Dan Lanning’s unrelenting magnetism on the recruiting trail is continuing. After securing a commitment in the class of 2025 from 5-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore, 4-star offensive tackle Alai Kalaniuvalu announced his Oregon commitment, and that’s not where the Ducks offensive line recruiting success ends.
On Thursday, Jackson Cantwell, a 5-star OT in the class of 2026, announced his top 14 schools through On3Sports’s Hayes Fawcett, which included the Oregon Ducks and several other Big Ten schools.
While recruiting him, Dan Lanning will have the advantage of sharing the home state of Missouri with Cantwell. Cantwell hails from Nixa, about three hours south of Kansas City, which is Lanning’s hometown. Lanning has spoken before about his desire to use his Missouri connection in recruiting, and adding Cantwell would be a great way to use it.
NEWS: Five-Star OT Jackson Cantwell is down to 1️⃣4️⃣ Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 6’8 305 OT from Nixa, MO is ranked as the No. 4 Recruit in the ‘26 Class (per On3)
Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/5y15HopxZo pic.twitter.com/YmqpiFELKP
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 18, 2024
Cantwell is a highly sought-after prospect, and after seeing his height and weight numbers, it’s easy to understand why. At six feet eight inches and 305 pounds, Cantwell is a force protecting the edge, but his size along with his strong technique has made him a consensus top-five recruit in the class of 2026.
After this season, the Oregon Ducks will likely lose both of their starting tackles — LT Josh Conerly and RT Ajani Cornelius. Although they’ve recruited the position well in the past few cycles, Cantwell is so talented his addition to the Ducks roster could be immediately impactful, especially by the time 2026 rolls around.
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