Landon D’Ariano has confirmed that he will be transferring to NC State for the 2025-2026 season. He recently completed his freshman year at Texas.
D’Ariano was one of eight swimmers from Texas to enter the transfer portal on its opening day. Despite being a highly regarded recruit with Honorable Mention status out of high school, he did not compete at the SEC Championships for Texas. He now becomes the second freshman to leave the Longhorns, following Jeremy Kelly, who is set to join Notre Dame this fall.
Though he didn’t swim at SECs, D’Ariano’s times indicate he could have made an impact. He recorded a lifetime best of 3:42.20 in the 400 IM during a dual meet against Texas A&M in late January — fast enough to qualify for the ‘B’ final at SECs. His midseason mark of 1:44.76 in the 200 fly was just shy of making the ‘C’ final.
D’Ariano’s Top SCY Times:
- 200 IM: 1:45.87 (Midseason)
- 400 IM: 3:42.20 (vs. Texas A&M)
- 200 Fly: 1:44.76 (Midseason)
The NC State men’s team, which placed third at the ACC Championships and ninth at the 2025 NCAA Championships, is set to benefit from D’Ariano’s arrival. His 400 IM time would’ve ranked second on the team this past season, trailing only Kyle Ponsler, who won the NCAA ‘B’ final in 3:37.42. His 200 IM and 200 fly times would have placed him fourth among NC State swimmers.
D’Ariano was also just shy of qualifying for the 2025 NCAA Championships — this year’s invite time in the 400 IM was 3:41.61, significantly faster than last year’s 3:42.93 cutoff.
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