Although the Oregon Ducks recently lost the top spot in the 2026 recruiting rankings, following USC’s flip of Oregon quarterback commit Jonas Williams, the Ducks are still off to an amazing start in the 2026 cycle. With spring football set to kick off soon, coaches across the country are wrapping up recruiting trips and looking to book visits with the class’s top recruits.
This week, Oregon Head Coach Dan Lanning and his staff did just that, booking an official visit with offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2026 per 247Sports’ composite rankings. Cantwell scheduled his Oregon visit for Jun. 20th, the last in a string of official visits that also includes, Miami, Missouri, Georgia, and Michigan.
Hailing from Nixa, Missouri, Cantwell stands at 6 feet 7.5 inches and weighs 300 pounds — an ideal frame for an elite offensive tackle — according to 247Sports. Earlier this month, Cantwell announced his top six schools which included the five schools he’s taking OVs with, plus the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Cantwell’s hometown of Nixa is about a three-hour drive away from North Kansas City, Missouri, Lanning’s hometown, which gives the two a local connection.
“I think my favorite head coach still to this day has been Dan Lanning,” Cantwell told On3’s Steve Wiltfong earlier this week.
The Ducks have made the O-line a focus to start in their 2026 recruiting cycle. Lanning and Co., have secured a verbal commitment from 4-star OT Kodi Greene and are contending for top guys such as 5-star Immanuel Iheanacho. Both Greene and Iheanacho are top-five tackles in the class, but Cantwell is in a class by himself.
Another aspect of Oregon which could be attractive to Cantwell is the timing of the Ducks’ O-line depth chart. Oregon is sending left tackle Josh Conerly, a former 5-star, to the NFL Draft this April. The Ducks brought in Nevada transfer Isaiah World, the top player in the transfer portal according to 247Sports, to fill Conerly’s spot, but World has just one year left in college.
If Cantwell comes to Oregon, he could be one of the Ducks’ best OT options on day one, which would give him a fantastic early opportunity. Based on recent history, it’s unlikely Cantwell would start as a freshman, but in the past few seasons, the Ducks have experimented with using a freshman O-lineman as a “sixth-man” on the O-line, including Iapani Laloulu, Jackson Powers-Johnson, and Conerly.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Football books visit with top recruit in class of 2026
