Michigan football shocked the college football world by landing five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood in the 2025 class.
The Wolverines flipped him from LSU, which was a sign that Michigan football was finally serious about the NiL game. That's going to be important going forward. It doesn't mean U-M will win every recruitment but it gives them the chance to win the ones they want the most and five-star Jackson Cantwell is the top target in the 2026 class.
Cantwell, a 6-foot-7, 300-pound offensive tackle from Nixa, Missouri isn't just a five-star prospect, he's ranked No. 1 overall in 2026 according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. Michigan football is among his top six and he's going to take an official visit this summer.
Cantwell is also considering Missouri, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, and Oregon. However, according to Steve Wilftong of On3.com, Cantwell will not only take an official visit to Michigan football this summer, but he'll also make a trip to Ann Arbor in the spring.
Cantwell will also visit Ohio State and Miami. Wiltfong listed Oregon and Georgia are the "prohibitive favorites" but Michigan football has been trending up and might be among the top three.
Why Michigan football has a shot with Jackson Cantwell
NIL should be a factor in this recruitment and the Wolverines have proven they will pay for elite offensive tackles which they did in the recruitments of Andrew Babalola and Ty Haywood.
That bodes well for the Wolverines in the recruitment of Cantwell, who has already signed with super agent Drew Rosnehaus. That tells you what kind of role NIL will play in this recruitment. It's to be expected when you are dealing with the No. 1 overall recruit who happens to play a premium position.
Outside of quarterback, it's as important as any other position. Essentially, after quarterback, it's pass rushers and offensive linemen. So I don't think Michigan will get outbid in this recruitment. The Wolverines history of offensive line development and their commitment to running the ball should help their cause, along with the presence of Underwood on the roster.
Michigan has work to do -- no question about it. But Cantwell has second and third visits set up to Ann Arbor, which means that things are at least trending in the right direction.