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NCAA ‘A’ Finalist Baylor Nelson And Teammate Jacob Wimberly Enter Transfer Portal

Baylor Nelson and Jacob Wimberly from Texas A&M have both entered the transfer portal. The two finished up their seasons at NCAAs this past weekend.

Nelson just finished up his junior season with the Aggies and has one year of eligibility remaining. He was the leading scorer in the pool for the team with 14.5 points. He finished 7th in the 400 IM in a 3:39.84 and 14th in the 200 IM in a 1:41.30. He swam a 1:53.09 for 25th in the 200 breast, just off his lifetime best of a 1:52.43 from 2024 SECs.

His lifetime best of a 3:37.46 in the 400 IM came from 2024 NCAAs when he earned a 3rd place finish. He also made the ‘A’ final in the 200 IM last year finishing 8th in a 1:41.54. He represented the US at the 2023 World Championships swimming as a member of the prelims relay in the 4×200 free relay.

Nelson’s Time Progression

Freshman Sophomore Junior
400 IM 3:38.11 3:37.46 3:37.47
200 IM 1:40.86 1:41.23 1:41.14

Wimberly just finished his freshman season with the Aggies and was the #17 ranked recruit coming out of high school. He swam at NCAAs as a relay-only swimmer splitting a 42.36 to help the team to a 14th place finish in the 400 free.

Wimberly swam at SECs, swimming personal best times in all three of his individual events. His highest finished was 13th as he swam a 1:32.86 200 free.

Wimberly’s Time Progression

Before Texas A&M Freshman
200 free 1:34.00 1:32.86
200 fly 1:45.11 1:44.07
200 IM 1:44.08 1:44.16
100 free 43.44 43.4

Entering the transfer portal does not require a student-athlete to transfer rather it allows for the student-athlete to discuss with other coaches about the possibility of transferring. On rare occasions, the student-athlete returns to their original school.

The Texas A&M men just finished their first season under Blaire Anderson as she was named Director of Swimming and Diving last summer. This also was the first year with the school’s combined men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs.

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The destruction of Wumbo
2 days ago

Inside source: I heard that Jacob is going to train at Chattahoochee University with private Powell!

Old Swim Coach
3 days ago

Baylor should go train at IU. Would be a good fit imo.

Dr. Freaky
3 days ago

I’m excited to see what happens with these two! I wonder if anyone else besides Foote is going to transfer? Best of luck to everyone involved.

xswimmerx
Reply to  Dr. Freaky
3 days ago

besides Foote? how do you know he is going to transfer

Dr. Freaky
Reply to  xswimmerx
2 days ago

Sorry, I misspoke, I meant to say I wonder if anyone else is thinking about leaving that isn’t Foote
(I’m not sure what he is doing).

xswimmerx
Reply to  Dr. Freaky
3 days ago

besides Foote? how do you know he is transferring?

SheSwims
Reply to  Dr. Freaky
2 days ago

Foote is not transferring. He is redshirting next year though from what I’ve heard.

Swimmergirl
Reply to  SheSwims
2 days ago

How do you know that? There’s no official statement about that.

AgSwim
Reply to  Dr. Freaky
2 days ago

Does he have one Foote out the door already?

DisappointedAg
3 days ago

I’ll start by saying that I was an Aggie long before I became a swim fan. I know that comments are made here anonymously, so who knows who is actually a part of the team or not, but I find it disturbing that anyone associated with the team would come on the comment section of this site and speak ill of the coach or the team. If you have a problem and feel you need to tear down the program or university, state your full name and class, don’t hide behind a pseudonym here.

I don’t know the new coach, but it doesn’t matter. Act with class, and be a good Ag. If you no longer want to be… Read more »

reasonableAG
Reply to  DisappointedAg
3 days ago

I respect your long-standing loyalty to A&M, but blindly defending a program or coach simply because of tradition isn’t always the answer. Being an “Aggie” doesn’t mean staying silent when something is wrong—it means holding our community to a higher standard. If athletes or supporters feel compelled to speak out, even anonymously, maybe the focus should be on why they feel that way instead of shaming them for doing so.

Insisting on names and class years before someone can speak up is gatekeeping. In tight-knit teams, anonymity is sometimes the only way people feel comfortable voicing concerns.

“Acting with class” also means listening, not just preaching. You say there are life lessons beyond the pool—one of them is accountability. And… Read more »

AgSwim
Reply to  reasonableAG
2 days ago

From the get go the comments about Blaire were negative but not surprising since the majority of the team comes from rich neighborhoods in Houston and the DFW area who are used to being comfortable and always getting their way.

I’m only stating facts here, but Blaire has seen more success as an Assistant coach than Steve or Jay ever did as head coaches.

Jay was an amazing coach and mentor but he was never going to take the team to the top 10. Jason, his actions after not being selected for the head job speak volumes. He should have left a season before instead of hoping that he’d be handed a combined team.

Why would anyone want to coach… Read more »

BoyerM
Reply to  AgSwim
2 days ago

No, the majority of the team is not from rich neighborhoods in Texas, including the two best male swimmers the team has had during this last decade (Casas and Nelson). It’s a good thing the roster on the A&M website backs me up if you’d like to fact check.

No, it’s not a “fact” to just outright compare Blaire’s results as an assistant to Steve and Jay’s results as the head coach. You know it’s not the same thing. How many examples in countless sports do we have that prove this? In the NFL, is Josh McDaniels a better head coach than others because he won super bowls as an assistant? No, he was a terrible head coach. I’m… Read more »

AgSwim
Reply to  BoyerM
2 days ago

Baylor is from Huntersville, basically a suburb of Charlotte and the median house price is $565.5K. So I’m guessing you also don’t think Frisco($678K), The Woodlands($565K), Cypress, Mansfield, Sugarland, Cedar Park, Sugarland and Katy, TX are expensive places to live? Heck the girl from College Station drove every day to Magonila for practice, an hour at least and in this economy…..

Jason deleted his tweets, plenty of commenters said as much on other articles.
Do tell how he was “treated”… He didn’t get the head job, tweeted some stuff, took them down, and was not picked up by the current staff (which is common).
Baylor going to South Carolina would lead to speculation that Jason was in his… Read more »

Admin
Reply to  AgSwim
2 days ago

While I’m not sure that all of the current swimmers and alumni gave Blaire a fair chance, I’m also not sure that blaming it on where they came from is fair to the athletes either. You’ve basically just described the demographics of swimming. It’s no different at A&M than anywhere else.

Jay’s strength as a coach was developing relationships with his athletes and gaining their loyalty. As one alum has repeatedly described it to me, Jay is the kind of coach that for the rest of your life, you’ll want to call and ask for advice, share big life moments with, etc. Any time that kind of coach leaves, especially in a way that the athletes don’t feel was fair… Read more »

BoyerM
Reply to  AgSwim
2 days ago

I’m not saying all these athletes are poor, I’m just trying to highlight that it was a ridiculous claim to make that it’s the only reason the A&M athletes may be upset or even a fair criticism to throw at them.

Agree to disagree on Jason. You make a fair point about any tweets he made, I was unaware. I am confident that in other ways, he tried to make this transition smooth for the new staff and I trust my sources on it. I think you can appreciate that losing your job suddenly after showing some signs of positive performance would be considered being “treated poorly” in any industry, and I stand by my point. Of course Baylor… Read more »

Ag adjacent
Reply to  BoyerM
2 days ago

What I find hysterical is that we see the A&M swimmers thumping their chests about what great men they are and how Jay is responsible for that…but the stories I’ve heard out of that program in the last few years have been anything but great culture.

There’s the public (the hazing stuff), the private (the infamous Snapchats), and the comments (we know it’s y’all acting like little kids in the chat).

I know, I know “if you’re not on the team you have no idea what the team culture is like,” but what good is an alleged team culture if the members of the team can’t present it to the outside world?

TXInsider
Reply to  Ag adjacent
2 days ago

Totally agree! These aggies in the comments conveniently omit the messy culture there. Blair inherited that mess. It is difficult to train at high levels when you abuse your bodies every weekend. It is also difficult to train amongst a bunch of teammates who are negative. It helps to have a healthy culture and support across the team. It will take an overhaul and a new group of swimmers that are ready to accept her expectations and coaching style. It takes time to adjust to something new. It also requires the swimmers to trust the process. Baylor had great success there with the previous regime. He doesn’t have as much time to invest in a different coach. He may also… Read more »

BoyerM
Reply to  DisappointedAg
3 days ago

Instead of criticizing a coach behind a pseudonym, you’re just criticizing other “ags” behind a pseudonym and using inflammatory language about how “disturbed” you are. How is that better?

The comments here are all fairly objective. I don’t see people name calling or saying slanderous things about Blaire/ A&M staff. They have their side of the story and they want it shared. By all accounts Baylor is a stand up guy and I’m sure his team mates are upset that the team/ team culture is at a point where he feels the need to transfer.

By the sound of your comment, you didn’t actually compete or coach for A&M. A lot of people put years of effort into building… Read more »

Clay K
Reply to  BoyerM
2 days ago

No pseudonym here. That said, if last spring you are referring to Jay Holmes, I’m fairly certain he would be disappointed in this type of banter. That man is full of class and bleeds maroon. I have spoken with him at nearly every home meet this season. Personally, I think Jay is a wonderful human being. I also believe that the new coaching staff has done a great job under the circumstances that have been presented to them. Loyalty sometimes is misguided, especially amongst young men. I have the highest hopes for Texas A&M swimming to to become a great program and I’m sure Jay Holmes wishes the same. Let’s try to get on the same page here.

BoyerM
Reply to  Clay K
2 days ago

Thanks. My main point is that I don’t see this disrespectful banter that you keep referring to in your comments. I scrolled through the entirety of this thread – the majority of the comments are speculating on where Baylor will transfer. A few are clearly jokes, and a handful are from current swimmers stating/ implying that they unhappy with the program. None of these comments about the state of the program are outright derogatory to Blaire.

Jay is a great guy, and I’m sure he’s been classy and respectful to/ about Blaire and the program. It doesn’t mean his ex swimmers aren’t allowed to be upset about what happened (not really Blaire’s fault either that the AD let them… Read more »

Clay K
Reply to  BoyerM
2 days ago

Wow…you really added some adjectives there didn’t you…all I am saying is let’s understand that there are many elements in play here, many of which are beyond the coaches control. Personally, I hope those young men find what they are looking for. In the same breath, I hope the TAMU team grows for the better. I don’t find fault in circumstance and the university has a lot to offer. Gig em

Last edited 2 days ago by Clay K
SwimmingM0M
Reply to  Clay K
2 days ago

You’ve seriously missed the plot. Insinuating the loyalty of young men you don’t even know isn’t just unfair — it’s flat-out wrong. These guys show up day in and day out, grinding with discipline and heart for the sport they came here to pursue. Surely you did not mean the loyalty amongst the men’s swim & dive team is “ misguided”.

Clay K
Reply to  SwimmingM0M
2 days ago

Insinuating loyalty is unfair? To whom? Please provide context.

Really?
Reply to  DisappointedAg
3 days ago

you gunna say the same thing to the new AgGiE admin who let their own Aggie staff walk out the door?

BoyerM
Reply to  DisappointedAg
3 days ago

I forgot to mention the hilarious irony that you expect others to post their name and class without doing it yourself. Was this an elaborate troll attempt?

SheSwims
3 days ago

I’m guessing Jacob goes to Alabama where his sister will be swimming.

Swammer
3 days ago

Whole lot of A&M swimmers showing their true colors in the comments

morningworkouts98
3 days ago

Baylor & Jacob leaving leaves who left? Foote? The Connor Foote team?

SheSwims
Reply to  morningworkouts98
2 days ago

They have some promising swimmers-mostly sprinters, and their freshman diver just came in 2nd at NCAA in platform.

Hook'em from Houston
3 days ago

Hopefully he transfers to Texas like Shaine Casas did. 🙂

About Anya Pelshaw

Anya Pelshaw

Anya has been with SwimSwam since June 2021 as both a writer and social media coordinator. She was in attendance at the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Women's NCAA Championships writing and doing social media for SwimSwam. She also attended 2023 US Summer Nationals as well as the 2024 European Championships …

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