5 Men’s College Swimmers to Watch for the 2026-2027 NCAA Season
We’re not far from the start of the college season, meets on the horizon that will be headlined by major stars. More, rising talents will look to take their next steps to go-to status for their programs. Some athletes to watch during the upcoming NCAA season are coming off strong showings during the summer, at meets such as the Pan Pacific Championships and United States Nationals.
Here’s a look at some of the top men’s swimmers to watch heading into the 2026 season, post-long course.
Quintin McCarty, North Carolina State
The Wolfpack’s top sprinter has already improved greatly over the past season, becoming one of the nation’s best. He improved from eighth place during his freshman year to fourth place last season at the NCAA championships in the 50 freestyle, dropping .32 in the process. This summer, though, McCarty showed his prowess on the national and world stage, propelling him into new conversations.
McCarty’s first accomplishment came early in the summer, and set the tone for what was to come. At the Mare Nostrum stop in Monaco, he won the 50 free in a personal-best time of 21.43, good for the eighth-fastest time in the world. McCarty carried that momentum into strong swims later in the summer. He defended his title in the 50 backstroke (24.34) at U.S Nationals and placed second in the 50 free (21.75), before finishing first and fourht, respectively, in those events at Pan Pacs.
Watson Nguyen, Penn
Nguyen has been one of this summer’s best surprises, making headlines across the country.
The Penn junior came into the season as a mostly unknown name, finishing 28th at NCAA Championships in the 100 breast and 26th in the 200 breaststroke. But an incredible meet at the U.S. Nationals showcased his potential. Nguyen placed third in the 100 breast with a time of 59.79, before he shocked the field and won the 50 breast in 26.65. His 50 time was also good for 10th-best in the world this season.
Nguyen’s coach, Mike Schnur, in an interview with Swimming World, described last year’s NCAA championships as a “learning experience” for the swimmer. He’ll look to take those lessons, along with his experience at high-level meets this summer, and show out on college swimming’s biggest stage.
Noah Cakir, Indiana
Cakir’s first year at Indiana already made him one of the most high-profile sophomores in the country. Nevertheless, his strong performance this summer signals he could be one of college swimming’s best overall swimmers, just two years into his career.
The Indiana swimmer placed eighth in the 200 I.M at the 2026 NCAA Championships, and was ninth in the 200 breast. This summer, he saw massive time drops in the long-course. Cakir finished fourth at Nationals in the 200 breaststroke (2:09.17), ninth in the 200 I.M (1:59.23) and second in the 400 I.M (4:13.28). His time in the 400 was good for 20th in the world this season.
If he can carry his strong swims this summer into the NCAA season, Cakir could soon cement himself among the best in college swimming. Indiana will need his efforts, as the Hoosiers attempt to build upon their third-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Enzo Solitario, Wisconsin
Cakir isn’t the only sophomore set to make a mark on the 2026-27 college swim season. Solitario had a tremendous summer, making him a serious name to watch.
The Wisconsin swimmer missed finals at NCAA Championships a season ago, but gained valuable experience with a 19th-place finish in the 200 butterfly and a 26th-place finish in the 200 freestyle. He followed those efforts by placing third in the 200 fly at U.S. Nationals, behind a personal-best time of 1:54.99, good for 20th-best in the world. Solitario placed seventh in the 200 freestyle, in a best time of 1:47.60.
Especially in the 200 fly, Solitario could make some real noise at the NCAA Championships. He was only a half-second behind college swimming stars Luca Urlando and Ilya Kharun at Nationals, on the precipice of pulling off a major upset. Expect to hear his name this March among college swimming’s elite mid-distance swimmers.
Gabe Nunziata, Tennessee
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
The Tennessee sophomore finished seventh in the 200 breaststroke (1:50.26) and ninth in the 100 breast (51.17) at last year’s NCAA Championships. It was a promising start to his career, especially for a freshman. But it was nothing compared to the leap the swimmer took this summer.
At Nationals, Nunziata finished second in the 200 breast in 2:07.62, just 0.04 away from winning the event. Even without the win, his personal-best time was good for third-fastest in the world this year. Nunziata also finished fourth in the 100 breast at Nationals, going a best time of 1:00.05.
Now recognized as one of the fastest breaststrokers in the world, especially in the 200, there will be high expectations for Nunziata this season.