Miami Hurricanes commit Jackson Cantwell has been named the No. 1 player in the 2026 class, per Rivals300 rankings.
Miami Hurricanes Commit Jackson Cantwell Named No. 1 Player in 2026 Recruiting Classs originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Rivals unveiled their top 300 rankings for the 2026 college football recruiting class, with Miami Hurricanes commit Jackson Cantwell recognized as the top-ranked player in the nation.
Cantwell, an offensive tackle out of Missouri, committed to Miami back in May. His decision was between a top 4 that included Miami, Georgia, Oregon, and Ohio State, but he ultimately chose the Hurricanes.
Cantwell had this to say for the reasoning behind his commitment:
"I chose Miami because I felt like it was the best situation for me to grow and develop, not only on the field as an offensive lineman, but as a person.”
Cantwell’s talent from a football perspective is widely known, but what he can do as a track and field athlete is an unheralded part of his young career. Cantwell was named Missouri’s Gatorade Player of the Year for 2024-2025 boys track and field, and recently won the Nike Outdoor Nationals men’s U20 Shot Put — as the youngest athlete in the competition — with a throw of 69’-0.800”, per Kansas City reporter Jason Lamb.
On the football field, Cantwell is the kind of prospect college coaches dream of. He stands over 6-foot-7 and 325 pounds, and offers impressive lateral agility for his size. He also has ideal length, with reportedly 33.5-inch arms.
247Sports’ Gabe Brooks highlights the caliber of recruit Cantwell is in his scouting report, describing him as a “Tall, big-framed offensive tackle prospect with a stellar athletic profile and pedigree who's an advanced mover at this stage of development. Quick off the ball and flashes hand violence and POA power… strength is there and power capacity is possibly limitless.”
Cantwell isn’t just a great mover either. He’ll likely walk into Miami’s weight room as one of the strongest players there, boasting a 475-pound close-grip bench press, as seen below.
475lb *very close grip* bench.
— Jackson Cantwell (@jcantwell2499) May 16, 2025
500lbs normal grip for reps coming soon… and big throws are coming sooner!#NSGBpic.twitter.com/U3JqzzzaFK
Cantwell’s commitment appears to have triggered a recruiting surge for the Hurricanes, with several four-star commits in the past month alone.
Miami recruiting is on a Tear right now 🔥
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 25, 2025
They’ve recently landed:
• 4-Star WR Vance Spafford (UGA flip)
• 4-Star TE Israel Briggs over LSU
• 4-Star WR Tyran Evans (Tennessee flip)
• 4-Star EDGE Asharri Charles
• LB JJ Edwards (Rutgers flip)https://t.co/zJ1nMRr464pic.twitter.com/M1E6aE0Bav
With Cantwell headlining Miami's top-ranked 2026 recruiting class, the future appears extremely bright in Coral Gables.
Related: Miami Featured in Three of ESPN’s Top Five ACC Games for 2025
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
