The Georgia Men’s program is in a bit of rebuilding mode, after graduating two individual National Champions after last season, but they’re really accelerating that process with some big early signings. After adding #5 Chase Kalisz a few weeks ago, they’ve landed another big-time recruit in Matt Ellis out of Florida, who is rated as the #16 recruit in the country by collegeswimming.com.
Ellis swam for Austin’s Westlake High School prior to transferring prior to his junior season and training with Randy Reese’s Clearwater Aquatic Team. While in Florida, swimming for Countryside High School, he would win individual 3A State Championships in both the 100 fly and 50 free.
That sprinting ability is what the Bulldogs will badly need to fill out relay spots. Last year, at the NCAA Championships, they used a lot of individual points to earn a top-10 finish. Going forward, however, they’d probably like to see significant improvements in their relay placements. Ellis brings in freestyle bests of 20.5/44.9 in the sprint freestyles, and a 48.5 in the 100 fly.
Just because he’s a great sprinter doesn’t mean that he can’t go longer. In the 200 free, he’s been a 1:38.3, and in the 200 fly he’s been a 1:46.8. Given the history of Mark Dylla as a 200 butterflier at Georgia, he could be very good in that race, and even better in his relay contributions.
Don’t leave out the fact that he went 50.36 at Nationals to make him the number one 18 and under 100 freestyler this year in the U.S. along with 3 other trials cuts in the 50 free 100 and 200 butterfly.