Nixa (Mo.) five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell made his way to Baton Rouge on Friday to check in with Brian Kelly and the Tigers for the annual Bayou Splash recruiting event.
It marked Cantwell’s first trip to Death Valley with the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2026 class getting a glimpse into what the program is building down South.
He’s checked in with the premier programs in the country this summer with the Tigers getting a crack at the blue-chipper before the NCAA Recruiting Dead Period kicks back in on August 1st.
For Cantwell, he was accompanied by the top prospects in both the 2025 and 2026 classes on Friday with Jahkeeem Stewart, the No. 1 overall player in the 2026 class, joining him.
Cantwell and Stewart took the time to talk it over during their time in Baton Rouge while also taking a photo with LSU offensive line coach Brad Davis:
Davis has proven to be one of the top recruiters in all of college football. He’s landed a five-star prospect in the last three recruiting cycles with Will Campbell (2022), Zalance Heard (2023) and Weston Davis (2024) all signing with the Tigers.
Now, Davis has his sights set on both the 2025 and 2026 classes with Cantwell at the top of his list in the 2026 cycle.
Cantwell caught up with On SI to talk about his busy summer with LSU, Georgia and Alabama exceeding expectations for the five-star over the weekend:
LSU Tigers: “Really good first impressions. Coach (Brad) Davis develops guys at a high clip. Coach (Brian) Kelly seems to be a good dude with a good vision for the program. The visit was pretty fun as well.”
Georgia Bulldogs: “(Georgia) is becoming a football dynasty, and it’s led by some great people, like coach (Kirby) Smart and coach (Stacy) Searels. Coach Searels has repeatedly said that I’m his No. 1 2026 priority and that I would fit in very well for what Georgia is looking for.”
Alabama Crimson Tide: “Bama exceeded my expectations the most. Really fun style of visit, and met two great people in coach (Kalen) DeBoer and Coach Kap [Chris Kapilovic]. I also got to talk to some commits there… way more than I have at any other place, and they seem to be all in on ‘Bama for good reason.”
The 6-foot-7, 300-pounder is at the top of nearly every recruiting service’s lists. He sits No. 4 overall on both On3 Sports and 247Sports’ recruiting rankings in a talent-rich 2026 cycle.
Now, LSU had the chance to get the rising junior to campus as he begins zeroing in on his college decision.
This fall, Cantwell will take several visits with the Bayou Bengals looking to get the 2026 star down South once again.
We’ve seen LSU offensive line coach Brad Davis work his magic on the recruiting trail in the past with his attention shifting to locking down talent for the future.