OSU football recruiting: Cowboys' gameday atmosphere led Zach Crabtree to Stillwater

He's seen first-hand how much they care about Cowboy football. And Wednesday, he'll join that program when he signs with OSU.

“That's what the school is all about, just being at the games and all the tradition behind it,” Crabtree said. “… it was really just how friendly they all they were about it, how much it means to everybody up there. Not only the (students), but alumni.

“That's awesome to have a great fan base behind you.”

It's hard to imagine that Crabtree, a three-star prospect from Mansfield (Texas) who boasts a 6-7, 270-pound frame, didn't know if he'd play varsity football as a junior. He was always tall, but was still a 225-pound “stick” as a sophomore.

So Crabtree hit the weight room hard that summer. He shoveled down a diet that consisted of a lot of meat, pasta and … milkshakes. And he earned his spot.