The Expected Lineup Impact of the Class of 2025 s

9/11 CGC Staff

The class of 2025 has finished their last junior tournaments and completed a long junior golf journey. The challenge of college has started, as the incoming freshmen will embark on a new journey of balancing academics, living on their own, and fitting in with their new team. Many of the top recruits of this class will be expected to contribute immediately to their team’s lineup, and others may settle for an early backup role. Whatever the expectations, the freshmen should welcome the challenge, embrace the opportunity, and enjoy the experience and challenges ahead of them.

We’ve taken a deep dive into our top-10 girls’ recruiting classes, looked at what their teams’ rosters have lost and the impact the newcomers can make for their teams. Some freshmen are entering rosters that continue to have a strong lineup with solid backup options, and others are joining teams that have spots to fill from graduated seniors and ‘covid year’ fifth years. Whatever the situation, these highly touted freshmen will be hungry to compete and contribute.

Duke University: Duke had a down year last season, not advancing to the NCAA Championship. With a small roster of seven, the Blue Devils will rely heavily on their two star freshmen. Their top two returning scorers will help lead the team, but Duke is expecting big contributions from the newcomers Rianne Malixi and Avery McCrery. The Phillipines’ Malixi is the winner of both the 2024 US Women's and Junior Amateurs. She was a close runner-up at the 2023 US Girls Junior Amateur and made the round of 32 at the 2023 US Women's Amateur. After sharing medalist honors at this year’s Am, Malixi bowed out in the round of 64. Malixi is quite the traveler, competing primarily in Asia and North America. 2023 broughtM alixi success with a 4th at the IMG Junior World Championship and 6th at the AJGA Hilton Grand Vacations Annika Invitational. Top-5 finishes in 2024 include the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, the Asia Pacific Amateur, the Royal Junior, and the European Ladies Amateur.

Photos: Wagr

She also claimed the top spot at the Australia Master of the Amateurs. She started off 2025 nursing a back injury bur recovered and spent her summer testing the waters in professional events. Expect her to lead this team. The Blue Devils’ 2nd signee is our #2 ranked American recruit, Avery McCrery. Delaware's McCrery will call herself a breakout 2024 season. She recorded two major wins in 2024, first at the Scott Robertson Memorial, and second at the Junior PGA Championship. McCrery carded three top-5 finishes in 2023 at the AJGA Girls Invitational, Dye Junior Invitational, and the North & South Junior Amateur and found the top-10 on the leaderboard at the 2024 AJGA Rolex Girls Invitational, the AJGA Fortinet Championship. She was no stranger to success in amateur events in 2024, with round of 32 appearances at the North & South Women's Amateur and the Women's Western Amateur. In 2025, McCrery reached match play at the US Women’s Amateur and the quarterfinals at the North & South, and was in the top-10 at the AJGA Mizuho Americas Open and the Junior Invitational. It will be exciting watching these two newcomers succeed on the college scene and boost their team’s scoring average.

Predictions: both lineup locks

Texas A&M University: Texas A&M needed a monster recruiting class and signed a stellar group for the 2025-2026 season, three of which reside in our top-10 rankings for this class. The Aggies return two players who ranked in the top-50 on Scoreboard last season, Vanessa Borovilos and Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio, and will look to at least two of the freshmen to step into the lineup at the start of the season. Scarlett Schremmer, our #1 ranked recruit, is expected fill one spot, with a laundry list of junior golf accomplishments. In addition to her wins at the 2025 Alabama Women’s Amateur and 2024 Dye Junior Invitational, Schremmer has amassed a number of strong finishes in the past few years, including top-5s at the 2025 Toyota Junior World Cup and Junior Invitational, 2025 AJGA Fortinet Invitational, 2024 AJGA Nelly Invitational, 2024 World Junior Championship, and the 2025 Rolex Tournament of Champions.

Photos: USNDP, AJGA

Photos: X, instagram

UCLA: The UCLA bruins will look very different this season, returning just four players from last year’s roster. They bring in a group that includes three freshmen and one transfer, all of whom should fight for a lineup or individual spots vacated by former star players. UCLA’s lineup is a bit unpredictable this year and expect some volatility to it before the coaches solidify their choices. Georgia's GaEun Athena Yoo had a strong 2024 season but did not find consistency in 2025.

Oklahoma State: The defending national champion Cowboys are not losing any starters and gain the #1 recruit in the 2025 class. It’s safe to say, watch out for the Cowboys this year, as returnees Ethan Fang and Preston Stout both had big wins this summer. Henry Guan surprised everyone by reclassing from 2026 to 2025 and announcing his commitment to play for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys will welcome his talent in their lineup, although the competition for a spot will be fierce with the returning starters.

Guan’s name has been synonymous with elite junior golf for many years. Over the past two years he has amassed a long resume of successes in high profile events. They include top-5s at the 2024 AJGA Mayakoba Invitational, Western Amateur, and South Beach International Amateur. His notable top-10s include the 2024 AJGA Team Taylormade Invitational and Simplify Boys Championship, 2024 Jones Cup, and Rolex Tournament of champions. Guan reached the round of 64 at the 2024 US Amateur. Guan also reached the round of 32 at the last three US Junior Amateurs. It seems strange to say that he is not an absolute lineup lock due to the Cowboy depth this year; nonetheless, expect to see his name on leaderboards. The second member of this class is Texan Jaxon Bandelier, a player who has steadily improved to become a top-50 recruit. In 2024, Bandelier showed solid play from March-June, his highlight being a runner-up finish at the Southern Junior. He also notched a 2nd place finish at a Legends Junior Tour event and reached match play at the US Junior. In 2025, Bandelier was runner-up at the Texas Amateur and has made some appearances in Elite Amateur events. He will likely find making lineups a challenge, but his game should flourish in the competitive environment.

Predictions: Guan (Strong lineup possibility), Bandelier (outside looking in)

Photos: AJGA, instagram, ARcadia Quill

Texas: The Longhorns return their entire starting lineup from the team that made match play at NCAAs, bowing out in the quarterfinals, and gain a formidable transfer in Matthew Comegys from Texas Tech. Comegys red-shirted last season but has appeared on the elite amateur circuit this summer, and should challenge for a lineup spot. Texas has two solid incoming freshmen in Brooks Simmons and Adam Villanueva. Brooks Simmons, #10 on our recruit list, has had some strong tournament results in the past few years.

Photos: AJGA

Simmons has a collection of top-5 finishes in big events, including the Western Junior and AJGA Mayakoba Invitational in 2024, and the Toyota Junior World Cup in 2025. He a recorded top-10 finish at the 2025 AJGA Simplify, with top-15s at the 2025 Wyndham Invitational and the 2024 Wyndham and Ping Invitationals. Simmons made a good run at the 2024 US Junior Amateur, reaching the quarterfinals, and advanced to the round of 32 this year. He has improved his consistency in 2025, and should challenge for a lineup or individual spot, though this lineup will be a tough one to crack. The second recruit in this class, Villanueva, has had a mixed bag of results, with top-10 finishes at the 2025 Texas Amateur, 2024 Junior PGA Championship, and the 2024 Rolex Tournament of Champions. Like Simmons, he reached the round of 32 at the 2025 US Junior, and added a runner-up finish at the 2024 Texas Junior Amateur. He struggled in his introduction to Elite Amateur series events this summer, and may be looking to contend for an individual spot while learning from the experienced upperclassmen this year.

Predictions: Simmons (contender), Villanueva (outside looking in)

Tennessee: The Vols had an up and down year last season, and have significant roster turnover without losing the heart of their lineup. Bruce Murphy and Lance Simpson look to lead the team and keep their positions in the lineup, and sophomore Jackson Herrington should find himself in the starting five again. The Vols have two other contending returnees in addition to Auburn transfer Reed Lotter, expecting to join the lineup. The freshman class is led by Chae Kyes, an athlete always near the top of rankings metrics, although he doesn’t compete as much as his 2025 classmates. he shows consistency of solid finishes. He finished in the top-5 at the 2024 Western Junior and carded a top-10 finish at the 2024 AJGA Team Taylormade Invitational.

Photos: Amateurgolf.com, AJGA

Kyes found himself in the top-15 at the 2024 Dustin Johnson World Junior and made the round of 32 in the 2025 US Junior after qualifying for match play in 2024. Kyes hasn’t shown consistency this summer and may find competition challenging for playing time, although he has shown toughness as a competitor over the years and will welcome the challenge of qualifying competitions. The second member of this class is Canadian Luke Smith, a steady presence in the top-50 in the JGS rankings over the past two years, carding a win at the 2024 Golf Ontario Super Camp & Tour Championship, with four other top-5 finishes in Canada in 2024 & 2025. Smith’s best national showing in 2024 was a top-5 at the AJGA Wyndham Invitational, along with a top-10 at the 2023 Junior Jones Cup and top-15 at the 2024 Ping Invitational. Smith should thrive in a warmer climate and welcome the challenge of qualifying competition. Overall, we expect the Vols to have similar results as last year as they wait for the arrival of a stellar 2026 class.

Predictions: Kyes (contender), Smith (outside looking in)

Clemson: The Tigers lose strong lineup presence with the graduation of Andrew Swanson and Kian Rose, but will welcome the addition of top-10 freshman Jackson Byrd. Their next four top returners are all within own stroke in the 2024-2025 averages, and any four could find themselves in the lineup. Byrd’s lineup contribution should be immediate to the lineup, as Byrd is no stranger to success in big tournaments. Byrd broke through this past fall with a big win at the AJGA Ping Invitational. He has carded top-5 finishes at the 2024 AJGA RLX Ralph Lauren Classic and the 2025 Junior Invitational.

His top-10 finishes include the 2024 Toyota Junior World Cup, 2024 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, and the 2025 Terra Cotta, Byrd also finished in the top-15 at the 2024 Junior Players Championship. He has had an inconsistent summer in Elite Amateur series events, his best finish a 25th place at the Northeast Amateur. Nonetheless, expect to see Byrd’s name in multiple tournaments this year. The next recruit, Samuel Duran of Panama, has had significant success in his home country, winning four straight events last fall, in addition to three wins earlier in 2024. However, Duran has not replicated his success when competing against competition in the US, and how his talent translates to college golf remains to be seen. He qualified to the last two US Junior Amateurs through his WAGR rankings, but hasn’t come close to making match play. The final recruit in this class is Tip Price, who was in the top-50 of the JGS rankings in 2023. Price hasn’t seen as much competitive action in 2024 and 2025 and looks to return to his prior form while at Clemson.

Predictions: Byrd (lineup lock), Duran (contender), Price (outside looking in)

Photos: AJGA, AOGA

North Carolina: The Tarheels’ lineup takes a big hit with the loss of now-PGA Tour member David Ford, along with his brother Maxwell, who did struggle with his game in the spring season. Their graduation opens two lineup spots, and it is expected that senior Keaton Vo and sophomore spring standout Sihan Sandhu fill two positions. The next three spots and the individual position are expected to fluctuate between returnees, Northwestern transfer Niall Sheils Donegan, and incoming freshman Carson Bertagnole, #6 on our 2025 recruit list.

Photos: The Pilot, instagram

In 2024, Bertagnole has proved worthy of his signing with a string of top-10 finishes in big events and a win at the 2024 AJGA Team Taylormade Invitational. He finished in the top-5 at the 2023 Junior Jones Cup, and his top-10 finishes include the 2024 AJGA Wyndham Invitational, Bertagnole also notched top-15 finishes at the 2024 Junior Players Championship and the 2024 Terra Cotta Invitational, and qualified for the US Amateur. 2025 has brought at top-5 at the Junior Invitational and top-10 at the AJGA Simplify, in addition to reaching the round of 32 at the US Junior. Mack Edwards' strong results started taking off after he committed to UNC, he crept into the top-25 in the JGS rankings in 2024, with a strong showing at the US Junior Amateur, finishing 3rd in stroke play. In 2024, he also carded top-10 finishes at the AJGA Wyndham Invitational and an AJGA open event. He again qualified to the US Junior in 2025 amd finished in the top-10 at the Western Junior and top-15 at the Wyndham Invitational.

Predictions: Bertagnole (strong lineup possibility), Edwards (contender)

Brigham Young: BYU was a sneaky good team last year, finishing in the top-15 at the NCAA Championships, and they return several top performers. Peter Kim and Simon Kwon should return to the heart of the lineup, and we anticipate Cooper Jones to return from a mission and into a lineup spot. Several other returners will vie for lineup spots, and freshman Kihei Akina is expected to slot into the starting five. Akina has shown very consistent golf in big-stage tournaments in the past two years.

Photos: Deseret News, Utah PGA

In 2025, he reached the semifinals at the North & South Amateur, found himself in the top-10 at the Northeast Amateur and top-20 at the Sunnehanna, and was runner-up at the Terracotta. He was a model of consistency in 2024, with only two finishes outside the top-15 in junior events. His top-5 finishes include the 2024Terra Cotta Invitational and the 2024 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. He has found success in amateur competition with top-5 showings at the 2023 & 2024 Hawaii Match Play Championships, and a top-15 finish at the Sunnehanna Amateur in 2024. He made it to the round of 32 at the 2024 US Junior Amateur, and carded regional tour wins in his home state in 2024. Last but not least, Akina made the cut in a Korn Ferry event in his home state in 2024. BYU should be excited for his arrival this year. The second recruit in this class is Jackson Shelley, whose older brother is a Cougar. Shelley picked up a win at the 2024 AJGA Salt Lake Junior, qualified for the 2024 US Junior Amateur, and found the top-5 at the Nike Junior Invitational. He recently carded a top-5 finish at the Utah Men’s Amateur, and his results are limited in the past year.

Predictions: Akina (lineup lock), Shelley (contender)

Princeton: If all underclassmen return, the Tigers have seven returnees and three newcomers this season. As of printing, their 2025-2026 roster is not posted. We expect Reed Greyserman, Ricardo Fantanelli, and Charlie Palmer to keep their places in the lineup after strong seasons, with several others in the mix with the three incoming freshmen. Canadian Eric Zhao had a strong 2023 then fell off a bit in 2024, but seemed to regain form in 2025 with wins at the Ontario Men’s Amateur and the NextGen Ontario Championship. He recently had a top-15 finish at the Canadian Men’s Amateur missed match play by a few strokes at the 2025 US Junior.

Photos: Barrie 360, AJGA, WAGR

The next member of this class is Luke Brandler, a dual sport ahtlete who won the 2024 AJGA Brandon Wu Championship and had a top-5 finishes at the 2024 & 2025 IMG (now USwing) Junior World Championships. The runner-up finishes on his resume include the 2024 Hong Kong Junior Open, and two AJGA opens. He has twice finished in the top-10 at the NCGA Amateur Stroke Play. His results in elite field events are not as strong, and time will tell if he can adapt to the college game quickly. Canadian James Lee rounds out the 2025 class. In 2024 he had a runner-up showing at an open AJGA events and an appearance at the US Junior Amateur, with some struggles in amateur event. He only has one event listed on WAGR for 2025, indicating he has not competed often. Lee should benefit from the competitive atmosphere of college qualifying.

Predictions: Zhao (contender), Brandler (contender), Lee (outside looking in)

Yoo qualified for the 2024 US Women's Amateur, and has done well in the Georgia Women's Amateur, finishing in the top-10 in 2023 and the top-15 in 2024. She added two AJGA open wins to her resume in 2024 and won the 2023 National High School Invitational. Californian Kacey Ly has one win in the past two years, the 2024 AJGA Junior at Copper Valley. Her top-5 finishes include the 2024 Arizona Silver Belle and the 2024 AJGA Rolex Girls Championship. Ly finished in the top-10 at the Southern California Junior Amateur in 2024 and the 2025 Arizona Silver Belle. The third member of this class is top-50 recruit Zoe Sprecher, who has two AJGA top-5 finishes in the last 1.5 years and was in the top-5 at the 2024 Southern California Junior Amateur. Maye Huang was originally a member of this class who contributed to UCLA’s high rankgng, and she enrolled early last June. She stepped right into the lineup and appeared in six tournaments for the team, notching two top-20 finishes to start her college career

Predictions: Yoo (contender), Ly (contender), Sprecher (outside looking in)

Her top-10 finishes include the 2024 Annika/Hilton Grand Vacations Invitational, and 2025 Nelly Invitational. Schremmer has carded impressive amateur results, with a top-5 showing at the LNGA Amateur in 2024, a round of 16 appearance at the 2024 North & South Women's Amateur, and top-10s at the last two Southwestern Amateurs. She turned heads in USGA events in 2024, reaching the round of 16 in both the US Women's Amateur and the US Girls Junior. Not to be outdone, Natlie Yen is also a standout in this class, coming in at #4 in our rankings. She has found success in both junior and amateur competition in 2025, making the round of 16 at the US Women’s Amateur and the round of 32 at the US Girls Junior. Her 2025 accolades include top-5 finishes at the Southwestern Amateur and AJGA Annika Invitational, and a top-10 at the Orlando International Amateur. She started off 2024 with a win at the AJGA Annika/Hilton Grand Vacations Invitational and carded top-5 finishes at the 2024 AJGA Ping Invitational and Rolex Tournament of Champions. Yen also found the winner's circle at the 2024 California Women's Championship. We predict that Yen will find herself alongside Schremmer in the Aggie lineup. The final top-10 recruit, Brynn Kort was a staple at the AJGA Justin Thomas Championship, with one win and two top-5 finishes. Her notable finishes include a top-5 finish at the 2024 Dustin Johnson World Junior and top-10s at the 2025 Dustin Johnson and the 2024 Rolex Girls Invitational. The Aggie has had success at the US Girls Junior Amateur, with a round of 16 showing in 2024 and round of 64 in 2025. Kort can give Yen and Schremmer a run for their money for lineup spots this year. Rounding out this class of four is Avery Zweig, a top-50 recruit on JGS who owns two TJGT wins since December 2023. Her top-5 finishes in 2024 include several AJGA, TJGT, and LJT events, and she qualified to this year’s US Girls Junior. Zweig may not factor into lineups this year but will benefit from the competitive atmosphere of qualifiers to gain experience.

Predictions: Schremmer (lineup lock), Yen (lineup lock), Kort (lineup contender), Zweig (outside looking in)