The transfer portal is typically the biggest secret in the NCAA. However, this offseason involved more transparency, slightly less confusion, and gymternet sleuths actively perusing social media followers to find athletes potentially in the portal — and successfully identified a few. Now that most transfers have been announced, we’re looking at who made the most of the transfer window, who fell short, and who we have our eyes on moving forward.
Winners
The Big 10
If we were to name a conference winner for Best Use of the Transfer Portal, the Big 10 would take the crown. Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio State, and Rutgers all added transfers, and Michigan formally announced their newest addition in fifth-year transfer McCaleigh Marr. The conference has gained exposure over the last few years, and with these new additions, all eyes will be on these newcomers to see who excels.
LSU
LSU doesn’t use the portal often, but when it does it goes big, and they proved it during this transfer window. The depth situation last season was dire due to several injuries, but Jay Clark improved on that by signing Jillian Hoffman and Savannah Schoenherr to fifth and sixth years respectively. Adding two transfers — while retaining four seniors for an additional year and bringing in a highly ranked freshman class — should give some lineup mainstays a much-needed opportunity to rest in 2024.
Clemson
Amy Smith brought in six gymnasts from Utah State to Clemson, but we wondered if she would utilize the transfer portal to bring in additional experience. Smith delivered by signing Lauren Rutherford from N.C. State, a three-event gymnast with career highs of 9.900 plus on bars and floor, and concluded her inaugural roster by adding fifth-year Kaitlin DeGuzman from Kentucky, a consistent bar worker with potential to compete three events for the Tigers.
Oregon State
It’s no secret that Oregon State has struggled on bars over the past few seasons, so what do the Beavers do in response? They go into the portal and pick up former Ute Sage Thompson, a bars mainstay during her career who has scored a 10.000. Not a bad way to improve your bars lineup.
UW-Whitewater
After missing nationals as a team in 2023, the Warhawks became the surprise team of the transfer window by adding three gymnasts for 2024. Elena Bailey, Mia Rose Thackston, and Carley Scott signed on to the team, the latter just coming off a national title win with Lindenwood at USAGs. The Warhawks should be able to capitalize on their depth to help make it back to NCGA nationals for next season.
Losers
LIU
With an alarming number of transfers out of the program in the first two years of its existence, the trend continued again this offseason with lineup staples Talia Folino, Ilka Juk, Katy Koopman, and Mara Titarsolej — the only Shark to score a 10.0 — departing Long Island. With rumors swirling about the cause of the turnover, Randy Lane will have to turn to his remaining athletes to fill the gaps and replace the scores of their departed athletes.
Auburn
Auburn’s drop from No. 4 in 2022 to No. 24 in 2023 was highly talked about due to the absence of Olympian Sunisa Lee. While there’s no way to replace the Olympic-level experience that Lee brought to the Tigers, Auburn added four transfers to its roster in Madelynn Crow, Anna Hill, Sydney Schumaker, and Lila Smith. All are talented gymnasts, but only Hill and Schumaker bring competitive experience to the Tigers, something that is needed with the departure of five seniors plus Lee.
Pittsburgh
Newly named head coach Casey Jo MacPherson is inheriting a Pittsburgh team that is coming off a rough season. The Panthers failed to qualify a team to postseason as a regional host and lost three athletes in the transfer window. Among them were Sidney Washington, an all-around contributor, and Natalia Pawlak, an individual regional qualifier as a freshman. Although turnover is normal, losing two big contributors is something that MacPherson will have to overcome quickly to bring the Panthers back to regionals in their first season in the ACC. A late addition in fifth-year Arayah Simons from Illinois could be the kickstarter that MacPherson needs.
On the Hot Seat
Temple
With the departure of Josh Nilson to Illinois and the promotion of Hilary Steele, the Owls are at a crossroads coming into 2024. Temple lost three athletes at the conclusion of the season, one of them being star freshman and rookie of the year Ashley Glynn and the other vault and floor staple Hill. Although Temple didn’t add any athletes from the portal, plenty of talent remains. Time will tell if this will have an effect on Temple moving forward.
Utah
A team that is known for taking big-name transfers, Utah lost three experienced athletes to the transfer portal — Hoffman, Thompson, and Lucy Stanhope. Tom Farden is gaining some big names in his freshmen class — and a sophomore transfer in Glynn. The skills are easily replaceable, but the NCAA competitive experience will be lacking at first until the freshmen adjust. Glynn will be expected to contribute immediately.
READ THIS NEXT: Tracking 2023-24 Transfers
Article by Savanna Whitten
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Still surprising that a program as solid and successful as Utah would lose three contributing team members in the same year. Makes you wonder if there’s something else going on there.
Utah pulled in the top transfer and had a high ranked freshman come in a year early. I am not a Utah stan but between those two and key 5th years, they did a great job with roster management.
I also cannot hate on Magee-McPhearson or Mauro-Steel (because I’m old..) because taking over after a coaching transition in the portal era is still a bit uncharted territory.
Clemson actually won the portal. I’m not sure how with all the leaked complaints about the HC, but this and recruiting shows that athletes are not giving hedance to claims of abuse.
Great job with “roster management”…so you mean eliminating two gymnasts’ scholarships so they could offer it to two others is “management” now?
watch out for Iowa St. They have an amazing new coach & a very good recruiting class. Maybe not all 5stars but how do those always work out for ya? I’ll take the 3 stars that want to work especially hard to prove they are every bit the gymnast! go cyclones!
well…..what exactly are the rumors swirling about the cause of the transfers at LIU.
Can’t mention it and not say what the rumors are…