Jackson Cantwell, the nation’s top OT recruit per On3 and a blue-chip prospect with an NFL frame and athleticism, made headlines this week. But not the kind that usually comes with five-star commitments. On Tuesday, he was the No. 1 overall recruit. By Wednesday, 247Sports had dropped him to No. 10. That kind of plummet doesn’t happen by accident. It raised eyebrows across the college football world. Especially when his commitment to the Miami Hurricanes came less than 24 hours before the ratings shift. A move that might’ve once screamed “future first-rounder” now feels laced with question marks.
What’s behind the sudden skepticism? It wasn’t technique or tape. It was money—lots of it. According to On3, Miami offered Jackson Cantwell $2.5-$3 million as part of an NIL deal, with more to come as long as he’s suiting up for the Hurricanes. Fully guaranteed. For a kid who hasn’t played a single college snap yet, that’s life-altering money. But with that bag comes a blazing spotlight, and not everyone thinks he picked the best lane to the NFL.
College football legend David Pollack didn’t mince words. “What we don’t understand, like unless you play the game or you’re intimately involved in it like he makes this decision, I hope he gets his money. I hope that’s something that he gets all of it and the contract’s done correctly, which is not always a guarantee by any stretch at this level.”
Pollack, speaking on See Ball Get Ball, went even deeper, questioning whether Miami offers the right developmental environment for an NFL-bound lineman. “Where he wants to get to—Jackson Cantwell wants to get to—is the first-round pick and you go make that life-changing money. And that—he didn’t pick the best spot for that. That’s what I would argue.” Pollack emphasized that top-tier development isn’t just about talent, but the environment: “I want to go to primetime atmosphere. I want to play. I want to get the most bang for my buck. If I’m a college athlete, I want to play in the top environment in the country. I want to play in big-time playoff games. I want to play against other dudes. I want to get developed and groomed from somebody that has a track record.”
Woke up a Miami Hurricane today!
Blessed as ever. #NSGB pic.twitter.com/6oLHlmKWqT
— Jackson Cantwell (@jcantwell2499) May 14, 2025
Pollack’s critique is less about hating on Miami and more about perspective—what matters long-term. “It shouldn’t be… Not everybody comes from the same background, same stuff. There’s a lot of factors that go into that. But [we] have a rookie cap now. You can choose the spot that’s best for you, and it’s not just based on money.”
Then came the gut punch: “Because here’s the thing—when you make a decision based on money and not looking towards the future, how many of those decisions, Brent, have you made? Like a lot—for me, if I’m making it just on money, I’m blinded. It’s harder. I can’t make a decision based on what’s really best for me.”
It’s hard to ignore the optics. Jackson Cantwell passed on Georgia, Oregon, and Ohio State. Programs with elite O-line pedigrees and clear playoff trajectories—for a Miami program still rebuilding its identity under Mario Cristobal. Was the drop in rankings a message? A nod to the notion that talent alone doesn’t dictate trajectory? If the whispers are true, Cantwell’s NIL value may already be nearing $5 million, with that initial $2.5 million serving as the opening salvo. And while some might shrug at the number, insiders say it’s the guaranteed nature of the deal that ultimately sealed the Hurricanes’ win.
That kind of money turns heads—and forces you to raise standards.
Money talk? Jackson Cantwell says that’s not why he chose the U
When 2026’s No. 1 offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell committed to Miami, the internet buzzed with rumors of a monster $2 million NIL deal being the deciding factor. But Cantwell isn’t having it. In fact, he’s pushing back hard against that narrative—and calling it what it is.
“Well, I think my response to it is it’s not the same narrative people like Pete Nakos are pushing right now,” Cantwell told Dawg Nation. “I think there’s just a false narrative that that’s why I’m choosing. And I think that, I mean, I think relationships won out in Miami.”
He made it clear he wasn’t dismissing NIL’s importance, but it wasn’t the driving force behind his decision. “I definitely don’t like the narrative that it’s why I chose Miami because that is a slanderous narrative,” he said. “Obviously they do it well, but all of my finalists did, and I’m blessed to have been in a position where that’s the case.”
Cantwell, wise beyond his years, acknowledged the value of NIL for long-term planning: “It’s always good to have a backup plan with something like that because football doesn’t always work out…” At the end of the day, though? “They just recruited me the hardest. Plain and simple.” So no, it wasn’t just about the bag—it was about the bond.
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