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No.1 Class of 2026 player Jackson Cantwell responds with 1-word as Kirby Smart's Georgia predicted to be his final college decision

Modified Apr 26, 2025 14:09 GMT

Nixa (MO) five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell is trending toward the Georgia Bulldogs in a new expert prediction. A new projection by On3’s Steve Wiltfong on Thursday saw the Bulldogs in the lead in Cantwell’s recruitment. Cantwell shared a veiled one-word reaction to the prediction in an X post, writing,

“Hmm…”

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Cantwell had previously set his commitment date to Apr. 30. However, he has rescheduled the announcement to May 13. However, before he finally announces his pledge, he will be back in Georgia on an unofficial visit on May 10.

While the Bulldogs have been at the forefront in his recruitment, he has not been to Athens this year. Notwithstanding, he feels sufficiently informed about the program to make a decision. In an interview with DawgsHQ, he said:

“I’ve been to Georgia five times, so they are still quite present (in my recruitment)," Cantwell said. "I just wanted to get info on other places first… It was intentional because I’d visited so many times.”

This has been his position for a while, as he expressed in a conversation with DawgsHQ in December, 2024:

“They’ll definitely be en route to an official visit. I’ve been there five times. I probably won’t see anything new if I go back. I’ve been there for spring ball, for games, for junior days. I’ve seen everything I can see at Georgia for now. If I come back, it’ll be for an official visit. Honestly, that’s probably fine…They’re in a pretty good spot and I’m still considering like 10 schools and it could shake up a different way with the timeline, but I think it could be positive (for Georgia).”

Competition for Georgia in Jackson Cantwell’s recruitment

With one last visit to Georgia before he announces his decision, Jackson Cantwell is giving Kirby Smart the privilege of making a final pitch. However, the Bulldogs still have Oregon, Miami, and Ohio State on their heels in this race that some might say is still too close to call.

He will be in Eugene this weekend for a visit with the Ducks, marking his second visit to Oregon.

Jackson Cantwell is a multi-sport athlete who plays track and field as well as football. He represented his school in the 2025 Ken Peek Invitational at Liberty North High School in Liberty, Missouri, on Friday.

Cantwell recorded a new shot put national season-high mark. Meanwhile, he also reached a new state-best record in discus, as he won both events for Nixa High.

About the author

Kayode is a College and High School Sports writer at Sportskeeda since June 2023. Hailing from Nigeria, he has an undergraduate degree in Linguistics and African Languages, and has previously had stints as an entertainment and politics writer for around 7 months. Adept at creating content around historical perspectives, he strives to report stories based only on verified information. His mantra is - truth is always more important than sensationalism.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Kayode admires how Nick Saban developed talent at the team and delivered consistent results, and hopes that the post-Saban era is just as fruitful. He is thoroughly impressed by Johnny Manziel’s talent, and feels that Shedeur Sanders is massively underrated. Nick Saban is his all-time favorite college coach.

While Kayode believes there is little to separate college and mainstream sports, pro leagues absorbing the best athletes leads to their quality being higher. Witnessing the Colorado Buffaloes’ hot streak at start the 2023 football season was one of his all-time favorite college sports moments.

When not writing, Kayode enjoys reading and watching sports documentaries. His most recent watch was "Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In."

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