"They're not going to hand me a job": Jackson Cantwell shares his thoughts on being a Cane following his commitment to Mario Cristobal's Miami

Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class (according to the On3 Industry Rankings), had a plethora of offers from some of the top programs in the country. He received offers from Georgia, Missouri, Michigan, Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Tennessee, among others, but chose the Miami Hurricanes on Tuesday.

The five-star prospect received an offer from Mario Cristobal and his staff in February 2023, and he has taken multiple visits to the program. Cantwell was in Miami for an unofficial visit on March 18 and followed that up with an official visit last weekend.

He spoke about his commitment to the Hurricanes in an interview with the Springfield News-Leader. He shed light on his mindset going forward and claimed that he only wanted one opportunity to showcase his ability.

"I just wanted an opportunity," Jackson Cantwell said on Wednesday. "I'm just glad that I kept working and just kept trying to get better. You have to do that in order to keep going and keep making progress to get to a point like this. It's not going to be easy, and they're not going to hand me a job when I walk through that door."

Cantwell is also the No. 3 offensive tackle in the 2026 class and the No. 1 prospect in Missouri, according to 247Sports.

Jackson Cantwell is optimistic about his chances of playing in Miami

The Miami Hurricanes landed the commitment of five-star offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell on Tuesday. He chose the Hurricanes over other top programs such as Alabama, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio State and Georgia, which was considered the frontrunner in his recruitment.

Cantwell spoke about the Hurricanes and his decision to join them. He also shared his expectations heading into his college career and was optimistic about his chances of playing early at Miami.

"I just wanna get one chance," Cantwell said on Wednesday, via the Springfield News-Leader. "I just want to get a shot, and I think (Miami offensive line coach Alex) Mirabal and (Hurricanes coach Mario) Cristobal will give me a shot and the confidence they've given guys these past years. I think I can have that confidence and I think he's willing to invest that kind of time in me."

Cantwell became the Hurricanes' 10th commitment from the Class of 2026 and helped the program's cycle breach into the top 10 in 247Sports' 2026 Overall Team Rankings.