BREAKING: No. 1 Overall Prospect Jackson Cantwell commits to Miami in historic recruiting win

Nixa (Mo.) 2026 offensive tackle and No. 1 overall prospect Jackson Cantwell has committed to Miami over Georgia, Oregon and Ohio State.

The country’s most coveted prospect and Five-Star Plus+ recruit became the first No. 1 overall prospect to commit to Miami in the modern recruiting era Tuesday afternoon when the 6-foot-7.5, 305-pound offensive tackle announced his pledge to the Hurricanes and concluding a month-long whirlwind that saw buzz grow around Miami, Oregon and Georgia at different times. A no-holds-barred late push ultimately gave Miami the edge to land a historic commitment for the Hurricanes and the first No. 1 overall prospect Mario Cristobal has landed as a head coach.

“I will be committing to the University of Miami!” he exclaimed at his 3:45 p.m. announcement ceremony, donning a UM hat and throwing up The U.

TUNE IN: Miami Hurricanes Land Historic Commitment In Jackson Cantwell … 5-Star OL Jackson Cantwell Picks Miami Hurricanes: Inside His Decision and $2.5M NIL Buzz

He then unzipped his jacket to reveal a Miami shirt.

“This hat doesn’t really fit, but thank you guys,” he quipped.

Also at his announcement ceremony prior to making the pick he answered several questions.

Asked about his four finalists of UM, Georgia, Oregon and Ohio State, he said, “There are a lot of things they’ve done, a lot of schools that have poured effort into me the last two, two-and-a-half years. We’re looking at program success, offensive line development, position coaches there. It’s just substance, that’s all it is.”

As for his recruiting journey?

“I didn’t expect it to get this wild as of late,” he said. “It was pretty calm at first – once I got past my junior year football season the heat turned up a little bit. It’s been tough, it has. But I’m glad I’ve been through it, it’s changed me for the better.”

Cantwell stressed that his mindset has been simple.

“I keep my head down, keep working,” he said.

He also said the advice he’d give to others starting the recruiting process is “Don’t let it consume you, have a why and go chase that every single day. Have a purpose and know why you’re doing something. You want to do it for the right reasons.”

Cantwell tweeted around this time last month he felt he was getting close to a decision and was nearly at the end of his recruiting process, and buzz immediately started circling around Miami. Cantwell initially announced he would make a decision April 30, and Oregon rushed in to schedule an official visit the weekend leading up to his decision. He then decided to push his commitment back again and announce Tuesday, May 13, instead and take a final unofficial visit to Georgia the weekend before his commitment.

Signs indicated Cantwell was trending toward the Bulldogs, but Miami remained heavily involved and continued to throw the kitchen sink at the country’s top prospect. Cantwell and his family had made clear through his recruitment he had tremendous respect for Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal’s history of developing offensive linemen over the course of multiple years in their programs at Miami and Oregon, which played a factor in Cantwell initially showing interest in Miami last fall.

Former Miami stars like Bryant McKinnie, Vernon Carey and Jarrett Payton began pitching the five-star prospect on social media late last week. McKinnie tweeted at Cantwell choosing Miami “was the best decision I’ve ever made—it fulfilled a lifelong dream” and he “came to The U with big goals, and I left having achieved even more.” Carey and Payton offered similar sentiments.

Confidence in Coral Gables was low Monday morning coming off Cantwell’s visit to Georgia, but buzz began to heavily pick up favoring Miami on Monday afternoon. The Hurricanes continued to pick up momentum Tuesday morning into early afternoon, and the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine began favoring the Hurricanes by 2 p.m. EST. He officially announced his commitment to the Hurricanes at a 3:45 p.m. ceremony.

Cantwell and his family told CaneSport he plans to shut down his recruitment and only take a summer official visit to Miami.

Cantwell’s high school offensive line coach, coach Kenzie Medley, also shared today that the star prospect has “strength, discipline and relentless effort.”

“He’s the kind of player who sets the tone in the weight room and leads with action more than words,” Medley said. “What makes Jackson different and special is who he is. Jackson is always looking for ways to grow and continue to get better. My favorite thing Jackson does and it’s kind of unique is he shows up on Monday nights. We finish varsity practice he goes and gets food, sometimes showers, at least puts on clean clothes, then comes down to the sideline and appoints himself my assistant OL coach. He is out there helping the JV guys with anything they need, talking about footwork, giving reminders. He makes sure everyone gets in and everyone gets reps, because that’s how we get better. He doesn’t have to do that, he wants to. It’s a privilege to coach Jackson. … I can’t wait to see what you do at the next level.”

CaneSport’s Take

Landing Cantwell was nothing short of a shock that blew us away considering how dire things looked in the week leading up to his decision, but with him on board Miami’s class looks to be in an absolutely incredible position moving forward. His commitment marks a historic accomplishment for Miami’s staff and an unbelievable win for Cristobal as a recruiter. If you’re a Miami fan, celebrate tonight.