When it comes to the 2025 recruiting cycle, Michigan Wolverines might have finished with the No. 6 class in the country, but not many teams did a better job filling out their class as the Wolverines did. Sherrone Moore did the best in his first season. You know what it’s about after getting their $10 million LSU flip, Bryce Underwood, and topped it all off with five-star lineman Ty Haywood. They might be looking to push for the No. 1 class.

And right now, one of college football’s biggest recruiting wars is brewing in the trenches. Ty and Bryce weren’t the only big plays by Michigan. The Wolverines flipped a few elite defensive backs like Underwood’s teammate, Elijah Dotson. Ty being their last of the 25 class. Now they have entered the top six list for the No. 1 player in the class in 247Sports’ rankings, Nixa Eagles’ offensive tackle, Jackson Cantwell. Although Sherrone Moore will not be too pleased to know that, Dan Lanning is Cantwell’s favorite coach. While Oregon is No. 1 in the 25 class.

That move? Making an aggressive push for Jackson Cantwell, the top-ranked player in the 2025 class. The Missouri native has long been thought to be Oregon’s to lose, with Lanning and the Ducks positioning themselves as his presumed landing spot. But as Michigan enters the fray, the battle is taking a dramatic turn because this recruitment is as much about business as it is about football. “I mean, NIL obviously,” said UM insider EJ Holland to On3 Recruits. “I think with Jackson, he already has an agent—Drew Rosenhaus.” That’s not just any agent. Rosenhaus is a titan in professional sports, a name synonymous with negotiating massive deals. The fact that Cantwell has already aligned himself with such a powerhouse speaks volumes about how NIL is shaping this decision.

And that’s where Michigan is making its move. The Wolverines have proven they’re not just willing to pay elite money for elite linemen—they’re structuring their NIL strategy around the position. “They were willing to put together a very strong package for Andrew Babalola,” Holland noted. “They obviously put one together for Ty Haywood. Without making the offensive line a premium position and without the NIL back, Michigan wouldn’t have landed Ty Haywood.” If Michigan was willing to roll out the red carpet financially for Haywood, a top-100 prospect, what kind of offer would they be willing to make for the No. 1 player in the country? The answer is clear: whatever it takes.

But money alone doesn’t build a championship-caliber offensive line. That’s where Michigan has another advantage. Sherrone Moore’s background is steeped in the trenches—an offensive lineman by trade, a Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line coach, and now a head coach who understands that games are won up front. His staff only reinforces that identity.

“Michigan has a lot going for it when it comes to landing elite offensive linemen,” Holland continued. “Sherrone Moore’s background as an offensive lineman, an offensive line coach, and then Grant Newsome, Michigan’s actual offensive line coach right now, played along the offensive line at Michigan too.” That kind of continuity isn’t just a recruiting pitch—it’s a blueprint for success.

Lanning isn’t going to roll over, though. He built Oregon into a recruiting juggernaut by winning these kinds of battles, and the Ducks have a lot to offer.

“Favorite” coach Lanning or best closers Sherrone Moore and UM?

When it comes to recruiting elite offensive linemen, both Oregon and Michigan are making serious moves. And for Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 offensive lineman in the 2025 class, there’s a lot to love about both programs. Cantwell has been vocal about his admiration for Dan Lanning’s Ducks, calling them one of his top choices.

“The Ducks are winning a lot of football games, and they’ve got two of my favorite coaches—head coach and position coach,” he said. But if we’re talking about closing out a recruiting cycle like a championship team, Michigan takes the cake. CBS Sports even named Sherrone Moore’s Wolverines as one of the best closers in the 2025 class. And let’s be real—Michigan hasn’t missed a step since mid-November.

“It feels like Michigan hasn’t missed on or off the field since mid-November with Bryce Underwood in the fold and two huge wins over Ohio State and Alabama. The victories keep coming after the other Top247 uncommitted prospect, Ty Haywood, signed. He’s an imposing tackle prospect who can help shore up the future protection for Underwood.”.