"Miami's not cutting any corners": Recruiting insider provides scoop on Mario Cristobal's efforts to recruit No. 1 player of the 2026 class

Mario Cristobal's Miami Hurricanes are leaving no stones unturned in the recruitment of No. 1 prospect Jackson Cantwell. CaneSport’s Izubee Richards appeared on On3 Recruits hosted by Josh Newberg on Wednesday.

Richards pointed out that the program, knowing what it takes to recruit a prospect of Cantwell’s stature, is not ready to cut corners. He said (0:22),

“It's going to take a lot to land the No. 1 prospect in the country. But Miami’s not cutting any corners when it comes to him.”

Cantwell paid visits to the Hurricanes, Ohio State, and Michigan and is scheduled for a further visit to Miami later in the spring. The five-star recruit spoke highly of the Hurricanes and Mario Cristobal following his visit. He said:

“Their emphasis on offensive line and development stand out a lot. Their campus and general student life is great as well. It is their biggest selling point, honestly. What Cristobal does for the O-line room can’t be understated.”

Izubee Charles gave a more detailed analysis of Cantwell’s visit to Miami. He said:

“It was absolutely huge for Miami to get Cantwell and his entire family down there, you know, in South Florida, for a multi-day visit. When he first came to Miami, it was just him and his mom. Then this time, his dad joined him along as well to really check out what the Canes have to offer, and you got to see a lot of things, obviously, spending a few days down in Miami.

"He really enjoyed his time, and he had a lot of great things to say about not only Coach Cristobal but also Coach Mirabal and that entire offensive line staff.”

Where is Mario Cristobal’s Miami in Jackson Cantwell’s recruitment vis-a-vis other contenders?

Despite stiff competition from top rivals like Michigan, Oregon and Ohio State, analysts still think Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes are favorites to sign Cantwell. On3’s Steve Wiltfong wrote:

“Miami. They’re the program that stock is rising in this recruitment after taking this spring visit. This was a more in-depth look at the Hurricanes program, where he got a chance to spend time with Mario Cristobal, the offensive line coach; Coach Mirabal; and the staff and see why they’ve had so much success getting true freshman offensive linemen on the field and ready to play.”

Miami’s 2026 recruiting class has obtained six commits, ranking at No. 12 nationally, per the On3 Industry Comparison.