"They have a lot going for them": Nation's No. 1 OT Jackson Cantwell shares his affinity for Texas A&M ahead of junior day trip

With the 2025 football recruiting class wrapped up, all eyes have shifted to Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class. The five-star offensive tackle has been deliberate in his recruitment process, and his next stop is College Station, where he will visit Texas A&M during the Aggies' annual junior day this weekend.

"The Aggies, they have a lot going for them," Cantwell told On3 on his excitement about the upcoming trip to Mike Elko's program.

So far, Cantwell’s recruitment has been a battle among some of college football’s biggest names, like Alabama, Oregon, Missouri, Miami and Georgia. He is also coming off visits to Michigan and Ohio State. At the media event part of the Under Armour All-America game last week, he provided a pitch for the Wolverines and the Buckeyes, saying (via SB Nation):

“I had a lot of fun in Michigan and Ohio State. I mean, those are just two great places. I learned a lot from talking ball with [offensive line] coach [Grant] Newsome Michigan, and got to learn a lot more about the program at Ohio State, was getting to kind of get the tour of that. So that was a really enjoyable trip.”

Mike Elko's Texas A&M isn’t clearly in the mix as of now, and the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine gives the Aggies a 3% chance in this regard.

However, Texas A&M's 2026 class has already secured multiple promising prospects on offense, including four-star wide receiver Aaron Gregory and four-star quarterback Helaman Casuga. Jackson Cantwell can think of developing a formidable core alongside these blue-chip prospects.

Jackson Cantwell dominates as 2024 Player of the Year

Jackson Cantwell capped a remarkable 2024 season as Missouri’s Player of the Year by proving his dominance on the offensive line with 158 pancake blocks. The standout junior from Nixa High School powered his team to a Class 6 runner-up finish this year.

Gabe Brooks of 247Sports praised Cantwell's immense potential, saying:

"Flashes hand violence and general power at the point of attack. Further ahead as a run blocker than in pass protection, but displays encouraging footwork in the latter with immense potential in that category. Strength is there and power capacity is limitless."

Beyond his on-field accolades, Jackson Cantwell went viral for his unique tradition of carrying a Waffle House flag onto the field before games.