After landing the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class, Michigan football is a strong contender for the top overall recruit in 2026, Jackson Cantwell.
The Nixa, Missouri, offensive tackle is 6-foot-7, 305 pounds. His dad was an olympic thrower and Cantwell could be on that same path after setting state records early in his career.
His future is brightest on the football field though. The high school junior is ranked No. 1 overall in the 2026 class and the No. 1 offensive tackle according to the 247 Sports composite rankings.
Michigan football was included in the top six along with Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon, Missouri, and Miami. There are some heavy hitters on the field and also in the realm of NIL.
Michigan football in top tier for Jackson Cantwell
In a recent edition of "Wiltfong Whiparound", On3 recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong identified Oregon and Georgia as teams in the top tier of the recruitment of Cantwell, along with Michigan football.
"Don't sleep on Michigan," Wiltfong said on Tuesday. "The visit in December, talking to Sherrone Moore and Grant Newsome. The way Michigan likes to run the ball. The Joe Moore awards for the offensive line and the way they develop that position. Michigan is another program that is in an intriguing spot for Jackson Cantwell. I put those three schools (Michigan, Oregon and Georgia) in Tier 1 for him."
The Wolverines have done well on the offensive line. They landed five-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola from the 2025 class. They are also expected to get the commitment of top-40 offensive tackle Ty Haywood on Wednesday before National Signing Day.
Yet, when it comes to Cantwell, the Wolverines are also in the mix. This recruitment is likely coming down to official visits in the summer. Georgia and Oregon will be tough to beat, but with the aggressive nature of Michigan's NIL pursuits lately, you can never say never.