SALT LAKE CITY - For Utah football, the name Weddle still carries real weight. Eric Weddle turned into an All-American with the Utes, went on to a 14-year NFL career, earned six Pro Bowl selections and finished it all with a Super Bowl championship.
Now the attention is shifting to Gaige Weddle, and the younger Weddle is building a profile strong enough to stand on its own. The Rancho Bernardo High School standout is already being talked about as one of the top prospects in the 2028 recruiting class, and his game shows why.
As a sophomore in 2025, Weddle threw for 2,224 yards and 19 touchdowns, added 679 rushing yards and 10 more scores, and piled up 101 tackles on defense. He’s a true two-way presence, playing quarterback and defensive back, and he spent the offseason sharpening the details that can take his game up another level.
On defense, that meant footwork, hand placement in man coverage and better eye discipline when lined up outside. On offense, he focused on understanding passing concepts so he could process progressions and reads more cleanly.
But the biggest point of emphasis wasn’t tied to a stat line or a position.
“The biggest thing for me was wanting to step up into a leadership role,” Weddle said. “I really tried to work on what it means to be a good leader, to carry myself in a different way and to be the guy that can genuinely lead a team.”
That mindset carries directly into what he wants from Rancho Bernardo this season.
“We want to win CIF, and I know if I can inspire the other guys around me, then I feel like we’ve got a shot,” Weddle said. “Personally, success for me will be leadership because it’s what I emphasized all offseason. If I can step up as a leader, it’s just going to help me moving forward.”
Utah remains in the mix, and not just because of the family name. Eric Weddle is set to be inducted into Utah’s Ring of Honor during the Utes’ Sept. 12 game against Arkansas, and Gaige plans to be there.
Still, he said the Utes have made an impression through their own relationship-building.
“The biggest thing for me is the relationships at Utah,” Weddle said. “It’s the hardest thing to say it’s not a factor at all, because they’re just so strong. It almost feels like home.”
That feeling started on his first trip to campus last year.
“I told my dad that the first time we went,” Weddle said. “I just told him, ‘There’s a special feeling there.
There is an aura to it. I just want to get back whenever I leave.’
Then, of course, they’re a high-caliber team, and I think they’re only going to get better.”
Even with that connection, Weddle made it clear he wants his own path.
“My dad’s legacy is my dad’s legacy. I’m trying to create my own. So for me, it’s all about the relationships and focusing on how I can become the best and how the coaches can help me get there.”
He also said his father has been helpful without pushing him toward any one school.
“If I were to commit to Utah, it would not be because of my dad,” he shared. “It will be because of the people there and the relationships I have with them. That’s how I’ll weigh things with all these programs.”
And Utah is hardly alone. Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Miami are among his top suitors, with Arizona State, BYU and UCLA also continuing to push. The competition is going to be fierce.
What has caught Weddle’s attention most is how those schools consistently produce NFL talent, and he got a closer look at how that happens during spring visits. Georgia and Miami stood out most because of the way their practices were run.
“Going to all the spring practices, it’s very professional, especially at Georgia,” Weddle said. “Before my dad said anything, I told him ‘this feels like how NFL meetings are run.’ And the practices were high intensity, really going at it.”
He also noticed something deeper about the way those programs operate.
“They get it done, and it’s the way they get it done,” Weddle said. “There’s alignment from the top down with the coaches, they all are in tune with the system, the scheme, the techniques, all of it worked hand in hand together. That’s mainly why those schools stand out.”
For now, though, the recruitment is only part of the story. Weddle’s attention is on Rancho Bernardo and what he can help the Broncos accomplish next.
“We want to win the league, then we want to win CIF, that would be a huge stride for my high school and us as a team,” Weddle said. “Growth as a player is just being dominant and becoming a very confident player.”
That’s the thread running through everything right now: build the leadership, keep improving, and make sure the next chapter belongs to Gaige Weddle, not just the name on the back of the jersey. Utah’s strong relationship with him should keep the Utes in the race, but how the program develops under Morgan Scalley could matter in the end.
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