One Team Continues To Trend For Nation’s No. 1 Player After Weekend Visit

Five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell will commit on Tuesday after entertaining offers from some of the top programs in college football.

Cantwell (6-foot-7.5, 300 pounds) is rated as the No. 1 player in the 2026 class by both On3 and Rivals. He holds 31 scholarship offers entering his senior year.

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The Nixa (Missouri) High School product is down to four schools in Miami, Ohio State, Georgia and Oregon. Cantwell has taken visits to each of his top contenders this year and has hosted multiple in-home visits.

After moving up his commitment date from April 30 to May 13, Cantwell took an unofficial visit to Georgia, which also hosted No. 1 quarterback Jared Curtis after he pledge to the Bulldogs last week.

Cantwell’s trip to Athens to meet with head coach Kirby Smart and Co. reportedly went well, according to On3’s Steve Wiltfong, who previously predicted Cantwell to land at Georgia.

And the momentum appears to be steadily building for the Bulldogs.

“The buzz continues to favor Georgia who had Cantwell back on campus this weekend,” Wiltfong wrote on Monday. “Kirby Smart’s track record, the relationship with offensive line coach Stacy Searels, the program’s pedigree, player development, opportunities from an NIL standpoint have put the Bulldogs in pole position.”

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Wiltfong’s prediction for Cantwell is consistent with additional forecasts by both 247Sports and Rivals.

Cantwell teased the idea of pledging to UGA when posting a photo with Curtis during his visit.

Miami and head coach Mario Cristobal were previously listed as the favorite in April. The Hurricanes have reportedly offered the most valuable NIL package for Cantwell, who holds a $1.5 million NIL valuation (On3).

Additionally, Cantwell said last week that Miami was recruiting him the “hardest” among the four contenders.

Perhaps more of the outlier at this point is Oregon. However, head coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks are known to have a treasure chest of NIL funds, and Cantwell mentioned Lanning as his “favorite” head coach earlier this year.

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Cantwell will announce his decision on May 13 at 3:45 p.m. ET, using Nixa football’s YouTube channel.

Related: No. 1 QB Jared Curtis’ Massive Commitment Shakes Up Recruiting Rankings

Related: College Football Powerhouse Emerges As New Leader For Elite Five-Star Prospect