Teagan O’Dell Leads Five Key Transfers Who Will Influence NCAA Campaign
With the collegiate season underway, there will be considerable chatter over the next six-plus months concerning the outcome of the NCAA Championships. On the women’s side, the University of Virginia is chasing a seventh consecutive team title under the direction of Todd DeSorbo. Meanwhile, Bob Bowman will try to steer the University of Texas to its third straight national championship, and the 18th crown in program history.
While the Cavaliers and Longhorns return plenty of firepower from their title squads of a year ago, they benefited during the offseason from key transfer pickups. The ability of programs to add immediately impactful transfer talent has changed the landscape of collegiate athletics across all sports, and swimming is no different. Here is a look at five transfers (listed alphabetically) that will influence the 2026-27 NCAA campaign.
Anita Bottazzo (From Florida to Indiana)
An SEC champion at the University of Florida, Italian Anita Bottazzo will wear the red of Indiana this season, having announced her transfer during the summer. Bottazzo, who raced at the European Championships over the summer, joins an Indiana program that is known as “Breaststroke U”, and she brings a spectacular resume to her new home.
The top-six finishers in the 100 breaststroke from the 2026 NCAA Championships are back, and Bottazzo is a member of that group. As a Gator last March, Bottazzo posted a time of 57.00 to claim a share of second place with Tennessee’s McKenzie Siroky in the 100 breaststroke. Bottazzo was also the seventh-place finisher in the 200 breaststroke and her split of 56.10 in the 400 medley relay was the quickest in the field. For good measure, she supplied a 50 breaststroke split of 26.69 in the 200 medley relay.
Jacob Johnson (From Minnesota to Georgia)
From the Big Ten to the SEC, Jacob Johnson will bolster the butterfly contingent for Georgia, which is in need of a spark in those events now that Luca Urlando has moved on. As a sophomore, Johnson scored in three events for Minnesota at the 2026 Big Ten Championships, his butterfly skill complemented by points in the 50 freestyle.
Johnson saved his best for the NCAA Championships, where he finished fourth in the 200 butterfly, cracking the 1:40 barrier with a swim of 1:39.20. Johnson arrives in Athens with a best in the 100 fly of 44.86 and he figures to contribute to the Bulldogs in multiple relays.
Julian Koch (From Pittsburgh to Tennessee)
Junior Julian Koch is coming off a breakout season, but with the Pittsburgh program undergoing a coaching change amid questions concerning athletic-department support of the program, Koch opted to transfer to Tennessee and the Southeastern Conference. Koch should provide an immediate spark for the Volunteers, as he has the ability to step into the void left by the graduation of Gui Caribe.
Koch was the bronze medalist in the 100 butterfly at last year’s ACC Championships and was eighth at the NCAA Champs. He brings a personal best of 43.85 to Rocky Top, and that event is complemented by stellar speed in the sprint-freestyle events. Koch placed fourth at the 2026 NCAAs in the 100 freestyle (40.43) and was 15th in the 50 freestyle, behind a performance of 18.85.
Luka Mladenovic (From Michigan to Texas)
Two-time defending champion Texas has picked up additional firepower in the breaststroke events with the transfer of Austrian Luka Mladenovic from Michigan. Over the summer, Mladenovic made the podium in the 200-meter breaststroke at the European Championships, going 2:08.91 in Paris. In 2025, he was the bronze medalist in the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke at the European Short Course Champs.
Mladenovic was the 2026 Big Ten Conference champion as a freshman in the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke and followed those efforts with strong showings at the NCAA Championships. Mladenovic wrapped up his first season of college competition by placing third in the 200 breaststroke (1:49.34) and finishing fifth in the 100 breast (50.47). He was also 15th in the 200 individual medley, going 1:42.29.
Teagan O’Dell (From Cal to Virginia)
The rich got richer when Teagan O’Dell decided to move from Cal to Virginia. O’Dell had a tremendous freshman year in Berkeley, finishing second in the 200 individual medley (1:52.76) and third in the 400 IM (3:59.43). She also advanced to the final of the 200 backstroke (1:49.70), where she placed sixth, despite having the 200 medley earlier in the session.
In joining the UVA machine, O’Dell brings 46 individual NCAA points to a roster that is already stacked with talent. O’Dell could be an option for the 800 freestyle relay, which loses only Aimee Canny from last year’s title-winning squad. O’Dell split 1:41.27 for Cal at last year’s NCAA Champs.
