NCAA MEN’S GYMNASTICS: Meet the Nebraska Freshmen

NCAA MEN’S GYMNASTICS: Meet the Freshmen

The 2026 men’s NCAA season will feature one of the most exciting incoming classes in recent memory, featuring three current U.S. senior National Team members (Jun Iwai, Sasha Bogonosiuk and Nathan Roman), along with two international junior champs (Sam Rakita, Canada and Ritam Malik, Australia). We’ve also got a slew of second-generation stars, with Iwai, Bogonosiuk and Adam Lakomy all boasting Olympian parents.

Everything is bigger in Texas, including how many of the state’s own are featured here (six). Four freshmen on our list were developed by coach Nori Iwai at the Kim Zmeskal-owned Texas Dreams, including all three service academies. Region 3’s 2025 Elite Team Cup championship squad is also well represented, with the NCAA saying howdy to three of its eight members in 2026.

As we inch closer to January and the start of the NCAA men’s gymnastics season, Inside Gymnastics will introduce you to 2026’s most anticipated newcomers!

Nebraska

Sam Rakita (Class of 2029 Recruit Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Hometown: Aurora, Ontario, Canada

Major: Nutrition and Health Sciences

Junior Career Highlights: 2024 Canadian Junior National Champ, 2023 Elite Canada pommel horse champ, 2023 Winter Games team champ (Ontario)

More About Me: “I love listening to music and going to concerts. I like rap, R&B, alternative stuff—I have very broad musical tastes. There’s not really any genre of music I hate. I got to see Drake perform in Toronto, not too far from my hometown, which was life changing. He’s a Canadian legend. Saw Travis Scott, that was insane. Got to go to a three-day music festival called Rolling Loud that was really, really cool.”

Why Nebraska? “I wanted to go NCAA to be in an environment where I could develop more on the senior level, and I just really meshed with the coaches and team at Nebraska. It immediately felt like I was hanging out with a group of old friends. I’m from a suburb, so Lincoln didn’t feel that different to me from Aurora. It was easy to feel like this was home. It felt like a place I could grow and have a lot of success.”

Most Looking Forward To: “I am just really excited to compete. I’ve been watching the NCAA for a while now, and it’s just the coolest, most hype gymnastics environment I’ve ever seen, and I’m excited to finally be a part of that. I’ve never really experienced the fan involvement, the guys yelling for each other. That energy—I can’t wait to feel it for myself.

“I had some back issues last season, but I’m doing a lot better now, and having the trainers and medical staff here able to work with me every day has helped me so much.”

First Impressions: “I adapt quickly, so it’s been a pretty smooth transition. Sometimes the guys or coaches will talk about a skill, and I’ll be like, ‘That’s what you call it here?’ The terminology is a little different, which has been funny to hear, and has made for some good jokes.

“Overall, I’m loving the environment. At my home club I was the oldest guy in the gym, the highest level. It was great to be able to mentor the younger guys, but now I get to experience that myself. Working out with 20 other guys at my level, or better than me, pushes me in a great way. It’s a whole different motivation than I’ve ever had before. Being around better guys is always going to make you better, too.”

Inside Take: One of Canada’s most promising up-and-coming athletes, and strong across all six events, with triples off rings and high bar, Rakita will likely surprise some American fans less familiar with his skill set. He looks ready to jump into the Huskers lineup right away, filling holes left by departing stars like Taylor Christopulos.

Ethan Cox (Class of 2029 Recruit Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Hometown: Arvada, Colo.

Major: Business

Junior Career Highlights: 2025 London Open (1^st team, 2^nd vault), 2025 USA Champs qualifier, 9^th at 2025 Develepmental Champs (L10, 18)

More About Me: “I play disc golf a lot, and I also watch disc golf. It’s pretty random, I know, but there’s a pro tour, and you can watch it on YouTube. I haven’t quite reached the level where I’m paying to watch it live, because I can watch it one day later for free, but it’s something I enjoy doing to relax and have fun.”

Why Nebraska? “The two biggest things were the team and the coaches. The environment here was just so great. My visit really solidified that this is where I wanted to be. Everyone was so welcoming, after two days I already felt like I was part of the team. I’d worked with the coaches at camps and really liked the way they coached. And, the food here is really good. We have a special, athletes-only cafeteria, and all the meals are chef cooked.”

Most Looking Forward To: “Seeing how NCAA meets really work. You see them on TV or watch them live, but you can’t fully understand until you’re in it. I’m so excited for the team hyping each other up, and just everything being about that team aspect, all of us pursuing the same goal, in a way you just don’t get when you’re competing for a club.

“I’m also really excited to be healthy again. I missed my entire [high school] senior season due to injury, and I’m about one year out now from shoulder surgery and feeling really good again. Ready to go.”

First Impressions: “Training is a lot more structured, a lot more organized. Our assignments are laid out for us in advance, so we know what we’re going to be doing, even before practice begins. I really like having that plan, knowing if you follow the plan you’re going to succeed. The focus and communication with our coaches is also huge. They’re very accessible, and easy to talk to.

“Just having so many other athletes at the same level or, honestly, better than me, is huge. At a club gym you might have two, three Elite level gymnasts to train with, and here we are all Elite, which makes it a lot easier to push yourself. You see your teammate trying this new skill, and it inspires you like, ‘OK, now it’s my turn.’

“Nebraska’s been great. I’m enjoying it a lot. Go Big Red!”

Inside Take: With Nebraska’s strongest recruiting class in years, difficult to select just two freshmen to feature. In addition to Rakita and Cox, the Huskers also signed U.S. junior National Team alums Ty Rodrigues (⭐️⭐️⭐️) and Sasha Shybitov (⭐️⭐️⭐️), along with four more freshmen for an eight-strong group of newcomers. The Big Red machine is reloaded and ready to make a move after finishing fourth at NCAAs the past two seasons.

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