Gatorade National Football Player of the Year... Jackson Cantwell

Miami 2026 OT signee Jackson Cantwell (Nixa, Mo.) was named the 2025-26 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year on Wednesday.

The Gatorade Player of the Year is the highest honor in high school sports. It recognizes the nation's top athletes for excellence on the field and in the classroom and their communities. In 2024, Jackson was also a semi-finalist for the award.

At 6’-7 1/2”/325, Jackson is the #4 overall prospect and the #1 offensive tackle in the 2026 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite.

In 2025, Jackson piled up 173 pancake blocks as he led the way for an offense averaging 45.8 points per game and 9.7 yards per play.

Jackson comes from a family of olympic athletes. Both his parents were U.S. Olympians and he has followed in their footsteps as one of the best high school throwers in the country. He is also no pushover in the classroom, with a 4.0 grade-point average in high school.

Jackson plans to enroll at Miami in January and participate in spring practice.

Congratulations, Jackson! Well deserved!

GO CANES!