Watched that spring game film back three times now and the thing that keeps jumping out is how our OV weekend setup is gonna matter more than any single practice rep. We got visitors coming in and the buzz around the program is that the staff is treating this like a silent commit factory. If you look at how we closed last year, the OV weekends were where the magic happened. The bagmen were working overtime, the facilities tour hit different, and by Sunday morning we had three guys telling the coaches they were locking in.
The 247 composite has us sitting solid in the top 15 for 2026 but the real movement happens when these kids step on campus and see what we are building. Sources close to the program say the dead period ending was the trigger for a bunch of these visits getting scheduled. We needed that face to face time after losing some momentum in the winter window. The portal era makes spring official visits even more critical because you are competing against programs that will try to flip these guys the second they get back home.
Ohio State just added another 2027 O-lineman and that is the kind of recruiting machine we have to match if we want to hang in the Big Ten East. But I am hearing our 2026 class has some real dogs in the trenches comign in for these spring OVs. The crystal ball projections are starting to shift our way on a couple of four-star targets that were leaning elsewhere. The staff is selling the vision hard and the early returns from the spring game film are helping.
What I love about this weekend is the timing. Spring practice is winding down, the draft buzz is everywhere, and these recruits are seeing a program that is building something sustainable. NOT just a flash in the pan portal grab but actual development. We are not doing what Oklahoma State did with 50 transfers. We are building through the high school ranks and supplementing in the portal. That is the sustainable model and the kids notice.
Keep an eye on how many of these visitors leave with that silent commit energy. That is the real metric for a successful OV weekend. The public announcements will come later but the work happens behind closed doors.
htt...