Michael Cotter, Former #3-Ranked Recruit, Plans to Enter the NCAA Transfer Portal

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

After a season-and-a-half at NC State, sophomore Michael Cotter says that he will be entering the NCAA Transfer Portal in the off-season.

Cotter, who last raced for the Wolfpack at the mid-season NC State Invite, spent the spring semester training with his home club the TAC Titans. Cotter was the 3rd-ranked recruit in the high school class of 2022, holding the best time in the 200 free in the class.

In a season-and-a-half, though, Cotter has been unable to match or improve upon that 1:33.80 in the 200 free in yards, nor the 1:47.46 that he swam in July 2022 that looked like it had him on a path toward an international swim for Team USA.

Cotter tore his ACL and fractured his tibia in November 2022, disrupting his freshman season that also ended with a mid-season invite. He returned to competition in May 2023 at the Pro Swim Series stop in Mission Viejo.

At the US International Team Trials, he swam 49.74 in the 100 free and 1:48.41 in the 200 free, placing 20th in the latter race.

Cotter shared his plans to enter the transfer portal, but did not respond to requests for information on why he made that decision.

His younger sister Keelan Crosby graduated high school early to join the Wolf Pack in January. The two are from nearby Cary, less than 30 minutes from the NC State campus.

Beginning this season, the NCAA Division I transfer portal window has been reduced from 60 days to 45 days beginning a week after championship selection. The men’s swimming & diving transfer portal window for this season runs from March 20 through May 3, while the women’s window runs from March 13 through April 26. With a few exceptions, student-athletes have to enter the portal in this time period become immediately eligible next season, though there is no deadline to make a decision (for most student-athletes).

Athletes are not required to transfer by entering the portal and can, ultimately, stay with their same programs, which we have seen, rarely, in high level swimming.

SwimSwam: Michael Cotter, Former #3-Ranked Recruit, Plans to Enter the NCAA Transfer Portal