2025 SEC Championships: Men’s Diving Preview

2025 SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Dates: Tuesday, February 18–Saturday, February 22
• Location: Gabrielsen Natatorium, Athens, GA
• Defending Champions: Florida women (2x); Florida men (12x)
• Live Results
• Live Video: SEC Network+
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheets
• Fan Guide
• Teams: Alabama, Arkansas (women), Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas*, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt (women)

With the NCAA Swimming and Diving championship season upon us, athletes around the country are preparing to put their best foot forward in effort to stand atop the podium. 2025 is the first year we see conference realignment take full effect, and these conference championship meets are now harder and more competitive than ever. The addition of Texas this year is sure to bolster the level of competition in this conference. Diving is already notoriously difficult to predict, but the hope is that this article will give viewers a few key standouts to look out for and a good idea of what to expect this week.

Men’s 1 Meter Picks

1. Nick Harris – Texas
2. Allen Bottego – Texas A&M
3. Peyton Donald – Florida
4. Collier Dyer – Mizzou
5. Rhett Hensley – Texas A&M
6. Jacob Jones – Texas
7. Bennett Greene – Tennessee
8. Conor Gesing – Florida

Other Contenders: Sam Duncan (Kentucky), Luke Forester (Texas), Leonardo Garcia (Texas A&M), Carson Paul (LSU)

Unlike the predictions for the SEC women’s one-meter event, I believe that this event will come down to the divers with the highest overall difficulty. Harris and Bottego have two of the hardest competition lists in this entire competition. The parity in this event across the SEC is high, so it will be an interesting battle just to see who gets into the A final. Any of the divers who eventually make it into the top eight have a legit shot at the podium, so this will be an exciting event nonetheless.

Men’s 3 Meter Picks

1. Carson Paul – LSU
2. Nick Harris – Texas
3. Conor Gesing – Florida
4. Leonardo Garcia – Texas A&M
5. Luke Forester – Texas
6. Renato Calderaro – Georgia
7. Allen Bottego – Texas A&M
8. Collier Dyer – Mizzou

Other Contenders: Peyton Donald (Florida), Bennett Greene (Tennessee), Jacob Jones (Texas), Jacob Welsh (Texas)

Much like the one meter event, the parity in this contest is so high, just making it into the final is going to be a huge battle. No one is going to just be handed a spot in this final, they’re really going to have to work for it and earn it in the morning. Men’s 3 meter is one of those events where anything really can happen, but I would say that Paul, Harris, Garcia, and reigning champion Gesing are the frontrunners.

Men’s Platform Picks

1. Jaxon Bowshire – Texas A&M
2. Carson Paul – LSU
3. Jesus Gonzalez – Florida
4. Leonardo Garcia – Texas A&M
5. Collier Dyer – Mizzou
6. Jacob Jones – Texas
7. Nicholas Stone – Tennessee
8. Maxwell Spencer – South Carolina

Other Contenders: Whit Andrus (Auburn), Rhett Hensley (Texas A&M), Jacob Welsh (Texas), Tommaso Zanella (Mizzou)

Just like on the women’s side, I predict a newcomer will take the title in the platform event. This event has about four or five clear frontrunners vying for the podium. Last year, Tennessee’s Bryden Hattie won the event by a whopping 80 points over the next competitor. After Hattie’s graduation, this event is wide open for someone new to claim the title. Bowshire, an Australian Olympian, has both the difficulty and consistency to emerge victorious, but Paul, Gonzalez, Garcia, and Dyer will have something to say about that. Look for Texas A&M to potentially rack up some huge diving points on this last day of competition, as they have three divers in contention to make this championship final.