AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn swimming and diving program finalized its 2021 men's class this week with seven swimmers joining the fold for the Tigers.
"I am extremely happy with the men's signing class," Auburn head coach Gary Taylor said. "They are an outstanding group of student-athletes with exceptional performances in the pool and classroom. This is a group of men who will develop into future team leaders in and out of the water.
"The staff had a couple of primary goals we looked to fulfill in this class. The first goal was to grow our depth in the IM events, and I believe we have very much accomplished this. We added several versatile athletes who compete at a high level in the IM as well as the fly, back, and breast events. In addition to the IM performers, we also added much needed depth in our endurance events, while adding some speed in the backstroke."
Of the seven who signed Wednesday, four hail from the state of Georgia with Henry Bethel, Grant Davis, Andrew Simmons and Nate Stoffle. The group also includes Fletcher Hayes from Colorado, Mason Mathias from Alabama and Jacques Rathle from Louisiana.
"I wanted to make Atlanta and the state of Georgia a major recruiting target," Taylor added. "Auburn is a nationally recognized brand, so we aim to recruit all over the United States and the world. However, Atlanta is a hotbed for swimming and diving talent with numerous club programs ranked among the nation's elite. With four in the men's class from Georgia, I certainly believe we achieved this goal as well.
"I couldn't be more excited about all of our additions and am counting down the days until their arrival."
MEN'S 2021 SIGNEE PROFILES
Henry Bethel
Hometown: Dalton, Ga.
High School: Dalton
Club Team: Carpet Capital Aquatics Club
Taylor on Bethel: "Henry is one of the top prospects nationally out of Georgia. His leadership skills will have a positive impact on the Auburn men both in and out of the pool. As one of the top IM/breaststroke specialists in the class, Henry is another prospect who has a bright future at the collegiate level."
Grant Davis
Hometown: Woodstock, Ga.
High School: Sequoyah
Club Team: Chattahoochee Gold Swim Club
Taylor on Davis: "Grant is a fast-rising distance specialist from our target market of Atlanta. I believe Grant will not only add depth to our endurance events, but he also shows the ability to have an impact on the SEC level immediately. Beyond this, he is another outstanding student who will add to the program academically.
Fletcher Hayes
Hometown: Englewood, Colo.
High School: Arapahoe
Club Team: Aces Swim Club
Taylor on Hayes: "Fletcher comes to us by way of Colorado where he is one of the state's top swimmers. His excitement for Auburn stood out almost immediately, and I was happy to have him join our class. Fletcher will give us much needed depth in the IM/backstroke areas, and I look forward to his arrival on the Plains."
Mason Mathias
Hometown: Leeds, Ala.
High School: Briarwood Christian School
Club Team: Birmingham Swim League
Taylor on Mathias: "It's important we keep the state's best at home. Mason is arguably the top prospect out of Alabama this year and his addition will be a tremendous asset in the endurance area. I believe he will have an immediate impact in distance freestyle and butterfly. Academically, Mason is an outstanding performer in the classroom, which is a really nice bonus for our team."
Jacques Rathle
Hometown: Thibodaux, La.
High School: E.D. White Catholic
Club Team: Crawfish Aquatics
Taylor on Rathle: "This is the third consecutive recruiting class the Auburn men have added the top prospect out of Louisiana. Jacques is a great addition to the 'Boot Squad' and will greatly help our program in the IM. As one of the top 400 IM swimmers in the 2021 class, I believe Jacques has tremendous versatility and will help Auburn as a freshman."
Andrew Simmons
Hometown: Johns Creek, Ga.
High School: Johns Creek
Club Team: Dynamo Swim Club
Taylor on Simmons: "Andrew is another outstanding student-athlete from the Atlanta area. He really flourished during his junior year of high school, and I believe this will only continue in college. Several of the men in the 2021 class show awesome versatility, and Andrew is most definitely one of these men."
Nate Stoffle
Hometown: Lilburn, Ga.
High School: Brookwood
Club Team: Summit Swimming
Taylor on Stoffle: "Nate is another Atlanta area commitment who has quickly become one of the premier swimmers in the 2021 class. He flourished as a junior posting some of fastest backstroke performances by a high school backstroker this past year. I am extremely excited to have Nate join his older brother, Aidan, as a member of the Auburn swim and dive program."