Jackson Cantwell, Nixa high school five-star and Miami Hurricanes recruit, bench presses NFL Combine numbers

In video posted on social media, top 2026 recruit's lift showcases elite strength

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

You hear it from fans in Southwest Missouri from time to time-folks who say they think Jackson Cantwell could suit up and make an NFL roster today.

And as ludicrous as it sounds for a young man just entering his senior year of high school-even for an elite talent like the 6-foot-8, 320-pound Cantwell-he went out this week and completely stifled one of the biggest arguments a detractor could make.

If you think he’s not nearly strong enough to hold his own, well, you might want to watch the video below. In a recent workout with the Nixa football team, Cantwell flexed in a big way-ripping off 32 reps in the bench press at 225 pounds. He shared the video on his X account, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday.

As Cantwell pointed out, that staggering number would have tied him for second in bench press reps at the NFL Combine with Alabama tight end CJ Dippre and Oklahoma edge Ethan Downs. Cincinnati guard Luke Kandra was tops at the Combine with 33 reps. Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou-a first-round pick-tied for fourth with 31 reps.

225 x 32 reps this morning. Would have been T-2nd at the NFL combine this year.

Still need 40 more reps to catch my dad’s PR😂 #NSGB #GoCanes pic.twitter.com/gNkywwNucJ

— Jackson Cantwell (@jcantwell2499) July 29, 2025

It was just another incredible moment for a kid who already has a bag full of incredible moments. The No. 1 offensive tackle in the country, Cantwell earned Missouri’s Gatorade Player of the Year award after racking up 158 pancake blocks last season. He’s been named first-team in just about every award a high school offensive lineman can win and is firmly in the conversation to go down as one of the greatest high school throwers, as he’s attached to some of the longest throws ever seen in the shot put at that level.

Still, Cantwell left room for some humility in Tuesday’s lift. He still isn’t quite on his dad’s level.

“Still need 40 more reps to catch my dad’s PR,” Cantwell posted on X, formerly Twitter, along with a cry-laughing emoji. His father, of course, is 2008 Olympic Shot Put Silver Medalist Christian Cantwell.

Cantwell’s statement about his father’s insane strength perhaps lent some credence as to why the patriarch was so quick to choose 100 of himself over 100 Jacksons in a fight (insert cry-laughing emoji).

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