American Olympian David Johnston to Transfer to Florida
American Olympian David Johnston announced on social media that he’s transferring to the University of Florida.
Johnston, who started his college career at the University of Texas all the way back in the fall of 2020, will turn 25 in October. But injuries and Olympic redshirts mean the grad transfer still has eligibility left, and he’ll head to Gainesville to exercise it.
“Happy to announce that I will compete for the Florida Gators in the 2026-27 season,” he wrote on social media. “Thank you to Coach Nesty and the staff for this opportunity. I will be spending the next few months continuing to rehab my shoulder injury so that I am ready to go next season. I will come back better.”
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It’s been an odyssey for Johnston, who received his degree at Texas in the spring of 2023, a whole college career’s worth of time before the actual culmination of his eligibility in the spring of 2027. The 10-time All-American from Dallas is a four-time Big 12 champion at a program that has long since transitioned to the SEC.
In the NCAA realm, Johnston once was a regular finalist candidate. He placed seventh in the mile and eighth in the 400 individual medley at NCAAs in 2021. As a sophomore in 2022, he was fifth in the mile, sixth in the 500 free and seventh in the 400 IM. His best NCAA result was a silver medal in the 500 free in 2023 as a junior. He was fourth in the mile and eighth in the 400 IM that year.
He took an Olympic redshirt in 2023-24. In his fourth NCAAs in 2025, he finished seventh in the 1,650 free, eighth in the 400 IM, 10th in the 500 free.
Johnston competed for Texas in the fall of 2025, but a shoulder injury ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Johnston qualified for the American Olympic team in the 1,500 freestyle for the Paris Olympics in 2024. He finished 18th in prelims, failing to make the final.
He’s one of several American distance swimmers behind Bobby Finke who have qualified for but then underperformed at international meets. He was ninth in the 1,500 free at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. At Worlds in 2024 in Doha, he finished 11th in the 800 free and 12th in the 400 free. He was 17th at Worlds in the 400 free in 2023.
Johnston is joining a robust distance group in Gainesville. The Gators finished second at the NCAA Championships this year, giving Texas a run for its money. Ahmed Jaouadi won the mile, the Gators going 1-4-5 in that event. Ahmed Hafnaoui and Jaouadi went 1-2 in the 500 free, with senior Gio Linscheer fifth. Fellow senior Charlie Hutchison scored in both the 400 IM and 500 free.
