There’s something refreshing about the spring and early-summer prospect camps on college campuses around the country. Recruits show what they can do, and staffs share their coaching styles. It’s a valuable exercise for everyone involved. 

Braden Wilmes experienced it at Iowa recently. The Class of 2026 tackle worked out with offensive line coach George Barnett and against top competition at the camp. 

Barnett and the other Hawkeye coaches liked what they saw and offered a scholarship. It meant a lot to Wilmes. 

“It’s an honor, and I’m extremely grateful that coach Barnett believes in me enough to extend an offer,” he told HN. “Iowa is an exceptional school with a tradition-rich football program, and I’m excited about the possibility of playing football at Kinnick Stadium.”

The Hawkeyes face stiff competition for Wilmes’ commitment. The Lawrence (KS) Free State high standout also reports scholarship offers from Arkansas, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Minnesota. Nebraska and others have shown plenty of interest as well. 

The 247Sports Composite Rankings show Wilmes as a three-star recruit, the No. 33 offensive tackle nationally and the seventh-best player overall in his state in ’26 . Prep Redzone Kansas views him as the No. 6 player in Kansas and has him at second among offensive linemen in the class. 

At 6-foot-8, 285 pounds, Wilmes stands out, especially for a high school junior-to-be in the fall. There’s an excellent chance more attention from colleges comes his way during the next two years. 

Iowa admired the whole package. 

“(Barnett) liked my effort and the way I competed during camp. He said my size and mobility has the potential to translate well for a Big Ten lineman,” Wilmes said.

When watching Wilmes’ sophomore highlight video, we see that potential. He already displays agility and good footwork to go with the strength and active hands. There’s a lot here for college coaches to dream. 

Iowa likely will receive another chance to impress and get to know Wilmes soon. 

“I would love to come back to Iowa City. I’ve been invited to the Hawkeye Tailgater event on June 15th and am making arrangements to attend with my dad,” he said.

Being so early in the recruiting process, Wilmes is gathering information and starting to build relationships with programs pursuing him. That’s certainly the case with Iowa. 

“I’m really interested in getting to know coach Barnett and the rest of the Hawkeye coaching staff. I’m anxious to learn more about his coaching style, his expectations of the players and how he leads the O-Line room,” Wilmes said.

“I would also definitely want to learn more about the strength & conditioning staff, the academic support services, the sports medicine & recovery team and the nutrition department. All are very important for student-athletes. Most of all though, I’d really like to have a few conversations with current players to help me better understand what their typical day looks like, the Iowa football culture and what it truly means to be a Hawkeye.”