Five-star OT Jackson Cantwell narrows list, plans to take more visits

Nixa (Mo.) five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell has amassed more than 30 offers from nearly every one of the nation’s premier programs.

He’s been on visits to numerous campuses over the past year and is ready to take the first step in cutting down his list.

Fourteen teams still remain in the hunt, he told On3: Miami, USC, Oregon, Texas A&M, Arkansas, LSU, Missouri, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan, Ole Miss and Nebraska.

Of those, he’s been to see Georgia, Nebraska, Missouri, USC and Oregon since the start of the new year in January. And he’s looking to get on more campuses potentially this summer and fall for visits as well.

No commitment timeline is in place yet, as he plans to take his time and make sure he is making the right decision and choosing the schools that checks all of his boxes.

“Football team success is a big one,” he said in April of what will help him ultimately decide. “My relationships with the position coach and the head coach are important. Academics matter too and every major school has good academics … If my parents like the school, that’d be pretty good too. I think they like a lot of places.” 

Breaking down the contenders

Cantwell also quickly broke down each of the top 14 schools and why they remain in contention:

Miami: “Miami has a very good coaching staff for the OL (Coach Cristobal and Mirabal) and has a lot of great history. It’s also a great place to live.”

USC: “I really like Coach Henson and really like the USC culture. The city life in LA is intriguing. Coach Riley is also a great offensive mind that produces lots of skill player talent.”

Oregon: “Coach Terry and the rest of the OL coaching staff are among the best in the country. Coach Lanning’s success and Missouri background is also quite enticing.”

Texas A&M: “The new staff at A&M that I knew from Kansas State’s old staff (Coach Klein & Coach Buford) are great at what they do, and I’m excited to see what A&M can do with the rest of their staff this upcoming year.”

Arkansas: “I like a lot of what Coach Mateos teaches football-wise and I think him and Coach Pittman are great people, and Arkansas is 2 hours away from me so it is the closest P4 program to home.”

LSU: “It has a rich OL tradition and has lots of knowledgeable people in their OL room, and produces lots of talent year in and year out.”

Missouri: “This is a no brainer for anyone that follows me. My dad is a Mizzou alum and Mizzou has been on fire lately under Coach Drink. Coach Jones and the OL room has also completely reworked the offensive line and they have been on a tear recruiting.”

Florida: “I like the promise of a historically good SEC program, and I like a lot of the people within the OL room there as well. Coach Sale and Coach Decoster bring lots of good experience and teach the game well.”

Georgia: “UGA is becoming a dynasty in this era under Coach Smart, and Coach Searels has built an offensive line that I would be a great fit for in terms of size and athleticism. I also like the Athens area a lot.”

Ohio State: “OSU has a historically great program with a lot of great linemen and coaches within it in the modern day. Coach Frye is good at what he does and they churn out offensive line talent.”

Alabama: “I liked the old Bama program, but I think the new one could potentially be even more appealing due to the new head coaching and new attitude. Coach Kap is great at what he does, and Bama’s recruiting has been lights out.”

Michigan: “Michigan is an incredible offensive line school with an OL-based scheme that runs everything well. Coach Moore and Coach Newsome can develop with the best of them.”

Ole Miss: “Ole Miss is another great SEC program that will have a lot of success this year, and with the relationships I’ve built there and OL play I’ve observed I can see lots of success down the road to be imminent.”

Nebraska: “Nebraska is a very historically good program that I’ve been high on since I visited for the first time a year and a half ago. I like Coach Raiola and Coach Williams a lot, and I think they could become very good very fast.”

Cantwell expected to compete in multiple sports at the next level

He is also an elite track and field athlete in addition to his prowess on the football field. Cantwell is the son of former USA Olympians Christian and Teri (Steer) Cantwell. His father is a five-time world champion and won a silver medal in the shot put at the 2008 Beijing games and in 2004 had the top four shot put throws in the world. His mom, meanwhile, participated in the 2000 Sydney games and was a two-time NCAA shot put champion at SMU.

As it stands now, Jackson plans to compete in track and play football at the school he chooses.

The 6-foot-7, 305-pounder is the No. 4 overall prospect and No. 2 offensive tackle in the 2026 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.