Deep Dives: Potential Impact of 8-Player Roster Limits on SEC Schools

Jim Colton

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November 8, 2024

If you've been following the NCAA settlement and its potential impact on college golf, you’re likely aware of the proposed 9-man roster limit for both men's and women's teams. Until now, men’s golf programs were governed solely by a 4.5 scholarship limit, distributed among players at each coach’s discretion. The shift to a 9-player cap, set to begin in Fall 2025, is expected to disrupt rosters nationwide, forcing tough decisions for coaches and possibly displacing committed athletes.

In Episode 28 of the Driven Golf Podcast, host Andrew Lewis dives into this topic with Auburn head coach Nick Clinard and star sophomore Jackson Koivun. At the 45-minute mark, they break down the impact of these pending changes, and the conversation continues in the Angle of Attack segment at 1:01:00.

Then, earlier today, Lance Ringler dropped what can only be described as the college golf equivalent of a Woj-Bomb:

Hearing that SEC men's golf will have a roster limit of 8 next year with a scholarship allotment of 6.

If that were true this year, that would be 30 players that are on SEC rosters that would not be and most likely end up on mid-major rosters.
— Lance Ringler (@GolfweekRingler) October 24, 2024

if true, this development could send shockwaves through the college golf landscape, with the SEC’s tighter restrictions setting the tone for other conferences.

A quick analysis of SEC golf rosters via Scoreboard by Clippd and 2025 verbal commits from collegegolfcommits.com reveals the potential displacement of as many as 40 players if the 8-man roster cap takes effect. Below is a detailed breakdown, based on these basic assumptions:

Clippd Roster Information & College Golf Commit information is accurate as of publication
Current Roster players all move forward by a year going into Fall 2025 (no redshirts, no players leaving early, accelerating through PGATourU, etc)

Players are listed by year along with this fall's Clippd Ranking, where applicable. The tables make no assumption about which players will be displaced, if any, and list the rosters for information purposes only. Note: 2026 Verbal Commits to date are also shown for reference.

University of Alabama - DOWN 2

Count	Player	School Year	Clippd Rk
	Dominic Clemons	Graduated	#61
1	Connor Brown	Fourth Yr	#789
2	Jones Free	Fourth Yr	#372
3	Jonathan Griz	Third Yr	#74
4	Jack Mitchell	Second Yr	#241
5	Nicholas Gross	Second Yr	#697
6	Luke Coyle	Second Yr	#836
7	Michael Crocker	Second Yr	N/A
8	Tristin Wisener	Second Yr	N/A
9	William Jennings	Second Yr	N/A
10	Andrew Hinson	First Yr	N/A

2026 Commits (2): Bailey Sutter, Phillip Dunham

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University of Arkansas - DOWN 1

Count	Player	School Yr	Clippd Rk
	Matthis Lefevre	Graduated	#406
	Manuel Lozada	Graduated	N/A
1	John Daly II	Fourth Yr	#450
2	Thomas Curry	Third Yr	#352
3	Mark Stockdale	Third Yr	#705
4	Erich Fortlage	Second Yr	#303
5	Gerardo Gomez	Second Yr	#340
6	Pablo Garcia Terol	Second Yr	#777
7	Jackson McLaughlin	Second Yr	N/A
8	Rex Hargrove	Second Yr	N/A
9	Will Gordon	First Yr	N/A

2026 Commits (2): Lev Grinberg, Neo Berg

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Auburn University - DOWN 2

Count	Player	School Yr	Clippd Rk
	Brendan Valdes	Graduated	#23
	Carson Bacha	Graduated	#173
	Ryan Eshleman	Graduated	#221
1	Reed Lotter	Fourth Yr	#373
2	Evan Vo	Fourth Yr	N/A
3	Josiah Gilbert	Third Yr	#6
4	Jackson Koivun	Third Yr	#27
5	Cayden Pope	Third Yr	#294
6	Billy Davis	Second Yr	#29
7	Tyler Spielman	Second Yr	#465
8	Jake Albert	First Yr	N/A
9	Logan Reilly	First Yr	N/A
10	Jack Roberts	First Yr	N/A

2026 Commits (2): Smith Summerlin, Alex Holder

‍

University of Florida - DOWN 2

Count	Player	School Yr	Clippd Rk
	Ian Gilligan	Graduated	#41
	Matthew Kress	Graduated	#512
	Ryan Hart	Graduated	N/A
1	Parker Bell	Fourth Yr	#154
2	Luke Poulter	Fourth Yr	N/A
3	Jack Turner	Third Yr	#25
4	Rylan Shim	Third Yr	#354
5	Zack Swanwick	Second Yr	#155
6	Parker Sands	Second Yr	#323
7	Trevor Gutschewski	First Yr	N/A
8	Parker Severs	First Yr	N/A
9	Lorenzo Rodriguez	First Yr	N/A
10	Joshua Bai	First Yr	N/A

2026 Commits (2): Austin Perkins, Jackson Ormond

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University of Georgia - NO IMPACT

Count	Player	School Yr	Clippd Rk
	Buck Brumlow	Graduated	#56
	George Langham	Graduated	#343
1	Carter Loflin	Fourth Yr	#447
2	Grayson Wood	Third Yr	#48
3	Camden Smith	Third Yr	#167
4	Matt Moloney	Second Yr	#413
5	James Earle	Second Yr	#706
6	Billy Abdow	Second Yr	N/A
7	John Daniel (JD) Culbreth	First Yr	N/A
8	Will Guthrie	First Yr	N/A

2026 Commits (3): Mason Howell, Hamilton Coleman, Drew Woolworth

‍

University of Kentucky - DOWN 5

Count	Player	School Yr	Clippd Rk
	Jackson Klutznick	Graduated	#717
1	Jansen Preston	Fourth Yr	#466
2	Jack Schoenberger	Third Yr	#271
3	Solomon Petrie	Second Yr	#424
4	Jacob Lang	Second Yr	#758
5	Gavin Clutts	Second Yr	#760
6	Jacob Settles	Second Yr	N/A
7	Michael Hake	Second Yr	N/A
8	Oakley Gee	Second Yr	N/A
9	Wesley Beard	Second Yr	N/A
10	Charles Cauthen	First Yr	N/A
11	Maddox Crowder	First Yr	N/A
12	Cole Stockard	First Yr	N/A
13	Cameron Phillips	First Yr	N/A

2026 Commits (2): Will Judd, Bradford Lacefield

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Lousiana State University - DOWN 2

Count	Player	School Yr	Clippd Rk
	Algot Kleen	Graduated	#5
	Nick Arcement	Graduated	#699
1	Matthew Dodd-Berry	Fourth Yr	#166
2	Alfons Bondesson	Fourth Yr	#196
3	Luke Haskew	Fourth Yr	#606
4	Holden Webb	Fourth Yr	N/A
5	Jay Mendell	Third Yr	#188
6	Noah Mcwilliams	Third Yr	#220
7	Gunnlaugur Arni Sveinsson	Second Yr	#9
8	Connor Cassano	Second Yr	#778
9	Dylan Kayne	Second Yr	#1139
10	Hudson Lawson	First Yr	N/A

‍

Mississippi State University - DOWN 5

Count	Player	School Yr	Clippd Rk
	Josep Serra	Graduated	#129
	Harrison Davis	Graduated	#284
1	Garrett Endicott	Fourth Yr	#77
2	Drew Wilson	Fourth Yr	#112
3	Dain Richie	Fourth Yr	#264
4	Ugo Malcor	Third Yr	#136
5	David Beard	Third Yr	N/A
6	Alejandro Fierro	Third Yr	N/A
7	Ben Kelling	Second Yr	N/A
8	Ethan Smith	Second Yr	N/A
9	Thomas Norris	Second Yr	N/A
10	Trip Duke	Second Yr	N/A
11	Jackson Cook	First Yr	N/A
12	Bryson Hughes	First Yr	N/A
13	Jackson Skinner	First Yr	N/A

2026 Commits (2): Finn Burkholder, Yago Horno Mateo

‍

University of Missouri - DOWN 1

Count	Player	School Yr	Clippd Rk
	Dagbjartur Sigurbrandsson	Graduated	#365
	Trevor Mierl	Graduated	#1214
	Mattias Varjun	Graduated	#663
1	Virgilio Paz	Fourth Yr	#378
2	Veikka Viskari	Third Yr	#190
3	Brock Snyder	Third Yr	#539
4	Trent Mierl	Second Yr	#753
5	Jakob Hansen	Second Yr	#1380
6	Bubba Chapman	Second Yr	#1617
7	Jules Lauer	Second Yr	N/A
8	Esteban Cruz Bonilla	First Yr	N/A
9	Reese Roberts	First Yr	N/A

‍

University of Oklahoma - DOWN 5

Count	Player	School Yr	Clippd Rk
	Drew Goodman	Graduated	#22
	Jaxon Dowell	Graduated	#819
	Stephen Campbell Jr.	Graduated	N/A
1	Jase Summy	Fourth Yr	#46
2	Matthew Troutman	Fourth Yr	#53
3	Ryder Cowan	Third Yr	#54
4	PJ Maybank III	Third Yr	#81
5	Jake Hopper	Third Yr	N/A
6	Connor Henry	Third Yr	N/A
7	Clark Van Gaalen	Second Yr	#429
8	Andrew Ramos	Second Yr	N/A
9	Asher Whitaker	Second Yr	N/A
10	Cameron Cheek	Second Yr	N/A
11	Preston Albee	First Yr	N/A
12	Eli Walker Campbell	First Yr	N/A
13	Adam Anderson	First Yr	N/A

2026 Commits (2): Coltrane Mittag, Max Emberson

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University of Mississippi - DOWN 3

Count	Player	School Yr	Clippd Rk
	Kye Meeks	Graduated	#36
1	Michael La Sasso	Fourth Yr	#4
2	Cohen Trolio	Fourth Yr	#28
3	Cameron Tankersley	Fourth Yr	#34
4	Tom Fischer	Fourth Yr	#90
5	Collins Trolio	Third Yr	#478
6	Aidan Cohl	Third Yr	N/A
7	Davis Gochenouer	Second Yr	N/A
8	Jacob Blanton	Second Yr	N/A
9	Finn Meister	First Yr	N/A
10	Daniel Tolf	First Yr	N/A
11	Cooper Solberg	First Yr	N/A

‍

University of South Carolina - DOWN 3

Count	Player	School Yr	Clippd Rk
	Nathan Franks	Graduated	#219
1	Frankie Harris	Fourth Yr	#52
2	Zach Adams	Fourth Yr	#114
3	Laurens Schulze-Doering	Fourth Yr	N/A
4	Walker Jennings	Fourth Yr	N/A
5	Brock Blais	Third Yr	#145
6	Ismael Encinas	Third Yr	#443
7	Bo Carpenter	Third Yr	N/A
8	Marek Fleming	Second Yr	#275
9	Andre Zhu	Second Yr	N/A
10	Mason Kucia	First Yr	N/A
11	Talan Harrison	First Yr	N/A

‍

University of Tennessee - DOWN 3

Count	Player	School Yr	Clipped Rk
	Laurent Desmarchais	Graduated	#440
1	Lance Simpson	Fourth Yr	#33
2	Evan Woosley-Reed	Fourth Yr	#91
3	Josh Hill	Fourth Yr	#455
4	Bruce Murphy	Third Yr	#364
5	Jean-Phillipe Parr	Third Yr	#592
6	Jackson Herrington	Second Yr	#249
7	Pearce Lewin	Second Yr	#505
8	Christian Pardue	Second Yr	#509
9	Kai Komulainen	Second Yr	#794
10	Luke Smith	First Yr	N/A
11	Chase Kyes	First Yr	N/A

2026 Commits (2): Tyler Watts, Pennson Badgett

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Texas A&M - DOWN 2

Count	Player	School Yr	Clippd Rk
	Phichaksn Maichon	Graduated	#75
	Michael Heidelbaugh	Graduated	#273
	Vishnu Sadagopan	Graduated	N/A
1	Jacob Sosa	Fourth Yr	#187
2	Jaime Montojo	Fourth Yr	#473
3	Dallas Hankamer	Fourth Yr	N/A
4	Aaron Pounds	Third Yr	#262
5	Jack Usner	Third Yr	#543
6	Jake Maggert	Third Yr	N/A
7	Wheaton Ennis	Second Yr	#119
8	Alex Long	Second Yr	N/A
9	Mitchell Maier	First Yr	N/A
10	Shiv Parmar	First Yr	N/A

2026 Commits (2): Landon Ashcraft, Owen Bolles

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University of Texas - DOWN 1

Count	Player	School Yr	Clippd Rk
1	Christiaan Maas	Fourth Yr	#7
2	Tommy Morrison	Fourth Yr	#8
3	Luke Potter	Fourth Yr	#82
4	Jack Gilbert	Third Yr	#356
5	Ben Delarosa	Third Yr	#1248
6	Daniel Bennett	Second Yr	#1
7	Eduardo Derbez Torres	Second Yr	N/A
8	Brooks Simmons	First Yr	N/A
9	Adam Villanueva	First Yr	N/A

2026 Commits (2): Sterling Hurd, Brooks Harper

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Vanderbilt University - DOWN 2

Count	Player	School Yr	Clippd Rk
	Jackson Van Paris	Graduated	#30
	Gordon Sargent	Graduated	#146
1	John Broderick	Fourth Yr	#76
2	Wells Williams	Fourth Yr	#94
4	Ben Loomis	Fourth Yr	#1024
3	Rowan Sullivan	Third Yr	#342
5	Chase Nevins	Third Yr	#962
6	Ryan Downes	Second Yr	#469
7	Bowen Ballis	Second Yr	#1536
8	Michael Riebe	First Yr	N/A
9	Will Hartman	First Yr	N/A
10	Jon Ed Steed	First Yr	N/A