2026 No. 1 OL recruit Jackson Cantwell announces SEC visit

Top lineman, No. 3 overall prospect, announces Jan. 11 meeting

The nation's No. 1 2026 offensive line recruit, Jackson Cantwell went viral last season for leading his team onto the field each week carrying a Waffle House flag. / Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Nation's top offensive lineman and No. 3 overall prospect for the 2026 graduating class is taking his talents to Texas.

For a visit with Texas A&M.

Jackson Cantwell, 5-star recruite and prized pupil at Nixa High School in Nixa, Mo., announced Jan. 6 on X that he will be visiting with the Aggies on Jan. 11 in College Station.

At 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, Cantwell is a rare talent at a position that doesn't get a lot of fanfare. Yet Cantwell is the type of athlete that breaks those molds.

Like his parents, Cantwell is a champion track and field athlete. Like his father, Olympic silver medalist Christian Cantwell, he holds multiple personal, state and national records for his massive throws in the shot put and has grown a massive following in that sport, as well.

He's also the kid who went viral for carrying a Waffle House flag onto the field each week for his Class 6 runner-up Eagles this season.

College Station, TX📍Jan 11#NSGB@CoachMikeElko @CoachCushing @CoachBufordJ @CK_KleinCollin @DerekMillerTAMU @CoachDmackey pic.twitter.com/xCFT8JCS4T

— Jackson Cantwell (@jcantwell2499) January 6, 2025

But whether Mike Elko and the Aggies can feed Cantwell enough info to bring him back to College Station in 2026 remains to be seen. They'll have a tough hill to climb, as Cantwell is coveted by virtually every college with a football program

Of note, Oregon, Missouri, Miami (Fla.), Alabama and Georgia are believed to be some of the current favorites for his services.

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