Can Jackson Cantwell's Miami commitment be the domino to flip four-star LB from Auburn?

Four-star linebacker JaMichael Garrett has been committed to Auburn since July 26, but he remains a target for other major programs. The standout from Edna Karr High School in Louisiana reignited speculation about a potential flip after five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell committed to Miami on Tuesday.

Cantwell picked the Hurricanes over top contenders Georgia, Oregon and Ohio State. After his announcement, a Miami fan posted to encourage Garrett to follow suit, tweeting:

"Come on home @jamichael97 👀."

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Garrett also responded to that recruiting pitch with two cryptic emojis:

"👀👀."

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In April, On3's Chad Simmons wrote that Miami, as well as Oregon and Texas A&M, have been making strong efforts to flip Garrett from Auburn, and Garrett addressed the situation, saying (via On3),

"I am committed to Auburn, but I want to see what will be the best fit for me. My relationship is strong with Auburn, but a lot of great schools are recruiting me hard."

Garrett’s elite performance in the 2024 season is a big reason why he is being so heavily recruited. He recorded 91 tackles, 1.5 sacks and an interception in that season.

Meanwhile, Cantwell, the nation’s top recruit, helped elevate Miami’s 2026 recruiting class from No. 13 to No. 8 with his commitment. Now, Cantwell and the rest of Miami’s class are likely to push for JaMichael Garrett to join them in Coral Gables.

JaMichael Garrett recaps his Miami trip in April

JaMichael Garrett received his scholarship offer from Miami on May 8, 2024. Before that, the Hurricanes had already secured a commitment from four-star linebacker Jordan Campbell.

Despite Garrett being committed to Auburn, Miami remained active in recruiting him and hosted him for a visit in April.

“I viewed Miami highly before the visit, but this really skyrocketed them up for me," Garrett told On3 following the trip.

Auburn has seen multiple decommitments in its 2025 class, but the 2026 class has remained intact. However, Garrett’s ongoing interest in other programs suggests a potential flip could be on the horizon.

If JaMichael Garrett decommits, the Tigers will be left with one linebacker in the 2026 class in four-star prospect Shadarius Toodle. They have seven committed players in this cycle, ranking No. 13 in the nation.

About the author

Maliha is a High School Sports news and listicles writer at Sportskeeda. A post graduate in Management Information Systems, it was her love for writing and sports which led her down the path of sports content creation. An experienced NBA and NFL writer, she covered the two sports extensively at SportsZion and SportsKnot before joining SportsKeeda.

Maliha is a huge Baltimore Ravens fan and is in awe of quarterback Lamar Jackson's dual-threat abilities. She also admires Tom Brady and her all-time favorite coach is 3-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid. She is a big advocate of high school sports and believes that elite athletes reach a top level owing to the discipline, hard work, team dynamics, resilience, adaptability and self-confidence learnt by playing sports in high schools. Aaron Rodgers leading the Green Bay Packers to victory on his debut against the Minnesota Vikings is one of her fondest NFL memories.

Maliha places a high emphasis on accuracy in her content. She does thorough research, always double checks facts, and only uses information from most relevant and credible sources for her articles. When not writing, she likes to read history and biographical books.

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Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.