Teams are continuing to build their future classes, and following Tori Hess’ commitment to Arkansas, all schools in the SEC have at least one gymnast verbally committed for the 2026 class. A number of teams secured their first recruits this week with Clemson adding a pair in five-star Simone Brown and four-star Ayla Miller while Michigan State secured the verbal commitment of four-star Jordyn Johnson.
News
Alabama hosted a very successful official visit this past weekend: All three recruits verbally committed on full rides.
Official Visit News
This summer we launched our Recruiting Visit Tracker to track recruits, their official visits, and which teams they’re considering for college. To submit missing official visits, leave a comment below or send us an email. We’ll highlight where some of the top recruits are considering each week.
- UCLA hosted ’26 recruits Jayla Hang (five-star), Cameron Tassone (four-star) and Jolyn Sicat Valeros (three-star).
- Class of 2026 recruits Adilenne Holt (three-star), Makayla Torres-Melton and Jordan Eichorn visited Boise State.
- Class of ’26 recruit Lexi Myers and a pair of three-stars, Lily Power and Maggie Waterstreet, visited N.C. State.
- Georgia hosted five-star Simone Brown and four-star Ayla Miller, who later committed to Clemson, as well as four-star Jada Kim.
Commitment Changes
- Lacey Gardner ‘25 has committed to BYU. She was previously committed to Arizona State.
New Commitments
For a full list of recruits and where they are committed for each of the active classes, check out our complete database. To learn more about the gymnasts, click their name to visit their CGN profile where you’ll find high scores, links to their score page(s), their social media accounts, and more.
Class of 2025
- Giavanna Tatone has announced her verbal commitment to Oregon State. She was the level nine Western vault champion and runner-up on floor last season.
- Molly Osborne, who trains at Wildfire in California, has announced her commitment to UC Davis on a full ride. She has upgraded vault for the coming season and will compete a Yurchenko full.
- Brockport added two with Emily Kukura and Alyssa Strain announcing their intention to become Golden Eagles. Kukura is a current level nine at Prestige and will bring her strengths on vault and floor. Strain has a strong beam routine with a high of 9.700 on the event.
Class of 2026
- Penn State has added a trio of three-stars to the class of ‘26. Keira Lebovitz has an all-around high of 38.475 and has strong work on beam and floor. She has been working double doubles on the latter event. Daelin Diaz-Luong brings an all-around high of 38.375 and beautiful clean work on bars with a top score of 9.750. They are joined by Railey Bennett, who has an impressive high of 9.825 on vault and floor. She is a three-time nationals qualifier.
- Jazlene Pickens, a three-star senior elite has verbally committed to Oregon State on a full ride. She had taken official visits to North Carolina and Michigan State prior to making her decision. Pickens competed at the U.S. Classic in 2024 and has a Yurchenko one and a half.
- Minnesota added two three-star recruits following Lacie Saltzmann and Julia Rausa’s commitments. Saltzmann, who trains at Texas Dreams, made her senior elite debut at the 2024 Winter Cup. As a junior she won the all-around at the 2023 Pan American Games and placed third at elite nationals on beam. Rausa is a strong all-around prospect with a high of 38.575. She is a regional and national runner-up in the all-around and has been training a Yurchenko one and a half.
- Ohio State has added two-time national qualifier and 2024 all-around state champion Avery Moss to the class of 2026. The four-star recruit has beautiful twisting form on floor and in her beam dismount.
- Jordyn Johnson became the first verbal commitment in the class for Michigan State. The four-star recruit and Metroplex athlete has an impressive all-around high of 38.825. She is a two time Nastia Liukin Cup qualifier and was a silver medalist in the all-around at 2024 nationals.
- Simone Rose, who teased each of her recruiting visit destinations with themed nails, committed to Florida. The Gators are gaining a strong four-star recruit, current senior elite, and two time national team member. Rose has clean basics and her gymnastics should score very well in college.
- Maryland added its first commit: Canadian three-star Kylee McQueen. She brings something different to vault with a Yurchenko half-on layout half.
- Four-star Tori Hess has committed to Arkansas. Her top score on floor is 9.900 thanks in part to herbeautiful two and a half twist.
- Alabama, which finished eighth in 2024, has added three four-star commits on full rides: Leigh Anne Elliott, Avery Schlichting, and Kennedy Cochran. Elliott, an athlete at World Class in Virginia, competed elite in 2023 after the level 10 season.Schlichting is a three-time nationals qualifier, and her top floor score of 9.850 was a top 100 score in 2024 on this event. Cochran rounds out the group and, in addition to a clean beam routine, brings a floor high of 9.950 to Tuscaloosa. She has had at least one score in the top 100 on floor every year, and on bar once, since beginning her competitive career at level four in 2015.
- Canadian elite and three-star recruit Reese Wilson has announced her intention to continue her athletic and academic career at Rutgers. Her new back handspring to two layouts series on beam is super clean and should find its way into the Rutgers lineup if she can find consistency.
- Clemson fans have lots to look forward to following the commitments of five-star Simone Brown and four-star Ayla Miller. Brown had surgery on her knee in February and is already back showing fantastic progress. Her all-around best is 38.950, and she has a bars high of 9.900. But it’s her almost flawless execution on all four events that makes her such an exciting college prospect. Miller, from Twin City Twisters, excels on bars where she’s had a top 100 score for the past two years, topping out at 9.900, which won her a national title in 2023. This offseason she has been training a very impressive gainer double twist dismount on beam. Clemson’s future continues to look bright with these two recruits.
- Kendall Knox, a four-star recruit, has committed to Georgia. She is a strong all-around athlete, but her top scores come on vault and floor with a 9.900 and 9.875, respectively.
- Reigning national champion LSU, added a fourth member to its 2026 class with three-star Audree Valdenarro. She’s a two time nationals qualifier, and while her 38.525 all-around high is impressive, it’s her bar routine that really sets her apart with a piked Tkatchev and a Shaposhnikova half. She’s also training a Yurchenko one and a half.
Training Updates
- Audree Valdenarro, (LSU, three-star, ’26) has a new Yurchenko one and a half.
- Lily Power (uncommited, three-star, ’26) is training a double front on floor.
- Arianna Ostrum (Minnesota, four-star, ’25) is training a Yurchenko one and a half and a new double layout on bars.
- Saidat Omilabu (Penn State, four-star, ’25) is training a side aerial to back handspring step-out beam series.
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Article by Katie Couldrey
