Baylor Nelson announced on Instagram that he will transfer to Texas for the 2025-2026 season and join the team as a member of the class of 2026. Nelson just completed his junior season with Texas A&M and has one year of eligibility remaining.
Prior to arriving at Texas A&M, SwimSwam ranked Nelson as the #1 recruit in the boys’ high school class of 2022.
Nelson was the Aggies’ leading scorer in the pool at the NCAA Championships last month, scoring 14.5 points. He finished 7th in the 400 IM with a time of 3:39.84 and 14th in the 200 IM with a 1:41.30. He also recorded a season-best time of 1:53.09 in the 200 breaststroke, placing 25th.
Nelson’s lifetime best of 3:37.46 in the 400 IM came at the 2024 NCAA meet, where he finished 3rd. His 200 IM best time of 1:40.86 was set during his freshman year, when he won the SEC title.
Nelson’s Time Progression At Texas A&M:
| Freshman | Sophomore | Junior | |
| 200 IM | 1:40.86 | 1:41.23 | 1:41.14 |
| 400 IM | 3:38.11 | 3:37.46 | 3:37.47 |
| 200 Breaststroke | 1:53.97 | 1:52.43 | 1:53.09 |
| 200 Backstroke | 1:39.79 | 1:41.82 | 1:51.53 |
| 200 Freestyle | 1:34.76 | 1:32.39 | 1:33.40 |
On the international scene, Nelson represented Team USA at the 2023 World Championships as a member of the prelims relay in the 4×200 free relay. He qualified for the meet with a 5th-place finish at the U.S. World Trials, where he posted a personal best of 1:46.51. Nelson swam the 2nd leg of the prelim relay at Worlds, splitting 1:47.13 before being substituted out for the final, where the team secured a silver medal behind Great Britain.
Nelson missed out on the U.S. Olympic team this past summer, placing 14th in the 200 IM (2:00.05) and 16th in the 200 free (1:47.66).
He isn’t the only Aggie joining the Longhorns next season, as freshman Jacob Wimberly announced his transfer earlier this week. Nelson and Wimberly briefly trained together during their club years as well. Nelson swam for SwimMAC until college, while Wimberly was on the team until August of 2021, before relocating from North Carolina to Texas.
Wimberly and Nelson even broke a National Age Group Record together in the 800 LCM free relay at the 2021 Speedo Summer Championships.
The duo will arrive at Texas this fall to a team that made several roster changes this past season. The team saw double-digit entries enter the transfer portal, including eight athletes on day one. Among those transferring out of the program is Jeremy Kelly, who has announced his transfer to Notre Dame.
The Texas men secured the 2025 NCAA Championship, led by Hubert Kos, who followed first-year head coach Bob Bowman from Arizona State. Bowman had guided the Arizona State men to an NCAA Championship in 2024. Nelson has the potential to fill some relay spots, as three of the four relay legs from the 800 free at NCAAs will have graduated by this fall. Chris Guiliano and Luke Hobson just completed their senior seasons, while Coby Carrozza wrapped up his 5th year.
I see him having a Rex Maurer type improvement/trajectory
From a purely swimming perspective, I’m excited for Baylor Nelson. He’s an IM and mid-distance beast going to the best program for that schedule. He’s a 1:32.3 SCY/1:46.5 LCM 200 freestyler, so there’s a very real chance that he impacts the 800 free relay. His IM has been a bit stagnant, but he is always an A finals threat in both disciplines. And he’s a very good breastroker that is close to picking up invidual points on Day 4 in the 200 breastroke. 800 FRR/200 IM/400 IM/200 breastroke is four days of solid production at NCAAs. I think he is going to pick up the momentum he had a couple of years ago and take a huge leap forward.
Word is Nico Iamaleava is trying out the pool this weekend.
This from an ESPN article about UT parting ways with Nico, but I wonder if it is a football specific rule or impacts this transfer as well:
“One factor looming over both sides is that SEC rules prohibit transferring within the conference in the spring if the player desires immediate eligibility.”
If you’re insinuating that this means Nelson wouldn’t be eligible the above does NOT apply. Football has 2 portal opportunities- one in December and another that starts next week. Anyone, like Nico, who enters next week would not be eligible in the SEC. Swimming has one portal window, which is now, Nelson (and Wimberly) are eligible to transfer within the SEC and be eligible next year.
Is Phelps eligible?
He doesn’t like summer leagues
Projecting the Cutline: Texas Men’s Swimming & Diving Roster 2025-2026.
Who are the Last 4 in?
So who is going to get cut after these moves now. There is no way Bowman is going to cut someone like Mckean. Hammer doesn’t get in anymore?
Are they cutting divers?
They did.
So there will be less than 6 male divers this fall?
Any incoming freshman divers or transfers? Men’s diving looks like a roster of only 4 heading into 2025-2026.
Nelson’s best time 200 breast is a 1.52 mid from his sophomore year SECs
Correct once again