Nixa High School offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 ranked high school football recruit for the class of 2026, announced he will play football at Miami during a ceremony on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State Buckeyes, Ryan Day Miss Out on Elite Recruit

Originally posted on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated May 13, 2025 5:34 PM ET

"You can't win them all." Don't tell that to the Ohio State Buckeyes football team or Head Coach Ryan Day, though. Months after securing the 2025 College Football National Championship trophy, Day and his OSU staff have been hard at work laying out the path for the Buckeyes to not only repeat but build a legitimate dynasty from their current spot on the pinnacle.

Unfortunately for Ohio State, they just took a huge hit on the recruiting front of the war. According to 247sports, the Buckeyes have obtained the third-best recruiting class for 2026 so far. However, they just lost out on the top prospect of the year, offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell from Missouri. At 6'7, 325-lbs, missing out on Cantwell was a massive loss for OSU, literally.

On3's Hayes Fawcett reported that the Buckeyes were on the tackle's shortlist along with the Georgia Bulldogs and Oregon Ducks, but Cantwell ultimately gave his commitment to the Miami Hurricanes. He gives the U their first five-star recruit for 2026.

BREAKING: Five-Star Plus+ OT Jackson Cantwell has Committed to Miami, he tells me for @on3recruits

The No. 1 Recruit in the ‘26 Class chose the Hurricanes over Georgia, Oregon, & Ohio State

“Southwest Missouri ➡️ South Beach #GoCanes x #NSGB”https://t.co/5y15Hop09Q pic.twitter.com/xsErPaZ0lD
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 13, 2025

While Coach Day is surely kicking himself for not securing Cantwell, Ohio State is still in a great spot after locking down two five-stars early on. Chris Henry Jr. will be looking to become Jeremiah Smith's successor as the best wideout in the country as soon as he arrives on campus. He's currently ranked as the third wide receiver in the nation and the 20th-best prospect in his class overall.

On the other side of the ball, the Buckeyes have some major secondary help coming next year in five-star safety Blaine Bradford out of Louisiana. He's the third-ranked safety in his class and was dubbed the 28th-best talent in the country.

Miami may have gotten Cantwell, but they were hard after Chris Henry Jr., too. The Buckeyes got the edge in that one and still have the advantage with their 2026 class overall.

This article first appeared on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: