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Texas A&M coaches visit 2026 No. 1 overall recruit Jackson Cantwell

Wg0vf-nP_400x400by:Keegan Pope•about 11 hours•

bykeeganpope

Jackson Cantwell 3 copy 1.jpg
(Photo by Chad Simmons/On3)

Texas A&M signed one of the country’s best offensive line classes in 2025 as part of its class that ranked No. 7 nationally in the On3 Industry Football Team Recruiting Rankings.

Five-star Lamont Rogers out of Mesquite (Texas) Horn headlined that group, which also included four-stars Nelson McGuire, Marcus Garcia and Jonte Newman. Building in the trenches was a huge priority for Mike Elko and Co. last cycle, and it will be again in 2026.

And there’s no bigger prize in the rising senior class than Jackson Cantwell. The nation’s No. 1 recruit out of Nixa (Mo.) is a mauler with “eye-popping athleticism,” according to On3’s scouting and rankings team. Texas A&M has pushed for him heavily over the past few months, getting him to campus earlier in January and again visiting him this week at his school.

Elko, along with offensive line coach Adam Cushing and running backs coach Trooper Taylor made the trip to southeast Missouri to see him.

Recent visit helped the Aggies in a big way

Cantwell’s trip earlier this month was a boost to the Aggies as they look to move up the ranks in his recruitment. He hadn’t visited since Elko took over, but came away very impressed by what he saw.

“They made me feel like a priority this weekend,” he told On3’s Chad Simmons. “The message is that they can develop as well as anybody and that I’d be in a unique position to be competing for reps early due to their offensive line losing a lot of contributors this year and next.”

He especially connected with Cushing and offensive coordinator Collin Klein.

“Talking ball with coach Cushing and coach Klein, meeting with coach Elko, learning about how they do the weight room, and meeting with the track coaches were some of the highlights,” he added. “Coach Cushing’s ball knowledge and ability to teach stood out a lot too. How coach Klein operates his offense also caught my attention.”

Battle for Cantwell will be one to watch

The Aggies, along with Georgia, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Michigan and Oklahoma are among the 10 or so schools that are still contention for Cantwell. He plans to take four official visits this summer and will narrow down to that list between now and later this spring, he said at the Navy All-American Bowl.

Right now, he doesn’t have any schools that he says are standing out above the rest so much that he knows they will get an official visit. But he does have a theme to the schools he is seriously considering.

“The general consensus for me right now is SEC and Big Ten,” he said. “That’s been the theme of the schools I’ve visited, except for Miami. … That’s definitely one. Good offensive line play obviously helps. I think all the schools I’m still looking at either have a good offensive line now or are historically known for being able to develop those guys. A good relationship with the offensive line coach and the offensive line staff now that you can have multiple guys out there coaching. Those are some of the things I’m looking for there.”