Wolverine Digest

Wolverines eye another massive recruiting win as five-star prospect nears commitment

The Michigan Wolverines are once again in the hunt to land the No. 1 overall prospect, this time in the 2026 recruiting class.

Chris Breiler

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Finishing with a top 10 recruiting class nationally in 2025, the Michigan Wolverines are looking to recreate that success in 2026. And just like in 2025, the No. 1 recruit in the nation for 2026 has Michigan among his top candidates. Five-star OL Jackson Cantwell is on the radar of every top program around the country, and it sounds like he's nearing a decision.

At 6-7, 305 pounds, Cantwell is already built for football at the colligate level. The Missouri native is reportedly eyeing programs like Oregon, Miami, Georgia, Missouri, and Michigan. A recent report from On3 suggests that Oregon, Miami, and Georgia are leading in that effort, but there are some who believe the Wolverines still have a real shot here.

Although no definitive commitment date has been set, Cantwell indicated on Thursday that he's close to making his decision.

In recent weeks, Cantwell has taken visits to Ohio State, Miami, Oregon, and Michigan. And while he's scheduled to take more visits in the near future, he recently stated that he has enough information at this point to make his decision.

As is often the case with elite recruits like Cantwell, landing such a highly rated prospect is going to require a multilayered approach. Academics, NIL, and development in pursuit of an NFL career are all going to play a factor here. The good news is that Michigan excels in all of those areas, making the Wolverines a legitimate contender in this recruiting battle.

With Cantwell feeling like he has all the information he needs, all eyes will be on a commitment date for the nation's No. 1 prospect. And if he ultimately does decide that Ann Arbor is home, that's the type of commitment that can change the entire trajectory of a recruiting class.

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

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