Mario Cristobal is known for his affinity and success in roping in big-name talents for his roster. He was all everyone could talk about during the last transfer portal, getting Carson Beck to flip his loyalty from Georgia to Miami. On top of that, there was the whole $4 million price tag, shining brightly. However, in the recruiting class, Cristobal’s streak stands a chance of seeing an abrupt break. He’s going hot in pursuit of a five-star talent, and it seems like Crisobal will have to keep at it for a little longer to get him on board.
At the moment, Miami’s 2026 roster doesn’t have any 5-star recruits. So, they’re sitting at the somewhat comfortable position of No. 14 in the year’s class. Mario Cristobal was regarded as a successful recruiter after poaching someone like Beck, who was also from a program like Georgia. And he has landed 5-star recruits before, like Francis Mauigoa, Hayden Lowe, and more. But for a particular OT from Missouri, it seems that Cristobal will have to face off against a program from the other end of the country.
The Miami HC is battling hard for elite OT Jackson Cantwell, ranked the No. 1 OT on 247Sports. He’s 6’7½”, weighs 300 lbs, and also comes from a sports family (his parents are Olympians). He was also named the Gatorade Missouri Boys Track & Field Player of the Year in 2024. According to Gabe Brooks, Cantwell is “an advanced mover at this stage of development.” He further said, “Quick off the ball and flashes hand violence and general power at the point of attack.” Naturally, the kid enjoys a slew of great offers. But Cantwell is adding a twist to the events for everyone trying to recruit him, because he will announce his decision on April 30th.
That gives Cristobal two weeks-ish to do all that he has to do to get him on board. He’s cancelled some scheduled official visits, including one to Miami. But, in this new plan, Cantwell managed to fit one for Oregon. But Bruce Walker isn’t so worried about that. He told Locked On Canes in an April 16 episode, “He doesn’t seem that kind of kid that would just change his mind, you know? If money’s involved and Oregon’s not forking up the money, why would he change his mind? And of course, you know, if he picks Miami, it’s probably because of Mario and Alex [Mirabal].” The Canes’ O-line coach extended the offer to Cantwell.
Despite an Oregon visit before the commitment announcement, it still seems likely that Cantwell lands at Miami. Alex Donno read off an update from On3’s Justin Hopkins: “He says, let me be clear: without this [Oregon] visit, I think it’s pretty clear that Miami is the favorite.” “And that might continue to be the case coming out of the visit. I’m not sure Oregon is prepared to match the offer on the table from Miami to land Cantwell,” Donno remarked. On On3, Miami is given a 12.2% chance of landing the elite OT, and Oregon received a 6.2% probability.
But it’s not just April 30 Mario Cristobal has to worry about. According to Donno, he’ll have to hold on to him until National Signing Day. Given the success of Cristobal recruiting 5-star prospects like Carson Beck, it looks like he will surely put up a strong fight for Cantwell also. In the spring transfer portal, however, Cristobal is suffering blow after blow.
Mario Cristobal has already lost 3 players to the spring portal
In the earlier transfer portal, the HC lost 27 players. It’s been just day one of the spring portal, and Cristobal has already lost three more. DT Joshua Horton and safety Zaquan Patterson announced their departures just one day before the portal opened. Now, Ny Carr is bidding Cristobal goodbye, after sitting out for the majority of last season. He was once a Georgia commit and arguably one of the most attractive WR names in the 2024 class.
Carr played just one season at Miami and still has his redshirt because of his limited playing time. Donno said, “Carr is sure to generate interest possibly from Power 4 programs.” Also, it seems that the WR is making the move at the right time in his career. “This is something not completely unexpected on the Miami side, because we know the Hurricanes are looking at possibly multiple receivers in the portal. So, Carr has decided to hit the market and take his talents elsewhere.” In his limited time on the field, he produced just one reception and 8 yards. His high school numbers, however, tell a different story altogether. In his 4 years of high-school football, Carr accumulated 3,195 yards and 44 TDs.
Joshua Horton is leaving camp after an injury-plagued season, which has affected his chances of moving up the depth chart. Cristobal also has other names to prioritize instead of his. Zaquan Patterson’s departure is an important blow to the HC. Amongst his 2024 signees, he was the top-ranked DB. Hayes Fawcett said that Patterson is already one of the top DBs in the market.
Despite the success Cristobal had last year in recruiting, it seems like this year might take a little more out of him to land the elite Jackson Cantwell. On the other hand, he still has to retain players joining a long list of departures to the portal. Will the Miami HC be able to do both?
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