"A fantastic offensive line group is appealing': Nation's No. 1 recruit Jackson Cantwell recaps his recent Ohio State visit

Five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell has narrowed his choices to six schools, but only Ohio State, Miami and Michigan received visits from him this spring. The top-ranked prospect in the 2026 class visited Columbus on March 20-21 and came away impressed with Ryan Day's program.

“A winning culture and a fantastic offensive line group is appealing," Cantwell told On3 following the trip.

The Nixa High School (Missouri) standout was once considered a strong lean toward Missouri, but his recruitment has become more unpredictable over the past year.

According to On3's Steve Wiltfong on March 17, Miami and Georgia are currently leading the race for Cantwell. However, with Ohio State coming off a national championship, his visit to Columbus could influence his final decision.

Cantwell is also heavily considering Michigan, Missouri and Oregon, with plans to visit all of his top choices this summer.

"I'm going to decide after all of my official visits," Cantwell told Alex Gleitman of Letterman Row. "The most important thing in my decision will be finding the best fit for me as a player and just fitting into (and living in) the area (of the school) I'm going to go to."

Cantwell's potential addition will be a major boost for Ohio State's 2026 class, which already has the nation's No. 1 wide receiver, Chris Henry Jr. The Buckeyes have five committed players in the 2026 class.

Jackson Cantwell raves about bonding with Ohio State OL coach Tyler Bowen

With Justin Frye departing for the Arizona Cardinals, new offensive line coach Tyler Bowen has quickly drawn the attention of top recruits, including Jackson Cantwell.

When discussing his connection with Bowen, Cantwell told Alex Gleitman of Letterman Row:

"It's good and getting better. The message he has been giving me is the staff they have and the winning mentality at OSU is perfect for someone like me."

Jackson Cantwell originally started as a tight end before transitioning to offensive tackle. If Bowen can manage to pursue him to Columbus, Ohio State's No. 6 recruiting class in the 2026 cycle will witness a major boost in ranking.