2027 College Swimming Previews: #11 Virginia Tech Men Look To Climb with Return of Brendan Whitfield

It’s that point of the yr once more. SwimSwam might be previewing the highest 12 males’s and girls’s groups (after which some) from the 2026 NCAA Championships. Follow together with the College Swimming Preview Channel. Want to learn much more? Check out the newest version of the SwimSwam journal.

Men’s #11: Virginia Tech Hokies

Key Losses: Landon Gentry (2 NCAA Relays), Jacob Fisher (3 NCAA Diving Events)

Key Additions: Aidan Paro (Louisville switch – butterfly), Alex Grocholski (VA – free/IM), Matthew Wolfe (VA – IM/breast), Alex Parent (MA – distance free)

GRADING CRITERIA

Over the years, we’ve gone forwards and backwards on the right way to challenge factors, starting from largely subjective rankings to extra data-based grading standards based mostly on ‘projected returning points.’ We like being as goal as potential, however we’re going to stay with the method we’ve adopted post-COVID. The “stars” will rely closely on what swimmers truly did final yr, however we’ll additionally give credit score to returning swimmers or freshmen who’ve posted instances that may have scored final yr.

Since we solely profile the highest 12 groups on this format, our grades are designed with that vary in thoughts. In the grand scheme of faculty swimming and in comparison with all different faculty packages, prime 12 NCAA packages would just about all grade effectively throughout the board. But within the curiosity of creating these previews informative, our grading scale is hard – designed to point out the tiers between the nice stroke teams, the nice ones, and the 2015 Texas fly group varieties.

• 5 star (★★★★★) – a uncommon, elite NCAA group projected to attain 25+ factors per occasion
• 4 star (★★★★) – a really, excellent NCAA group projected to attain 15-24 factors per occasion
• 3 star (★★★) – an excellent NCAA group projected to attain 5-14 factors per occasion
• 2 star (★★) – a strong NCAA group projected to attain 1-4 factors per occasion
• 1 star (★) –  an NCAA group that’s projected to attain no factors per occasion, although that doesn’t imply it’s with out potential scorers – they’ll simply have to leapfrog some swimmers forward of them to do it

We’ll grade every occasion self-discipline: dash free (which we outline to incorporate all of the relay-distance freestyle occasions, so 50, 100 and 200), distance free, IM, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly and diving. Use these grades as a jumping-off level for dialogue, slightly than a purpose to be indignant.

Also, remember that we’re publishing many of those previews earlier than groups have posted finalized rosters. We’re making our assessments based mostly on the most effective data now we have accessible on the time of publication. Still, we reserve the suitable to make modifications after publication based mostly on any new data which will emerge relating to rosters. If that does occur, we’ll make sure to notice the change.

The ultimate word is that we aren’t together with athletes who graduated final spring after exhausting their faculty eligibility regardless of ongoing lawsuits towards the NCAA relating to the brand new “Five-for-Five” rule.

2025-26 Lookback

After three straight top-10 finishes on the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, the Hokie males took a slight step again in 2026, ending eleventh with 86 factors. Head Coach Sergio Lopez-Miro was coping with a roster final season that didn’t convey again a lot NCAA scoring, because the Hokies have been with out Carles Coll Marti and Youssef Ramadan. However, they did handle to maintain dash ace Brendan Whitfield and key breaststroker Eli Martin, each of whom secured particular person scoring factors at NCAAs.

Whitfield, who was a member of all three Virginia Tech relays, additionally made the championship finals in each the 50 and 100 freestyles, ending eighth in each in 18.66 and 41.22, respectively. Martin was one other shiny spot for the Hokies final season, ending eighth within the championship ultimate of the 200 breast in 1:52.04. That identical occasion noticed Oscar Bilbao earn a Fifteenth-place end by means of the prelims for an additional two factors.

Levente Balogh additionally added two factors to the crew’s complete within the 200 again prelims in 1:39.07, which was the extent of the crew’s particular person scoring final season.

Every relay that Virginia Tech competed in additionally earned them further factors, although their general scoring nonetheless saved them 50 factors behind fellow ACC foe Stanford and the highest 10.

Sprint Free: ★★★

Possibly the brightest spot in the complete lineup for the Hokies is senior Brendan Whitfield, who has established himself as a critical risk on each the convention and nationwide ranges. After a two-time championship ultimate displaying on the 2026 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, there’s a critical chance that Whitfield could make that leap to a possible nationwide podium end. One huge check might be throughout the ACC alone, as he’ll deal with the likes of NC State’s Quintin McCarty, Louisville’s Nikita Sheremet, and Cal’s Martin Wrede, amongst many different abilities trying to take over the dash freestyle occasions within the ACC.

Whitfield tied for silver at ACCs within the 50 free with Sheremet in 18.71. Had he repeated his lifetime greatest effort from the prelims of 18.62, he would have topped the rostrum within the finals. Along along with his critical 50 pace, Whitfield did find yourself profitable the 100 free at ACCs final season in 40.93, his first ever time touching beneath 41-seconds. His potential to additionally ship huge within the 200 free can also be obvious, as he completed twelfth at NCAAs in one other greatest time of 1:31.49.

Whitfield can carry this sprint-free group to a number of championship finals at NCAAs. However, he’s one other expertise who may make a leap and safe further factors on the nationwide stage.

Javier Nunez enters his sophomore yr after anchoring each the 200 free and 400 free relays for the Hokies on the NCAA Championships final season as a freshman; on these relays, Nunez break up 18.78 and 42.41 to assist safe further double factors at NCAAs. If he could make a further leap this upcoming season, he might be an ace within the gap for the Hokies.

Outside of these two, the remainder of the roster will want some huge drops to even be in competition at NCAAs, or ACCs for that matter.

Distance Free: ★

This season’s Virginia Tech crew will nonetheless be helped by its quickest 500 and 1000 freestyler from a yr in the past, junior Jakub Poliacik, who completed 14th within the 500 free at ACCs in 4:18.76; it doesn’t seem to translate effectively to the nationwide stage.

The Hokies are very robust in dash freestyle (largely due to Whitfield), although the space freestyle is a bit missing. With the departure of Lee Naber, a bulk of the load will fall on Poliacik to ship within the distance division.

The Hokies bringing in Alex Parent as a member of the freshman class, whose greatest instances of 4:26.99 within the 500 and 15:14.31 within the 1650 would have ranked 4th and 2nd on the Hokie roster final season, does elevate an eyebrow, although it doesn’t completely transfer the needle. Parent’s 1650 would have positioned twentieth on the ACC Championships final season, and with a yr of faculty teaching, that putting may get inside the highest 10. If he managed to get contained in the 15-minute mark, he would instantly be in competition for a top-8 spot on the convention stage, and it could inch him nearer to scoring at NCAAs.

Another eye-opening freshman is Alex Grocholski, who involves Blacksburg with a greatest 500 free time of 4:19.98, which might solely path Poliacik’s 4:16.09 and Naber’s 4:16.31 from final yr’s roster.

With each freshmen probably capable of make a splash in yr 1 with the Hokies, it might be a duo that the Hokies lean on for a number of years to return, in addition to a distance group that might be comparatively untouched for an additional two seasons.

Backstroke: ★★

Virginia Tech retains each of its sub-46-second 100 backstrokes from a season in the past in Levente Balogh (45.47) and Connor Johnson (45.84). The crew additionally returns Andy Roose, who was simply exterior of that sub-46 second along with his 46.07 prelims swim on the NCAA championships.

It is a promising signal for the Hokie males to be returning a pair of ‘B’ finalists within the 100 again from ACCs: Balogh (twelfth, 45.67) and Johnson (thirteenth, 45.84). There is an efficient likelihood that, with a number of departures from the occasion’s ultimate from ACCs, both of those males will be capable to make a leap as much as the scoring vary this upcoming season. All three returning swimmers may make for a aggressive race for relay duties, which can push all three to some huge performances all through the season.

The 200 again options the identical prime three names from final season, as Balogh (1:39.07), Roose (1:39.37), and Johnson (1:39.64) all pose a major risk within the occasion on the nationwide stage.

Balogh, as beforehand talked about, secured factors on this occasion with that 1:39.07, with the opposite two performers’ instances proper on his heels. If Roose and Johnson can discover one other gear and probably decrease their instances from a season in the past, we might be a number of factors scorers within the occasion at this season’s ACC and NCAA Championships. A protected place to safe factors will possible be someplace within the 1:38 mid-to-high vary, and these three males are usually not too distant from these instances.

Breaststroke: ★★

Eli Martin returns because the Hokie ace within the breaststroke occasions, having been a finalist at NCAAs final season within the 200 breast. He additionally comes into this season as Virginia Tech’s quickest performer from a season in the past within the 100 breast, which got here on the ACC Championships in 51.29, a time that was adequate to safe him the #2 spot out of prelims earlier than ending runner-up to eventual ACC and NCAA Champion Yamato Okadome within the ACC ultimate in 51.36.

Martin, the junior, would be the breaststroke man for the Hokie males this upcoming season, although it won’t be with out some challengers. Though the crew won’t have the companies of Ethan Maloney, who completed eighth in that ACC ultimate within the 100 breast, they nonetheless have Oscar Bilbao, who raced the 100 breast on the NCAA Championships, ending twenty seventh in 51.96.

Bilbao additionally completed final season because the 2nd-fastest performer on the roster within the 200 breast along with his 1:51.41 on the VT Last Chance Meet, which might have positioned tenth within the occasion on the NCAAs. He completed Fifteenth on the NCAAs within the occasion in 1:52.00.

One of the newcomers to the Hokie Program, Matthew Wolfe, an in-state recruit from Richmond, comes into his faculty profession with lifetime breaststroke bests of 53.19 and 1:55.86. Both of that are effectively exterior NCAA scoring instances, although with a complete season of collegiate coaching, Wolfe might be a part of the following nice surge of ACC breaststrokers.

Butterfly: ★

The butterfly could also be the place departures will hit the Hokies the toughest; with Landon Gentry (44.99), Will Hanyon (45.31), and Carl Bloebaum (45.65) all gone from this system, the crew’s fly space is skinny. The quickest returning dash butterfliers are Whitfield (46.30), Nunez (46.77), and Clem Camacho (46.97).

The 200 fly will see a ton of turnover as effectively, as Gentry (1:40.35) and Bloebaum (1:42.84) led the crew final season, leaving Benedek Toth as the highest returner along with his 1:44.23 from the Tennessee Last Chance Invite.

This is the place Louisville switch Aidan Paro might be a direct affect. Paro is available in with greatest instances of 45.23 and 1:42.74, which is able to instantly rake excessive instances in each occasions by over a second in every from final season’s crew.

Butterfly might be an enormous space to observe for the Hokies this upcoming season, because the lack of a number of prime performers can even be seen on the relays, as Paro will possible be the fill-in for Hanyon and Gentry. However, the time distinction between them may put Virginia Tech at an obstacle at each the convention and nationwide championships.

IM: ★

Each of the highest three 200 IMers return for the Hokies in 2026, with Camacho (1:43.84), Eli Martin (1:44.03), and Oscar Bilbao (1:44.21) manning the shorter of the 2 IM races.

The 200 IM was not probably the most highly effective group for the Hokies final season, as Martin was the one swimmer to have certified for the ‘B’ ultimate at ACCs, ending Fifteenth in 1:44.79. Camacho clocked that 1:43.84 on the Tennessee Last Chance Invite, a time that may have completed twenty fifth at NCAAs.

The 400 IM can even see the return of prime performers in Roose (3:44.56), Martin (3:48.37), and Camacho (3:48.98), all again for this upcoming season. Roose was the very best finisher on the ACC championships, ending nineteenth in 3:44.56.

This occasion will closely function the freshmen in Grocholski and Wolfe; Grocholski holds greatest instances of 1:46.57 and three:46.30, whereas Wolfe involves Blacksburg with lifetime bests of 1:45.85 and three:44.64. Both of which may make huge freshman season strides and be an impactful duo proper out of the gate for the Hokies.

Diving: ★

An enormous preserve for the Hokies comes within the type of senior Rocky Ramsland, who completed sixth within the 1-meter and nineteenth within the 3-meter on the ACC Championships final season, and competed in all three diving occasions at NCAAs. He joins fellow returner Nathan Cox, who additionally contested all three occasions at NCAAs.

They do lose Jacob Fisher, who, as soon as once more, dove in three occasions on the NCAA Championships final season. However, they reload with a number of robust diving abilities, together with Aly Hassan and Luke Rawlings.

Ramsland completed thirty first on the NCAA Championships within the 1-meter, thirtieth within the 3-meter, and thirtieth within the 10-meter; Cox completed in related spots final season, together with twenty sixth on 3-meter, thirty second on 1-meter, and thirty third on 10-meter. Both might want to see an enormous leap from their 2026 outcomes to convey residence factors for the Hokies at NCAAs.

Relays: ★★

Note that the grading system doesn’t align completely for relays as double factors.

Relay grading system:

• 5 star (★★★★★) – 31+ factors per relay occasion
• 4 star (★★★★) – 22-30 relay factors per occasion
• 3 star (★★★) – 12-21 relay factors per occasion
• 2 star (★★) – 5-11 relay factors per occasion
• 1 star (★) – 0-4 relay factors per occasion

The relays this season are in a barely completely different place than they have been a season in the past, particularly within the medleys.

We have already touched on the absence of Will Hanyon and Landon Gentry, although Aidan Paro will slide into that fly leg fairly effectively. Whitfield and Martin are just about locks, although the attractive battle for the backstroke might be a season-long conflict, with any choices seeming like precious inserts into the lineup.

The free relays might be attention-grabbing, as Whitfield looks as if the standard leadoff, and Javier Nunez as a powerful anchor. Diego Aranda additionally returns for this sophomore season after swimming the 2nd leg of the 200 free relay (18.83). However, it looks as if there might be some competitors to fill among the different spots on the relays, with Lucas Humling (44.51 final season) and Hayden Annan (44.60) as potential suitors for that 400 free relay.

The relays are usually not in a foul place; with each Whitfield and Martin again, these two alone give some fairly excessive ceilings to succeed in for, although will probably be the remainder of the swimmers on these relays who will decide the crew’s destiny.

Total Stars: 13/40

2026/2027 Outlook:

All in all, the Hokies are in a powerful place this upcoming season, with a surefire star in Whitfield and an already confirmed breaststroke expertise in Martin; it isn’t loopy to see them probably end inside the highest 10 as soon as once more at NCAAs.

The backstroke battles between Balogh, Johnson, and Roose needs to be one of many extra intriguing intersquad stroke battles within the ACC this season, and the new-look IM and Distance freestyles will look to assist get Virginia Tech again on monitor to compete in a good ACC gauntlet.

With the returning firepower and a few newcomers to the squad, this Hokie crew might be a change of tempo from what now we have seen previously, although beneath Lopez Miro, this Hokie males’s crew may definitely make some noise as we draw nearer to the beginning of the faculty season.

Men’s 2026-27 College Preview Index