“Had a blast at The U": Nation's No. 1 recruit Jackson Cantwell reflects on his Miami visit for spring practice

As the nation's No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class, five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell has been pursued by almost all big programs. The Nixa High School (Missouri) standout is exploring his potential destinations and took his unofficial visit with Mario Cristobal's Miami this week during the Hurricanes' fourth spring practice.

“Had a blast at The U over the last three days!" Cantwell told On3 following the trip.

Jackson Cantwell also visited Miami during the 2024 season for the Hurricanes’ 53-31 win over Duke on Nov. 2. His sustained interest in the program is largely due to Cristobal, whose impact continues to impress recruits during their visits.

"It’s the biggest selling point, honestly," Jackson told SI. "What (Cristobal) does for the O-line room can’t be understated."

Cristobal already secured an offensive tackle commit in Miami's 2026 class: four-star prospect Ben Congdon. The Hurricanes have six committed players in the cycle, ranking No. 13 in the nation.

Jackson Cantwell shares what makes Miami a standout destination

In February, Jackson Cantwell announced his top six schools, and Miami made the cut alongside Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri and Oregon. After his visit last week, he spoke with SI about what stood out to him about the Hurricanes.

"Their emphasis on offensive line and development stand out a lot," he said. "Their campus and general student life is great as well."

This aligns with the praise he gave Miami's offense earlier in January. In an interview with 247Sports, he said:

“Miami excites me a lot because they have an offensive-line-oriented head coach in Mario Cristobal. I like Coach Cristobal a lot. I think Coach (Alex) Mirabal is a top-five O-line coach in the country. They always seem to have the right guys on the offensive line.”

During his visit in November, Jackson Cantwell also spoke highly of Miami quarterback Cam Ward, who is widely projected as a top pick in the 2025 NFL draft, with some mock drafts even placing him as a potential No. 1 selection. For a highly sought-after offensive lineman like Cantwell, this will be a major inspiration.