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No. 1 overall recruit Jackson Cantwell nearly breaks 46-year national shot put record

Wg0vf-nP_400x400by:Keegan Pope•05/31/25•

bykeeganpope

Jackson Cantwell
(Photo by Chad Simmons/On3)

As dominant as Nixa (Mo.) five-star offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell is on the football, he might as good or better when it comes to track and field events.

The son of two Olympic throwers, Cantwell has been one of the top dual-sport athletes in the country dating back to the eighth grade. He’s expected to focus fully on football at the next level, but the Miami commit had a few records to break in the shot put first.

He set and then re-set his personal best on multiple occasions this spring, taking down the Missouri high school state record in the process. But one goal remained: a 46-year-old national record set in 1979 by Michael Carter. On Saturday, at the Missouri state track and field championships, he had what might be his final shot.

And despite throwing an eye-popping 76 feet, 11 1/4 inches, he fell less than a centimeter short of Carter’s national record. It was also the third-highest mark ever in US shot put history.

Cantwell had three more attempts after nearly breaking Carter’s record, but couldn’t replicate the earlier throw. The 6-foot-7, 315-pounder easily won the event though, securing another title as his high school career likely comes to a close.

Only a junior, he could take another crack at the record next spring but will have to decide if he graduates early to start his football career at Miami or not.

Cantwell is the No. 1 overall recruit on the gridiron in the 2026 class, pledging to the Hurricanes earlier this month over Georgia, Oregon, Ohio State and more than 30 other offers. He is the highest-rated recruit during head coach Mario Cristobal’s tenure to commit to the ‘Canes and one of the top in program history.

Jackson Cantwell Scouting Summary

“Big-framed offensive tackle with eye-popping athleticism and functional strength as a high school underclassman. Measured at over 6-foot-7, 305 pounds prior to his sophomore season. Has solid length with 33.5-inch arms and big hands. Owns a phenomenal athletic profile as one of the top shot put throwers in the country for his age group. Posted a personal best throw of over 64 feet as a freshman. Also posted strong testing numbers in the college camp setting. Transfers those gifts over to the football field where he shows strong coordination and function strength. Moves well laterally and plays with a good anchor. Initially began his career as a tight end and has grown into an offensive tackle. Has deep athletic bloodlines with both parents being Olympic track and field athletes as throwers. Younger for the cycle with a May birthday.”