2025 College Swimming Previews: #3 Florida Men Remain Freestyle University

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 2024 NCAA Championships. Follow along with the College Swimming Preview Channel. Want to read even more? Check out the latest edition of the SwimSwam magazine. 

#3 FLORIDA GATORS

Key Losses: Macguire McDuff (8 NCAA points; 5 NCAA relays), Skip Donald (1 NCAA point)

Key Additions: #9 Luke Whitlock (IN – distance free), HM Devin Dilger (MI – sprint free), BOTR Luke Corey (MD – distance free), Matthew Cairns (England – back/free/fly), Paul Dardis (Canada – free), Frederik Lindholm (Denmark – distance free), Aiden Norman (Canada – back), Alex Painter (England – free)

Returning Fifth Years: Adam Chaney, Jake Mitchell

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 it

We’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, but 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.

2023-24 LOOKBACK

The Florida men have won the SEC title for the past 12 years and placed top-6 at the NCAA Championships every year since 2013, including a third-place finish in 2024, racking up 378 points, only two points ahead of Indiana University (376 points), and not close to 2nd-place California-Berkeley (445.5 points) nor champion Arizona State (523.5 points). Texas, meanwhile, placed 7th with 189 points, though the Longhorns are looking as strong as ever for the 2024-2025 season.

Josh Liendo won three individual titles at the NCAA Championships, claiming the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, and 100 butterfly, and also contributed to Florida’s winning 200 freestyle and 200 medley relays. Liendo also swam on the 400 freestyle relay which placed second and the 400 medley relay which was disqualified for an early takeoff from swimmer four, though he swam a 42.56 butterfly split, the fastest of all time.

Though Liendo was Florida’s only individual champion, distance specialist Gio Linscheer nabbed a 2nd-place finish in the 1650 as well as a 7th-place finish in the 400 IM, with then-freshman Andrew Taylor also finishing 3rd in the 1650. Other ‘A’ finalists included Julian Smith in the 100 breaststroke (7th), Adam Chaney and Jonny Marshall in the 100 backstroke (3rd and 8th, respectively), and Jonny Marshall again in the 200 backstroke (4th), as well as Linscheer and Mason Laur in the 400 IM. The Gators also picked up a number of individual points in the consolation finals, as well as four points in diving.

SPRINT FREESTYLE: ★★★★★

Josh Liendo returns as the reigning champion in the 50 and 100 freestyle. Liendo is the 2nd-fastest all-time in the 100 freestyle (40.20) behind only fellow Gator Caeleb Dressel (39.90) as well as the 3rd-fastest all-time in the 50 freestyle (18.07). At the Summer Olympics in Paris, Liendo narrowly missed out on a medal in the 50 freestyle, placing 4th in 21.58, just .02 behind France’s Flo Manaudou. Had Liendo equaled his lifetime best from May (21.48) he would have made the podium.

Ed Fullum-Huot and Adam Chaney also scored for Florida in the 50 freestyle, placing 13th and 15th, respectively, while Scotty Buff placed 33rd in a 19.35. Chaney and Fullum-Huot also swam the 100 free at NCAAs, placing 20th and 31st, respectively. Buff, meanwhile, swam the 100 fly/100 back double on Friday, though could change that schedule and spread it out, dropping either event in favor of the 100 free where he has a best time of 42.94 from March 0f 2023, which suggests he can probably drop some time in that event.

Julian Smith is also a great sprint freestyler and was utilized on the 200, 400, and 800 freestyle relays. Individually though Smith tends to swim breaststroke and IM, so while we may not see him in an individual freestyle event Florida has the option and will surely continue to keep him on the relays.

The Gators also bring in a strong freshman class of sprinter, including Devin Dilger who has been 19.69 and 42.72 in the 50 and 100 free in yards, as well as 22.59 and 49.62 in long course. Alex Painter from Great Britain also joins Florida’s sprint group, bringing in long course times of 23.43, 49.36, and 1:50.21. Canadian Paul Dardis, another freshman, has a very similar profile to Painter, with best LCM times of 22.73, 50.18, and 1:50.29. With the top-end talent already in place these swimmers may not make an immediate impact on the national level, though they add depth to the Gators’ sprint crew and have SEC scoring potential in all three of the sprint freestyle events.

Finally, though specializing more in distance freestyle, Jake Mitchell and Oskar Lindholm can swim down to the 200 freestyle. In fact, Mitchell placed 13th in the 200 free at NCAAs, while Lindholm placed 34th. Both men swam on Florida’s 4th-place 800 freestyle relay, splitting 1:30.89 and 1:32.51, respectively.

DISTANCE FREESTYLE: ★★★★★

Florida has earned its reputation as Freestyle University. In addition to having a stacked sprint group, the distance crew is in position to keep the momentum rolling. Led by Gio Linscheer, Andrew Taylor, and Jake Mitchell, Florida could have one or two ‘A’ finalists in both the 500 and the 1650 freestyles. At the 2024 NCAA Championships, Linscheer and Taylor finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in the 1650, while Eric Brown, Oskar Lindholm, and Jake Mitchell finished 22nd, 23rd, and 33rd, respectively. Meanwhile, in the 500, Mitchell placed 9th and Linscheer 10th, with Taylor just outside of scoring with a 17th-place finish, and Brown and Lindholm finishing 22nd and 23rd, respectively.

2024 Olympian Luke Whitlock also joins the party and is likely to have an immediate impact. Whitlock was the top 1650 freestyler in the high school class of 2024 and over the summer qualified for the US Olympic Team by way of demolishing his own 17-18 NAG Record in the 800 freestyle with a 7:45.19. Whitlock narrowly missed making the team in the 1500, placing 3rd in 14:53.00, and was also less than a second away from qualifying in the 400 freestyle, placing 5th. In yards, Whitlock has been 4:15.76 in the 500 free and 14:50.37 in the 1650, putting him on the cusp of scoring in both races at NCAAs.

Luke Corey and Frederik Lindholm, younger brother of Oskar Lindholm, will add further depth to Florida’s already impressive distance crew. Corey has best times of 4:22.48 in the 500 and 15:04.86 in the 1650, and could also potentially contribute to the Gators’ IM crew as he has been 3:52.82 in the 400 IM. Lindholm, meanwhile, has been 14:55.68 in the 1500 in short course meters, as well as 7:54.56 in the 800 free, and 3:47.98 in the 400. As he joins what is arguably the best freestyle training group in the world, it will be interesting to see how he develops as a yards swimmer.

Sophomore Bobby Dinunzio has best times of 15:01.24 in the 1650 and 4:19.91 in the 500. These times are not going to score at NCAAs, but Dinunzio is only a sophomore and has plenty of time to develop and earn an invite to NCAAs. Rounding out the distance crew is Amadeusz Knop, another sophomore with lifetime bests of 4:22.75 in the 500 and 15:20.85 in the 1650, both from November 2023.

BACKSTROKE: ★★★

The Gators have two aces in Adam Chaney, and Jonny Marshall, both NCAA ‘A’ finalists in the 100 back placing 3rd and 8th, respectively, not to mention Scotty Buff who placed 16th after the 100 fly/100 back double on Friday at NCAAs. Chaney also specializes in sprint freestyle and does not swim the 200 backstroke, whereas Marshall managed a 4th-place finish in the 200 back at NCAAs. Marshall was Florida’s sole representative in the 200 backstroke at NCAAs in 2024, though freshman Aiden Norman of Canada already has SEC scoring potential in the 100 and 200 backstroke.

Caleb Maldari is another to watch and after Marshall, Florida’s best 200 backstroker with a lifetime best of 1:40.68, which based on 2024 NCAA results, puts him about 0.7 out of making the consolation final.

BREASTSTROKE: ★★★

Florida’s breaststroke crew is led by Julian Smith and Aleksas Savickas, both of whom finaled at NCAAs in 2024. While both swimmers are extremely capable sprinters, with Smith taking the medley relay positions, Savickas was also Florida’s only point scorer in the 200 breast taking 15th place. Though Savikas was the only scorer for the Gators in the 200 breast, Peter Bretzmann also got an invite to the meet, finishing in 23rd.

Senior Rafael Rached Windmuller is also on the cusp on NCAA qualification in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke and will likely be a vital player at SECs.

Ultimately, Florida’s success in breaststroke on the national level will be tied to the 100 breaststroke, though Savickas has been as fast as 1:50.08 in the 200 breast at the 2023 SEC Championships, and placed 5th as a freshman in the 200 breast at NCAAs in 1:50.48. If Savickas can recapture that speed he is most likely back in the ‘A’ final of the 200 breaststroke, securing at least 11 points. However, Savickas is Florida’s best and likely only bet to make that final. Savickas, a native of Lithuania, a hotbed for breaststroke talent, placed 19th in the 200 breaststroke at the 2024 Paris Olympics, failing to advance to the semifinals. Still, becoming an Olympian often carries a high level of confidence into the subsequent NCAA season, and while many teams may benefit from this, Florida might be among the greatest beneficiaries for the 2024-2025 season.

BUTTERFLY: ★★★

Only five men in history have broken 50 seconds in the 100 butterfly in long-course meters, and only one of those five is active in the NCAA: Josh Liendo, the defending NCAA champion in the 100 fly. Liendo won the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 100 butterfly, posting a 49.99, just 0.09 short of champion Kristof Milak of Hungary. Liendo holds the fastest-ever relay split for a 100 fly with a 42.56 from the 2024 NCAA Championships (though the relay was ultimately DQ’d for an early takeoff from one of his teammates), and has also been 18.97 in the 50 fly in the 200 medley relay. His fastest flat-start time of 43.07 makes him the 2nd-fastest performer in history in the race behind only Dressel. As Liendo is only a junior he has two more seasons to break the record and become the fastest of all time.

Scotty Buff is another sprint specialist who also scored points for the Gators at NCAAs, posting a 44.88 to finish 12th, equalling his prelims time but a bit off the 44.38 he posted at the SEC Championships. Buff swam the 100 fly/100 back double on Friday and also managed to place 16th in the backstroke. Others including Tom Shields and Brendan Burns have had success with this schedule, though it will be interesting to see if Buff continues with it going forward.

Florida did not score any points at NCAAs in the 200 fly, though Mason Laur and Joaquin Gonzalez Pinero placed 23rd and 24th, respectively, in the 200 fly in prelims. Each man was slightly faster at SECs, though they still would have finished outside of scoring position had they equaled those times. Freshman Matthew Cairns could also develop into a 200 butterflier as he has been 2:04.33 in long course, and that time is from 2022.

IM: ★★★

Mason Laur and Gio Linscheer scored a combined 25 points in the 400 IM, placing 6th and 7th, respectively, at NCAAs with Joaquin Gonzalez Pinero earning one more point with a 16th-place finish. As all three return, the Gators can reasonably expect to earn similar points in 2025. Considering that Luke Whitlock has been 3:48.10 in the 400 IM in yards and 4:24.09 in long course, utilizing him in this endurance-based event could potentially push the Gator men into 5-star territory for the IMs. Jake Mitchell also has an elite 400 IM with a best time of 3:41.39 from the 2022 Big 10 Championships, though he doesn’t seem to have swum the race in short course since January 2023, and opted for the 200/500/1650 lineup at NCAAs in 2024. Eric Brown posted a 3:42.67 at SECs in 2024, though at NCAAs Brown failed to make finals, placing 27th. Nonetheless, he is in striking distance of getting a second swim and could be an asset for Florida. Senior Peter Bretzmann holds a lifetime best of 3:45.27 from the 2024 SEC Championships, and though it didn’t earn him an invite to NCAAs he is a swimmer worth keeping an eye on, especially at the conference level.

Julian Smith was Florida’s top performer in the 200 IM in 2024, placing 13th at NCAAs, while teammates Lauer and Gonzalez Pinero placed 28th and 30th, respectively. This is an event where the Gators have to do some rebuilding. Freshman backstroker Aiden Norman could be developed as a 200 IM’er. Currently, Norman has a short course meters best time of 1:59.53 from 2022, which in yards converts to 1:47.68.

DIVING: ★★

The Gators won’t be doing too much on the boards, though they’re not totally out of the game. Peyton Donald placed 14th on the 1-meter board at NCAAs in 2024, and returns for the 2024-2025 season. Donald is joined by Conor Gesing and Brandon Wegner, who did not make waves on the national level though Gesing showed his value on the conference level. At SECs in 2024, Gesing placed first on the 3-meter and third on the 1-meter while also picking up a seventh-place finish on the platform at SECs in 2024. Diving is not likely to tip the scales for the Gators at NCAAs, though they should net a few points.

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 event

After setting the NCAA Record in the 200 medley relay, Florida is the presumptive favorite to repeat as the victors in this race, though they’ll get some pressure from NC State, who will also return all of their 2024 relay team, which included a blazing 18.16 freestyle split from then-freshman Quintin McCarty. Florida, however, returns Adam Chaney, Julian Smith, and Olympic silver medalist Josh Liendo. The surprise departure of rising senior and stalwart relay anchor Macguire McDuff could present a problem for the Gators, though this could be an opportunity for sophomores Scotty Buff or Jonny Marshall to step in–one option might be to have Buff Marshall take over backstroke and allow Chaney to swim freestyle on the medley relay.

Were it not for an early take-off in the 400 medley relay, the Gators would have placed 2nd at the 2024 NCAA Championships with a blistering time of 2:57.52, just 0.20 behind victors Arizona State. While it’s easy to hem and haw over what could have been, it’s notable that Florida is returning three of the four swimmers from its 400 medley relay team, whereas things have changed more drastically at Arizona State. Most notably, Leon Marchand‘s departure as the fastest-ever performer in the 100 breaststroke in a relay (48.73), versus Josh Liendo‘s return to Florida as the fastest-ever 100 butterflyer in a relay (42.56).

Florida has all the pieces to recapture their 2023 title in the 400 medley relay; furthermore, they are a younger team than the 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-place finishers from Cal, NC State, and Indiana, respectively.

The 800 free relay is Florida’s weakest of the five relays, which is really saying something when that team placed 4th at NCAAs in 2024. Of course, the departure of McDuff could hurt the Gators a little here, though perhaps Jonny Marshall or Luke Whitlock could fill in. Alternatively, Josh Liendo could do it, but that wouldn’t make much sense as he would either have to drop one of his three individual events where he is the reigning NCAA champion, or put faith in someone else on one of the other 200/400 relays. There is an argument to be made that Buff could take over for Liendo on the fly leg of the 200 medley relay, then shift Chaney to free and Marshall to back while keeping Smith on breast, but that’s an experiment best left for the mid-season invitational or SECs (and wouldn’t it be interesting).

It’s unlikely Florida will sweep the relays, but they have a very real chance of winning three if not four out of the five at the 2025 NCAA Championship.

Total Stars: 29/40

2024-25 OUTLOOK

The Florida men have won the SEC title for the past 12 years, though with the Power 5 conference shake-ups and the University of Texas joining the SEC, now helmed by Bob Bowman, the SEC Championship is going to be very interesting in 2025. Ultimately, the conference title will be a fight between the Longhorns and the Gators.

Florida’s biggest gaps in NCAA scoring ability come in the 200 yard events (excluding the relays). Florida needs to rebuild in the 200 free, 200 back, 200 breast, 200 fly, and 200 IM, whereas the Gators are very well off in the 100s of each of the strokes, as well as the 400 IM.

Florida Head Coach Anthony Nesty has proven himself at the helm of the Gators’ program: in addition to the many NCAA athletes listed throughout this article, Nesty has also overseen the training of Olympic medalists Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel, and Bobby Finke, among others, over the previous Olympic quad, making him one of the most reputable coaches in swimming.

Can Florida rise above Texas, Cal, and Indiana? Most likely they can overcome two of the three (speculation welcome in the comments), though given the many shakeups in NCAA coaching and transfers, 2025 could be Florida’s year to win it all.

MEN’S 2024-25 COLLEGE PREVIEW INDEX: