Cleveland QB Jordan Hatch Commits to NMSU in 2028 After Two-Year Mission

Cleveland High School quarterback Jordan Kekoa Hatch has committed to New Mexico State University but will not arrive on campus until the summer of 2028 after completing a two-year mission for his church. The decision keeps one of Sandoval County’s top prep athletes in New Mexico while delaying his college career for two seasons.

Hatch finished his high school career as the leader of the Cleveland Storm’s back-to-back state titles in the 2024 and 2025 seasons and was named last year’s Gatorade Player of the Year for New Mexico. He graduated early from Cleveland High School and made the commitment while mapping out how to balance faith obligations and a collegiate scholarship timeline.

“I graduated (from Cleveland) early, and I was trying to figure out what colleges could work with me on that,” said the 6-foot-4, 185-pound Hatch. “A lot of them can’t hold a scholarship for two years in advance. That was one of the big things with New Mexico State.” Recruitment records also list him as Jordan Kekoa Hatch at 6'3", 190 pounds in the 2026 class, reflecting a small discrepancy between reporting sources that will likely be clarified by updated measurements.

Hatch’s mission is set to start later this year and will last two years, which is why his arrival in Las Cruces will be delayed until 2028. The commitment was reported in late January 2026 and is being handled as a 2026 recruit who will enroll after his mission. A photo of Hatch throwing against Las Cruces on Nov. 29, 2025 provides a recent visual of the quarterback who propelled Cleveland to consecutive championships.

For New Mexico State, agreeing to hold a scholarship for a two-year mission was decisive in securing Hatch’s pledge. That arrangement has recruiting and roster implications for both the Aggies and local programs. NMSU’s willingness to reserve a spot gives the program a guaranteed in-state talent for the 2028 freshman class, while Cleveland High School and local coaches lose a potential immediate college-bound leader who might otherwise have stayed in the region as a mentor or local draw for camps in the near term.

The commitment is a local win in terms of keeping a high-profile New Mexico player with the Aggies, but several details remain unconfirmed publicly, including the precise mission start date, whether Hatch has signed a National Letter of Intent, and final official measurements and season statistics for 2024 and 2025. Community attention in Sandoval County will now turn to how Hatch’s delayed arrival shapes New Mexico State’s quarterback room in 2028 and how Cleveland High adapts in the seasons ahead.

Expect local coverage to follow Hatch’s mission timeline, any formal signing updates, and comment from Cleveland coaches and NMSU staff as those pieces fall into place.