With the start of the 2026 NCAA Gymnastics season just under three weeks away, another star-studded freshman class prepares to take the reigns. From European gymnastics champions to Olympic alternates and flawless five-star recruits, the 2026 freshman class will be one to watch.
College gymnastics fans can follow along with the action on Road To Nationals, complete with a full competition schedule and streaming details.
With more than 90 five-star and four-star recruits (College Gym News) taking the stage this January, it’s difficult to narrow down a list bursting with talent. Nonetheless, here are our top freshmen to watch for the 2026 NCAA Gymnastics season:
Freshmen To Watch
Ana Barbosu (Stanford): Romania’s Ana Barbosu arguably stands alone as the most anticipated freshman for the 2026 NCAA gymnastics season. The 19-year-old from Focșani, Romania, made headlines in 2024 when she won the bronze medal on floor exercise after a hotly contested (and unresolved) regulatory battle with Jordan Chiles.
Despite the Olympic controversy, Barbosu went on to claim undeniable hardware at the 2025 European Championships, where she won four medals, including the European title on floor and bronze in the all-around. A star by all accounts, gymnastics fans anxiously await Barbosu’s career as a Cardinal.
Charlotte Booth (Auburn): U.S. and British elite gymnast Charlotte Booth joins the Auburn Tigers in her return to gymnastics after an Achilles tear. Rated a five-star recruit by College Gym News, Booth was named an alternate athlete to the 2024 British Olympic team.
With special strengths on uneven bars and balance beam, Booth won gold on bars and bronze on beam at the 2024 Szombathely Challenge Cup. She also won silver on bars at this year’s Cottbus World Cup before tearing her Achilles tendon in the floor final. Though likely to ease into all four events due to her injury, Booth will likely make an immediate impact on bars and beam.
Jocelyn Sasson (Florida): Five-star recruit Jocelyn Sasson will be an all-around threat for the Florida Gators this season. The freshman holds high scores of 9.875 or higher on every event from her club career, including a massive 9.975 on floor exercise.
The Gators will look to Sasson to help fill the shoes (or, leotard) of legendary Gator graduate Leanne Wong. With impressive abilities and consistency across all four events, the Sunshine State native looks ready to deliver.
Kimarra Echols (Missouri): Kimarra Echols will bring power and finesse to a supercharged Mizzou Tigers squad. Fresh off a program-record third-place finish at the 2025 NCAA Championships, Missouri will look to the five-star recruit to deliver on all four events – and she already has: Kimarra delivered a massive 39.600 all-around score in Missouri’s preview meet.
With a goal of “earning a 10 on each event” – the coveted ‘Gym Slam,’ Echols brings confident, dynamic gymnastics to a surging Tigers team.
Mackenzie Estep (Oklahoma): Oklahoma’s star freshman is the No. 1 ranked recruit in this year’s freshman class for a reason. Estep won the prestigious Nastia Liukin Cup in 2025, furthering her status as one of the best J.O. gymnasts in the country.
Rated a near-perfect 96 out of 100 by College Gym News in the publication’s recruit rankings, Estep notched a perfect 10.0 on vault last season, and looks primed to deliver similar scores for the defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners.
Emma Malewski (Clemson): German national team gymnast Emma Malewski will make her long-awaited debut with a rejuvenated Clemson Tigers staff this winter. Malewski is a European Champion on balance beam, but also brings stellar execution and international poise on uneven bars.
The 21-year-old from Hamburg claimed a bronze medal at this year’s World University Games, and looks primed to assist the Tigers on multiple events in her first season.
Zoe Miller (LSU): Though Miller was on LSU’s squad last year, she had to take a redshirt season due to an untimely shoulder injury. However, the former U.S. National team member brings immense talent to the Tigers.
While LSU is widely renowned for their prowess on the power events, Miller is star on uneven bars and balance beam. At the club level, Miller trained alongside Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles at World Champiosn Centre, and helped Team USA to gold at the 2023 Pan American Championships. At the same championships, Miller won the individual title on the uneven bars.
Tonya Paulsson (California): Cal freshman Tonya Paulsson is the first of two Swedish national team members to make my list. Paulsson has competed internationally for both Sweden and Chinese Taipei, winning silver on beam and bronze in the all-around at this year’s World University Games.
While still representing Sweden, Paulsson brought home multiple medals from the Szombathely Challenge Cup, including a pair of golds on beam and floor. Already named an Athlete to Watch by the ACC Network, fans should expect the Malmö native to contribute significantly for the Golden Bears.
Bailey Stroud (Utah): The Utah Red Rocks are hungry for their first NCAA title since 1995, and five-star freshman Bailey Stroud could help them get there. Though the Red Rocks’ roster loses NCAA bars champion Grace McCallum, Stroud looks primed to step up in her absence.
Stroud has notched perfection before on bars, and brings excellent toe point and poise to her remaining events, particularly on beam. She should also contribute for the Red Rocks on vault, where she previously competed a strong Yurchenko 1.5.
Ashlee Sullivan (UCLA): 2025 World team alternate Ashlee Sullivan had a career-season on the elite stag in 2025, starting with a win at the 2025 Winter Cup. Though originally committed to the Michigan Wolverines, Sullivan flipped to UCLA and looks right at home with the Bruins.
With high power tumbling, charisma, and finesse across all four events, Sullivan looks ready to join powers with senior Jordan Chiles at the helm for the UCLA Bruins. Could 2026 be their year? With Sullivan on the squad, UCLA is in prime position.
Tiana Sumanasekera (UCLA): 2024 U.S. Olympic alternate Tiana Sumanasekera is another stellar add for the Janelle McDonald’s Bruins squad. Though the Pan American gymnastics champion has been nursing an ankle injury for much of the 2025 season, she brings unmatched artistry and originality to Westwood.
Known for her self-choreographed, masterful floor routines, fans can hardly wait to watch Sumanasekera deliver in Pauley Pavilion. With clean execution and trademark elegance, Tiana will likely contribute on multiple events for UCLA this season.
CaMarah Williams (Georgia): Under the guidance of Simone Biles’ elite coach Cecile Canqueteau-Landi, the Georgia Bulldogs continue to rise. Freshman CaMarah Williams will help bolster their momentum this year, especially on floor, beam and vault.
Williams rocketed into the elite ranks after a dominant performance at the 2023 Women’s Development Program National Championships, where she won three gold medals and one silver. With massive, clean tumbling and seemingly-endless power, expect Williams to bring fans to their feet in Georgia’s Stegman Colosseum.
Jennifer Williams (Stanford): Swedish national team member Jennifer Williams joins international teammate Ana Barbosu with a packed Stanford squad. Williams brings a plethora of international experience, including a world all-around final berth and multiple world-cup medals.
Known for impeccable execution and elegance across all four events, it’s no surprise that Williams ranked in the top eight at this year’s European championships. Cardinal fans can look for her to deliver near-perfect routines, especially on balance beam.
