Northwestern is amidst an identity crisis.
The ‘Cats lost nine players in the transfer portal, leaving their roster with just three returning players. In addition to bringing in seven players out of the transfer portal, Chris Collins signed multiple recruits/preferred walk-ons to replenish Northwestern’s depleted roster.
With all the change of this offseason, there are several questions about the future of the program in the post-Nick Martinelli identity. The bottom line is that in order for NU to find
stability, Collins needs one of his young guys to hit. There is no Martinelli, Brooks Barnhizer or Boo Buie to cover up glaring roster holes; the ‘Cats need their depth pieces to step up in a big way if they want to be somewhat competitive next season.
Out of the high school ranks, Northwestern has three additions. 6-foot-6 wing Jayden Hodge, played high school basketball at St. Rose in New Jersey before suffering a torn ACL that sidelined him for his senior season, is the 88th-ranked recruit in the nation according to 247Sports. 7-foot-3 center Symon Ghai is a three-star recruit who played in high school at The Academy of Central Florida in Florida. 6-foot-7 Elijah Eschmeyer signed as a preferred walk-on after playing at Peak to Peak Charter School in Colorado in high school. Let’s recap Northwestern’s incoming Class of 2030 players:
Jayden Hodge
Simply put, Hodge was an incredible get for Collins.
The Belgium-native moved with his family to New Jersey in 2022, and quickly came to dominate the state’s basketball scene alongside his brother, Matthew Hodge, from the beginning of his high school career. After two years of success, Matthew Hodge left St. Rose to start his career at Villanova, and Jayden Hodge was forced to assume larger responsibilities for his team. And that he did. Jayden Hodge led St. Rose to its second Shore Conference Tournament Championship in his junior year, averaging 19.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4 assists per game.
Throughout his high school years, Hodge also played for Belgium’s FIBA U18 EuroBasket championship team and steadily rose up the recruiting rankings. With his success on various high school circuits, ahead of his senior season, Hodge announced he would transfer to Montverde for his last year of high school to play against some of the best competition in the nation. Things seemed to be going perfectly, but then disaster struck. Hodge tore his ACL in January of 2026 and missed a majority of his final high school season.
That brings us to today, where Hodge’s timeline to return is still unclear, so it’s hard to know if he will have any impact on Northwestern’s team next year. However, considering the gameplay he put on tape throughout his first three years of high school, as well as the basketball he played overseas, it’s easy to see how he could help the Wildcat program in the future.
Hodge is an imposing wing that makes an impact on both ends of the floor. He is an aggressive straight-line driver but also has maneuverability and finesse around the rim. He’s an efficient finisher and a capable and willing passer. On the defensive end, Hodge showed the ability to guard multiple positions and has disruptive hands. He was frequently in passing lanes and caused havoc across the court.
Hodge’s main weakness is his shooting. Despite a shot that looked fundamentally sound, he consistently couldn’t put the ball in the hoop from range. In FIBA play, Hodge shot 3-18 from three, according to 247Sports. In high school and FIBA play, his inability to shoot was a non-factor because of his imposing physicality, but at the collegiate level, against similarly sized players, Hodge will need to develop somewhat of a jump shot to succeed.
It likely will be a year of development for Hodge as he focuses on recovering from his injury and learning the Northwestern style of basketball, but don’t be surprised if Hodge is an impact player sooner than one would think.
Symon Ghai
Ghai is another intriguing addition to the ‘Cats’ roster. At 7-foot-3, he brings a kind of length that Northwestern hasn’t seen in a while.
As with all seven-footers, Ghai’s strengths come around the hoop. He is a good finisher and elite shot blocker. But, beyond that, Ghai does a couple of the little things right that project well at the college level.
First, Ghai has good hands. Most seven-footers are adept at fumbling away the ball or putting it on the floor one too many times, which often leads to a turnover. It’s hard for the tallest players in basketball to contend with twitchy defenders who are consistently smacking at the ball and trying to rip it away. Yet, Ghai is quick to secure the ball and put it into the hoop. In most of Ghai’s clips, he doesn’t mess around with fancy dribbling or post-moves; he simply uses his size and imposing figure to dunk the ball immediately.
Second, Ghai’s positioning is that of an experienced veteran. On both ends of the floor, Ghai repeatedly found himself in the middle of the play due to the work he does to position himself before the ball comes near him. Ghai’s shot-blocking results from two things: obviously, his size is important, but the areas of the court he puts himself in enable his defensive ability.
In regard to his impact at Northwestern, it remains to be seen whether Ghai can equip himself physically to compete in the Big Ten in his first year. While there seems to be a glaring gap in the NU roster at the center spot, Collins shouldn’t force playing time for Ghai if he’s not ready. The 7-foot-3 monster should be more of a long-term project versus an immediate rotation player.
Elijah Eschmeyer
Eschmeyer, the son of Northwestern basketball great Evan Eschmeyer, announced recently that he would join the Wildcats as a preferred walk-on. He played four years at Peak to Peak Charter School and then played a post-grad year this past season at Lake Forest Academy, which is just over a 30-minute drive from Evanston.
In addition to being an incredibly talented guitar player (check out his Instagram here), Eschmeyer is a very skilled basketball player. Although there aren’t many clips of him playing, Eschmeyer averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game as a senior at Peak to Peak Charter School, according to MSN.
Eschmeyer’s greatest strength is, without a doubt, his shooting. He has an incredibly quick, high shot release, making it difficult to contest. In high school, Eschmeyer was an efficient shooter, looking for his shot whenever he could get it and frequently netted threes from NBA range.
However, beyond shooting, it’s hard to see many Big Ten-level elements of Eschmeyer’s game. He struggled when opponents ran him off the three-point line and forced him to drive, while lacking the explosiveness to contend on either end of the court.
Eschmeyer’s Northwestern legacy is a great story, but for now, it’s hard to see him having a significant impact on the next couple Northwestern rosters.
Overall, this year’s recruiting class is very talented and has potential, but don’t expect any of the three to play heavy minutes in year one. Hodge, Ghai and Eschmeyer all project to contribute to Wildcat basketball at some point in their careers; it will just take time.
