No. 1 recruit in 2026 eliminates Michigan football; another QB prediction for Wolverines

Michigan football was a contender for five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, at least until Monday, as the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class is down to four schools.

Cantwell, a 6-foot-7, 300-pound tackle out of Nixa, Missouri, will announce his commitment on April 30th, among four finalists which includes Oregon, Georgia, Miami, and Ohio State.

The Wolverines hosted Cantwell for a visit this spring. There were times when it felt like the Wolverines were among the leaders, but this was always going to be a bidding war and it feels like the Wolverines have been out-bid.

Michigan football also missed out on the commitment of Gregory Patrick, the No. 2-rated recruit in the state of Michigan in 2026, on Sunday, so the offensive tackle board is narrowing, although there are plenty of targets still available.

Still, with Javian Osborne, a top-100 running back also trending to Notre Dame, you have to wonder when the Wolverines will start landing some more commitments.

One recruit who could be close to ending the commitment drought for Michigan football is three-star quarterback Nathan Bernhard. The three-star signal-caller is ranked No. 509 in the 2026 class and 30th among quarterbacks according to the On3 Industry rankings.

The 6-foot-3 quarterack is from Ashland, Ohio. He was recently offered and was also just projected to commit to Michigan football after a recent visit. Ohio State hasn't offered yet, but outside of that, Michigan football looks like the odds-on favorite to land his commitment, which would be a nice boost of momentum.