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On Tuesday, the nation's No. 1 prospect, Jackson Cantwell, picked the Hurricanes over Georgia and Oregon, ending a highly competitive recruiting saga. Although winds favored Georgia after he visited Athens over the weekend, plenty of it changed over the following days, with a reported $2.5 million NIL offer on the table.
Even before his commitment announcement, Cantwell believed that Miami offensive line coach Alex Mirabal was the best in the country, which ultimately won him over.
On Wednesday, On3 shared a post regarding Cantwell's decision to pick Miami, crediting Miami coaches, to which the five-star commit replied with a wholesome statement.
"He's got a pretty good "GA" of sorts in @coach_cristobal as well," Jackson Cantwell wrote.
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Following his commitment, Cantwell elaborated on his final pick, calling it a place for him to grow and develop.
"I chose Miami because I felt like it was the best situation for me to grow and develop, not only on the field as an offensive lineman, but as a person," Jackson Cantwell said.
"Coach Cristobal and Mirabal have recruited me harder than anyone in the country, and I believe in their development plan for me in the short and long term."
Jackson Cantwell hits back at $2.5 million "money over winning" accusations
Bulldogs fans have not held back in asserting that Cantwell ran after the reported $2.5 million cash bag. Some fans commented, "Money over winning & getting developed," over his Miami pick. The 6-foot-7 Nashville native strongly refuted these accusations and issued a statement, calling out On3's Pete Nakos for pushing a 'false narrative.'
"Well, I think my response to it is it's not the same narrative people like Pete Nakos are pushing right now," Cantwell said in an interview with Dawg Nation. "I think there's just a false narrative, that's why I'm choosing. And I think that, I mean, I think relationships won out in Miami."
On3's J.D. Pickell also pushed back against the critics, calling it abnormal if the nation's top recruit wasn't getting a good chunk of change.
Cantwell has become the Hurricanes' 10th addition in the Class of 2026, jumping it into the top 10 in 247Sports' 2026 Overall Team Rankings.
