Tyler Ray, Jack Wilkening & Jack Aikins All Transferring To Practice At Texas

NCAA All-Americans Tyler Ray, Jack Wilkening, and Jack Aikins will all be making the transfer to Texas to coach beneath Bob Bowman in Austin. All three simply wrapped up there NCAA careers. Ray and Wilkening spent their collegiate careers at Michigan whereas Aikins spent his profession at Virginia.

Aikins is presently a member of the 2025-2026 US National Team within the 200 backstroke. Aikins represented the US on the 2025 World Championships final summer time, swimming in prelims of the 100 and 200 backstrokes. He earned his spot on the Worlds crew after successful the 200 again in a lifetime finest 1:54.25 at 2025 US Nationals. He additionally was 2nd within the 100 again in a 53.19.

Aikins can be becoming a member of the coaching group at altitude camp on May 18th, proper after his commencement from Virginia.

He informed SwimSwam, “I have nothing but love and respect for UVA and the people there. However, I’ve been training there since 2021, and believe a change in training stimulus and a new environment will be really beneficial as I move forward into my professional career. It’ll be exciting to be part of a big professional group that’s collectively focused on ambitious goals in the post-NCAA world of swimming. I’ll have a pretty insane group of training partners as well. No better way to challenge myself and grow.”

Ray will make the transfer to Texas regardless of an enormous senior season with the Michigan Wolverines. Ray was third within the 200 fly and fifth within the 100 fly on the 2026 NCAA Championships. Ray didn’t swim in any respect final summer time, so his final lengthy course meet is again from July 2024.

“There’s superstars from top to bottom in that group,” Ray mentioned to the Livingston Daily. “There are U.S. and international Olympians and Olympic medalists in that group. I was looking for a big step out of my comfort zone. I really loved my time at Michigan. I have great training partners here and great coaches.”

Fellow Michigan teammate Jack Wilkening can be making the transfer to Austin. Wilkening swam a lifetime finest 43.98 100 again whereas main off Michigan’s 400 medley relay at 2026 NCAAs.

Wilkening did compete throughout lengthy course season final summer time and was sixth in each the 50 again (24.88) and 100 again (53.87) at 2025 US Summer Nationals. He was in the identical finals heats as Aikins.

“Super excited for the opportunity in Texas, and grateful for everyone in Ann Arbor who has helped me become the swimmer and person I am today,” Wilkening informed SwimSwam. “I would especially like to thank Matt and Gunnar for their investment into growing the UM program and thankful they support my decision. Grateful for the opportunity to train with and learn from Coach Bowman and some of the best backstrokers in American and the world!”

Wilkening and Aikins will be a part of a backstroke group that features names comparable to 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalist within the 200 again Hubert Kos in addition to Will Modglin who was third within the 50 again and fifth within the 100 again at 2025 US Summer Nationals. Ray joins the butterfly group that features 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalist within the 200 fly Leon Marchand, 2025 Worlds finalist within the 200 fly Carson Foster, in addition to Mitchell Schott who was an ‘A’ finalist at 2026 NCAAs within the 200 fly and is arriving after graduating from Princeton.