabama
  11. Kentucky
  12. Stanford
  13. California
  14. Denver
  15. Ohio State
  16. Michigan
 
Not yet. All of the athletes I have been in the position to get recruited have been phenomenal people. I did have a recent one where I would never put her on a team where I had a choice. Her recruiting has gone pretty cold, so I'm hoping that I won't have to answer any questions. I will not lie. I will speak to her talent, I won't actively volunteer negativity, but I will not lie if asked direct questions. It's definitely gonna be a tough situation if it comes up.
 

CGN has their "way too early" power rankings out:
  1. Oklahoma
  2. Florida
  3. LSU
  4. UCLA
  5. Utah
  6. Arkansas
  7. Georgia
  8. Michigan State
  9. Missouri
  10. Alabama
  11. Kentucky
  12. Stanford
  13. California
  14. Denver
  15. Ohio State
  16. Michigan
I would have Utah above UCLA. I would have Missouri above at least Georgia and I think I would have Mich State above all the SEC teams except OU, UF and LSU.
 
From the CGN blurb, the high Arkansas placement is based on the idea that their 2nd ranked freshman class will be in many lineups.

What has held Arkansas back from higher than 7th in these recent seasons is too many 9.75 to 9.85 counting scores in vault, bars, and beam. 9.9+ quality routines just did not make up a majority of routines in those three events.

If these three 5-star recruits (and/or the 4-stars) can perform at Roberson’s freshman season level by each contributing a couple of consistent 9.9’s, that raises the scoring ceiling for the team by quite a bit.

We saw that didn’t quite pan out with Michigan’s #1 ranked freshman class this season- yes, solid 9.85’s and a 9.9 or two per meet, but not enough to help the team totals past the low 197’s.
 
I think they are overrating Freshman impact a bit too much.

Even if they are a 5 star, most freshman don't come in and make a program better/more consistent immediately. Particularly if multiple are being relied upon.
 
The Oklahoma freshmen were coached by the Oklahoma staff. I don’t have nearly the faith in the Arkansas coaches that some people do. Also, you never know what you are going to get from freshmen.

Ranking Arkansas sixth seems really high to me, even if the freshmen are supposed to be amazing.
 
Exactly - KJ coached freshman are the exception not the rule.

Plus, they did have normal freshman ups and downs. It was just lessoned by having Bowers, Torrez and Davis holding up the scores while the freshies worked through it. No team is going to have that that level of upperclassman next year to carry the load.
 
Last year’s Florida freshmen performed well up to their ratings, if not exceeding. We could debate whether they were well-coached to reach their results, given all the calls for Jenny to be removed. (I guess if you think Florida’s coaching is substandard, then it doesn’t take KJ Kindler for freshmen to do well.)

I just don’t think it’s easy to predict what happens when a top recruiting class enters a program at a tipping point- in this case the 2nd highest ranked class far outranking the results from the head coach so far.

Roberson proved it week in and out with her actual scores that she can do this at Arkansas. And Michigan’s freshmen were by the end of the season that one error each routine away from getting to their expected level. Not good enough, I know.

I’m just curious to wait and see.
 
Georgia had the top class 2 years ago. While they have helped improve their standing, they still are on the outside. The fact is, it is an exception to expect freshman to contribute at a significant level. This year we could say, Chio, Neff, Fatta, Pederson and possibly Roberson as that type of contributor out of all the freshman 4 and 5 stars. Statistically it would be considered an anomaly if Arkansas had even one of their freshman contribute at that level.
 

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