Consider the general linear group $G=GL_{n}(K)$ defined over an infinite field $K$ of positive characteristic $p$. We denote by $\Delta(\lambda)$ the Weyl module of $G$ which corresponds to a partition $\lambda$. Let $\lambda, \mu$ be partitions of $r$ and let $\gamma$ be partition with all parts divisible by $p$. In the first main result of this paper, we find sufficient conditions on $\lambda, \mu and \gamma$ so that $Hom_G(\Delta(\lambda),\Delta(\mu)) \simeq Hom_G(\Delta(\lambda +\gamma),\Delta(\mu +\gamma))$, thus providing an answer to a question of D. Hemmer. As corollaries we obtain stability and periodicity results for homomorphism spaces. In the second main result we find related sufficient conditions on $\lambda, \mu$ and $p$ so that $Hom_G(\Delta(\lambda),\Delta(\mu))$ is nonzero. An explicit map is provided that corresponds to the sum of all semistandard tableaux of shape $\mu$ and weight $\lambda$.

In this paper we study periodicity phenomena for modular extensions between Weyl modules and between Weyl and simple modules of the general linear group that are associated to adding a power of the characteristic to the first parts of the involved partitions.