Northwestern Wildcats Listed in Four-Star 2026 Forward's Top Eight

Chris Collins and co. are in a decent spot to land the highly touted recruit.

Mar 13, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Chris Collins in the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Northwestern men's basketball isn't coming off its best season of all time, but it is coming off its greatest recruiting effort in program history. The five freshmen heading to Evanston this fall represent the fruits of this new era of competitive basketball in Evanston under Chris Collins.

Tre Singleton is the single highest rated recruit in program history, a rare, four-star get for Chris Collins per 247Sports. He was the No. 92 player overall in the 2025 class.

Now, Collins is trying to repeat his successful recruiting effort and potentially take another step forward as he constructs the 2026 class. Enter Jayden Hodge, the 'Cats' latest top target -- the No. 59 player in 2026, according to 247Sports' Composite Rankings and a top-70 recruit, according to Rivals.

The recruiting process for the 6-foot-6 forward is ongoing and not likely to be resolved in the near future, but he took a step towards his ultimate decision today. He announced his top-eight landing spots, according to On3's Joe Tipton.

Tipton posted the list on X.

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

At first glance, this feels like a list Northwestern might struggle to come out on top of. But when considering the kind of player Hodge is, this really isn't the toughest of groups.

The other power conference schools still in the mix include Penn State, UVA, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and Georgetown. The Cavaliers are probably the most prestigious basketball program on that list, and they're entering a new era of post-Tony Bennett basketball with new head coach Ryan Odom.

Hodge would be a massive get for Chris Collins at a position of need. K.J. Windham figures to be the point guard of the future after a first season that showed promise. At the two guard, Northwestern has high hopes for transfer Max Green who has three seasons of eligibility left.

The big-man situation has some holes for certain, but the 'Cats are also about to face the reality of a post-Barnhizer, post-Martinelli world at forward. Getting Hodge could help to soften that blow when the flipper-shooting, 2024-25 Big Ten scoring leader exits the facility.

Make no mistake, Hodge could easily choose one of these other schools. Northwestern is as well positioned as it's ever been to take on other programs in a recruiting race like this, but it remains to be seen exactly how much talent Collins is currently capable of attracting.

The reality is, three years ago, getting Hodge would have been borderline impossible. Now, after securing the best recruiting class in history, Collins is getting even more aggressive. It just might pay off.