Northwestern will host the program's first-ever spring official visitors this weekend in Evanston.

NCAA rules for the first time allow prospects to take official visits from April to June this year. Previously, recruits could only take official visits after the start of their senior years of high school.

The primary difference between official and unofficial visits is that the school picks up the tab for entertaining recruits and their parents on official visits. Prospects have to pay expenses related to unofficial visits out of their own pocket.

So Northwestern will be rolling out the purple carpets a little earlier than usual this year. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald told WildcatReport on signing day that the program would be judicious with their spring official visits. The prospects would have to be priority targets, and he anticipated that they would host prospects in small groups, much like this one. In the past, Northwestern hosted official visitors in December or January, and the overwhelming majority of them were commitments.

At least this time around, the weather will be nicer.

Here's a rundown of the four groundbreaking official visitors expected on campus this weekend, as well as one unofficial visitor.

Corien Azema lacks ideal size but has just about everything else you look for in a safety, and that's why his 17 scholarship offers include 10 Power Five programs. A former linebacker, Azema can certainly bring the lumber in run support, as the first clip on his highlight reel demonstrates.

Azema just picked up an offer from Stanford last week and has visited only Duke thus far, according to reports. New Northwestern running backs coach Louis Ayeni recruited Azema when he was coaching at Iowa State, so there's a strong connection there.

NU's chances: We have yet to speak to Azema and don't really know very much about where he is in the recruiting process, so we'll just put it at 50/50. Academics will be key and Stanford is always tough to beat for the Wildcats. Still, we like that Ayeni, a charismatic recruiter who has been working the Houston area for years, is leading the charge.

Northwestern was a little late to the party with Jirehl Brock, but the Wildcats have been making up for lost time in a hurry. NU didn't start recruiting Brock aggressively until the spring yet managed to make the Top 5 Brock released earlier this week, along with Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota and Purdue.

An impressive back who may play at up to 220 pounds at the next level, Brock checks all the boxes. He has official visits scheduled to Minnesota (June 8) and Iowa (June 22) after his stop in Evanston, so a weekend commitment is unlikely.

NU's chances: 40 percent. Once again, Brock is an Ayeni recruit whom the coach recruited when he was in Ames. Iowa got its foot in the door very early and appears to be the front runner right now, but NU is closing fast thanks in large part to that bond with Ayeni and the longevity of the coaching staff, which Brock values.

Northwestern certainly moved up the charts fast for Luke Fulton. The Wildcats just offered the Ohio Cardinal Mooney linebacker last week, and already they managed to get him on campus for an official visit. That's saying something for a prospect who boasts 33 offers and just a couple weeks ago didn't mention Northwestern as a school showing him a lot of interest.

The versatile Fulton is listed as an inside linebacker but could play outside too.

NU's chances: Who knows? Fulton just popped up on the scene and we haven't gotten a chance to talk to him yet. But with the number and quality of his offers, it's doubtful that a decision is imminent.

Bryce Kirtz has always had a soft spot for Northwestern, putting the program among his favorites before he ever set foot on campus. He visited for a spring practice in March and is coming back for his first official visit.

Kirtz has been focused on four schools - Duke, Indiana, Northwestern and Purdue - for quite some time. A versatile player who could play either inside or outside receiver in Northwestern's scheme, Kirtz is aiming to make a decision within the next couple weeks.

NU's chances: 90 percent. Kirtz told WildcatReport two things that make us think that he will wind up a Wildcat: his main objective for the visit was to get his parents on campus, and this will be his last visit before he makes a decision. If one of these three official visitors decides to commit this weekend, our money is on Kirtz.

In addition to the three official visitors, three-star defensive tackle Duke Olges of nearby Winnetka New Trier High School will make the short drive down Sheridan Road for an unofficial visit on Sunday. Olges just picked up an offer from the Wildcats last week. He told WildcatReport that he has been to "countless" Northwestern games over the years, but this will be his first true visit experience as a priority recruiting target. He attended a Northwestern camp last summer and a game last fall.