Mario Cristobal talking about a freshman during spring practice is not a normal occurrence, but Jackson Cantwell is not a normal freshman.
The five-star player is actually no stranger to Miami practices. Once he signed his papers for enrollment, Cantwell was able to practice on the scout team during the Hurricanes' run through the College Football Playoff. But now he's on the first team and expected to nail down the right tackle spot this season.
#GoCanes five-star freshman OL Jackson Cantwell taking in Miami’s Pro Day
— Sebastian Font (@S_Font_Sports) March 23, 2026
Seeing into the future 👀 pic.twitter.com/o5eySLIQgz
Cristobal believes the experience that Cantwell had in January will serve him well for his first spring, especially given what he had to go through when he arrived in Coral Gables.
"He was probably happy that Rueben [Bain] and [Akheem] Mesidor weren't in there today," Cristobal joked. "That was his baptism when he was here at the end of the season."
Jackson Cantwell already looks like the next great Miami OL
Imagine coming into the program fresh out of high school and being thrown onto the scout team to get tossed around by two future first-round NFL Draft picks? Even if Cantwell got whipped in every practice, just being able to get work in with those two guys will make him better and far more confident when he faces top ACC defensive linemen every week this fall.
Cristobal surely wants to temper the expectations for Cantwell coming into his first spring, but there's no secret that the elite prospect from Nixa, Missouri is his prized recruit. He's the guy that Cristobal wants to be the standard for which Hurricane offensive linemen will be measured at during his tenure. The coach takes incredible pride in his trench warriors and Cantwell's ceiling is as high as any player he's worked with at Miami or previous stops in Oregon and Alabama.
"He's such a high-level caliber of athlete, but you still have to adjust to this level of speed, power and everything that goes with it,: Cristobal added. "He's a sponge, and he attacks his dailies like he's a professional as well. And you've seen him. He's massive."