Mississippi State lands in top eight schools for four-star shooting guard

According to reports, Jayden Hodge has included the Bulldogs as one of two SEC schools in his final eight schools.

St. Rose’s Jayden Hodge drives to the basket. St. Rose Boys Basketball loses to Roselle Catholic 55-51 in Non-Public B boys basketball state championship in Piscataway on March 14, 2025. | Peter Ackerman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While the Mississippi State football is preparing for its upcoming season, the men’s basketball team is hard at work on the recruiting trail.

The Bulldogs recently scheduled an official visit with four-star twin brothers Gavin and Gallagher Palacide and now, according to a report from On3’s Joe Tipton, the Bulldogs are in the top eight schools for another four-star prospect.

NEWS: 4⭐️ Jayden Hodge has cut his list to eight schools, he tells @Rivals.

The 6-6 wing is a top-70 overall recruit in the 2026 class.

https://t.co/O2Lm3zG3My pic.twitter.com/q416RgtM1W

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) August 10, 2025

Jayden Hodge, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Belmar, NJ, has listed Mississippi State as one of his final eight schools, along with Georgetown, Northwestern, Old Dominion, Penn State, Vanderbilt, VCU and Virginia.

Hodge is the No. 16 shooting guard in the nation and No. 61 overall player in the Class of 2026, according to Rivals. He has not scheduled an official visit to Starkville, but has taken official visits to Northwestern and Georgetown this summer.

During the Under Armour circuit this summer, Hodge averaged 15.7 points per game. In his junior high school season, he averaged 21.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.7 steals per game.

🇧🇪 Jayden Hodge with a tomahawk poster slam!

2007-born 6'6" forward had a strong start to the tournament, averaging 23 PTS, 8 REB, 20.5 EFF over the first two games. He is making an impact with his powerful rim attacks and physical presence. Impressive name from the 2026 class. pic.twitter.com/S82QTQO8aa

— Can Peker Pekcan (@canpekerpekcan) July 28, 2025

In an interview with Rivals’ Jamie Shaw, Hodge discussed several topics related to his recruitment. First, he spoke about how he plays.

“I’m a two-way guard who does a bit of everything,” Hodge said to Shaw. “I can facilitate, knock down threes, get to the rim, and finish. Getting to the rim is probably my best attribute. But I take pride in my defense. In high school, I can guard mostly the one through four. I’m shooting the ball a lot better this year, that is something I focused all off-season on. I’m making a lot more which is making it a lot easier to get to the rim. I watch a lot of Josh Hart. I love how he plays. He plays hard and with so much energy, playing defense and attacking the offensive glass. I watch some Jayson Tatum too, I like how he scores.”

He also talked about what’s he looking for in a college.

“I want to have a good connection with the coaches and know that they want me, that they need what I bring to the table, not that they’re just recruiting me for whatever reason. I’d want my mom and dad to feel welcome and I want them to agree with my decision. I want it to feel like home, family is big for me. Also, I don’t want to sit. I’d like to go somewhere I will get the opportunity to come in and play. I like to play fast, and I am comfortable in a free-flowing-style offense. I want to have some sets and structure as well, and a team that wants to guard.”