Back-To-Back Offers for 2026 Guard
As a 6-foot-5 guard with a crafty handle, innate ability to create separation through traffic, and instinctive, multi-positional defense, Class of 2026 PSA Cardinals product Jayden Hodge has steadily arrived as one of the country's significant stock risers. Hodge has blossomed this past summer and continues to ramp up his role on this year's St. Rose (NJ) team, where he creates a formidable tandem alongside his older brother, Class of 2024 Villanova-commit Matthew Hodge. The younger Hodge is a hybrid guard who has been instrumental in providing his teammates with open looks, utilizing his purity of vision. Hodge has developed into a significant scoring threat with a fluid mid-range game and a deep, long range shot which continues to evolve. He boasts unique positional versatility as a consistent rebounding presence, as he's a guy capable of engineering the attack fresh off a defensive board.
Hodge has garnered back to back offers from both Villanova and Virginia Tech. He adds these high major offers to a growing list which now includes Maryland, Seton Hall, Penn State, St. Bonaventure, Temple, ODU, and others. While Hodge is the son of legendary Old Dominion forward Odell Hodge, the family has notably close ties to Villanova. Matthew Hodge, a versatile two-way 6-foot-8 forward with cerebral passing, defensive versatility and floor-spreading outside shooting, was a major commitment for the Wildcats 2024 class. He wound up choosing the Wildcats after ramping up his recruitment considerably during the summer, when he surfaced as one of the country's most nationally acclaimed stock risers.
Jayden Hodge also plays under St. Rose head coach Brian Lynch. Lynch played at Villanova from 1996–2000, before embarking on an 11-year career as an overseas professional. Lynch is also Jayden Hodge's Godfather. He has sustained a longtime friendship with Odell Hodge, with whom he played alongside and coached during his overseas career. Lynch still has pictures adorning his New Jersey home of a then-baby Jayden Hodge sharing ice cream with his daughter, Jada. Now the younger Hodge is grown and adapting to more of a substantial role as a creator and go-to option. He'll inherit more offensive freedom this season and is tasked with hitting those timely, opportunistic shots and navigating New Jersey's pressure cooker. St. Rose looks to capitalize on its goal of winning a New Jersey State Championship, which would certainly give Matthew Hodge a memorable sendoff.
Jayden Hodge has improved his game in multiple categories this summer. He's been consistent in warding off defenders in traffic, carving to the rim gracefully and finishing with either hand. Hodge's high motor is evident on the defensive end, where he can be employed both on and off the ball and also guard up on forwards.
The sophomore's uptick in responsibility on this year's St. Rose team is projected to result in gaudy statistics, factors likely to ascend his national profile. He's still relatively new to the high major exposure, as he arrived from Belgium late last summer. In Jayden Hodge, his older brother's mindful awareness and concepts of the game resonate. Interestingly, Jayden Hodge has said on the record that he wants to eventually visit his dream school, which is North Carolina. Hodge already has unique mismatch traits as a big guard. If he's able to sprout up a few inches and eventually grow to 6-foot-7 or 6-foot-8, the number of high majors courting him is likely to multiply. During these early times in his recruitment, however, Villanova appears to have a visible upper hand.