Okay, the talent lies in the Cantwell fam. The highly touted offensive tackle prospect for the 2026 class, 5-star Jackson Cantwell, is the son of Olympians Christian and Teri (Steer) Cantwell. He is all set to carry forward the Cantwell legacy as he got suitors swarming around him, being the No.1 overall recruit in his class. Well, we all saw this trend at the end of last year. All thanks to the No.1 quarterback recruit, Bryce Underwood, and the recruiting drama that followed. An absolute celebrity treatment for Cantwell. However, the player has closed doors to many. That’s when some good news awaits for Kirby Smart, Dan Lanning, and another college football coach. Turns out that the luck did not favor Michigan like Underwood’s time, along with a couple of other schools.  

Back in February 2025, the Nixa High School five-star phenom narrowed his list through On3. Well, it has been no easy task. It started with Cantwell having a buffet of 14 offers on his table ahead of his junior season. Then his hype got 10x more as he led the Eagles to a Class 6 runner-up finish. However, Cantwell chose to add some clarity to his recruitment scene. He handpicked six of them. The list featured Georgia Bulldogs, Michigan Wolverines, Miami Hurricanes, Missouri Tigers, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Oregon Ducks. However, the edge in the recruiting race did not come easy. Coaches made a trip to visit Cantwell. They were Ryan Day, Mario Cristobal, Smart, Sherrone Moore, and Lanning. But only three of their hard work paid off.

On April 8, On3 Recruits tweeted, “3️⃣ schools have emerged as the frontrunners for No. 1 overall recruit Jackson Cantwell, @PeteNakos_reports.”  The lucky 3 are Georgia, Miami, and Oregon. The 6-foot-7.5, 305-pounder offensive tackle is expected to hunt down the highest financial packages in the class. It’s likely going to be at par with the top offensive tackle recruits of the 2025 class. Who were they and what deal did they grab? Tennessee’s David Sanders and Oklahoma’s Michael Fasusi both inked packages north of $1.3 million. But not just the money; Cantwell has to go looking for a program that would help him go to great heights, to make his parents proud. 

His father is a 5x world champion who holds a silver medal in shotput at the 2008 Beijing games. Back in 2004, he got himself a place within the top 4 in the world for his throws. Jackson, too, did imbibe some of his parents’ talent. As Charles Power, On3’s Director of Recruiting, pointed out his USPs. “Jackson Cantwell pairs elite strength with outstanding movement skills and flexibility. He’s a dominant run blocker with the athleticism that points to upside in pass protection. In what looks to be another strong cycle at offensive tackle, Jackson Cantwell comes out of the junior season as the top prospect at the position.” In the search for his next home, Cantwell has already paid a visit to Athens five times. However, here, the Hurricanes are at an edge.

Lanning’s squad helped Cantwell to enjoy a VIP treatment. However, in the last five months, Miami tried twice to bring him to Coral Gables. Plus, their trend also hints at something positive, as pointed out by Steve Wiltfong. “Miami’s gonna get him back in May for an official visit, and no question, Miami is pushing. Their track record of true freshmen coming in and starting on the offensive line and going on to great careers. Cristobal with Penei Sewell at Oregon, Cam Robinson and Jonah Williams at Alabama, most recently Francis Mauigoa on the edge and Anez Cooper inside, both started as true freshmen at Miami.” Better luck next time for Moore’s Wolverines.   

The ones left behind in the Mission Jackson Cantwell

Now, this might come as a big shock for Michigan for not being able to make it to Cantwell’s top-3 list. After all, the offensive tackle once gave his heart to the Wolverines. He claimed, “A lot of the reasons I like Ann Arbor is they are producing O-linemen year and year now. If you look at the draft portal from last year, there were six O-linemen.” Plus, the rich culture and storied history in Ann Arbor wooed the 16-year-old. The Wolverines are home to one of the top offensive lines. 

Moore already has two five-star offensive tackles in the 2025 class – Andrew Babalola and Ty Haywood. Not just catering to Cantwell’s athletic aspirations, Michigan seems to check every box when it comes to resources and networking, which will be good for his academic growth. But turns out they now will have to be only happy with one No.1 recruit, Underwood. Another program to have gone all crestfallen is none other than the Buckeyes. 

Ohio State and Jackson Cantwell had a meet-up on March 22. There, Ryan Day did not leave any stones unturned to woo the No.1 recruit. After the visit, the player posted a picture on X. It showed the head coach standing in as the ‘H’ to help the Cantwell family form the signature ‘O-H-I-O’ sign. He then wrote, “This is probably a big visit for me because I’ll get to meet coach [Tyler] Bowen and the other assistants in person for the first time. I will also get to learn about those coaches. Then watching the team practice will be instrumental to see if/when an official visit could be.” Sadly, neither the Buckeyes nor the Wolverines could make the final cut to Cantwell’s Top 3 favorites.