After helping the United States win Olympic gold in Paris, Hezly Rivera had several big decisions to make about her future. Choosing a college was one of them. She explored multiple programs, including Florida and Oklahoma, before making her decision. In September 2024, the young gymnast announced her verbal commitment to LSU, choosing the Tigers as the place where she wanted to continue her career. Now, two years later, Rivera has finally made her LSU signing official and revealed what made the program stand out from her other options.

On November 11, LSU announced its 2027 gymnastics recruiting class, with Rivera leading a group of 10 talented gymnasts. The class also features World Championships silver medalist Reese Esponda, along with Sage Bradford, Zoe Cadrin, Tatum Drusch, Josie Lynch, Jada Oliver, Lia Redick, and Myla Ruck and Kiari Sparks.

Rivera also shared what made her choose LSU when she first considered her college options. “Because of the amazing people and how home oriented it is,” she said in the university’s announcement. Interestingly, she had shared a similar explanation when she first announced her verbal commitment in 2024.

Speaking to NBC Sports at the time, she said, “I chose LSU because it just felt like a family, and seeing how the coaches treat their gymnasts and coach them meant everything to me. It just felt so comfortable there and I felt like it was home. Honestly, everything was great about it. I loved every single minute, but I would say the culture of LSU is what made me choose it.”

While Rivera has now officially signed with the Tigers, LSU fans will have to wait a little longer to see her compete in purple and gold. The university announced that five members of the recruiting class, including Rivera, will defer their enrollment until Fall 2028 as they pursue their Olympic ambitions. The other four are fellow U.S. World Championships team members Reese Esponda of Helena, Montana, Tatum Drusch of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, Lia Redick of Burlington, Ontario, and Zoe Cadrin of Blainville, Quebec. The remaining five recruits are expected to arrive in Baton Rouge in Fall 2027.

LSU head coach Jay Clark also shared his excitement about the incoming group, even though its members will arrive at different times. “This class, though they will arrive at different times, represents the most comprehensive and historically strong class I have ever been a part of in my career,” Clark said in a statement. “Each member possesses both the talent and the character to help push our program to all time heights during their tenure here, and I could not be more excited about the potential this group has.”

For LSU, landing Rivera is a major addition to its future roster, given everything she has already achieved at the elite level. She is currently ranked as the nation’s No. 1 recruit for the Class of 2028 by College Gym News. With an Olympic gold medal and multiple national titles already to her name, she will bring plenty of experience to the Tigers when she arrives in Baton Rouge.

Hezly Rivera adds multiple National titles to her record after Paris Olympics

After winning Olympic gold at the 2024 Paris Games, Rivera continued to establish herself among the top gymnasts in the United States. She made an impressive return to competition in 2025, winning the all-around title at the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships in New Orleans. She also swept the individual titles on uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise, making it a four-gold performance at the national championships.

Earlier that year, she finished second on floor exercise at the U.S. Classic and earned a place on the American team for the Senior Pan American Championships in Panama City. There, she helped the United States win team gold and also collected bronze medals in the all-around and balance beam competitions. 

Rivera carried that form into 2026, beginning the season with another strong performance at the Winter Cup in Louisville. She won the senior women’s all-around title with a score of 56.750, finishing ahead of Charleigh Bullock and Claire Pease. She also claimed gold on balance beam and floor exercise, while taking silver on uneven bars. Her results earned her a place on the 2026 Senior National Team. 

She continued competing internationally at the American Cup in Las Vegas, where she helped the United States secure the mixed-team silver medal. She was also selected for the Senior Pan American Championships in Rio de Janeiro but an injury affected her preparation for the competition, and she was unable to compete. 

At the 2026 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Phoenix, Rivera once again proved why she was among the country’s leading gymnasts. Although she sat in fourth place after the opening day, she produced a strong performance on the second day to finish first in the all-around with 111.950 points. The victory made her a back-to-back U.S. all-around champion. She also won the balance beam title with a combined score of 28.700 and took silver on floor exercise with 28.300. 

Her national performances earned her a place on the five-member U.S. team for the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam. The selection marked another milestone because it was set to be her first appearance at the World Championships. However, just before the competition began in October, Rivera medically withdrew because of an injury. 

With Olympic gold, consecutive U.S. all-around titles, multiple national event championships, and international medals already on her record, Rivera will bring considerable elite-level experience to LSU. She has not yet competed in NCAA gymnastics, but her achievements before college have made her one of the most closely watched recruits in the sport.