Michael Cotter, Former #3-Ranked Recruit, Plans to Enter the NCAA Transfer Portal

After a season-and-a-half at NC State, sophomore Michael Cotter says that he will be entering the NCAA Transfer Portal in the off-season.

Cotter, who last raced for the Wolfpack at the mid-season NC State Invite, spent the spring semester training with his home club the TAC Titans. Cotter was the 3rd-ranked recruit in the high school class of 2022, holding the best time in the 200 free in the class.

In a season-and-a-half, though, Cotter has been unable to match or improve upon that 1:33.80 in the 200 free in yards, nor the 1:47.46 that he swam in July 2022 that looked like it had him on a path toward an international swim for Team USA.

Cotter tore his ACL and fractured his tibia in November 2022, disrupting his freshman season that also ended with a mid-season invite. He returned to competition in May 2023 at the Pro Swim Series stop in Mission Viejo.

At the US International Team Trials, he swam 49.74 in the 100 free and 1:48.41 in the 200 free, placing 20th in the latter race.

Cotter shared his plans to enter the transfer portal, but did not respond to requests for information on why he made that decision.

His younger sister Keelan Cotter graduated high school early to join the Wolf Pack in January. The two are from nearby Cary, less than 30 minutes from the NC State campus.

Beginning this season, the NCAA Division I transfer portal window has been reduced from 60 days to 45 days beginning a week after championship selection. The men’s swimming & diving transfer portal window for this season runs from March 20 through May 3, while the women’s window runs from March 13 through April 26. With a few exceptions, student-athletes have to enter the portal in this time period become immediately eligible next season, though there is no deadline to make a decision (for most student-athletes).

Athletes are not required to transfer by entering the portal and can, ultimately, stay with their same programs, which we have seen, rarely, in high level swimming.

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Aflyonthewalll
1 month ago

Don’t talk trash about a kid trying to find his way.

swimapologist
Reply to  Aflyonthewalll
1 month ago

Only person I see talking anything close to trash is Andrew, and if you’re going to get upset every time Andrew posts, it’s going to be a looooooooong day.

Nonrevhoofan
1 month ago

You might want to fix Keelan’s last name – Crosby to Cotter.

Swimfan27
1 month ago

ASU inbound

Spieker Pool Lap Swimmer
1 month ago

Welcome Back Cotter

Wheeler Walker Jr.
1 month ago

Queens or SMU

Last edited 1 month ago by Wheeler Walker Jr.
Queens
Reply to  Wheeler Walker Jr.
1 month ago

🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🥇🥇🥇

Ponyxpress
Reply to  Wheeler Walker Jr.
1 month ago

🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎⬆️⬆️

SwimmerGuy
1 month ago

Id bet UVA

Swimmer
Reply to  SwimmerGuy
1 month ago

Why, is he looking to retire?

jeff
Reply to  SwimmerGuy
1 month ago

he might not want to go to school with an ex

Andrew
1 month ago

Typical NC state recruit

Pescatarian
Reply to  Andrew
1 month ago

Andrew must have been rejected by NCSU

Andrew
Reply to  Pescatarian
1 month ago

i don’t think it’s possible to get rejected from the 4th best school in north carolina

Eddie Rowe
Reply to  Andrew
1 month ago

Andrew can’t even name 4 other schools in North Carolina without Google

Mike
Reply to  Andrew
1 month ago

Andrew, doer of the Impossible.

Tim
Reply to  Andrew
1 month ago

Over 21,000 people rejected just last year, which is more than how many applied to Wake Forest.

Andrew
Reply to  Tim
1 month ago

Tim, it’s ok to just admit you don’t understand how the college application process works.

CHESwimmer
Reply to  Andrew
1 month ago

If people with worthless liberal arts degrees from UNC still could find jobs, anything is possible

Not Andrew
Reply to  Andrew
1 month ago

Trolls are the price we have to pay for a free internet

Brasen walker
Reply to  Andrew
1 month ago

They hate us cause they could never be us

PFA
1 month ago

Ah yes mister “Ow my ACL” legend

PVK
Reply to  PFA
1 month ago

There is something deeply wrong with you

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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