Ahead of his junior season, Nixa phenom Jackson Cantwell, considered the No. 1 offensive lineman in the 2026 class, announced on social media the top colleges he’s considering attending.
Cantwell, Rivals.com’s No. 2 overall prospect in his class, has over two dozen scholarship offers from seemingly every big-time college football program nationwide. He cut his list down to the following 14 schools:
He’s listed as a 6-foot-8, 300-pound offensive tackle. He recently won a national title in the shot put at June’s Nike Outdoor Nationals after setting a state record in the event in May.
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He is the son of former USA Olympians Christian and Teri (Steer) Cantwell. His father, a Mizzou alum, is a five-time world champion and won a silver medal in the shot put at the 2008 Beijing Games. His mother is an SMU Hall of Famer and a former assistant Mizzou track and field coach.
On the football field, Cantwell continues to take steps after going from a raw offensive lineman entering his freshman season to someone who didn’t allow a sack while recording 91 pancake blocks as a sophomore.
Cantwell is one of the top two most sought recruits in southwest Missouri high school football history with only former Hillcrest wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham rivaling him. “DGB” picked Mizzou over Arkansas, Texas and Alabama among his 19 offers, according to 247Sports. Cantwell holds 28 offers.
