NCAA Finalist Julian Koch Proclaims Switch To Tennessee After Breakout 12 months At Pitt

Pitt sprinter Julian Koch introduced his switch to the University of Tennessee on Wednesday, becoming a member of the Vols with two seasons of eligibility after spending the primary half of his collegiate profession with the Panthers.

Koch, 20, entered the switch portal at first of April, only a few days faraway from the 2026 Men’s NCAA Championships, the place he had a standout efficiency, making a pair of particular person finals and setting finest occasions and Pitt information in the whole lot he swam.

Over the final month, there have been rumors that Koch would land at Texas, Arizona State, or Florida, however he finally ends up at Tennessee, which has confirmed to be an elite dash free and fly college during the last 5 years, led by the duo of Jordan Crooks and Gui Caribe.

After shedding Crooks after the 2024-25 marketing campaign, Caribe stepped up this previous season, serving as a lynchpin on the Tennessee relays whereas inserting 2nd within the 50 free, third within the 100 free and eleventh within the 100 fly individually.

With his commencement this spring, the Vols might be counting on Koch to fill these footwear.

Koch was on fireplace all through his sophomore 12 months, resetting the Pitt program information a number of occasions within the 50, 100 and 200 free, and the 100 fly, culminating along with his efficiency on the NCAA Championships.

The German native’s finest efficiency got here within the 100 free, the place he positioned 4th in a lifetime better of 40.43 after main the prelims in 40.52. He broke 44 seconds for the primary time within the prelims of the 100 fly, clocking 43.85 within the morning earlier than ending eighth within the ultimate (44.28).

Koch additionally took fifteenth within the 50 free (18.85), giving him a complete of 28 particular person factors, which ranked thirteenth amongst non-senior swimmers on the meet.

He additionally led off Pitt’s 200 and 800 free relays in new finest occasions and faculty information, clocking 18.65 within the 50 free and 1:31.79 within the 200 free, and completed out the meet by clocking 40.71 on the lead-off leg of the 400 free relay.

One month earlier on the ACC Championships, he positioned third within the 100 fly (44.56), 4th within the 100 free (41.26) and ninth within the 50 free (18.87).

Koch completed out his freshman 12 months at Pitt proudly owning finest occasions of 19.41 within the 50 free, 42.41 within the 100 free and 46.76 within the 100 fly, exhibiting simply how far he got here final season. He didn’t qualify for NCAAs as a freshman, along with his finest end on the ACC Championships coming within the 100 free, the place he was sixteenth.

Heading into the 2026-27 season, Koch will take over Caribe’s place on the Tennessee relays, possible becoming a member of Nikoli Blackman, Koby Bujak-Upton and Pedro Sansone on the dash free relays, and he may simply swim both free or fly on the medley relays.

Tennessee positioned fifth on the 2026 Men’s NCAA Championships with 272 factors, and can return six of their eight particular person scorers subsequent 12 months, solely shedding Caribe (39) and Nick Simons (12).