With our latest round of recruit ratings now live, it’s time to take a step back and reflect on the process, standout athletes, and updates we made for this year’s release. Whether you’re diving into the updated ratings for the classes of 2025 and 2026 or exploring the debut ratings for the class of 2027, we’ve gathered our thoughts on what’s new, what stood out, and what’s ahead. If you haven’t checked out the full database yet—or want to learn more about how we put it all together—head over to the recruit ratings landing page.
Which recruits stood out to you the most in the class of 2027?
Katherine: Josie Lynch is one of the most technically perfect gymnasts I’ve rated in the three years that I’ve been doing it. Her ability to compete huge skills on all four events with so little margin for error, to me, is reminiscent of Kailin Chio and Avery Neff; so is her ability to stick her Yurchenko one and a half nearly without fail. She can, and will be, a star.
Alyssa: Lia Redick was one who really stood out to me in this class largely due to her beam. She has great rhythm on that event paired with skills that have minimal NCAA deductions. When watching bars, Avalie Brinn stood out to me for the floatiness of her jaeger and pak salto. Lia-Monica Fontaine has some huge tumbling on floor that is ready for the end of the lineup.
Mariah: Kiari Sparks is one that caught my eye. Her gymnastics just looks effortless and her vault is especially nice to watch. I think she will be one on the rise in the coming years. Zoé Cadrin, a Canadian elite, is another who stood out. She’s pretty well balanced across all events and will surely have a lot of international experience under her belt by the time she arrives on campus somewhere.
Emma: This spring, I kept seeing Galilee Vestnys’ classmates post all over social media about the sheer number of college coaches coming to her practices. I didn’t watch any of her gymnastics at the time and instead tried to keep it a surprise until I rated her. Holy moly. She’ll have her pick of whatever program she chooses, and I can’t wait to see where she ends up. She boasts clean, unique, and absolutely gorgeous gymnastics on all four events. Avalie Brinn and Jada Oliver also stuck out to me while rating this year.
Julianna: Camryn Shepard was definitely one that stuck out to me personally, with a lot of it coming from her consistency for the past few seasons. Shepard’s Yurchenko one and a half would be an asset to any lineup, and having scored a near perfect 9.95 in level 10, this will most certainly be an event she contributes to wherever she ends up. Shepard is a consistent all-arounder that has been able to put up big scores across all four events and make it look effortless; her technique, lines, and ability to dial in landings will undoubtedly put her in an excellent position when it comes time for her to choose a program to continue her career.
Tara: I’ve seen Camryn Shepard’s name around the level 10 scene, but hadn’t watched a ton of her gymnastics. I was really impressed with her cleanliness combined with her difficulty—any school will be lucky to have her! I was also impressed with Galilee Vestnys and her unique assortment of skills as well as Cambry Haynes.
Gemma: I was reminded during the process of how much I enjoy watching Tyler Turner’s gymnastics. Her movement quality and power are fantastic. While the timing of her Achilles injury is very unfortunate, I look forward to seeing her make her senior debut once she’s recovered, and seeing where she commits!
Who are you most looking forward to seeing commit and eventually compete in college in the class of 2027?
Katherine: I can’t wait to see five-stars Jada Oliver and Madyson Boyd from Brandy Johnson’s commit and compete in college, since they (and frankly, most of all of their class of 2025 and 2026 clubmates) just look so college-ready right now. Their recruitments will be closely followed.
Alyssa: While I am looking forward to seeing what beam lineup Redick will be in, I would have to say the one I will be most excited to see commit and compete in college is Harlow Buddendeck, as she is one of the few gymnasts from near my hometown, which always makes those recruiting journeys fun. Buddendeck is also a delight on floor, and I will be interested to see which of her elite dance elements make it to her college routine.
Mariah: I’m really looking forward to seeing where Kyra DiCello ends up! If Kayla DiCello is able to take an extra year due to her achilles injury, there is a possibility we could have three DiCellos competing in NCAA simultaneously, possibly for three different programs.
Emma: I’m really excited to see where Claire Pease commits! I can see her fitting in almost anywhere. I have a strong hunch for where Josie Lynch will commit, but I’m also excited to see where she takes her visits. I’m also interested to see where the Canadian elites commit. This is such a talented crop of Canadian NCAA recruits and they can’t all commit to Iowa!
Julianna: I have been excited to see where Reese Esponda ends up; she has had such a presence sharing the fun gymnastics she’s done over the years on social media, just emphasizing how much of a powerhouse athlete she is with what she tries. Wherever she ends up, she will absolutely be fun to watch as an NCAA athlete.
Tara: I’m excited to see where Claire Pease ends up, as well as our other five-star recruits! With the recent club-to-NCAA coach movement of Mary Rice (Brandy Johnson’s to Denver) and Jessie McDonough (Olympus to Clemson), I’m looking forward to seeing how that affects the recruiting world—while Olympus (shockingly) doesn’t have any 2027 level 10s, there are a number of strong Brandy Johnson’s recruits, including five-stars Jada Oliver and Madyson Boyd.
Gemma: I’m going to stick to my Canadian roots and echo Emma by saying the Canadians. Wimgym in Quebec has SIX rated recruits in this class, and there are three more from other provinces. I’d love to see schools trying to recruit Canadians that haven’t as much in the past. If I had to say one, I’d say Gabrielle Fausto, since I think she’s the strongest under-the-radar recruit of the bunch.
Who were you pleased to see improve their rating in the class of 2026?
Alyssa: After a great first senior elite season that included an Olympic Trials appearance, I was pleased to see Simone Rose improve her rating to a five-star. She was close last rating cycle, but incremental improvements across all four events made the difference. Florida now has four five-star recruits in its 2026 recruiting class.
Mariah: Gabrielle Black made a huge jump this year from three to five stars due to significant improvement on every event. She has the potential to be a star at Utah, and with a year of competition still to go before college she still has time to get even better. Mylee Grant also had a breakout year. She was unrated last year but showed an impressive Yurchenko double at level 10 nationals this year and is sure to be a strong contributor at Kentucky.
Emma: I was super excited to see Evey Lowe become a five-star after medalling at the 2025 Winter Cup. Her gymnastics will translate well to college, especially with KJ Kindler as her coach. I also loved to see Jada Kim upgraded to a five-star rating, which she has more than earned after taking the all-around title in the Senior A division at national championships this year.
Julianna: I would have to second Evey Lowe; I have followed her elite career for some time and I really think she is going to be a standout at Oklahoma when she gets to be a Sooner. She has excellent technique across the board and impressive performance quality. This streak will most certainly continue as she heads into NCAA.
Tara: I shouted Jada Kim out last year as an underrated recruit and was excited to see her upgraded to a five-star after a stellar level 10 season. Lindsay Pseja is another one I saw potential in last season; she built on a strong end to 2024 with another good season in 2025 and more than earned an upgrade from three to four stars.
Gemma: Oaklie Deputy has had a fantastic season, and I was really glad to see that reflected in her gaining five-star status. I’d love to see her improve her vault, because I think she has the potential for dramatic improvement next season as well. Ohio State did well to gain her commitment switch from BYU.
Which graduating senior are you most excited to see compete in college?
Katherine: Nina Ballou just won the coveted Senior F all-around title at nationals, but her skill level isn’t even the main reason I’m excited to see her in college. From her recruiting process and commitment video onwards, we’ve seen that she knows how to work the spotlight. With the backing of LSU’s powerful branding and NIL operation, she has the potential to become a huge star across college athletics, and I can’t wait to watch that journey begin this year.
Alyssa: After seeing Ana Bărbosu have a stellar European Championships it makes me that much more excited to see her collegiate debut. At a lesser-known level, I am excited to watch Makenzie Grant compete for Pittsburgh. When I rated her I was impressed by the improvements she made over the last year on vault, beam, and floor, and know that she will be a key piece for that team.
Mariah: I’m really excited to see Tiana Sumanasekera at UCLA. I fell in love with her at the Olympic Trials, and I’m excited to see what kind of routines they put together for her, especially on the floor.
Emma: I was thrilled to see Arianna Ostrum become a five-star, and I’m excited to see the impact she’ll make on all four events for Minnesota next season. I’m also clearing my calendar on Friday nights in 2026 to watch Ella Murphy compete on bars for Oklahoma.
Julianna: I am so excited to see Nola Matthews take on UCLA floor choreography. Matthews has done so well in her club career setting a bar for artistry, and putting her in a program where this aspect is so engrained the culture of the program will be amazing to watch. Matthews seems to already be a great teammate, having previously won Sportsperson of the Year for USAG in 2024, so I cannot wait to see her in an environment like UCLA where the team has been put at the center under head coach Janelle McDonald.
Tara: It’s finally Mackenzie Estep time in Norman! I’m also excited for her classmate Ella Murphy. Elyse Wenner battled injury in 2025, but has looked college-ready from the moment we first rated her and I’m looking forward to watching her at LSU. Shyla Bhatia earned a promotion to five stars and I’m looking forward to seeing her at Denver—she’ll have even more opportunities to shine with the transfer of Madison Ulrich to LSU. Former CGN intern Sydney Seabrooks is taking on North Carolina and I’m excited to follow the next step of her journey.
Gemma: Sophie Schriever’s improvement from year to year has been incredible, and I am really excited to watch her compete at Iowa. I’m glad that she’s part of a strong incoming class that could help put the program on a really positive trajectory. Watching European Championships, I’m hopeful that the switch to NCAA will help Jennifer Williams with her consistency, because when she hits, her gymnastics is absolutely stunning.
Name an underrated recruit in each of the three ratings classes who fans should keep an eye on in the years to come.
Katherine: Stanford has a stacked class coming in with Ana Bărbosu and Jennifer Williams headlining as international elites, but classmate Summer Gronski’s talents shouldn’t be underestimated, especially on vault. She, Taralyn Nguyen, and Anna Roberts will make a formidable back half of that lineup. I shouted out 2026’s Ronnie Amey last year as someone who really stood out to me, and I’m going to do it again here, since I feel like she remains underrated. That shouldn’t be the case for long–the future Michigan Wolverine “only” got fourth on bars at nationals this year after winning titles in 2023 and 2024, but her routine remains one of the single most impressive ones in her class to me. Finally, 2027’s Emma Belle Gaskins may have a similar name to a recent NCAA athlete, but she should make a name for herself on her own with her beautiful lines and artistry. She and clubmate Charleigh Bullock (who’ll be rated next year) are putting Capital Gymnastics back on the map for a reason.
Alyssa: I mostly rated elites and internationals this cycle so my picks here are all from that group. One bar worker who caught my eye of the incoming freshmen was Natasha Lopez, who is committed to Bowling Green. She rose in the rankings, and her bar routine is clean and college-ready. During the ratings, I watched many subpar tumbling passes which made watching Sienna Fretwell’s tumbling a delight. She has great form in her twisting and double tuck that will be great to watch in Southern Utah’s lineup in a few years. For the class of 2027, Gabrielle Fausto does not have the bars difficulty to be a five-star, but her other three events are super strong, and she will be a contributor on those events at just about any school she chooses to attend.
Mariah: Brooke Boggess in the class of 2025 is someone everyone should definitely be looking out for. She’s unrated only because she doesn’t compete vault and floor, but her routines on bars and beam are stellar and lineup-ready for Michigan State. In the class of 2026, I really enjoyed rating Egyptian elite Dana Khalil. She’s very pretty to watch and does a Khorkina on bars, which is not a skill that’s often done in college. Morgan Braun and Olivia Vandevander in the class of 2027 were both lovely on video, but their scores are holding them back a bit. If they can gain some consistency, I think they will make a quick rise to a higher rating in the years to come.
Emma: Don’t sleep on rising freshman Tonya Paulsson. The Taiwanese elite has precise and floaty gymnastics that will complement any lineup well. Whether she stays committed to Cal or joins the Howells at Clemson, she will make an immediate impact on vault and bars. I also must mention Pitt incoming freshman Madison Bell here, who has that it-factor on the floor that you can’t look away from. Arizona State commit Adelle Speck was one of my favorite class of 2026 gymnasts to rank. Her floor is simply delightful. Harper Haralson was one of the most impressive class of 2027 gymnasts that I rated, and she has massive potential on beam and floor.
Julianna: With a later commitment change from Rutgers to Florida, the 2025 graduating senior Jayla Booker is one I am excited to watch. Booker has the capability on every event, especially the power events scoring as high as a 9.95 on floor in her club career. With such an unexpected change, I am excited to see what she brings to the Gators’ lineups this season. Sydney Snyder will be an exciting one to watch come 2026 at Clemson; with another year of level 10 under her belt to build on what she’s already done in club along with the new coaching staff for Clemson establishing a routine before her arrival, Snyder will be coming in just in time to have a stellar NCAA career. Looking forward to 2027, I am excited to see where Harlow Buddendeck ends up. She would be an asset to any team, especially on bars and beam where her lines and artistry really set her apart.
Tara: The class of 2025 features event specialists Sage Curtis and Brooke Boggess, both of whom should be impactful for their respective schools. Despite only competing two events, Boggess came just five points shy of being a three-star recruit! Kentucky and Denver both found previously unrated gems in the class of 2026 in four-star recruits Mylee Grant and Michelle Lin—both have clean gymnastics and 10.0 vaults. In the class of 2027, Morgan Braun and Kiari Sparks stood out to me. Both have clean gymnastics, but consistency will help them get to the next level; Sparks will also want to upgrade her bars dismount to be up to the level for college. Braun particularly excels on bars, where she competes a lovely Ricna, while Sparks’ Yurchenko full is already college-ready.
Gemma: I also primarily rated elites and internationals, so my picks will be in that domain. For 2025, I’m going to point out Alexandra Reddick. She’s unfortunately had some injury struggles in her senior year, but I love her beam leaps and vault. I’m hopeful to see her on multiple events at Central Michigan. For 2026, I’m excited about Victoriane Charron. A recruit as strong as her is rarely uncommitted this late, and her recruiting Instagram has mentioned both Cal and LSU. With Cal losing multiple 2026 recruits recently, I’d love to see her help maintain the success of the program in the new era and potentially be a strong all-arounder for them. I mentioned her earlier, but I’m going to repeat myself (and Alyssa) and say Gabrielle Fausto for 2027. I think she may have had my favourite beam of all the routines I watched, and I believe she can increase her bars difficulty as well.
Which schools do you see bright futures for once these recruits get to college?
Katherine: Arizona had an amazing season in 2025, and it’s only looking up from here. I really enjoyed rating 2025’s Hillary Puleo, who’s scored a 10.0 on beam and just has that extra “it” factor across her gymnastics. The recruiting class as a whole is strong, as is the 2026 class, with a combined nine gymnasts (six of whom are rated) coming in over those two years.
Alyssa: Auburn struggled this past year with injuries, but many of the key routines were from underclassmen. The Tigers will be getting a handful of highly ranked recruits over the next two years, including newly minted five-stars Charlotte Booth, Ella Fine, and Audrey Snyder. That 2027 team, once all of these gymnasts are on campus, is shaping up nicely, and the Tigers will have the chance to push into the top half of the SEC once again.
Mariah: Pitt has some great recruits coming in this year, headlined by four-stars Makenzie Grant and Madison Bell and three-star Layla Bobek. The 2026 class hasn’t quite shaped up yet, so it’s tough to say if the Panthers can continue recruiting at such a high level, but after several years of missing regionals, it’s nice to see them being aggressive with recruiting.
Emma: Ohio State struggled to stay competitive last season after UCLA joined the Big Ten, but you would never be able to tell based on their incoming recruits. Their sixth-ranked entering freshman class will bring a breath of fresh air to the program. Ava Jackson has a beautiful Van Leeuwen, Baylie Belman boasts a perfect rating on floor, and Lillian Jennejohn will likely slot into the back half of the vault lineup with her Yurchenko one and a half.
Julianna: Arkansas has three five-star recruits joining this fall in Allison Cucci, Avalon Campbell, and Avery King, all of whom have been on the radar for quite some time. If they continue to perform in their NCAA debut years as they have been in their club careers, they will most definitely be making big and quick impacts for the Razorbacks.
Tara: Alabama, Denver, and Ohio State all have the second-most number of rated recruits (9), just behind mainstays Oklahoma and UCLA (11). For a Denver team that’s losing a lot of impactful routines, its next two classes will be big in replenishing that. Jordyn Wieber has quietly recruited well at Arkansas and its No. 3-ranked 2025 class is poised to be one of the most impactful. Justin Howell and Elisabeth Crandall-Howell have already flipped a number of commitments from California—I can see their recruiting prowess elevating Clemson.
Gemma: They’ve been mentioned quite a bit throughout this roundtable, but I’m so excited for Stanford. Jennifer Williams and Ana Bărbosu both had exceptional European Championships with Bărbosu bringing home a medal haul, and Williams setting multiple career highs, and I’m really excited for their all-around potential at Stanford. However, all three of the other ‘25s have standout events that makes this a generally strong class. In 2026, right after Stanford qualified to Nationals, we saw top recruits like Jayla Hang and Cameron Tassone visit, and they got commits from 5-star athletes Alicia Zhou and Raeya Linton. Maddie Stewart, also in that class, ties for the highest vault rating of her class. I’m hoping we see this strong recruiting continue with the ‘27s and that it isn’t too long before Stanford competes at Nationals again.
What adjustments or improvements were made for this round of ratings?
Jenna: We completely revamped our rating criteria for elite and international gymnasts. In past years, we noticed that top-tier U.S. elites weren’t getting rated as highly as top-tier level 10 athletes, so we felt the criteria we were using for elites was too restrictive in some cases. On the other end of the spectrum, the criteria were too loose for some international athletes who weren’t at a difficulty level needed for NCAA lineups. The goal going into this round of recruiting was to fix both of those issues. Meanwhile, we also adjusted our score points calculation for level 10s for the first time since we began the ratings. Previously, score points (the portion of the ratings made up solely from level 10 scores) were calculated the same way for all class years, which was fine when we were only rating two classes, but the addition of rating seniors last year led to a lot of seniors getting upgraded to five stars and not enough sophomores obtaining that status. We’ve now adjusted the calculations so that an athlete’s score points are based on results within their own class year rather than comparing them to three full classes of gymnasts.
Finally, what do you hope folks take away from or keep in mind about this year’s ratings release?
Elizabeth: I want to give one piece of advice to gymnasts and parents who reach out to us with questions or inquiries about the ratings: Being kind goes a long way and makes us much more willing to take a closer look at a request. Messages that are mean-spirited or unnecessarily critical, especially those that put down other athletes or peers, are either deleted immediately or met with only the minimum necessary response.
Tara: Jenna detailed the changes we made to the criteria, but a lot of work was done in helping with parity while also accounting for gymnasts with clean routines but not enough difficulty. That said, our ratings are a reflection of college readiness today. There may be a number of reasons that someone isn’t rated as high, but it doesn’t mean they don’t have potential—many gymnasts improve over the course of their high school career!
Emma: Echoing Tara, we rate based on college readiness right now. There is a lot that can change between now and that first collegiate routine. When we rate a gymnast, it is almost impossible to take into account their injury status, how they mesh with their club coaches, or even the stressors they deal with outside of gymnastics. College is a huge change in environment and pace, and it’s natural for gymnasts to change and grow between when they’re rated and when they step onto the floor for the first time. I actually like that aspect of rating. No matter how many stars we give a gymnast, they could turn out to be the next beam anchor for their school or a 9.9-plus machine on floor. I can watch a gymnast with untapped potential on an event, and while I have to rate them based solely on what I see, it leaves some anticipation and excitement about what their future coaching staff can do to help them succeed.
Julianna: No matter the star rating or if there wasn’t one this time around, that does not mean you are not destined to have an amazing NCAA career! As an athlete that wasn’t rated going into college, I can truly say I grew the most as a gymnast during these five years and improved to a point I didn’t think I could get to. Whatever the situation may be for you as you enter either your first year or college or are starting to get recruited, use this as a tool as you move forward, but do not get deterred if you still have the capability to grow in the process!
READ THIS NEXT: Meet the Class of 2027 Five-Star Recruits
Article by the recruit ratings team at College Gym News
