Class of ’26 St. Rose guard Jayden Hodge talks Villanova visit

By ADAM ZAGORIA

Jayden Hodge and his brother Matthew Hodge sat behind the Villanova bench on Super Bowl Sunday for the team’s 80-54 rout of Seton Hall at Wells Fargo Center.

It wasn’t Jayden’s first trip to see the Wildcats or to visit the school. After all, his older brother committed to the Big East school last fall.

Matt and Jayden Hodge sitting behind the ⁦@NovaMBB⁩ bench with St. Rose Coach and former Villanova G Brian Lynch pic.twitter.com/NHzS7JIf0x

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) February 11, 2024

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Still, assistant coach Mike Nardi and the Villanova staff aren’t done and hope to have Jayden, the No. 2-ranked combo guard in his class by 247Sports.com, eventually join his older brother’s program.

“I like the school a lot,” Hodge said. “I think it’s a nice campus.”

Of the game, he said: “The game was very nice, watching two good teams going at it was very nice to see.”

Jayden Hodge beats the 3rd quarter buzzer and St. Rose leads Rumson 38-15. Both Hodge brothers have 11 apiece. pic.twitter.com/5pLbYDxSSc

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Said Odell Hodge, the boys’ father: “He loved it, it’s not the first time he was there.”

Old Dominion, Odell’s alma mater, is also recruiting Hodge, while Rutgers recently offered. Odell said his son will likely visit Rutgers sometime in the fall.

In terms of skillset, head coach Brian Lynch, himself a Villanova product, believes Hodge is a surefire high-major player.

“For me, it’s no question,” Lynch previously told ZAGSBLOG. “He’s already doing a lot of things without adding the element of being a knockdown shooter. As he gets older, I think he’s going to be an elite combo guard at the next level.”

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