Was NIL Why 5-Star Recruit Jackson Cantwell Chose Miami, Mario Cristobal Over Oregon Ducks?

Five-star recruit Jackson Cantwell committed to the coach Mario Cristobal's Miami Hurricanes over the Oregon Ducks, Ohio State, and Georgia. Cantwell will earn a significant NIL deal, leading to the idea that NIL is why the top class of 2026 recruit chose Miami.

Nixa High School offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 ranked high school football recruit for the class of 2026, announced he will play football at Miami during a ceremony on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. / Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks lost out on five-star offensive tackle recruit Jackson Cantwell after he chose the Miami Hurricanes on May 13. Although the Ducks missed out on another major recruit, there are conflicting reports as to why Cantwell chose Miami over his other top schools such as Oregon.

There were four teams in the running to land Cantwell: Oregon, Miami, the Ohio State Buckeyes and Georgia Bulldogs. As important as relationships and fitting in with a team are, Name, Image, And Likeness (NIL) deals are a crucial factor in the current landscape of college football. 

Nixa High School offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 ranked high school football recruit for the class of 2026, announced he will play football at Miami during a ceremony on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. / Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Per On3, Miami offered Cantwell $2.5 million, and that number will increase throughout his time with the Hurricanes.

Brooks Austin, Director of Recruiting for The On SI Network, provided more information on the $2 million NIL deal that may have led to Cantwell choosing Miami. Cantwell’s price tag rose close to $5 million, and it was the fully guaranteed money that led to Miami landing the top recruit.

Sources told me last week price tag for Jackson Cantwell escalated to close to $5m.

Miami called and called late into the evening. Eventually the guranteed money won out I’m told.

That being said, Mirabal and a few million aren’t a bad decision.

— Brooks Austin (@BrooksAustinBA) May 13, 2025

Cantwell responded to the report, reiterating that NIL was not the reason he chose Miami.

“Well, I think my response to it is it’s not the same narrative people like Pete Nakos are pushing right now,” Cantwell told Dawg Nation. “I think there’s just a false narrative that that’s why I’m choosing. And I think that, I mean, I think relationships won out in Miami.”

Per the On3 Industry Rankings, Cantwell is the No. 1 recruit from the class of 2026 in the Nation. Cantwell spoke to On3 about why he chose Miami, saying it was not the NIL deal that made him choose.

“I definitely don’t like the narrative that it’s why I chose Miami because that is a slanderous narrative,” Cantwell said. “Obviously they do it well, but all of my finalists did, and I’m blessed to have been in a position where that’s the case.”

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“It’s always good to have a backup plan with something like that because football doesn’t always work out, and if I had that invested combined with a degree or even a master's, I would be in a great spot,” Cantwell continued. 

While the NIL deal may have been a part of Cantwell's decision, it also came down to relationships with the Miami staff and their history of coaching top offensive linemen.

“They just recruited me the hardest. Plain and simple. They put the most effort into me, called me, and came to see me a lot, and it just felt genuine the whole way. And a lot of the players there seem to love playing for them as well,” Cantwell said. “The biggest takeaways from this process are that I built a lot of fantastic relationships with a lot of great people and coaches.”

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning looks on in the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Oregon was not a clear favorite to land Cantwell, but it is still another top recruit the Ducks missed out on in recent weeks. After missing out on Cantwell, another offensive line recruit the Ducks can target is five-star Immanuel Iheanacho. 

Iheanacho is the No. 2 recruit in the nation, the No. 2 offensive tackle, and the No. 1 player from Maryland, per the On3 Industry Rankings. On3’s Steve Wiltfong logged an expert prediction that Iheanacho will commit to Oregon, and he is set to have an official visit with the Ducks in June.

The Oregon Ducks have received just eight commitments, but they are some big recruits. Of the eight, two are five-star recruits and four are four-stars. The Oregon Ducks recruiting class ranked No. 5 in the nation and No. 3 in the Big Ten. 

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