Cheers for all the advance good news!

Neither Swimswam nor Swimming World have reported on this commitment yet, but here's an article from SwimIntel:


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No. 3 Ranked 5 Star David Sammons Commits to Cal for 2028



Cal has landed the No. 3 overall male recruit in the Class of 2028 with a commitment from 5 Star David Sammons of Charlotte, North Carolina. Sammons, who attends Charlotte Latin and swims club for SwimMAC Carolina, has an Impact Rating of 98.67.

Sammons' top events include the 200Y Fly (1:43.03), 400Y IM (3:44.87), 200Y Free (1:35.37), and 200Y Back (1:44.16). He is ranked No. 2 in his class in the 200Y Fly, 400Y IM, and 200Y Free, while his 200Y Back ranks No. 3. That gives Cal an elite-level swimmer with the versatility to contribute in several different areas.

The 200Y Fly and 400Y IM already put Sammons in scoring territory at the ACC Championships. It took a 1:43.34 to make the B-final in the 200Y Fly last season, while the 16th-place prelim time in the 400Y IM was 3:45.42. Sammons is already faster than both marks with two high school seasons still remaining. His 1:35.37 200Y Free also gives Cal another option for its 800 free relay.

The depth of Sammons' event lineup extends well beyond those four events. His 100Y Fly and 200Y IM are both ranked No. 5 in the Class of 2028. Altogether, Sammons has six events ranked among the top 10 in his class, including four ranked in the top three.

He also owns National cuts in each of his three best SCY events, along with National-level swims in the 200Y Back and 100Y Fly.

Sammons has already gained significant experience racing at the national and international level. Representing Team USA at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in August, he finished second in both the 200M Back and 200M Fly while also racing the 200M IM and 400M IM. At the USA Swimming National Championships in July, he finished 18th in both the 200M Back and 200M Fly.

His championship resume also includes a fourth-place finish in the 200Y Fly and eighth-place finish in the 400Y IM at Winter Juniors East, along with top-12 finishes in the 200M Fly and 400M IM at the Toyota US Open.

Sammons will join a Cal program led by David Durden that won the ACC Championship last season and finished seventh at the NCAA Championships. The ACC graded out as the second-fastest men's conference in the country last season and, with 15 men's programs, is also the deepest.

For Cal, Sammons brings something every championship team wants: elite-level talent at the top of his event lineup, unusual versatility behind it, and plenty of time to get even better before arriving in Berkeley.

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Ranking by SwimIntel's metrics:

2028 M Recruits Ranking

2028 W Recruits Ranking

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The guys recruiting is unbelievable. I really love that many of the top recruits are Americans especially with the possibilities of placing limits on foreign recruits. The peanut gallery on swimswam will be going bonkers! Wonder where we stand on the women side. I know one recruit, Noelle Benker. Any word of any other news or strong possibilities on the women side?

I'm wondering why Cal commit Grant Bellin isn't ranked in SwimIntel's top 25; he's #9 at SwimSwam.

Here is the story on swimswam on David Sammons

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by Anne Lepesant 22
October 05th, 2026 ACC, College, College Recruiting, Featured recruits, News

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Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam's College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
The Golden Bears are roaring back! After a brief blip in 2026where the men's team finished outside the top two at NCAAs for the first time in 16 yearsCal has locked down a 2028 recruiting class that is quickly reaching mythic status.
The latest addition to the group is David Sammons from Charlotte, North Carolina, the #2 recruit on our Way Too Early list, who just announced his verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of California, Berkeley, beginning in the 2028-29 school year. He wrote on social media:

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"After much thought and consideration, I'm honored and grateful to announce my commitment to swim and study at the University of California, Berkeley!
First, I'd like to thank my family, friends, and Coaches Chuck, Ben, and Russ for their unwavering commitment to helping me grow and succeed both as an athlete and as a person. I'd also like to thank Coach Dave and the entire Cal staff for their constant support, belief in me, and guidance throughout the recruiting process.
I'm honored and humbled by the opportunity to be a part of such a historic program and something greater than myself.
GO BEARS!! "

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Sammons is a huge pickup for Cal on his own, but his commitment elevates the Golden Bears' 2028 group into rarefied air. Cal has effectively cornered the top of the market, securing a class that now features:

• #1 Kai Joyner
• #2 David Sammons
• #9 Grant Bellin
• #13 Cullen Kahl

…and we are only in the beginning of October.
Sammons is a junior at Charlotte Latin School. He swims year-round with SwimMAC Carolina and is one of the most versatile talents in the class, with times that rank in the top 5 of 9 events. He recently represented Team USA at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships and was runner-up in the 200 back and 200 fly and placed 12th in the 200 IM and 400 IM. He qualified for Junior Pan Pacs at U.S. Nationals, when he placed 18th in the 200 back (1:59.43), 18th in the 200 fly (1:57.14), 21st in the 200 IM (2:01.32), and 23rd in the 400 IM (4:21.40 in prelims). Those were all lifetime bests, but he lowered his 400 IM time to 4:19.70 at JPPs.
In high school swimming, he won the 200 free (1:35.94, a PB) and was runner-up in the 100 fly (PB of 47.43 in prelims) as a sophomore at the 2026 North Carolina Independent Schools Division 1 State Championships. He also swam splits of 20.12/44.96 on Charlotte Latin's winning 200 and 400 free relays.
At 2025 Winter Juniors East, he placed 4th in the 200 fly, 8th in the 400 IM, and 17th in the 200 IM, clocking PBs of 1:44.67 in the 200 fly, 1:47.26 in the 200 IM, and 3:49.16 in the 400 IM.
Most of his best SCY performances came three months later at the 2026 North Carolina Senior Championships. There, he won the 200 back, 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM and placed 4th in the 100 back. He established PBs in the 200 free (1:35.37), 200 back (1:44.16), 200 fly (1:43.03), 200 IM (1:47.17), and 400 IM (3:44.87).
Sammons' best times would already score in the 'B' finals of the 200 fly and 400 IM at ACC Championships, and he's not far off in three more events.
Best SCY times:

• 200 fly 1:43.03
• 100 fly 47.43
• 200 IM 1:47.17
• 400 IM 3:44.87
• 200 free 1:35.37
• 200 back 1:44.16
• 100 back 48.91
• 100 free 45.52

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https://swimswam.com/david-sammons-2-in-the-class-of-2028-hands-cal-men-their-4th-top-20-ranked-verbal-commitment/

Interest comments by the peanut gallery:

Predicting 6 or 7th recruits

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bobthebuilderrocks


1 hour ago
this class will be better than their 2017 class. The savage six incoming

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bobthebuilderrocks


Reply to Go Bears
1 hour ago
I hope they get a 7th in there somewhere. The TRUE Savage 7

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Quote:

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I_Said_It


2 hours ago
Durden out here collecting recruits like Infinity Stones

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So from my understanding, Cancelmo has committed somewhere pending social media announcement. York hasn't made a decision yet (but may be leaning Cal), and Syunta Lee probably isn't coming to Cal if he's still taking trips as of this past weekend.

The comments on getting alum donations for Archangelskiy's NIL offer and subsequent successful transfer are very interesting

RollOnYouAll said:

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Noelle Benkler has verbally committed to Cal, yay!



Benkler is ranked #17 on Swimcloud. Seems to be very versatile in all 4 strokes, which is reflected in her IM results.

At German Nationals in May 2025, Noelle won both the 200 & 400 IM, also finishing 4th in the 200 Back.

At Euro Juniors in July 2025, she was on the podium as the 2nd placed finalist in both the 400 IM & 200 IM.

At World Juniors in August 2025, Noelle achieved 5th place in the 200 IM (Audrey Derivaux, former Cal visitor but suiting up for Texas this season, took the top spot in the event for Team USA).

At Short Course Euros in December 2025, Noelle was 4th in the 400 IM finals

More details to follow, once Swimswam reports on this commitment...

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*Update*: According to Google AI (may not be completely accurate):


" Noelle Benkler (Germany / SV Nikar Heidelberg) is currently ranked #17 on Swimcloud's Class of 2028 women's recruiting rankings (Power Index).

This comes from recent discussion on the Bear Insider forum around her verbal commitment to Cal (announced on Instagram).

She had previously been listed around #14 for all German swimmers (including professionals) for 2026; rankings shift with new times and updates to Swimcloud's formula, and she no longer appears in some publicly visible top slices of the list (internationals can move in/out of the displayed national view depending on filters or data refreshes).

https://www.swimcloud.com/country/ger/swimmers/?rank=18040113&gender=F&season_id=30&page=1

Swimcloud's Power Index rankings for the 2028 class mix U.S. high school/club swimmers with strong internationals.

SwimSwam's separate "Way Too Early" rankings (from mid-2026) focus more on U.S.-based high school prospects and do not prominently feature her in the published top lists. Rankings are dynamic and can change with new meets or formula updates.

Benkler is a versatile IM/backstroke specialist (strong results include German national titles in the 200/400 IM, silver medals in both at 2025 European Juniors, 5th in the 200 IM at 2025 World Juniors, and a 4th in the 400 IM at Short Course Europeans).

Her profile is at swimcloud.com/swimmer/1260575.

Before Benkler was moved, her ranking as #14 globally in the Class of 2028 perfectly aligns with her elite status as a European Aquatics short-course finalist and multiple-time German national champion.

Cal is getting an incredible medley and backstroke specialist!

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It's official, here's Swimswam's write up:

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European Junior Medalist Noelle Benkler commits to Cal for 2028-29



Noelle Benkler from Regensburg, Germany, has announced her verbal commitment to the University of California, Berkeley, for 2028-29. She wrote on social media:

Quote:

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"im SOOO excited and happy to announce my verbal commitment to the university of California, Berkeley to continue my athletic and academic career starting in fall 2028!
HUGE thanks to everyone who supported me, especially my family, friends, coaches, physiotherapists and teammates!
A special thank you to Coach Dave, Maya and Noah and the whole Cal stuff for making this possible and believing in me!!
I'm so grateful for this opportunity and super hyped to join this amazing swim team
can't wait to be a golden bear AND a california girl
GOOOO BEEAAAAARRSSS! "

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A backstroke/IM specialist, Benkler trains with SV Nikar Heidelberg and represents Germany on the international stage. She took home a pair of silver medals in the 200 IM and 400 IM at the 2025 European Junior Championships, swimming then-lifetime bests of 2:12.74 and 4:39.01, respectively. At World Juniors a month later, she placed 5th in the 200 IM, lowering her PB to 2:12.54. She also competed in the 400 IM (9th in prelims) and led off Germany's 400 medley relay with a PB of 1:02.14.

At the German Short Course Championships last November, Benkler hit all new PBs, winning the 100 back (58.88), 200 IM (2:10.34), and 400 IM (4:35.87), coming in 2nd in the 200 back (2:08.72) and 100 IM (1:01.56), and finishing 4th in the 100 free (54.44) and 50 back (27.85). A month later, she competed at European Short Course Championships and placed 4th in the 400 IM (4:35.05, PB) and 13th in semis of the 200 IM (2:09.30, PB).

This season, she put up PBs in the LCM 200 free (2:02.94) and 100 breast (1:14.37) at Euro Meet Luxembourg, and in the 200 back (2:13.92) at German Championships in April.

Benkler's best converted times would have scored top 16 at 2026 NCAAs in the 400 IM (it took 51.36/1:51.97 in the backstrokes and 1:56.43 in the 200 IM)

Best LCM times (converted):

• 400 IM - 4:39.01 (4:05.59)
• 200 IM - 2:12.54 (1:56.52)
• 200 back - 2:13.92 (1:53.31)
• 100 back -1:02.14 (52.24)
• 200 free - 2:02.94 (1:47.87)

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Charlie Cancelmo #4 rank swimmer from Wash has committed to Cal That's #5 in the top 10.

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https://swimswam.com/charlie-cancelmo-number-4-in-class-of-2028-makes-the-fifth-top-20-ranked-verbal-commitment-to-cal/

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OBear073akaSMFan said:

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Charlie Cancelmo #4 rank swimmer from Wash has committed to Cal That's #5 in the top 10.

Quote:

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https://swimswam.com/charlie-cancelmo-number-4-in-class-of-2028-makes-the-fifth-top-20-ranked-verbal-commitment-to-cal/

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Cal Lands Another Big 2028 Verbal From Junior Pan Pacs Silver Medalist Charlie Cancelmo



The University of California, Berkeley has added yet another huge verbal commitment in what's shaping up to be a monster Class of 2028. Charlie Cancelmo of Seattle, Wash. - who is the best butterflyer in the class - announced his verbal pledge to the Golden Bears.

He will join David Sammons, Grant Bellin, Cullen Kahl and Kai Joyner in Berkeley as a member of the Golden Bears' Class of 2032.

His older sister, Caroline Cancelmo, is a sophomore swimmer at Penn.

Cancelmo is a member of the 2026-27 U.S. National Junior Team in the 100 fly and 200 fly. He earned silver at Junior Pan Pacs and took 13th in the 200m fly.

He owns the fastest times in his class in the 100 fly and 200 fly.

Cancelmo's best time in the 200 fly is already fast enough to have scored in the B-final at last year's conference meet.

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Comparing Cal's 2017, Cal's 2028, and Virginia's 2025 Boys High School Recruiting Classes



Cal's recruiting class of 2017 had five top 20 commits, including #1 and #2 ranked Ryan Hoffer and Sean Grieshop. The class of 2017 notably did not have Honorable Mention or "Best of the Rest" ranked recruits, so none will be listed there. The Cal men finished 2nd at the 2018 and 2021 NCAA Championships and captured the team title in 2019.

The class of 2025 for Virginia, known as the "Savage 7" included seven top-ranked recruits, led by #1-ranked Thomas Heilman and #2 Maximus Williamson. The group notably announced five of their commitments on one day, with four of those being top 20-ranked recruits, in October 2023. Williamson notably won two NCAA titles as a freshman for the Cavaliers.

Cal's class of 2028 already has five top-20 commitments including #1-ranked Kai Joyner and #2-ranked David Sammons. There are also plenty of top 20, HM, and BOTR-ranked recruits that have not committed yet, so it is expected that the class only gets stronger. Only time will tell how much stronger it will get and the impact they will make.

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And more good news to come, if social media hints are to be believed...

Dare we hope for a 6th verbal for 2028 from #5 Wilson York, or perhaps another Top 20 recruit?

Also keeping my fingers crossed for some incoming Top 20 announcements on the Women's side after all the Men's momentum.

FWIW, # 1 Gabi Brito has reposted Charlie Cancelmo's verbal on IG, and #3 Mikayla Tan has been rumored/speculated to lean to becoming a Baby Bear...

LFG!! Wilson York committed!!

"After careful consideration, I am incredibly excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of California, Berkeley! First and foremost, I would like to thank God for blessing me with this opportunity. I would also like to thank my parents for their endless love, sacrifices, and support throughout this journey, along with my family, friends, and teammates who have supported me along the way. I am especially grateful to my coaches, Mike, Mimi, Nick, and Todd, for helping me grow not only as a swimmer, but also as a person. Finally, a huge thank you to Coach Dave, Noah, Maya, Brody, Keenan, and the entire Cal family for believing in me and giving me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is truly an honor to be a part of such a special program, and I cannot wait to get to work alongside this team and see what we can accomplish together. GO BEARS!"

swimmer19 said:

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LFG!! Wilson York committed!!

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#5 Wilson York Sends Cal Men Their 6th Top 20 Commitment For Fall 2028



York joins a historic class for the Cal men as he joins #1 ranked Kai Joyner, #2 ranked David Sammons, #4 ranked Charlie Cancelmo, #9 ranked Grant Bellin, and #13 ranked Cullen Kahl as members of the class of 2028.

la la: " Haven't seen anyone else say this but #12 Isaiah Silver is a Cal legacy, his dad was a swim team captain I believe. Wouldn't be surprised to see him there. "

Foreign Embassy: " Alex Silver? From the 90s? Wow that would be awesome "

bobthebuilderrocks: " THE TRUE SAVAGE SEVEN "

Diehard: " I think Wilson might be the best of the bunch. He was impressive this summer! "

Go Bears: " Hard to choose! York, Joyner, Sammons, Kuhl, and Cancelmo were all really impressive in the big pool this summer. "

Age of Winters: " I think there are two ways to judge a class 1) number of recruits and their star power coming out of high school… 2) assess after they graduate to grade the class based on what they actually did over the past four years.

Right now this class is looking pretty good under the lens of the first assessment. We'll need to wait four years to grade on number 2. "

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OBear073akaSMFan said:

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Holy moly..#6. Who will he #7? We need some women commitments!

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Schroeder71 said:

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C'mon, women, let's pick up the pace! GO BEARS!

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Keeping my fingers crossed for #1 Gabi Brito + #3 Mikayla Tan ...and hopefully more...