LSU Country

No. 1 Offensive Tackle Jackson Cantwell Recaps LSU Visit, Tigers Impress the 5-Star

The nation's top-ranked offensive tackle visited Brian Kelly and the Tigers on Friday, impressed with the trip.

Zack Nagy

In this story:

Nixa (Mo.) five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell made his way to Baton Rouge on Friday to check in with Brian Kelly and the Tigers for the annual Bayou Splash recruiting event.

It marked Cantwell's first trip to Death Valley with the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2026 class getting a glimpse into what the program is building down South.

He's checked in with the premier programs in the country this summer with the Tigers getting a crack at the blue-chipper before the NCAA Recruiting Dead Period kicks back in on August 1st.

For Cantwell, he was accompanied by the top prospects in both the 2025 and 2026 classes on Friday with Jahkeeem Stewart, the No. 1 overall player in the 2026 class, joining him.

Cantwell and Stewart took the time to talk it over during their time in Baton Rouge while also taking a photo with LSU offensive line coach Brad Davis:

LSU Football targets Jahkeen Stewart and Jackson Cantwell on their unofficial visit to LSU alongside LSU OL coach Brad Davis.

Davis has proven to be one of the top recruiters in all of college football. He's landed a five-star prospect in the last three recruiting cycles with Will Campbell (2022), Zalance Heard (2023) and Weston Davis (2024) all signing with the Tigers.

Now, Davis has his sights set on both the 2025 and 2026 classes with Cantwell at the top of his list in the 2026 cycle.

Cantwell caught up with On SI to talk about his busy summer with LSU, Georgia and Alabama exceeding expectations for the five-star over the weekend:

LSU Tigers: "Really good first impressions. Coach (Brad) Davis develops guys at a high clip. Coach (Brian) Kelly seems to be a good dude with a good vision for the program. The visit was pretty fun as well."

Georgia Bulldogs: "(Georgia) is becoming a football dynasty, and it’s led by some great people, like coach (Kirby) Smart and coach (Stacy) Searels. Coach Searels has repeatedly said that I’m his No. 1 2026 priority and that I would fit in very well for what Georgia is looking for."

Alabama Crimson Tide: "Bama exceeded my expectations the most. Really fun style of visit, and met two great people in coach (Kalen) DeBoer and Coach Kap [Chris Kapilovic]. I also got to talk to some commits there... way more than I have at any other place, and they seem to be all in on 'Bama for good reason."

The 6-foot-7, 300-pounder is at the top of nearly every recruiting service's lists. He sits No. 4 overall on both On3 Sports and 247Sports' recruiting rankings in a talent-rich 2026 cycle.

Now, LSU had the chance to get the rising junior to campus as he begins zeroing in on his college decision.

This fall, Cantwell will take several visits with the Bayou Bengals looking to get the 2026 star down South once again.

We've seen LSU offensive line coach Brad Davis work his magic on the recruiting trail in the past with his attention shifting to locking down talent for the future.

Other LSU News:

Flip Watch: LSU Surging for South Carolina Linebacker Commit

Recruiting: The Latest on the No. 1 Safety in America, Jonah Williams

Recruits React: LSU Hosts Top Talent for Annual Bayou Splash Event

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.

Published
Zack Nagy

ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics. 

Home/Recruiting