Head coach Chris Collins brought in five first-year players last season. Only two remained: sophomore guards Jake West and Phoenix Gill.
Forward Tre Singleton transferred to Iowa State University, forward Tyler Kropp to Washington State University and Cade Bennerman to North Carolina University.
In the chaos of this offseason, after which nine players entered the portal, something had to change.
This year, coach Collins took a new approach. ‘I think the main shift you’re going to see is us focusing on smaller freshman classes,” coach Collins said at Big Ten Media Day. Northwestern is looking to recruit “guys who we really believe can come in and be impactful right away,” Collins went on to say.
Well, who exactly are these players? Let’s take a look at the recruits and walk-ons for the 2026-2027 Northwestern Wildcats:
Jayden Hodge
Hodge is one of the highest-ranked recruits in program history. In fact, he was the highest-ranked recruit until high school senior Jeremiah Prophet took that title this year.
Hodge immigrated with his family from Belgium to New Jersey, where he and his brother Matthew would begin to leave their mark immediately. Matthew would go on to commit and play for Villanova starting in 2024.
This led to increased production for Hodge, as he had averages of 19.7 points per game, 6.31 rebounds per game and 3.00 assists per game. He was also a pest on the defensive end of the floor, as he averaged 0.79 blocks per game and 2.52 steals per game.
Hodge also played on Belgium’s U18 team in FIBA tournaments. In the 2025 FIBA Eurobasket Tournament, he posted averages of 13.4 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per game and 0.6 assists per game.
And in his senior season at Montverde Academy, he averaged 11.2 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, 1.2 assists per game and 1.7 steals per game. However, he was only able to play 6 games, as Hodge tore his ACL, sidelining him for the rest of the year.
It is still not clear when Hodge will return on the floor for the ‘Cats and what type of impact he will have as a first-year. But what is known is that Hodge is an immensely talented player who could turn into something special for coach Collins.
Hodge is incredibly athletic and uses this to his advantage on both sides of the floor. He attacks the rim relentlessly and is incredibly efficient around the rim as well. In the 2025 FIBA Eurobasket Tournament, he took 8.6 2-point attempts per game and shot 51.2% on them, which is an efficient number for a FIBA competition.
Defensively, he has the potential to turn into an incredibly strong-point of attack defender. Coming in at 6-foot-6 and 190 pounds, Hodge will be able to use his size and athleticism to be strong on the perimeter, getting steals and clogging up passing lanes, as well as being a strong help defender that will get the occasional block or two.
The major concern for Hodge is his three-point shooting. He shot 16.7% from deep on 3.6 attempts per game in the 2025 FIBA Eurobasket Tournament. His ability to attack the rim and rely on his athleticism will not be as effective at the collegiate level. Hodge will need to develop a jump shot to earn consistent playing time.
This may prove to be a developmental year for Hodge; however, if he shows serious signs of being impactful as a first-year, expect his minutes to consistently increase throughout the season.
Symon Ghai
Ghai may be the most interesting player on the ‘Cats roster. He stands at a staggering 7-foot-3, the tallest player on Northwestern’s roster. However, he is already ahead of many 7-footers, as he plays comfortably at that height. It is common to see players of that stature look like newly birthed giraffes trying to find their feet under them. This is not the case for Ghai.
Ghai clearly knows his way around the rim on offense. He does not do anything flashy, because he does not need to. He imposes his size on his defenders, backs them down and either finishes with a little touch or an emphatic dunk. He is not one to put the ball on the floor and dribble around, but that won’t be asked of him, at least not now.
Defensively, he is as strong a rim deterrent as you could hope for. With his obvious size advantage, he forces players to put up difficult shots and constant kickouts when a scoring lane isn’t available. In fact, on Big Ten Media Day, West said that Ghai “might be the only one that’s blocked a couple of Gelo’s dunks,” referring to junior guard Angelo Ciaravino.
Coupled with the fact that Ghai has incredible defensive instincts, consistently positioning himself in the right place at the right time, Northwestern might have their hands on a truly elite big man,
It might just not be this year.
Ghai will need some time to adjust to a higher level of competition and continue to develop his game so that he isn’t lost on the floor. Despite the obvious need for size Northwestern has, it is unlikely Ghai fills that void this season.
Elijah Eschmeyer
Eschmeyer is the son of Northwestern basketball stars Evan and Kristina Eschmeyer. He will be joining the team as a preferred walk-on.
He spent his time in high school playing at Peak to Peak Charter School, where in his senior season he had averages of 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game. He then spent a post-grad year playing at Lake Forest Academy in Illinois.
Eschmeyer is an absolutely lethal three-point shooter. He has an incredibly fast release and can shoot the ball from every spot around the arc. It will be interesting to see how he develops as a movement shooter, catching the ball off screens and putting it up without having his feet properly set. If he can develop this aspect of his game, he could be a sparkplug for the ‘Cats offense.
Beyond that, it is hard to see where Eschmeyer will provide impact. He is not great at handling the ball. This can be seen when he is forced to drive when run off the three-point line, and he is prone to losing the ball and struggles to finish around the rim. And on defense, it’s much of the same story, as he doesn’t have the athleticism to keep up with strong ball handlers and doesn’t provide much as a help defender.
It is really hard to project if and what Eschmeyer’s role will be. For now, he is a depth piece that could inject some shooting into a struggling lineup.
This class has the potential to be the foundation for a strong Northwestern lineup in the future. If all goes well, in two years the starting lineup could consist of West, Hodge, Ghai and the previously mentioned Prophet. That is an immensely talented lineup that could take the ‘Cats farther than they’ve ever gone. But for now, they remain pieces for Northwestern fans to get excited about.