With several rosters re-shaping and several programs under new coaching staffs, Montverde Academy (FL) will retain its national prominence behind a highly touted recruit in Jayden Hodge (Montverde Academy, FL ‘26).

A bouncy 6-foot-6 guard/wing, Hodge made major off-season headlines when he elected to transfer from St. Rose HS (NJ) to Montverde, which is now under head coach Steve Turner after Kevin Boyle left for Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio.

Hodge, who averaged 19.7 points, 6.3 boards, and three assists at St. Rose last season, decided after previous St. Rose head coach Brian Lynch left for CBA. Lynch, who is Hodge's Godfather, helped the program thrive with the addition of former PSA Cardinals' Jayden Hodge and his older brother, versatile 6-foot-8 forward Matthew Hodge (currently at Villanova).

Now the centerpiece of a traditional prep power that has nurtured high-end talent such as RJ Barrett, Andrew Nembhard, Ben Simmons, Moses Moody, Cade Cunningham, D'Angelo Russell, Liam McNeely, and most recently Cooper Flagg, Hodge will be under a bigger national spotlight.

On Monday, he added Vanderbilt to a long list of offers, which includes Rutgers, Ohio State, TCU, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Old Dominion, and various others. Vanderbilt, in a highly competitive and evenly matched SEC, is now under head coach Mark Byington. In his inaugural season with the Commodores, Byington helped guide the program to a 20-13 overall record. Vanderbilt garnered a berth in the NCAA tournament for the first time in nearly a decade this past season.

Attacking both sides of the rim and turning in dazzlingly athletic plays, Hodge has become a national recruit just two years after coming to the country from Belgium. The former PSA Cardinal and current NJ Shoreshots guard possesses an all-around game buoyed by defensive versatility. He's able to guard multiple positions and make vital stops as an on-ball pest and shot blocker/manipulator.

He's a crafty, slick around-the-rim finisher who has developed into a reliable shooter from mid-range out to the 3-point arc. With his adeptness for knifing his way to the rim and finishing through contact, the hard-driving attacker can create opportunities en route to the rim. Having built his body up, he's enhanced his positional uniqueness as a consistent rebounding presence.