Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham watch the team warm up before the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Utah Utes lock official visit with 3-star LB recruit

Originally posted on Utah Utes on SI | By Cole Forsman | Last updated May 19, 2025 1:41 PM ET

Heading down the stretch of a pivotal recruiting period on the college football calendar, the Utah Utes have spent the past few days extending offers and arranging visits with the top high school prospects around the country.

Once the May live recruiting period ends later this week, Kyle Whittingham will turn his attention toward what's looking like a very busy June for him and his coaching staff, as several star-studded recruits are set to make their way out to Salt Lake City for official visits.

Cherry Creek High School (Colorado) product Braylon Hodge will be among the several top-end recruits who'll be on Utah's campus next month after locking in a visit with the Utes this week. Hodge will take his visit from June 6-8 according to his X account.

@Colton_Swan @Utah_Football @MasonYellicoUT @RSNBUtes @CCNextLevelFB pic.twitter.com/jWLE131nBg
— Braylon Hodge 3⭐️ (@BraylonHodge) May 17, 2025

Who is Braylon Hodge?

Hodge is a 6-foot-3, 212-pound recruit from Englewood, Colorado. He's ranked by 247Sports as a three-star and the No. 44 linebacker prospect in the class of 2026. He's also the No. 9-ranked player in the class from Colorado, though he's yet to receive a rating from 247Sports Composite.

Hodge's stock has risen over the past two weeks, and as such, his recruitment is heating up. In addition to Utah, he's lined up visits with three Big Ten schools — Michigan State (May 30), Minnesota (June 13) and Iowa (June 20) — and needs to reschedule a visit with San Diego State that was previously set for June 20. Hodge also had a visit lined up with UNLV that was set for June 6, though he'll likely have to rework that one too following the news of his Utah visit.

Who else is in Utah's 2026 recruiting class?

So far, the Utes' 2026 recruiting class features three-star tight end Colby Simpson and three-star edge rusher Preston Pitts. Four-star cornerback Isaiah Williams recently added his name to the list of recruits who'll visit the Utes during a very important recruiting weekend for Whittingham and company. In addition to Williams, Utah will host three-stars Gavin Day, Mataalii Benjamin, Sean Morris, Perrion Williams and Jaden Vaughn on June 20, according to 247Sports. Three-star cornerback Mason Lewis is also slated to visit that weekend.

This article first appeared on Utah Utes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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