Ready to Salute: Freshmen to Watch in the 2026 NCAA Gymnastics Season
- Alyssa Klauminzer
- 2 hours ago
- 9 min read
The 2026 NCAA gymnastics season is right around the corner!
Across the country, many teams graduated their biggest stars. Now, teams get to figure out their new lineups and how to put fresh faces in to shine. While it takes time for teams to solidify orders on each event that works for them and for freshmen to adjust to the college world, many newcomers instantly make their marks and become stars for their programs.
Here are some of the most anticipated freshmen to watch this season, many of whom could make an immediate impact for their teams.
Jasmine Cawley (Alabama)
With the Crimson Tide losing its best athlete, Lilly Hudson, Jasmine Cawley could definitely step into that all-around spot. Her biggest impact will be on vault and floor. On vault, she will provide a 10.0 start value with her big Yurchenko 1.5. She will also come up big on the floor exercise for Alabama, an event on which she scored a perfect 10 on in Level 10. Her collegiate routine can definitely be expected to be fun and bring the energy to Tuscaloosa.
Allison Cucci (Arkansas)
Arkansas has one of the best freshman classes this season, which features three former 5-star recruits in Avery King, Avalon Campbell, and Allison Cucci. It's hard to pick just one of these great athletes to focus on, as they are all capable of getting lineup spots and finding success for Arkansas, but for now, we'll focus on Cucci. She will bring a welcome 10.0 start value vault with her Yurchenko 1.5, which she has a lot of power on, but more importantly, she is consistent on. The Razorbacks are in need of a strong bar worker in their lineup, and Cucci's consistency and precision will make her a great addition. Cucci can also make a great addition to the balance beam lineup. With both showing strength and confidence in the event, Cucci and Joscelyn Roberson could make a powerful one-two punch on the balance beam.
Charlotte Booth (Auburn)
Charlotte Booth, a former elite gymnast and Olympic alternate for Great Britain in 2024, will be making her debut for Auburn this season. Her best event is the uneven bars, where she can bring high difficulty and clean execution, and she will for sure make the lineups for. She competed on both bars and beam in Auburn's preview meet, and looks ready to go on both. Booth ruptured her Achilles at the beginning of this year, so depending on where she's at in recovery, she could ease into the other events and become a strong all-arounder.
Tonya Paulsson (Cal)
Cal went through a lot of major changes in the offseason, but a bright spot for them in their new era is bringing in elite gymnast Tonya Paulsson. She previously competed for Sweden and represented the country at the 2021 and 2022 World Championships, as well as at the European Championships from 2021-24. She now represents Chinese Taipei and finished in the top five in the all-around and on bars at the 2025 Asian Championships and at the 2025 Summer World University Games, where she won bronze in the all-around, silver on beam, and finished fourth on floor. For the Golden Bears, she will be perfect to have on bars, beam, and floor, and controlling the landing on vault will make her great in the all-around. She is on the ACC's 2026 Newcomer Watch List.
Emma Malewski (Clemson)
An exciting new era is coming to Clemson after a shocking coaching change. The Tigers will have multiple fresh faces on the team between transfers and first years, one of them being Emma Malewski, an elite gymnast from Germany. Malewski competed for Germany at the 2022 World Championships and at the European Championships from 2021-23. She was the European balance beam champion and all-around bronze medalist in 2022. She could compete all-around for the Tigers, and she will definitely shine on the balance beam. She is on the ACC's 2026 Newcomer Watch List.
Shyla Bhatia (Denver)
Denver will have completely new lineups from last season, and former five-star recruit Shyla Bhatia is expected to be a factor in all of them. She can bring a 10.0 start value to vault with a Yurchenko 1.5, and she is especially strong, fluid, and consistent on the floor exercise. College Gym News predicts that Bhatia's "excellent performance quality, difficulty, and cleanliness on floor" could put her in Denver's record books.
Jocelyn Sasson (Florida)
Florida has a lot of difficulty and depth this year with a standout transfer, star athletes returning from injury, and four freshmen, including two former five-star recruits, Maddy Dorbin and Jocelyn Sasson. The Gators are missing a key all-arounder after Leanne Wong graduated, and Sasson brings difficulty and consistency to every event. She would also be a great option for the Gators on the floor exercise, as she is capable of big tumbling (her opening double layout fits right in for Florida) and big scores, as her Level 10 career-high was a near-perfect 9.975.
Sophie Schriever (Iowa)
Sophie Schriever is a strong competitor on vault and bars. She is an amazing and consistent bar worker and is a state, regional, national, and Nastia Liukin Cup champion in the event. Her difficulty and great form will for sure put her in the bars lineup. She is also a Level 10 state champion on beam and in the all-around. The power and amplitude she has on every event will make her a strong competitor for the Hawkeyes and a fun athlete to watch in the NCAA.
Gabby van Frayen (Kentucky)
Gabby van Frayen was a Level 10 national runner-up in the all-around and can be a strong competitor for Kentucky. She is the Level 10 national champion and Nastia Liukin Cup champion on the balance beam and scored a perfect 10 twice on the event. If she can continue to hit under pressure in the NCAA, she'd make a great choice for Kentucky's new beam anchor now that Isabella Magnelli has graduated. She would also be a great option for an all-arounder for the Wildcats.
Nina Ballou (LSU)
Nina Ballou brings power that will fit right in for LSU. This year, she was a Level 10 national champion on the floor exercise and in the all-around, and was runner-up on the uneven bars. Ballou could compete in the all-around for the Tigers, now without stars Haleigh Bryant and Aleah Finnegan, and will be a standout with her power on vault and the floor exercise for sure. The floor exercise is Ballou's strongest event, and her energy will be perfect for the PMAC.
Myli Lew (Michigan)
Myli Lew is going to be a great addition for the Wolverines. A former elite gymnast, Lew is the reigning U.S. Classic champion on the uneven bars, and at the 2025 American Classic, she won silver on beam and bronze on bars and in the all-around. Lew brings a high level of difficulty to both bars and beam, and it'll be interesting to see what the composition of her collegiate routines looks like.
Lilia Cosman (Michigan State)
Olympian and Lansing, Michigan native Lilia Cosman is ready to shine in Spartan green. She competed for Romania at the 2024 Olympics, 2023 World Championships, and at the European Championships from 2023-25. Cosman can be a good all-around contender, is a strong, solid, and controlled tumbler, and will make a great addition to the Michigan State floor lineup for sure. As she adjusts to the NCAA world, she gets to have fun in front of and connect with her home crowd.
Arianna Ostrum (Minnesota)
Arianna Ostrum had the highest all-around score at Level 10 nationals this year and could put up big scores on every event for Minnesota. She has a stellar Yurchenko 1.5 and has received a perfect score on it, which would slot her into Mya Hooten's spot on vault really well. Ostrum is also a great beam worker and can bring a powerful routine to an already-strong beam lineup for the Golden Gophers.
Kimarra Echols (Mizzou)
Mizzou is coming off a program-best third-place finish and will look to continue its momentum. Following the graduations of Amari Celestine and Jocelyn Moore, Mizzou would benefit from an athlete who is strong in the all-around, and especially on vault and floor. Kimarra Echols, a former five-star recruit, will be their answer. She scored a 9.975 on vault in Level 10, and on floor, Echols finished in the top three at every meet and won Level 10 state and regional titles on the event. She also has gorgeous lines on bars and beam. Echols put up a big 39.600 in the all-around in Mizzou's Black & Gold Exhibition meet and looks ready to take the NCAA by storm!
Tegan Shaver (Nebraska)
Tegan Shaver is a former elite gymnast for Canada, and could fill in the lineup gaps left by Canadian teammate Emma Spence. Shaver competed in all events at the elite level and could find success in the all-around in college. Her strongest event is vault, and she can give the Cornhuskers a 10.0 start value with a Tsukahara full. Her control and great execution on the uneven bars will also help the Cornhuskers where they will miss Spence the most.
Ava Jackson (Ohio State)
Ohio State is bringing in a stellar freshman class, adding a couple of transfers, and has key athletes returning this season, making them ready to pick up where they left off in their record 2024 season. One of the freshmen to look out for this year is former five-star recruit Ava Jackson. As a Level 10 national bronze medalist on bars, she can provide difficulty and precision for the Buckeyes on an event where they've needed more strength.
O-H!
Mackenzie Estep (Oklahoma)
Mackenzie Estep is one of the top-ranked freshmen of this class. Estep was a national vault and bars champion in Level 10. While Oklahoma has a lot of depth, having an athlete who can put up big scores on those events in particular will help fill the gaps left by Jordan Bowers and Audrey Davis, who were capable of coming up perfect. Estep has been perfect on vault with her Yurchenko 1.5, and can match the great form Bowers had. Estep is also great on beam and floor, giving her the potential to compete in the all-around for the reigning national champions.
Ana Bărbosu (Stanford)
Olympian Ana Bărbosu will be making her NCAA debut for Stanford. Bărbosu put Romanian gymnastics back on the elite map with her bronze medal on the floor exercise at the 2024 Olympics, and alongside Michigan State's Cosman, she's ready to put them on the map in the NCAA. At the 2025 European Championships, Bărbosu won gold on floor, silver on beam, and bronze on bars and in the all-around. She will bring a high level of difficulty to every event and be a strong all-arounder for Stanford. I can't wait to see what her collegiate floor routine looks like! She is on the ACC's 2026 Newcomer Watch List.
Tiana Sumanasekera (UCLA)
The Bruins have one of the best freshman classes in the country, and I cannot express just how difficult it was to pick and talk about just one of them. We'll focus on Tiana Sumanasekera, one of the Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch for 2026. I think her artistry and confidence can easily and instantly translate beautifully for the NCAA. Sumanasekera's power and poise on beam and floor, especially, will fit in so well for UCLA. She competed in the all-around in UCLA's Meet the Bruins intrasquad and will likely compete in every event this season. Sumanasekera also choreographs her routines and could help design new leotards for the Bruins alongside Jordan Chiles.
Bailey Stroud (Utah)
A former five-star recruit, Bailey Stroud can fill in spots left behind by Olympian Grace McCallum. In 2024, she was a Level 10 national champion on beam and in the all-around, and she was the Region 5 vault, beam, floor, and all-around champion and bars runner-up. She can compete with a Yurchenko 1.5, providing a 10.0 start value for the Red Rocks. Her best event is the uneven bars, which she has been perfect on, and she was actually initially considered a three-star recruit and bars specialist before getting stronger and improving on every event.
Edited by: Kelly Cassette