Miami Continues to Pursue Five-Star Tackle Jackson Cantwell 'The Hardest'

The biggest fish of them all in the 2026 recruiting cycle is days away from committing to a school. The consensus No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class, Jackson Cantwell, has had plenty of visits over the past few weeks, and one key visit from Miami Hurricanes offensive line coach Alex Mirabal.

Nixa Eagles Jackson Cantwell holds back a Joplin defender during the championship game of Class 6 District 5 football at Nixa on Friday, Nov. 11, 2023. | Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK

The biggest fish of them all in the 2026 recruiting cycle is days away from committing to a school. The consensus No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class, Jackson Cantwell, has had plenty of visits over the past few weeks, and one key visit from Miami Hurricanes offensive line coach Alex Mirabal.

Mirabal is on a mission for the Hurricanes to land to star player. The Hurricanes are turning into an offensive line farm for the Pro's and have landed the top tackles in the previous three classes. The Canes look to continue that streak with Cantwell.

“I’ll be honest, Miami is recruiting me the hardest right now,” said Jackson Cantwell after Alex Mirabal’s in-home visit. “Obviously, that’s not the be-all and end-all. [But] there’s something to be said for that.”

Nixa football star Jackson Cantwell with his dad Christian Cantwell, who competed in the Olympics in shotput. | Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK

Cantwell has also had predictions of landing with Georgia and Oregon, while Miami is still in the hunt. He also knows that with Miami, he will play early and might be a starter day one. It was also drawn to the Canes with his commitment day only a week away.

“Mario Cristobal has coached a lot of guys that play early. He’s very open to it." Cantwell said. "They prioritize O-line development. They’re the only program left in [the reckoning] for me that has an O-line guy as their head coach. So I know they will prioritize that."

Class of 2026 Commitments

1. CB Camdin Portis, 6-foot, 165 lbs. - Charlotte, North Carolina (Committed 10/27/2024)
2. LB Jordan Campbell, 6-foot-2, 200 lbs. - Opa Locka, Florida (Committed 11/21/2023)
3. QB Dereon Coleman, 5-foot-11, 165 lbs. - Orlando, Florida (Committed 07/03/2024)
4. OT Ben Congdon, 6-foot-7, 270 lbs. - Mineral City, Ohio (Committed 3/3/2025)
5. CB, Jaelen Waters, 6-foot-2, 185 lbs. - Seffner, Florida (Committed 3/7/2025)
6. RB, Javian Mallory, 5-foot-11, 205 lbs. - Boca Raton, Florida (Committed 3/22/2025)
7. OL, Joel Ervin, 6-foot-6, 280 lbs. - Fort Myers, Florida (Committed 3/29/2025)
8. OT, JJ Sparks, 6-foot-4, 295 lbs. - Jacksonville, Florida (Committed 4/2/2025)
9. CB, Jontavius Wyman, 5-foot-11, 170 lbs. - Jonesboro, Georgia (Committed 4/6/2025)

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