The 5-star phenom Jackson Cantwell made an unexpected announcement when the No. 1 offensive tackle in the Class of 2026 said he is headed to the U. Miami has officially landed the 6’8″, 325-pounder from Nixa, Missouri, after an intense recruitment battle against giants like Georgia, Oregon, and Ohio State.
Cantwell made it official during a ceremony at his high school on Tuesday.
Ari Wasserman Says NIL Was the Deciding Factor in Jackson Cantwell Choosing Miami
While many thought that Cantwell would likely pick the Bulldogs, this is especially because he had visited Athens just last weekend. And hasn’t even been on Miami’s campus since March.
But now, with Cantwell on board, the Hurricanes’ 2026 class has jumped to No. 9 in the 247Sports rankings. As the celebrations continue in Miami, Ari Wasserman had a few things to say about what really swung this commitment!
While Miami fans have a reason to be happy, Ari Wasserman of On3 wasn’t buying into the sunshine-and-palm-trees version of this story. To Wasserman, this is not about palm trees or player development or even coaching chops. It was about one thing, cold and hard money.
“We have to stop this fantasy land crap where money doesn’t play a factor” Wasserman said on his show, not holding back. “Think about yourself in your own personal life. If you get offered 50% more money to do the same job, nine times out of ten, you’re taking it.” Wasserman’s point is simply that NIL isn’t just part of the equation anymore. It is the equation.
NEW: @AriWasserman weighs in on NIL, Jackson Cantwell’s commitment to Miami👀
“We have to stop this fantasy land crap where money doesn’t play a factor… It’s not recruiting from 2005 anymore, OK? You should be celebrating that Miami has deployed NIL effectively.” pic.twitter.com/TeVQmVyTUv
— On3 (@On3sports) May 14, 2025
Wasserman argued that Miami didn’t just out-recruit Georgia or Oregon. They also outbid them. According to ESPN, the Hurricanes tabled a NIL deal reportedly worth over $2 million a year for Cantwell.
That is a big number that likely tilted the scale in Miami’s favour. Oregon made a last-ditch effort by flying in staff just before decision day, and Georgia had the home stretch visit. The bag, however, came only from the hurricanes.
“Miami hasn’t been elite since I was in high school,” Wasserman continued, hammering the point. “If NIL didn’t play a factor, why haven’t they been pulling in more guys like Jackson Cantwell over the last 20 years?” That is a fair question.
Despite Cantwell’s camp maintaining the perception that “football fit” was the main driver, Wasserman raises a fair question. Jackson Cantwell is, after all, the first five-star offensive lineman that Miami has landed since 2023. Wasserman might just be on to something here.
To add on, the timing of his signing with agent Drew Rosenhaus in April and the reported pursuit of a 3-year NIL deal with over $2 million AAV makes Ari Wasserman’s point more convincing. Wasserman doesn’t see this as a knock on Miami. Quite the opposite.
“If your team gets a five-star prospect, they probably wouldn’t have landed without NIL, be happy. That’s how the game works now.”In Wasserman’s eyes, Miami just played that game better than everyone else.
And to be fair, the Canes aren’t just throwing money around. Head coach Mario Cristobal and o-line guru Alex Mirabal have receipts. From turning Penei Sewell into a first-rounder at Oregon to developing Francis Mauigoa at Miami, they’ve proven they can mold elite offensive linemen fast. With Mauigoa off to the NFL, Jackson Cantwell is likely to start at right tackle in 2026.
Let’s also not forget that Cantwell is not just about the hype. He’s the 2023-24 Gatorade Missouri Boys Track & Field Player of the Year, a state champ in shot put, and the son of two Olympians.
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So, is he going to Miami because it’s a dream fit? Or because the Hurricanes made an offer he couldn’t refuse? Maybe it’s both. But as Ari Wasserman said, if the world is still pretending NIL doesn’t matter, then it is likely living in fantasy land.
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