For every sport other than basketball and football, Wednesday, November 13 marks the initial signing date for prospective student-athletes signing in 2024-25 for the purpose of college enrollment in 2025-26.
This year’s date could mark the last “national signing day,” at least officially, ever, given the imminent changes coming to the NCAA in the aftermath of the House settlement.
Given those changes, the NCAA announced in October that it is removing the National Letter of Intent (NLI) Program moving forward.
Previously, the NCAA regulated when prospective student-athletes could sign an NLI, which is the binding agreement between an athlete and an NLI member institution in Division I or Division II. There had previously been a week-long “Early” Signing Period that began the second Wednesday in November, followed by a “Regular” Signing Period that stretched, for most sports, from February to August. In 2018, the NCAA instituted changes to the recruiting timetable and the two signing periods have now been joined, in all sports except football and basketball.
The final signing date for the class of 2025 is August 1, 2025.
Prior to the official signing date, prospective student-athletes send their verbal commitments to schools, but November 13 marks the date those signings become official.
Below, check out our top 20 ranked recruits in the class of 2025 and where they’ve committed.
GIRLS TOP 20
| Rank | Swimmer | Commitment |
| 1 | Alex Shackell | Defer |
| 2 | Teagan O’Dell | Cal |
| 3 | Claire Weinstein | Cal |
| 4 | Madi Mintenko | Virginia |
| 5 | Haley McDonald | Texas |
| 6 | Grace Rabb | Florida |
| 7 | Lilla Bognar | Florida |
| 8 | Annie Jia | Cal |
| 9 | Elle Scott | Cal |
| 10 | Kennedi Dobson | Georgia |
| 11 | Lily King | NC State |
| 12 | Addie Robillard | Stanford |
| 13 | Raya Mellott | Virginia |
| 14 | Lynsey Bowen | Florida |
| 15 | Alana Berlin | Stanford |
| 16 | Bella Brito | USC |
| 17 | Julie Mishler | Louisville |
| 18 | Chloe Kim | Princeton |
| 19 | Ella Cosgrove | Cal |
| 20 | Annam Olasewere | Stanford |
BOYS TOP 20
| Rank | Swimmer | Commitment |
| 1 | Maximus Williamson | Virginia |
| 2 | Thomas Heilman | Virginia |
| 3 | Luke Ellis | Indiana |
| 4 | Nathan Szobota | Virginia |
| 5 | Jason Zhao | Stanford |
| 6 | William Mulgrew | Harvard |
| 7 | Sean Green | Georgia |
| 8 | Josh Bey | Indiana |
| 9 | Thomas Mercer | Virginia |
| 10 | Marvin Johnson | Florida |
| 11 | Max Carlsen | NC State |
| 12 | Noah Cakir | Indiana |
| 13 | Blake Amlicke | Virginia |
| 14 | Campbell McKean | Texas |
| 15 | Crash Ackerly | Yale |
| 16 | Ethan Ekk | Stanford |
| 17 | Gavin Keogh | NC State |
| 18 | Caiden Bowers | Cal |
| 19 | Jordan Willis | Florida |
| 20 | Alex Thiesing | Michigan |
Stay tuned as later today we’ll publish SwimSwam’s full class of 2025 recruiting database.
NLI is being replaced with a combined financial aid/revenue sharing agreement.
Also known as a contract
Really excited to see what Sean and Kennedi can do in Athens. Looks like they will fit into the program tremendously. Both of them are on insane progression curves right now as well.
Welp, the UVA men are officially on fraud alert now. Desorbo must coach these guys to a top 5 finish at NCAAs within their time at UVA. I was really hoping Maximus would switch his commitment to Texas because I felt it was the best fit for him for many reasons, but he decided to hold strong. Good luck to these guys, we’ll check back in in a couple of years.
Such an L take… People seem to forget that UVA literally set an American record in a relay only a few seasons ago.And that was with a recruiting class that was NO WHERE near as talented as Cal, Florida, or Texas. Sure, that record was broken, but Desorbo clearly knows what he’s doing with sprint prep. Plus, you don’t think all those dudes in one pool wont make for an unreal training environment?
UVA didn’t post Heilman on their announcements and I noticed UVA isn’t in his bio. Is this anything?0
I don’t think it was ever in his bio.
He definitely didn’t sign today, but everyone else in the 2025 recruiting class did for Virginia. Maybe he’s waiting for a ceremony at Cavalier Aquatics or Western Albemarle…
EDIT: He did sign today. Waiting on compliance to clear the form?
https://www.cbs19news.com/sports/wahs-celebrate-record-setting-13-student-athletes-heading-to-di-programs/article_f72298e2-a1d2-11ef-9ad9-9b613de3c640.html
Gotcha, thanks!
He’s the first thing I see on Fenwick’s IG story right now and is posted on their feed this morning.
Knowing them, sitting on it until Thursday morning just to make people nervous and build more hype is something they would do.
That scans lol
Seth Crow, Arizona number1 and holder of the top 24-25 high school 50 free time of 19.63 has signed with Arizona State today
There is no NLI for this year. Recruits are signing scholarship agreements. The meaning is the same; it’s just called something different. There will still be signing days in the future.
This is correct. More specifically, NCAA Bylaw 13.02.13.1(f) establishes that the signing period for all sports other than football and basketball begins on the “The second Wednesday (7 a.m.) in November.”
Alex Shackell will go to Virginia. That’s the tea!
That’s for sure
Addressed to Kate Douglass, Alex Walsh, Gretchen Walsh:
Your mission, should you choose to accept, is to convince Alex Shackell to sign a national letter of intent with the University of Virginia for the 2025-2026 NCAA Season while at the 2024 Short Course World Championships. If your mission has been compromised, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This message will self-destruct in five seconds.
Gosh I wish all your comments would self-destruct after 5 seconds. That would be amazing
This wins comment of the week.
Watch her sign with Texas or Stanford after this
I have nothing against UVA but I would like to see a competitive NCAA meet sometime in the next 5 years so I rather her go somewhere else, though she’d probably swim really fast at UVA