One of the most high-profile recruits in the 2026 class over the past few years has been No. 1 overall recruit Jackson Cantwell. He has racked up 30 scholarship offers and has top-10 schools almost exclusively in the Big Ten or SEC.
Cantwell is a 6-foot-8, 315-pound offensive lineman who ranks among the top 10. Texas A&MMiami, Nebraska, Oregon, Georgia, Alabama, ohioMichigan, Missouri, LSU.
The five-star player is looking to make rounds with top schools after recent visits to Big Ten powerhouses Michigan and Ohio State.
“I had a lot of fun at Michigan State and Ohio State. I mean, those are just two great places,” Cantwell said. under armor all america game. “I learned a lot by talking about the ball.” [offensive line] coach [Grant] Michigan's Newsome was able to learn more about the Ohio State program and took a tour of it. So, it was a really fun trip. ”
For now, Cantwell has a visit to Texas A&M on his bucket list, but he still has no plans to visit the Aggies until spring 2023. Other than that, the five-star player says he has no plans to check anything else. You may not even be able to visit as often because you will be starting a new school and have track needs in the spring before your official visit.
Jackson Cantwell was named an Under Armor All-American game captain during his senior year of high school. @jcantwell2499
The No. 3 ranked prospect on the ESPN Jr. 300 has great physical talent and is one of the top prospects in the nation. #UANext pic.twitter.com/YxSNBZLeop
— Billy Tucker (@TheUCReport) December 29, 2024
The five-star offensive lineman only wants four official visits over the summer, and could add one more in May, so he should narrow down his list of schools by then.
Cantwell looks at the top suitors and what does he like about each top school?
About Texas A&M: “I mean, the Aggies spent a lot of time recruiting me and they showed me a priority there, so they want a lot. I'm their O-line coach. I really like Coach. [Adam] Cushing has shown me a lot of great stuff so far and he's worked with me to break down films and tell me what he can do and how they're successful.
“I like Coach Elko. He's a good guy. They've got two very promising sports-related pieces there. They had Bryce Foster, I think a few years ago, While playing on the offensive line, I threw, shot put and threw the discus. So being able to play two sports at Texas A&M is promising.”
In Miami: “I'm really excited because Miami has a head coach in Mario Cristobal that focuses on the offensive line. I love Coach Cristobal. I think he's a great coach. [Alex] Mirabal is in the top 5 [offensive] Domestic line coach. Even then, placing it in the top five may be a bit subjective. Because he's doing a great job. I mean, he's making great progress. [players]. They always seem to have the right players on the offensive line.
“I watched them play Duke. They had Cam Ward — there he basically had time to do whatever he wanted, and he was walking around for like 30 seconds. Up front. They need to play great pass protection. That's kind of what got me excited about Miami's O-line development.
“I spoke with [Coach Cristobal and Mirabal] A considerable amount. They got a little bit of a buzz recently because they were one of the first people to jump on board, I think it was in the winter of 2022. And I didn't talk to them much after that. But around 2023 or 2024, I became friends with them again. I didn't know when I would be able to visit.
“I mean, I just got back there and talked to them, and I like what they do, kind of. They seem like a very close group of guys. They're offensive linemen. We've known for a while that we want to develop and have a good offensive line. So that's just part of what excites me about Coach Cristobal as a whole.”
About Georgia: “They're doing a lot of things right. They have great attention to detail. I like it. [offensive line] coach [Stacy] Lots of sarel. coach searles [is] Definitely one of my favorite O-line coaches I've ever seen. I think it's just because being at Georgia, recruiting is so much better.
“So that's obviously going to be a big help for Coach Searles, but he's also doing a really good job of developing players and getting them ready to play at the next level. So, that's something that I always excited with them I mean, just like when you're growing up and you watch UGA play in the national championship, it's just UGA. And I think they have a chance to win this year. So it's always good to be a competitor.”
In Nebraska: “Nebraska has played a very good game every time we've watched them on the ground. Obviously, they're coming back to an up-and-coming program. They've been a blue blood for a while, and now they're back again. I mean, it's the first bowl game since 2015. It's a win. It's always good to see linear progression. So I think they can win more games next year. So how they continue to develop that program. I'm really looking forward to seeing it because it's obviously really promising.
“Once you get a quarterback, it helps a lot. I'm glad to see you're investing in , obviously they need an offensive lineman and that's what I'm saying in the 2026 class that could obviously be a big piece for them. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it develops.”
In Alabama: “Alabama, obviously they're a very good football team. I mean, there's obviously some question as to whether they could have made the playoffs or not. And if one game went well for them, maybe they're pretty good. They could have qualified with a higher seed, meaning they would be in blue for a while. I mean, it's a team with a lot of blood in it. I mean, I think Karen DeBoer is doing a great job. I think he gets over-criticized just because he's not Nick Saban. But you don't have to be Nick Saban to be a great football coach.
“He's a proven winner. He's won everywhere he's been. He's won in D3, he's won in D1, he's won in the FCS, he's won in the Power 5. He goes out and wins football games. He seems like a man with intentions. [offensive line] coach [Chris] Kapilovic, the O-line coach there, we had some bonds as well. michiganBut we didn't talk much. But when he arrived at Bama, we already had that connection, so that was very helpful. And he went to Missouri, which is 20 minutes for me. So he knows my area well. So it's kind of cool that they can share that. ”
In Missouri: “I grew up on the Mizzou campus. Until I was 8 years old, I basically lived there while my dad was training to be a professional shot putter. So I talked a lot about it. I know. Obviously, I mean, they're going out there and doing good things right now. They're winning quite a few games.
“They've been in the top 25, but it feels like every year the last few years. Their offensive line has stepped up since Coach Drinkwood took over. Really, they've done a better job every year.” I think [offensive line] coach [Brandon] Jones has played a pretty big role in that. ”
“And when it comes to winning those battles, it's really hard to run away from Missouri because they value in-state guys so much. They're the biggest recruit at this point. 's priority is that Eli Drinkwood wants to get men in the state, so that's why I think this is happening, and men leaving the state. We try to be as strict as possible.”
In Oregon: “I think they're a real prospect. I mean, they're the favorites to win the national championship right now. I don't want to jinx them. [Head] coach [Dan] I think a lot about that, but no, they did a great job. I think people panicked after two games and didn't understand that it takes time to build things. but [offensive line coach] Tarik Terry has done a great job reinforcing them on the offensive line.
They coach like anyone else. As far as head coaches go, I think Dan Lanning is one of the most likeable guys in college football right now. And I can confirm that he is always like that. He's just a great guy. He knows a lot of guys in our south, Missouri area, southwest Missouri, etc. So I started talking to him a lot and it was really fun to continue building that relationship. So great things are happening in Oregon. ”
LSU and the University of Southern California are on the back foot here as Cantwell's recruitment continues to progress, but there are plenty of eager suitors for the five-star school's services, and they have a lot of potential in the future. would lead to a very competitive battle. none.
Although the offensive linemen themselves aren't very involved, Rosenhaus Sports Representative was hired to help smooth the process.
“I don't really understand it yet, but… [about NIL yet],But I mean, I'm glad I got it. [Rosenhaus Sports Representation] on board. My dad was watching an episode of Hard Knocks once and I saw them representing someone and I thought, 'That's the guy,''' Cantwell said of Drew Rosenahus. “And I think he was right because they're doing a great job. But they still have to go meet with everyone, because really, even if they haven't met with a lot of schools yet, is…so they made sure everything is for the best For me, I know what to do from there. But I trust them with everything. They've done a great job with the pros and college guys. And now they're starting high school. So that's been a big help.”
