No. 5 Overall College Football Prospect Heavily Linked to Four Elite Programs

It's never too early to get a head start in college recruiting-- or at least, that certainly seems to be the case for a top 2028 offensive line recruit. Even as the 2027 class is coming off the board, this top standout lineman may have a four-pack of early favorites for a battle that is likely to drag on for a good while.

A top '28 talent

Cass Technical High (Michigan) offensive tackle prospect Antjuan Wilkes Jr., could be a collegiate difference-maker. Currently ranked by Rivals as the No. 5 national prospect in the 2028 class (and the top offensive lineman), the 6'5" Wilkes is still putting on mass, but seems like the sort of road grader who could star for an SEC or Big Ten program.

Wilkes's Reported Leaders

Those two conferences seem to have an early leg up for Wilkes, as a recent report from Rivals indicated a list of four strong contenders. Along with homestate Michigan of the Big Ten, Wilkes reportedly grew up as an Ohio State fan. A potential battle of the two historical giants of the recent Big Ten?

There's also the SEC influence. Rivals noted Georgia and Tennessee as two SEC schools that are involved in the race for Wilkes. Georgia's NFL influence tends to make the Bulldogs a viable pick for many young standouts, while Josh Heupel may be looking to get a leg up in the 2028 recruiting race.

Not listed in the report but noted by several Rivals insiders as a potential landing spot is Michigan State. The Spartans were running second only to Michigan in Rivals predictions, but given the recent report, could be fading.

Only three of Rivals' top 100 2028 players have yet made a collegiate commitment-- with two of those three having picked Ohio State and the other committed to Georgia. Of course, a player like Wilkes will likely continue to hear from many potential new recruiting suitors.

Easy to see why four-star Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech offensive lineman Antjuan Wilkes Jr. is the top tackle in 2028 at this point.

Fluid athlete. Touched the uprights coming down the other way.https://t.co/mq4etfBF6a pic.twitter.com/2OmMmpznvH
— Mick Walker (@mickdwalker) May 10, 2026

Recruiting Status on Wilkes's Top Teams

Ohio State's 2027 recruiting class is focuing on interior linemen, with four commits already in at those spots, but no tackles currently on board. The Buckeye class ranked No. 8 nationally in the most recent Rivals rankings.

Michigan does have one four-star 2027 tackle commit with in-state standout Jakari Lipsey. Two other offensive line commits are interior linemen.

Georgia has already added a pair of tackles to its 2027 class. Four-star in-state pick up Kelsey Adams gets more attention, but three-star commit Ty Johnson is also worth watching.

Tennessee, the lowest of the four schools at No. 23 in the 2027 Rivals team rankings, also has a '27 tackle on board. Four-star in-state pickup Princeton Uwaifo is one of seven early Vol commits.

It's unclear whether any of these players would impact Wilkes. Given his monumental potential, he's unlikely to be a player who gets recruited over, whichever collegiate destination he chooses.

Ohio State and coach Ryan Day don't have a 2027 offensive tackle commit, which could signal designs on 2028 superstar OT Anttjuan WIlkes Jr. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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