Jackson Cantwell, the 6-foot-8, 320-pound offensive tackle from Missouri who is committed to Miami, has been named the 2024-25 MaxPreps Male National Athlete of the Year. His performances in both football and track and field have garnered national attention and the honor solidifies his status as a top-tier athlete.
The full story by Jordan Divens of MaxPreps goes into what has made him the top male high school athlete in the nation. Cantwell is a well-rounded student athlete with parents that have athletic success of their own.
Cantwell's dominance on the football field is evident. Over the past two seasons, he has not allowed a single sack, and is ranked as the No. 1 offensive lineman in the country. In the 2024 season alone, he recorded 158 pancake blocks across 14 games. His contributions were instrumental in leading Nixa to its first state championship game appearance in a decade.
At the 2025 Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) meet, Cantwell secured the shot put state title with a throw of 76 feet, 11 and a quarter inches, marking the third-longest throw in high school history and surpassing the second-place finisher by about 16 feet. In the discus, he achieved a throw of 210 feet, 5 inches, outdistancing the runner-up by more than 15 feet.
Cantwell scored a 33 on the ACT before his freshman year and plans to enter the University of Miami with about 23 to 26 college credits. Cantwell's father won a silver medal in the shot put at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and his mother earned bronze medals in the shot put at the 1999 Indoor Championships and Pan American Games.
Cantwell committed to the Hurricanes in May and leads a strong recruiting class for Miami. Currently, Miami's 2026 class is ranked No. 7 nationally according to On3.