University of Georgia freshman Matt Ellis has chosen to transfer to the University of Texas next fall, he told SwimSwam today. “I love the school, coaches, and the guys here, but the sprint group just wasn’t here. Texas is the best place for me to be in route to Rio 2016,” Ellis said.
He will begin competing for the Longhorns in the fall of 2013 as a sophomore.
Ellis was the top sprint recruit in the high school class of 2012 after being the youngest swimmer to make the semifinal in the men’s 100 free at the 2012 US Olympic trials by four years. The next youngest was actually another Longhorn (Jimmy Feigen).
He placed 39th in the 100 yard fly with a 47.88 and 33rd in the 100 yard free with a 43.61 at his freshman NCAA Championship meet. His best times of the year, however, were all done at SEC’s where he swam a 19.6 in his 50 free, a 43.0 in his hundred free, and a 46.8 in his 100 fly.
That represents about half a second drop in each of his freestyle times from his high school bests and just over a second in 100 fly.
That sprint talent will be badly missed by Georgia and was also badly needed by Texas after the Longhorns graduated their top sprinters in two consecutive years: Jimmy Feigen and Dax Hill. The Georgia men are typically thin in the sprint freestyles, and were counting on four years from Ellis to help change that reputation.
The Longhorns become a serious NCAA team title threat for 2014, if they weren’t already, with this news. Their sprint group proved to be deeper last year than most knew (their own freshman John Murray had a great inaugural season), but a small recruiting class the year prior left them needing to reload. Eddie Reese has an outstanding class coming in next fall, and with Ellis and immediate-impact freshman Jack Conger joining the team, among others, their relay scoring will get a huge boost.
The Georgia men finished 10th at last year’s NCAA Championships, while Texas was 5th.
Austin is home for Ellis, as in high school he trained with the local Nitro Swimming club. He also trained with the University-based Longhorn Aquatics for 5 years earlier in his career.
I think Matt Ellis made the right choice. Seems like Texas would be a better fit for him and close to home. Wish him the best!
This blog allows individuals to post inaccurate data via opinions anonymously and it is at least to me-unfortunate. I believe everyone should have to post in their real name.Two years ago, Texas won 5 events at NCAAs and finished second. This year, Texas had a down year “for them”, being only top 5, due to negative recruiting that Coach Reese was going to retire after the Olympics. It is ironic that some of the same coaches [and people] who were telling recruits Coach Reese was going to retire in 2012 so don’t go to UT will be the first coaches to apply for his job when he actually does retire.
I believe Coach Reese has put 11 swimmers on… Read more »
No idea if money is a factor, but…
Cal’s out-of-state tuition: $36,078
Texas’ in-state tuition: Maximum of $10,738
… and you know living expenses are probably double in California. Unless Cal had 75% or greater of a scholarship left to burn (AND Texas had no money), Ellis is better off from a monetary standpoint going to Texas. He would have to fork up a lot more cash to go to Cal. Who knows, maybe he wanted to be closer to home, too.
Wow what a difference; got to wonder if their are other swimmers that are considering coming back to their home states given that difference in cost.
Shayne Fleming and Stubblefield made the A final in the 50 for Cal.
Stubblefield swam at COM – City of Midland Aquatics until he started high school then he and his family moved to Plano where he swam at COPS – City of Plano Swimmers; he never swam for TXLA. He and Matt have always been great competitors with each other as noted above. Texas is missing 1 more true sprinter and they are in the hunt for the 2014 title. Messerschmidt has said he wants to return to Cal but I wonder what the chances of that happening are? Hopefully he will indeed return – what if he ended up at Texas? That would change things in a hurry come NCAA’s 2014.
Thanks for the correction on Stubblefield swimming for COM and COPS. I knew that but brain was not engaged with last post.
Thanks for the correction. 2 Cal swimmers in the 50 A Final. Cal still looks very strong there, especially considering Messerschmitt might come back. For the PAC 12 with the departure of Vlad, only returns two other 50 free NCAA scorers besides Cal. 1 from Utah and 1 Zona.
The pac12backer has an interesting comment about Cal having only one swimmer in the A or B finals at the NCAA, Stubblefield. He and Matt both swam for the TXLA and Stubblefield was always his greatest competitor. I know the decision to change was hard for Matt, he loved UG and the coaching staff were very good to him.
Where did CAL factor into all of this? Surely Dave Durden is or should be on the radar for any 18-19 year old male thinking they want to train for the 50/100 free.
I only saw 1 Cal guy in either A or B finals of the 50 and 100 free at NCAAs, Stubblefield. There are several very good sprint programs and Ellis made a very good choice.
Both UT and Cal likely cleared space for both Conger and Murphy during the last recruiting class, so either school could and would have taken him had there been interest. Ellis is from Austin, so I’m sure that where his focus was. Durden still has to juggle the possibility of Messerschmidt coming back next season too.
I believe Stubblefield swam for City of Midland and then in Plano.
The talk centered around LCM and his wanting to be in position for 2016….with all due respect to Eddie, Durden is where you want to be for 50/100 free LCM right now.
why is durden the best choice and not eddie….just because of Adrian’s success? eddie has good resume too and Nathan was a stud before Durden ever coached him. matt is nowhere as good as Nathan….yet.
Eddie has taken dozens of average “John Smiths” and developed them into National Finalists through the decades.
He has, but there has been some considerable “ball dropping” the last several years.
I believe his team has only fallen out of the top 3 several times in 34 years. You must have very high standards.
I agree with @waterlogged, God has great plans for both future longhorn Will Licon, and Matt. May God bless them both.
John 16:13, NIV
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.”
Phil 4:13: I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
God knows butterfly?
Yes. He’s actually quite proficient at it as well.
I wish he was giving lessons. (God, I am scarred to even think what you are going to reply on this)
Psychodad who are you?
think it is a good move on both parts – not sure ellis was fully committed to uga and their program and if he didnt think he could get better swith some of the best young swimmers in the nation on the uga team – its good to move on …and uga gets a slot and prob some money to get someone who wants to be there and train with some really talent that work hard…good luck to both
It’s a win-win!