On Jackson Cantwell...

DMoney
DMoney
2 min read

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If you take Jackson Cantwell's self-reported athletic testing (many of which is double confirmed with videos and times from his time going through the camp and visit circuit)...he is, as a 16 year old, he has a Relative Athletic Score in the 8's as an offensive tackle. That is wildly impressive before you even get into the freakish track and field numbers.

Literal superfreak player.

The tape is impressive, but he's murdering some meh competition. But he's got a Top 10 to the NFL projectable athletic profile.

Tackle all of the way, but in 2026, you might just want to get your best 5 out there and he's probably one of them early in the process. If that means he needs to sneak it at guard....ok. But there is no reason why he shouldn't be projectable RT right away.
 
And there you have it

Jackson Cantwell OT3 at 247

Commits to Miami, drops 7 spots

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I didn’t say start him dámn. And it’s not a position change. It happens in cfb and the nfl where you have a young tackle and you start him off at guard to get his feet wet


OK. Whatever. Here we go with NFL comparisons again.

The kid is 16, about to turn 17. He has not had "IMG-level" coaching yet at his high school. We don't need to "start him off at guard to get his feet wet" like they do in the NFL, we need to teach him how to use his height and close-quarters punching power to be a great TACKLE. Same as we are doing for Markel Bell.

Wasting time on teaching him to be a guard, and then turning him into a tackle, is unlikely to be a good idea if we are trying to develop him as a three-and-out tackle. Now, the kid does have good work and learning habits, and maybe it COULD be easier with him than it is with other tackles, but let's not complicate this by suggesting an "NFL approach" for a 17 year old kid.
 
This was a statement. It's been a couple years since Mario and Mirabal won a true recruiting battle. People were starting to whisper. Today was a reminder.

I've been following recruiting for 25 years, and it's hard to believe Miami went into Nixa, Missouri to land a five-star OT. It wasn't an emotional decision, either. Cantwell did his homework. He knew every starter on Miami's OL and their projected draft position. The Canes were the logical choice, and it's been a while since we could say that.

As a prospect, Cantwell is unique. He's 6'7 and 310 pounds at 16 years old. He has 33.5-inch arms, good testing numbers, and superhuman strength. For perspective, Jalen Rivers won states in the shotput with a throw of 54'4. Cantwell's personal record is 73'6. He also benches 500. In the classroom, he scored a 33 ACT as an eighth grader.

We know the bloodline is special. Both his parents are Olympic throwers. While Jackson is long and lean like a basketball player, his silver-medalist father is built like a professional wrestler. There is still plenty of room for him to add mass.

I expect Cantwell to compete for the RT job in 2026. He's raw as a pass blocker and struggled some at the Under Armour game. But he's such a diligent worker that I expect him to perfect his technique. He reminds me of some of the Iowa first rounders. Tall, lean, technical, and strong. The separator is his ability to move people with raw power.

Cantwell was set to commit to Miami in April before he pushed his date back. Miami has been telling people Georgia for the past week, but as I wrote this AM, something felt off. The staff kept the decision under wraps until an hour before the announcement.

Miami will take this momentum and push even harder in recruiting. We just produced the #1 pick in the draft and landed the #1 player in the country. Now it's time to get the elite South Florida recruits in Derrek Cooper and Calvin Russell.

More than anything, I just want to congratule Jackson Cantwell for his decision. He could've chosen Georgia or Oregon and nobody would've blinked an eye. He chose to be different and become a Hurricane. His faith will be rewarded.




@DMoney "faith will be rewarded" . . . you a Springsteen fan?
 
Few other NFL offensive linemen with shot put backgrounds...Trent Williams (one of the biggest athletic freaks in the history of the NFL) and Tristin Wirfs.

Some guys that didn't make it to that high of a level, but still high draft picks...Luke Joeckel (aTm), Greg Robinson (Auburn), Russell Okung (Discus, Oklahoma State), Matt Kalil, Andre Smith, Jonah Williams.

That skill (very projectable...even guys like Cole Van Lanen hang around the league for a while as backups when the OL skillset isn't there at the starter level) + that athletic profile can not be re-stated enough, is a phenomenal prospect before you even look at star ranking or even tape. You throw on the tape and this guy is a massive prospect.

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but this guy is a great prospect.
 
whos ot 1 and 2

edit nevermind - pepe and ojo (2 and 1 respectively)
 
And there you have it

Jackson Cantwell OT3 at 247

Commits to Miami, drops 7 spots

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That's funny cause Inheanacho (sp?) just looks like a more developed individual at the HS level, so just bullying kids, which typically doesn't translate well to the next level since he's physically advanced for his age, meanwhile Cantwell isn't quite there yet, nor has had strong coaching for football, hence him relying on strength and his pass pro falls behind.

Iheanacho is a great player off the bus, but all his highlights are literally played half his size with little hip bend and his forklifts the other player or has a clean shot at second level. While, JC yes lower quality players and players half his size as well, but hip bend is there, his feet has a great base and on a track when run blocking and feet are always moving and hands are inside and locked in.

That's crazy these recruiting rankings website experts, have they played ball or coached any of the positions, like ever? I don't have to watch more then 5 to 6 snaps to see the translatable variables.

JC is more field ready now. Strength is there, length is there, aggressiveness is there. Just need to work on pass pro and with CMC way of ideally running an offense (which we will see this year, more run oriented and PA shots) it allows for easier progression to build into that.

I'm happy we got him. Haven't looked at Pepe film, but its likely he is even more game ready just do the coaching at IMG, but JC has a higher ceiling.
 
OK. Whatever. Here we go with NFL comparisons again.

The kid is 16, about to turn 17. He has not had "IMG-level" coaching yet at his high school. We don't need to "start him off at guard to get his feet wet" like they do in the NFL, we need to teach him how to use his height and close-quarters punching power to be a great TACKLE. Same as we are doing for Markel Bell.

Wasting time on teaching him to be a guard, and then turning him into a tackle, is unlikely to be a good idea if we are trying to develop him as a three-and-out tackle. Now, the kid does have good work and learning habits, and maybe it COULD be easier with him than it is with other tackles, but let's not complicate this by suggesting an "NFL approach" for a 17 year old kid.
Dude mirable is going to give him reps at guard anyway. He trains the guys at multiple positions. He tried Samson at guard and realized he was better at tackle. It’s not just a nfl approach. Rivers literally started off at G. Neal at bama started at G before kicking out
 
Dude mirable is going to give him reps at guard anyway. He trains the guys at multiple positions. He tried Samson at guard and realized he was better at tackle. It’s not just a nfl approach. Rivers literally started off at G. Neal at bama started at G before kicking out


Yes, reps is one thing. You let them rotate through the positions, they learn the plays, they learn the positioning, they learn the footwork.

But they are not going to PLAY him at Guard as a true freshman.

Your comment about Samson is hilarious. HILARIOUS. They recruited him as an OT, you are cracking me up, talking as if playing him at OG as a true freshman was ever an option.

Rivers started out under a different coaching staff. Irrelevant.

Keep scrounging for meaningless comparisons.
 
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Yes, reps is one thing. You let them rotate through the positions, they learn the plays, they learn the positioning, they learn the footwork.

But they are not going to PLAY him at Tackle.

Your comment about Samson is hilarious. HILARIOUS. They recruited him as an OT, you are cracking me up, talking as if playing him at OG was ever an option.

Rivers started out under a different coaching staff. Irrelevant.

Keep scrounging for meaningless comparisons.
they literally had Samson competing for a starting spot at LG with McCoy last spring so yes it was an option. You just like going back and forth. You not always right and that’s ok
 
Saw him sitting next to dad and thought this kid is going to be a monster. The genetics are there and he seems to be a worker.
 
So when a sportswriter puts in a crystal ball prediction for what school a recruit will choose, he's not a sportwriter, he's a BUSINESS WRITER?

What a load of horse****.
The fact of the matter is: had Cantwell picked Georgia, NIL would not have been the narrative and they know this.

An absolutely disingenuous take to cover their own asses for shoddy coverage.
 
Who will be the established guards next year? Cooper gone. Isn’t Rodriguez gone? McCoy a sr right?
OT is more valuable than iOL that there is literally zero reason to ever prioritize trying a player out - with a LEGIT OT build and measurables to be great - at iOL over OT until they literally lose the OT competition. Simple as that.

If going into next year say Markel Bell stays and then like Okunlola or Kinsler (each have 3 yr eligibility remaining) were to win a starting OT job, okay yeah you can put Cantwell at OG and see if he wins a job.

McCoy has 2 years of eligibility remaining including this year. **** I know Ryan Rodriguez is like a senior, but I'm pretty sure given his Redshirting and medical history he may even have 3yrs eligiblity still, depending on how the NCAA goes about the eligibility decision (like just going to 5yrs no exceptions, etc).

I think the gameplan TODAY is likely Mauigoa and Bell declare for draft. You have Okunlola and Kinsler competing for LT job, and then Cantwell is a plug and play RT. SJ likely is groomed for the Starting Center job but will compete with Nino and Rodriguez. I don't think we should be going for yet another portal Center... McCoy should be expected to return and have the starting LG job after locking it up this season. Rodriguez I'd expect to portal to a starting job somewhere if he doesn't get starting C or RG job, but that'll be a competition between Buchanan, Minaya, and any other Olineman we bring in.
 



Now the boss has to jump in. Really bad look for ON3. Ferman posted their original tweet for commentary on what a great story it was.


Ferman let that **** from Yahoo Charles Robinson come on and spew his garbage about the program when the whole shapiro thing was going on. Fairy German only cares about $ and fluffing his bosses.
 
That's funny cause Inheanacho (sp?) just looks like a more developed individual at the HS level, so just bullying kids, which typically doesn't translate well to the next level since he's physically advanced for his age, meanwhile Cantwell isn't quite there yet, nor has had strong coaching for football, hence him relying on strength and his pass pro falls behind.

Iheanacho is a great player off the bus, but all his highlights are literally played half his size with little hip bend and his forklifts the other player or has a clean shot at second level. While, JC yes lower quality players and players half his size as well, but hip bend is there, his feet has a great base and on a track when run blocking and feet are always moving and hands are inside and locked in.

That's crazy these recruiting rankings website experts, have they played ball or coached any of the positions, like ever? I don't have to watch more then 5 to 6 snaps to see the translatable variables.

JC is more field ready now. Strength is there, length is there, aggressiveness is there. Just need to work on pass pro and with CMC way of ideally running an offense (which we will see this year, more run oriented and PA shots) it allows for easier progression to build into that.

I'm happy we got him. Haven't looked at Pepe film, but its likely he is even more game ready just do the coaching at IMG, but JC has a higher ceiling.

Looks like they changed him to a IOL and dropped him in ranking


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