The Louisiana State University is racking its gymnastics roster with star power. And with stars like Kaliya Lincoln, Lexi Zeiss, and Kailin Chio in their sophomore year already, the university will rely on freshmen Nina Ballou, Elyse Wenner, and others for the NCAA championships in 2026. But LSU is looking even farther ahead with the class of 2027. Nine gymnasts from the class of 2027 have verbally committed to the LSU Tigers. And the latest commit came from Tatum Drusch. Needless to say, his decision has left fans divided. 

The LSU Tigers class of 2027 already had a star-studded lineup comprising five-star commitments in Josie Lynch, Reese Esponda of Helena, Montana, and Jada Oliver of Gainesville, Florida. The four-star commitments are Sage Bradford of Flower Mound, Texas, Zoe Cadrin of Montreal, Lia Redick of Oakville, Ontario, and Myla Ruck of Wisconsin.

On 26 October 2025, the world of gymnastics went haywire when LSU announced the ninth gymnast who committed to the LSU Tigers class of 2027. And Gymnastics Now wasted no time in breaking the news on X. The caption of the X post read, “Make that NINE commits for LSU’s Class of 2027! 🤯 Tatum Drusch is heading to Baton Rouge!”

Drusch took to Instagram and shared pictures of herself sporting LSU’s leotard and colors. In the caption, she announced, “I’m so blessed and excited to announce I have verbally committed to Louisiana State University on a full athletic scholarship! I’m so honored to become a tiger and continue the legacy of [LSU Gym].” Her energy seemed pretty high and positive, with nothing but anticipation of the future endeavors setting the tone for her future.

But here’s the catch! A verbal commitment means the athlete has indicated that she will attend and compete for LSU. However, it may not yet be a signed National Letter of Intent or a finalized long-term agreement contract. But recruiting nine gymnasts for a single class is definitely a bit of an overkill. After all, only six gymnasts get to compete per event at NCAA meets. And the rest of the team will have to stay on the bench. 

The fans were pretty quick to note that down. And soon after Gymnastics Now shared the big news on X, fans took over the comments section with criticism. Let’s see what they had to say. 

Fans call out the LSU Tigers for adding Tatum Drusch to the 2027 roster

Of course, to battle against talents like Zoey Molomo from UCLA’s 2027 roster, LSU will need everyone at its disposal. But when fans see athletes joining a college where there’s a high probability that they’d stay benched, disappointment envelops them. One fan called the nine athletes and stated, “I truly don’t understand.. I get LSU has appeal, but are we forgetting there are 6 spots per apparatus and the entire rest of the roster ?? Why not go somewhere you can compete?”

With only six athletes entering the arena to compete in the four disciplines – vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise – at least three of the nine commits have to be benched. One fan pointed that out and wrote, “All those girls gonna be sitting on the bench!  It’s the same thing that happened to all that talent at OU we never get to see!  And can someone explain to us the rules of roster limits cuz I’m confused!!” Another fan added, “I like LSU and love that they are able to offer their athletes so much.. but I am genuinely so sad that we will not get to see many amazing gymnasts compete much if at all 😭.”

Some fans even called it a waste of resources on the roster. One of the comments read, “And most of them won’t even be competing.. lol what a waste.” But all this talk also invited speculation of de-commitment. Yes, LSU is prestigious. But it’s all in vain if the athletes don’t even get a chance to compete. One fan commented, “I wonder who LSU’s first de-commit will be. I get that NIl is a drawcard, but I still feel like at least one recruit is going to switch when they realise the stacked roster means they’re unlikely to compete and an LSU degree isn’t like UCLA/Stanford/Cal in terms of prestige.”  

Meanwhile, many others wondered how LSU had so many spots left for the new talent. Do you think Tatum Drusch or any of the new commits of the 2027 class will withdraw their commitment to LSU anytime soon? Or will she get the chance to compete in the NCAA through LSU?