Four-Star Forward Chooses Northwestern, Officially Commits to Chris Collins

Ryan Cole

Oct 6, 2025, 22:41

Ryan Cole

Oct 6, 2025, 22:41

Updated at: Oct 6, 2025, 22:41

Northwestern Men's Basketball received major 2026 recruiting news today. Four-star small forward Jayden Hodge will be a Wildcat, officially committing to head coach Chris Collins and his emerging program this afternoon.

On3's Joe Tipton reported the news on X. Its recruiting website, Rivals, lists Hodge as the No. 102 player nationally. Its industry rankings, which factors in other site's opinions, has him as the No. 79 player overall.

Standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 190 lbs, Hodge is the perfect size for the three spot in a Big Ten lineup. He's currently attending Monte Verde Academy in Florida, and he's the No. 16 recruit out of the state.

This is a massive get to start out Northwestern's 2026 class. Hodge chose the 'Cats over Georgetown, Mississippi State, Penn State and others, according to Tipton.

In 2025, Collins brought in the highest ranked recruiting class in history. It happened for a few reasons.

Feb 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Chris Collins reacts to a possession call during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

First, the Wildcats have had the best stretch of on-court play in program history. The Boo Bure-era, which saw two NCAA Tournament berths and two first round victories, brought fans into Welsh-Ryan Arena and changed the program's reputation on a national scale.

There's more of a basketball culture here at Northwestern than ever, and it's showing up in recruiting. Before Buie, it would have been hard to imagine a player like Hodge choosing to come to Evanston.

Northwestern has also worked to modernize its athletic department, hiring a general manager among other moves to position itself in this new NIL landscape. The university has clearly made it a priority to compete, and 2025's recruiting class was proof of that.

Hodge is further proof. Nabbing a four-star right out of the gate was the perfect way for Collins to silence any doubters who wondered if this year's class might not match what happened last year.

When Hodge arrives on campus, he'll join a young roster devoid of any of the recent core. Nick Martinelli, last year's leading scorer in the Big Ten, will have vacated a forward spot. It will be on players like Hodge, Tre Singleton, Max Green, Tyler Kropp and Jake West to keep the momentum going.

Chris Collins is looking to avoid a regression similar to what happened after his first tournament team in 2017. So far, all signs are positive. The 'Cats didn't make the tournament last season, their first without Buie. But they were still competitive, and the season ultimately came down to a few of brutal losses.

The momentum still exists, and successfully recruiting players like Hodge will help enormously.

Four-Star Forward Chooses Northwestern, Officially Commits to Chris Collins