"Money over winning & getting developed": Football fans react as nation's No. 1 recruit Jackson Cantwell takes $2.5 million Miami Hurricanes decision

Jackson Cantwell's commitment to Miami is the big recruiting news of the week. The five-star offensive tackle announced his commitment on Tuesday following a lengthy recruitment process.

Cantwell was highly sought after by top schools, including Georgia and Oregon, but the Hurricanes have been a leader in the race to sign him.

One of the details of Cantwell's commitment to Miami is a $5 million NIL package, according to Sports Illustrated's Brooks Austin. The package covers a two-year period with annual earnings of $2.5 million.

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Fans across the board have been reacting to the commitment decision since the news broke.

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A fan commented,

“Miami Hurricanes is the perfect spot for Oline development. Head coach former offensive lineman, with a great OL coach. Welcome to the 🙌. Go CANES!"

Another fan commented,

“Best of best worlds. Got the bag and going to get developed by one of the best OL coaches in the country.”

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A fan wrote:

"He clearly picked money over winning & getting developed."

A fan noted,

“It has to have been 10 years since Miami has had an offensive lineman drafted in the first 3 rounds.We have a while before NSD. We'll see what happens.”

The Pick Six Podcast host Matt Owen added,

“Thought he'd go to UGA but best of luck to him! He's going to be really good,” a

Another fan wrote,

“Georgia puts kids in the NFL not just give you money these kids makes bad decisions.”

Jackson Cantwell gives reasons for his Miami decision

Jackson Cantwell explained the factors that contributed to his choice of Miami. He said,

"I think relationships won out in the end," Cantwell said (h/t Sports Illustrated). " I know Coach Mirabal and Coach Cristobal. They've spent so much time recruiting me over the past year and they've spent so much time checking in with me. They're texting me every day. We've talked so much about offensive line development and what my potential there is at 'The U'. I just feel like it's a place where I could develop and be something great."

Cantwell is the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2026. The Nixa (Missouri) offensive tackle headlines a Miami recruiting class ranked No. 8 nationally, per On3. The class has 10 commitments so far, including four-star quarterback Dereon Coleman.

About the author

Kayode is a College and High School Sports writer at Sportskeeda since June 2023. Hailing from Nigeria, he has an undergraduate degree in Linguistics and African Languages, and has previously had stints as an entertainment and politics writer for around 7 months. Adept at creating content around historical perspectives, he strives to report stories based only on verified information. His mantra is - truth is always more important than sensationalism.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Kayode admires how Nick Saban developed talent at the team and delivered consistent results, and hopes that the post-Saban era is just as fruitful. He is thoroughly impressed by Johnny Manziel’s talent, and feels that Shedeur Sanders is massively underrated. Nick Saban is his all-time favorite college coach.

While Kayode believes there is little to separate college and mainstream sports, pro leagues absorbing the best athletes leads to their quality being higher. Witnessing the Colorado Buffaloes’ hot streak at start the 2023 football season was one of his all-time favorite college sports moments.

When not writing, Kayode enjoys reading and watching sports documentaries. His most recent watch was "Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In."

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Edited by Ribin Peter