Super Bowl champion Bryant McKinnie shares a candid note to No. 1 prospect Jackson Cantwell amid recruiting saga

The No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class, Jackson Cantwell, will announce his commitment on May 13. A recruiting spree has taken off to land him, with Georgia, Oregon, Miami and Ohio State emerging as the top contenders.

After the 2026 class' No. 1 quarterback, Jared Curtis, committed to the Bulldogs on Monday, Kirby Smart is also eyeing Cantwell, who is scheduled to visit Athens this weekend. The offensive tackle, who visited the Oregon Ducks on April 30, had given a positive response about Dan Lanning's program.

"They are heavily invested and think I could be the guy to get a lot of dominoes to fall in the 2026 class," Cantwell said on April 28, via Rivals.

Miami coach Mario Cristobal is also hot on his trail and has reportedly offered a $2 million NIL deal, according to On3's Pete Nakos. On Thursday, former Miami OT and Super Bowl champion Bryant McKinnie penned a note to Cantwell.

"Hey @jcantwell2499 Choosing the University of Miami was the best decision I've ever made-it fulfilled a lifelong dream. I came to The U with big goals, and I left having achieved even more. #GoCanes," McKinnie tweeted.

Cantwell replied with a warm message.

"Thank you for the insight! Appreciate it," Cantwell tweeted.

Georgia commit No. 1 QB Jared Curtis wants Jackson Cantwell to be his teammate

After Jared Curtis committed to the Georgia Bulldogs on Monday, they climbed up the list of programs with the best 2026 class. Curtis is eager to help the team land Jackson Cantwell, as the No. 1 prospect will visit Kirby Smart's program on Saturday, with Curtis in attendance.

"I hope we can land him," Curtis said on Tuesday, via On3. "Not sure what he's thinking right now, but I hope we can get it done. Right now, I like George's chances for Jackson Cantwell going into his visit this weekend."

Georgia has a 73.7% chance of landing him, according to On3.

Cantwell is the son of two Olympic athletes and plays football for Nixa High School in Missouri. He is in his junior year and still has one more season left to showcase his athletic prowess; however, college programs are already competing to secure his commitment.