No. 1 Overall Recruit Jackson Cantwell Schedules 6 Official Visits

"Whenever I figured out what schools I wanted to potentially make an official visit, I sat down and was like, 'what distinguishes these?'," Cantwell said, according to the Springfield News-Leader.

"And if I couldn't think of anything, I was like, 'well, I'm probably not going to go there.' I had to just think about all of the schools that I could see myself going. If not, there was no reason to make an official visit."

Cantwell also explained why he chose each school for his final six. Georgia appealed due to its pedigree of NFL talent, Miami's coaching staff was a plus for him and he cited Michigan's track record for offensive linemen and academics.

"When I made my top six, Missouri was probably the safest pick for anyone to guess would be in it. Being the state's university, I know guys like me are a big priority there," the Nixa, Missouri native said about the Tigers.

He called the Ohio State offensive line situation "interesting" after the shuffling of coaches in the position room after their national championship, and also said that he enjoyed speaking with Oregon head coach Dan Lanning.

Cantwell will have of the most anticipated commitments among next year's class of top recruits. A five-star offensive lineman has the potential to help a college program over four years, and they could also become a building block for teams in their NFL careers.

Cantwell will have a lot of attention as he continues to navigate the recruiting process and narrows down his final decision. He could choose to remain in state at Missouri, or he could take on the challenge of playing at one of the more prestigious schools nationwide.

We'll see what the top player in 2026 chooses with many of the top programs in college football still under consideration.