Caden Mahl Commits to Ohio State Swimming for 2027
Summer Juniors finalist Caden Mahl has verbally committed to swim for Ohio State University starting in the fall of 2027.
Caden Mahl from Westerville, Ohio, has announced his verbal commitment to swim for Ohio State University beginning in the fall of 2027. The Summer Juniors finalist will join the Buckeyes' class of 2031, staying close to home for his collegiate career.
Mahl swims for Central Ohio Aquatics and wrapped up his long course season at the 2024 Summer Juniors meet. There, he posted a lifetime best of 23.10 seconds in the prelims of the 50-meter freestyle, finishing 16th overall. He also set personal bests in the 100-meter breaststroke and the 50-meter butterfly (24.65).
High School and Club Performance
Mahl enters his senior season at St. Charles Preparatory School this fall. At the 2024 OHSAA Division I State Championship in February, he placed fourth in both the 50-yard freestyle (20.29) and the 100-yard butterfly (48.89). He was also a key part of two winning relay teams, contributing a 19.81 freestyle split on the 200 free relay and a 21.14 butterfly split on the 200 medley relay.
His best short course yards times are as follows:
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| 50 free | 20.17 |
| 100 fly | 48.02 |
| 100 breast | 54.90 |
Projected Big Ten Impact
An analysis of these times against the 2026 Big Ten Championships results shows Mahl's potential immediate impact. His 50 freestyle time of 20.17 would have been fast enough to qualify for the 'C' final, which required a 20.19. To earn a second swim in the 100 butterfly at that meet, a 46.48 was needed, and the 100 breaststroke cut was 53.58.
The Ohio State men's team finished third at the 2026 Big Ten Championships and placed 13th at the NCAA Championships with 72 points. The 50 freestyle was the team's highest-scoring event at the conference meet, where they accumulated 82 points.
Joining the Buckeyes
In his commitment statement, Mahl expressed gratitude. "I am extremely blessed and excited to announce my verbal commitment to The Ohio State University," he said. He thanked his club coaches at Central Ohio Aquatics, including Kyle Goodrich, and credited Jim Hutcheson for introducing him to the sport. He also thanked the Ohio State staff, led by Coach Norm Wright and Coach Brian Schrader.
Mahl is set to arrive on campus next fall alongside recruits Gabriel Ardeleanu, Will Van Zee, Jackson Hartzler, Luke Collins, Ewan Dalrymple, Colt Chaires, and Camren Turowski. The Buckeyes' 2026 NCAA team was led by Tristan Jankovics, who scored 21 individual points.
