When was the last time a junior prospect was approached by 31 college football teams? Jackson Cantwell, a no. 1 overall recruit and a five-star offensive lineman, picked the Oregon Ducks as his most desired destination. Cantwell revealed that the Ducks are “really promising. National Championship favorites right now.” The Missouri native even confessed his admiration for the Ducks’ offensive line coach, A’lique Terry, citing him as a major draw. Now, in a surprising twist, the On3 no.1 prospect has announced a new favorite just days after signing the Ducks praise.

After coming off his visits to Big Ten giants Michigan and Ohio State, Cantwell was full of praise for them as well. “I had a lot of fun in Michigan and Ohio State. I mean, those are just two great places,” said the five-star offensive lineman. While the Missouri Tigers can not be ruled out, given Cantwell’s five visits and native ties, it is his recent Texas trip that’s generation the most buzz right now.

Cantwell visited the Aggies on January 11 in College Station and immediately developed a liking for it. After spending the weekend there, he declared, “I like the Aggies a lot.” This might come as a worrying sign for other colleges, such as Missouri, Georgia, Alabama, and Miami, which he visited earlier.

Interestingly, if you look at the On3 website, Texas A&M only has a 3% chance of landing the 5-star prospect. He could link up with the 4-star wide receiver Aaron Gregory and 4-star QB Helaman Casuga. The highest? Missouri with 22.3%.

Cantwell ended the 2024 season with 158 pancake blocks on the offensive line. If you were to get a sense of his mold, you could watch his state championship semifinal game, where he racked up 22 pancake blocks. Nebraska came in a close second with 15.7%. But we are used to players changing their stance and flipping. So, where will Cantwell go?

Jackson Cantwell: weighing his options

You could have a fair idea of the OL by his affection towards Missouri, too. The Aggies’ SEC rivals ended with a splendid record of 10-3 and were a win away from registering their presence in the playoffs. Cantwell declared after visiting Missouri, “Getting to play at the place I could potentially play at in the future or even play at if I were to play against (Missouri) in the future would be pretty cool.”

Where did the Texas A&M finish? 9 in the SEC table and with a record of 8-5. They would need some reinforcements after losing their top receiver, Noah Thomas, to Georgia in the transfer portal. But they have roped in receivers KC Concepcion, Micah Hudson, and Mario Craver from the transfer portal to replace Thomas.

While these two teams might be in the tussle for his signature, Cantwell has enough time on his hands before making the call. He announced, “I’ve got 10- or 11-ish schools that I’m still talking to a decent amount. I’m kind of trying to work my way down from there in the coming months.” It remains to be seen where Cantwell will go. But you might not have to wait for long.