Five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell is officially off the board. Cantwell, who is the No. 1 player in the country, has opted to commit to Miami (FL) over Georgia, Ohio State and Oregon.
This news came as somewhat of a surprise because not long ago the Bulldogs were the team predicted to win this recruitment. And not long ago actually means not long ago because 24 hours before his commitment most recruiting experts were siding with Georgia in this recruitment.
But Cantwell once again proved that no one ever actually knows what is happening in a recruitment because he ditched Georgia at the last second.
So why did Cantwell pick the Hurricanes over Georgia? Immediately after committing he shared how he loved Miami's coaching staff and their proven ability to develop offensive lineman. But there was another reason he chose Miami, and insider Brooks Austin with Bulldogs on SI confirmed what everyone thought after seeing Cantwell choose Miami.
Sources told me last week price tag for Jackson Cantwell escalated to close to $5m.
— Brooks Austin (@BrooksAustinBA) May 13, 2025
Miami called and called late into the evening. Eventually the guranteed money won out I’m told.
That being said, Mirabal and a few million aren’t a bad decision.
Jackson Cantwell chose Miami because of the money
According to Austin, Cantwell chose Miami because of their large NIL offer. Austin details how Miami was calling Cantwell "late into the evening" and were continuing to increase their offer until he said yes.
About a week ago, Cantwell reportedly was set to make about $2 million from Miami in his first season alone, but Austin shared that Cantwell now expects to make $5 million from Miami. Austin later explained that this $5 million is split between two years, with another increase likely to come ahead of his third season with the Hurricanes.
Knowing how much NIL factored into Cantwell's decision, it' s hard to imagine a scenario where Kirby Smart is that upset. In fact, Smart has been quoted saying he doesn't want players in his program that appear to only care about NIL. So according to this philosphy, missing on Cantwell isn't all that bad.
No one can deny Cantwell doesn't love a lot of things about Miami, but it's also impossible to suggest that NIL wasn't the biggest factor in his decision to choose the Hurricanes over Georgia.