Utah football locked in heated race for 4-star recruit's commitment

Top-three athlete in 2028 class is considering Utah and several premier college football brands

Utah Utes head coach Morgan Scalley and his program are competing with several schools for Gaige Weddle's commitment. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The recruiting race to land coveted prospect Gaige Weddle is heating up.

Weddle, the son of former Utah All-American safety and soon-to-be College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Eric Weddle, has lined up several visits for the spring as he continues to field interest from several power conference programs.

Utah is among the schools Weddle plans to see in the near future, according to On3/Rivals' Adam Gorney, though it's unclear where his impending trip to Salt Lake City will fit in on his loaded calendar.

Weddle, a two-way standout at Rancho Bernardo High School (California), also plans to take visits with Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, BYU, Oklahoma, Miami, Stanford and Cal in the lead-up to his junior season, per Gorney.

It appears Georgia has gained significant traction in Weddle's recruitment. The Bulldogs previously hosted the four-star recruit on a visit that coincided with the team's 35-10 victory over Texas in November.

“I love everything about Georgia,” Weddle told Gorney. “That’s been my No. 1 since I went out there."

The Utes haven't fallen behind completely, though. Weddle was a regular at Utah games this past season and recently told Gorney that Morgan Scalley is "someone I want to play for." Scalley was a teammate of Eric's for two seasons (2003-04) at Utah.

How the Utes go about their recruiting pitch to Weddle remains unclear. The 6-foot-2 prospect is considered one of the top athletes in the 2028 class due to his versatility and prowess as a defensive back and quarterback.

This past season, Weddle took home offensive player of the year and first-team all-defense honors in the CIF-San Diego Section. He completed 61% of his passes for 2,224 yards and 20 touchdowns to eight interceptions, plus another 679 yards and 10 scores on the ground. Defensively, Weddle snagged two interceptions and defended five passes in addition to logging 101 total tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles.

As such, it remains to be seen whether Weddle focuses on one position or gives it a go on both sides of the ball in college.

Either way, the school that lands his services will be receiving a major boost to its 2028 recruiting class. Weddle is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 61 player overall and the No. 3 athlete in the class.

In addition to the schools he plans on visiting in the spring, Weddle holds offers from Arizona State, Tennessee, USC, Vanderbilt and Washington, among others.