With this year’s recruit ratings now live, we’re taking a moment to zoom out and look at the bigger picture. From refining our process to evaluating another deep and talented pool of athletes, this cycle brought plenty to unpack. Whether you’re digging into updated ratings for the classes of 2026 and 2027 or getting your first look at the class of 2028, our team is breaking down what stood out most, what’s new behind the scenes, and where we see things heading next. 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 2028?
Katherine: Like Presley Duke and Josie Lynch in the two years before her, Andie Marshall stood out to me as having the most college-ready gymnastics out of any level 10 athlete I rated. There’s a maturity she brings to all four events, and as a Californian, there will undoubtedly be in-state schools and those across the country fighting for her commitment.
Courtney: Technique is always a big standout for me, and Abigail Ballard has definitely been someone on my radar consistently. She brings dynamic gymnastics with great technique on all four events and will definitely be a sought-after recruit for colleges. Greta Stowell’s gymnastics is also a big highlight for me because of her consistent all-around performances in level 10. Her recruiting journey will also be a fun one to watch.
Sarah: Greta Stowell stood out to me as well. She has a dynamic performance quality and a high-octane skill set that I feel will make her a quick fan favorite at the program lucky enough to sign her. Lila Richardson has had a strong start to the summer in elite, and I am excited to see her continue to build off the progress she’s made.
Alyssa: For the class of 2028, I primarily rated the elites. I obviously enjoyed rating Charleigh Bullock and Carolina Moreau, but one that caught me by surprise was Sophie St. John. I really enjoyed the way she presents herself on beam and floor. For the level 10s, I have to give a shout-out to Natalia Janes because she competed a double turn on beam, which is one of my favorite skills to watch.
Logan: I’m gonna have to jump on the Andie Marshall train. Sure—there are small areas for improvement, but her fundamentals are strong. She has ample amplitude and controlled landings on all four events, making me think she’ll be able to hit the ground running in college.
Mariah: She’s been mentioned already, but Abigail Ballard’s technique really caught my eye. Any school would be lucky to have her on its roster. Reagan Murphy’s difficulty also got my attention. She has a very solid Yurchenko one and a half that should easily find its way into a college lineup in a couple of years.
Who are you most looking forward to seeing commit and eventually compete in college in the class of 2028?
Katherine: I’ve loved Charleigh Bullock since her junior elite days, so to see her blossom on the senior scene and now achieve five-star status as a recruit just feels natural. I know she’ll be the hottest of commodities come June 15, and with her graduation falling in the Olympic year, I look forward to seeing which school she’ll represent at the conclusion of the quad.
Courtney: Caroline Moreau is definitely someone I am excited to see in the NCAA. Her elite journey has been really fun to watch and is highlighted by her beautiful technique on all four events. As a Texas native, it will be interesting to see how much Texas State pursues her and where she ultimately ends up.
Sarah: I enjoyed rating Stella Letendre, and I am excited to see where she commits. While she has yet to compete this year, her 2025 floor routine was so fun to watch, and I am excited to see her compete the event in college. Swiss elite Samira Raffin has impressive difficulty and truly compelling artistry and performance that I am looking forward to seeing in the NCAA.
Alyssa: I feel like I have been waiting to see where Lia Monica Fontaine will end up for years. Fontaine has so much power and great form in her gymnastics. We have seen some of the top Canadian gymnasts stay up north in the Big Ten for college, so I will be interested to see if she continues that trend.
Logan: I’m eager to see where Alessia Rosa commits. In a class with so much elite talent, I think she’s gone a little undernoticed. She is a strong elite in her own right, boasting international experience and a floor routine with difficult tumbling and thoughtful artistry. Any team should be grateful to get her.
Tara: Apart from Bullock and Moreau, I’m looking forward to seeing where Andie Marshall commits.
Who were you pleased to see improve their rating in the class of 2027?
Katherine: Erin Davis had a special season that culminated in an all-around national championship in Oklahoma City. To see her skyrocket from three to five stars was incredible and so well-deserved, and there’s no way she’s reached her ceiling yet; if she keeps climbing, I can see her having an Alex McMurtry-esque career at Florida.
Courtney: Morgan Braun had an exceptional 2026 season, highlighted by a second-place finish at level 10 nationals. It’s been really cool to see her jump from a three to a five-star recruit this season. Looking ahead to her college career, Iowa will definitely be looking for her to contribute in lineups once she gets on campus.
Sarah: Lauren Supnet and Mary Ellie Flack both upgraded from three to four stars. Both gymnasts have impressive Yurchenko one and a halves that will be immediately valuable to their future programs, with Flack even earning a 10.0 on hers earlier in the year. I was happy to see both of their improvements throughout 2026, and their rating boosts are certainly well-earned.
Alyssa: Ally Damelio is someone I have had my eye on due to her bars difficulty (a Seitz just speaks to me), and it was nice to see her upgrade and improve on all events this year. Since the last ratings cycle, she has gone from 55 points to 69 points and has switched commitments to Alabama. The Crimson Tide will be thrilled to get her on campus next year.
Tara: I absolutely loved Morgan Braun last year—it was so clear she had the foundations and needed a little more experience to gain consistency. She did just that, and her subsequent promotion to five stars is well-earned.
Mariah: I also loved Morgan Braun last year and was convinced she would be a five-star until I checked her score points and realized they didn’t really match up with the quality of the gymnastics I saw on video. With another year of competition under her belt, she seems to have settled in and was able to make a massive jump in the ratings.
Which graduating senior are you most excited to see compete in college?
Katherine: There are so many incredible incoming freshmen, but I’m going to shout out two of them here, starting with Ella Fine. She’s gotten better and better as her career’s gone on; her floor in particular is absolutely amazing, but she’s a true all-arounder. I think her potential will be realized at Florida in a big way. I was also impressed by Julia Cotter, who will head to Kentucky in the fall. A tidy and clean gymnast, she will overlap one year with Delaynee Rodriguez; with even more room for improvement, I think that could set her up, especially to take over as Rodriguez’s successor in the all-around.
Courtney: I’m so excited for Imani White to get to experience the NCAA. I think she is going to be a staple in the Tigers’ lineups. I could definitely see her breaking into the bars and vault lineups her freshman year, but developing into an all-arounder throughout her time in Columbia. Her progression as a level 10 has been really exciting to watch, and I can’t wait to see her embrace the environment Shannon Welker has curated at Mizzou.
Sarah: Clemson will be welcoming its first-ever five-star recruits in Audrey Snyder and Morgan Reihl. I am very excited to see what lineups they slot into come January, as both have very legitimate all-around potential (dependent, of course, on Snyder’s status, since she will be coming back from an injury that kept her from nearly all of the 2026 season). I’m also intrigued to see another five-star, Kieryn Finnell. No competition or training footage has been seen of her in nearly a year, but she has a beautiful, college-ready style of gymnastics that should score quite well if she is healthy.
Alyssa: I always enjoy watching the elites from Europe come to NCAA, and this year is no different. I am really looking forward to watching Amalia Ghigoarță compete for Nebraska and Lihie Raz compete for Michigan.
Logan: Zoey Molomo just feels so right for UCLA. I can see her contributing on any number of events, but I think her vault will be of most value to the Bruins. It seems like forever since we last watched her compete, and I’m so excited to see her shine in college.
Tara: Shea Orlando is one I’ve eyed ever since we first rated her, and I’ve loved seeing her blossom throughout her level 10 career. On a personal level, I’m excited for Emerson Gaa at Denver—she and former five-star recruit Shyla Bhatia both have excellent performance quality on floor.
Mariah: I’m excited to see Mylee Grant at Kentucky next season. She’s competed a double-twisting Yurchenko in the past and has high-level skills on the other events as well. Gabby Van Frayen kept her Onodi on beam last season as a freshman for the Wildcats, so I’m interested to see what kind of difficulty we get from Grant.
Name an underrated recruit in each of the three ratings classes who fans should keep an eye on in the years to come.
Katherine: Starting at N.C. State this fall, national all-around runner-up Christina Shelton has clean and impressive gymnastics on all four events; I think we’ll see her on each of them for the Wolfpack right away. I think I named Emma Belle Gaskins as my underrated 2027 athlete last year, and I will continue to scream about her potential until she gets to Kentucky; I just love her gymnastics, and once she upgrades her vault, she’ll be an even bigger all-around threat. Sage Hellbusch really impressed me in the class of 2028, particularly on bars and beam. She has almost zero margin of error on the latter event, and as a Twin City Twisters athlete, I would not be surprised if one KJ Kindler came calling on June 15th.
Courtney: I’m really excited to see Giselle Guenther at Arkansas this next year! She’s had a ton of level 10 success in both of her years competing in level 10, and has very clean gymnastics on all her events. I am confident in her ability to break into lineups as a freshman, especially on vault. I think she will definitely make an immediate impact for the Gymbacks! My underrated gymnast for 2027 is Stephie Becker. I have absolutely loved watching her gymnastics, and I think she has so much potential on all four events. It’s exciting to see all the upgrades she’s working on during this off-season, and once she upgrades her floor and vault, she will be a standout athlete at Stanford. Grace Wickham has been one of the 2028 athletes I’ve really enjoyed following, and I think she is already establishing herself as a standout recruit to watch in the coming years. What immediately stands out is the impressive form and technique she brings, especially on bars and beam. I could definitely see her competing all-around at any university as soon as she upgrades her vault. As a Texas native, it will be interesting to see if Texas State makes a strong push to keep her close to home!
Sarah: I’ll be paying close attention to Abygail MacKinney’s debut at Arizona in January. She could very legitimately be in the back half of the Wildcats’ bars lineup from day one, and I would not be surprised to see her on beam and floor this season as well. I am very excited for the Abygail/Abigayle duo that she and Abigayle Martin will provide. 2027 Georgia commit and new three-star Aaliyah Ogelsby made great strides in 2026 and could push even further in her last season of level 10. I particularly enjoyed rating her on beam, where she has a confident disposition that, with some slight form fixes, could be lineup-ready by the time she begins college. As for the class of 2028, Emma Novacki stood out to me as a gymnast with immense potential. She just began level 10 this year and made enough of a statement to immediately earn a rating. I’m excited to see how much she grows with two more years to fully settle into her skills and test upgrades.
Alyssa: Josie Maryschak is going to be huge for Northern Illinois this season. She was not rated last year and has since upgraded on bars and floor to routines that would be useful for the Huskies. For the class of 2027, Jurzie Blu Cromartie has the potential to be a key contributor for Clemson. Cromartie really emotes on floor, competes a Chow on bars, but doesn’t yet have an up-to-level dismount on the event. I mentioned her earlier, but Sophie St. John competes elite for Malta and is one that I will be watching for in both the elite scene and on her recruiting journey.
Tara: In the class of 2026, Kent State’s Libby Tobias is excellent on bars, as is Minnesota’s Avalie Brinn; Brinn also shines on beam. For the 2027s, Lindsey Knox has one of the top Yurchenko one and a halfs in the class. She had quite the journey on bars this season—having to relearn her technique due to new coaches training her on FIG settings—and it’s fair to wonder how much better she’d fare had that not happened. Marin Bronski went from not rated to one point shy of 4 stars—her difficulty will be appreciated at Denver as she continues to find consistency. Cali Kruer also recently upgraded to a Yurchenko one and a half. In the class of 2028, there are a few I have in mind: Cailyn Waibel has nice basics, Michaela Cuppari will be a great asset to any college team as she continues to refine her routines, and Mavie Fitzgerald is excellent on beam.
Mariah: Incoming freshmen Jazlyn Jackson and Kee Ann Cura both have stellar bar routines that are sure to find their way into a college lineup. Jackson received the maximum of 25 points on the event in our rating system to go along with the perfect 10.0 she scored in level 10 earlier this year. On a similar note, Riley Hardin, in the class of 2027, is currently unrated but has a lovely bar routine that should see lineup time as well. In the class of 2028, I really loved rating Hannyn Didier. She only vaults a Yurchenko layout, which hurts her rating a bit, but she has great presence on floor and a ton of potential.
Which schools do you see bright futures for once these recruits get to college?
Katherine: In a recent roundtable, I made the bold prediction that Michigan State would be perfectly fine after the departures of Nicole Jones and Devin Wright. Since then, there’s been quite the exodus from East Lansing that could definitely have my prediction aging poorly, but I still believe in it due to the talented freshmen coming in this fall. I was extremely impressed by Christina Fallon, a Gymnastics University athlete who reminds me so much of Riley McCusker with her toe point and grace. She also improved on the leg events this year. Five-star Jordyn Johnson has also gotten better and better and should absolutely be in the all-around conversation as well, and while Riley Fain didn’t compete in 2026, I see huge potential for her on the leg events. Michigan State will have a lot of holes to fill in 2027, and this is definitely the group to do that.
Courtney: I have really high hopes for Nebraska! This past offseason has been full of change for them, but with the addition of new coaches (I love the Jordan Gamboa hire) and mixture of transfers and commitments, I think they are in a great place to succeed. I’m really excited to see former Spartans Lilia Cosman, Amy Doyle, and Isabel Biro in the red and black. The additions of Grace Drexler and Amalia Ghigoarta are also big standouts for me. I definitely think they are still in their rebuilding phase, BUT I am super excited to see the success they will have as soon as next season!
Sarah: Utah’s No. 2-ranked 2027 class is composed of three five-stars in Claire Pease, Emma Howells, and Galilee Vestnys, and one four-star in newly-signed Taylor Noble. Their strengths complement each other beautifully, and all four of them could enter multiple lineups immediately. Each gymnast has extremely difficult routines, with four 10.0 start value vaults (including Vestnys’ perfect event rating) and a wide variety of E skills to choose from when the time comes. With the quartet entering college in what will be Avery Neff’s senior year, their arrival could very well spell out major successes for the Utes.
Alyssa: Maryland’s 2027 recruiting class looks way better today than it did a few months ago. Maryland has been all over the transfer portal this offseason, and now has a 2027 recruiting class with five ranked recruits after only one of those recruits was ranked in the last cycle. The Terrapins consistently end the season ranked in the 20s, and this class could be a sign of a squad that will become a bigger factor both in the Big Ten and nationally.
Logan: I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think Jay Clark’s current strategy wasn’t working for LSU. Between the countless transfers and high number of incoming five-star recruits like Josie Lynch and Reese Esponda, the depth of talent on the Tigers’ bench will be absurd in coming years. It’s a bummer that we might not see some of these athletes compete as much as they might at a different program, but if the end goal is a national title, it’s impossible to argue that the talent isn’t there.
Tara: Utah’s 2027 class isn’t as flashy as the likes of LSU, but it quietly built a great class headlined by Claire Pease and Gallilee Vestnys.
Mariah: I’m really looking forward to who Ohio State has coming in. Headlined by five-star incoming freshmen Oaklie Deputy and Paige Alexander, with fellow five-star Aaliyah Coleman set to join the following season, there’s a lot of quality gymnastics heading to Columbus in the next two seasons.
What adjustments or improvements were made for this round of ratings?
Jenna: I believe this is the first year we haven’t made any significant changes to the ratings methodology. The only thing I can think of is that we made a minor tweak to the way we rate athletes who may not have enough difficulty on an event to put together a college-level routine. However, there are some changes we’re considering making next year…more details to come!
Finally, what do you hope folks take away from or keep in mind about this year’s ratings release?
Jenna: I know I say this every year, but I just want to reiterate that being a five-star recruit is not the end-all and be-all of the ratings system. Since we started this project, plenty of athletes who were unrated or awarded three stars have had very successful collegiate careers, and the reverse is also true. These ratings are intended for use by fans and media, not coaches, and are based on whatever data and video are available to the public. We’re often dealing with grainy footage, spliced-together highlight reels, or a small sample size of meet scores and attempting to turn that into a prediction of future success. Most other sports with a similar system have hours of footage to analyze, while we only have a few minutes in most cases. So while we take pride in the methodology we’ve created and the hard work we put in year after year, we fully acknowledge that we will be wrong about a lot of athletes, and that’s okay! We love to see who proves us wrong!
Katherine: That it’s a celebration! It was exciting seeing all the gymnasts and clubs celebrate their rankings on release day and onwards, from three to five stars. It’s fun to reward talent, especially when it’s upgraded from previous years, but it’s even more fun to see more and more people start to herald the ratings and what they symbolize for gymnasts and their clubs.
Alyssa: I feel like it is always good to remind people that a three-star rating is really good! Gymnasts with that rating can go on to have fantastic collegiate careers. There is also always room to grow both before college and once a gymnast steps on campus.
Tara: Everyone we rated has something to be proud of! Ratings are an evaluation of overall readiness now, and there’s always room to grow. One of my favorite aspects of rerating gymnasts every year is being able to see those improvements in action. Four stars is something to celebrate too, and we don’t hate your favorite gymnast if we made her a four-star instead of a five-star. Further, three stars isn’t bad at all—as I mentioned, growth is so common, and some of the best specialists live there.
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Article by the recruit ratings team at College Gym News
