Utah fans won’t be happy to hear this. Despite being the son of Utah legend and six-time Pro Bowler Eric Weddle, four-star safety Gaige Weddle is not looking to go to the Utes. Following in his father’s path as a standout defensive back, the Class of 2028 prospect has quickly become a sought-after recruit, and he has already identified his top-3 future homes.

“Yeah, I mean, the most prestigious program in college football, right? And they know the right way to do it, and they have success,” Gaige told Eleven Warrior on June 14 when he was asked about seeing himself as one of the Buckeyes. The interview happened during his visit to Ohio State’s camp.

Furthermore, Weddle was asked about his recruiting preferences, and the young safety sounded very confident in his choices, with Ohio State seemingly standing out above the rest. Gaige also named Oklahoma and Georgia among his favorite teams. But what exactly helped these schools separate themselves from the pack and earn a spot on his shortlist?

“I mean, they just know how to get things done and there’s good people. Good people in all the programs and the coaches. I mean, the coaches are the foundation of the school, right? They bring the culture, and I mean, all three programs are top of the top, right? And they play the best competition, and they’re going to develop me and push me to my best ability and get me ready for the draft,” Gaige said.

The prospect from Rancho Bernardo High School is a versatile dual-threat who plays both QB and safety. Gaige is rated as the No. 95 overall player, No. 5 athlete, and No. 5 prospect in the state of California. In addition to these schools, the 4-star prospect has offers from Texas A&M, Miami, Michigan, Texas, Washington, Utah, and UCLA. But for now, Ohio State has grabbed his attention. Safeties coach Matt Guerrieri impressed him during the camp after personally training him.

What also helps Ohio State is its NFL pedigree. Just like his father, Gaige Weddle has his eyes set on making a name for himself in the pros. His father has been guiding him all along the way, and the way his career panned out, the programs will need to display their best. Eric Weddle had a multi-faceted college career with the Utah Utes. He started his NFL career with the San Diego Chargers as their 37th pick in round two.

More importantly, Eric Weddle has also stressed that Ohio State and Oklahoma currently lead the race for his son’s commitment, while the rest of the contenders remain in pursuit but trail behind the two frontrunners.

Other programs on his recruitment trail

The wildcard entry in Gaige Weddle’s recruitment trail has been the UCLA Bruins, led by new coach Bob Chesney. Although they are not in his top 3, UCLA is still pushing hard to land the touted recruit.

“UCLA wasn’t even on the radar, but when they came in, and Chesney sits down, and he goes on for 20 minutes about his highlight film and then talking about plays he would only know if he watched an actual game, like a full game, and his personality,” Eric Weddle said.

When Gaige Weddle began his recruitment, Lincoln Riley’s USC was in the running as an in-state program. At the time, DB coach Doug Belk was leading the charge and even had Weddle visit the USC campus to show him how he’d fit in his schemes. But since then, the Trojans have fallen behind in the race, and Ryan Day’s Ohio State seems to be in the driving seat.