Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes picked up a massive win on the recruiting trail on Tuesday, as five-star OT Jackson Cantwell (Nixa, Missouri) pulled the trigger and picked the Canes over Georgia, Oregon, and Ohio State. Cantwell is listed as the #1 overall player in the 2026 recruiting class by On3 Sports.
Things perhaps didn't appear all that strong for Miami in advance of Cantwell's commitment date, as he had just visited Georgia last weekend. The Bulldogs seemed to have been gaining momentum in recent days.
However, to the delight of Cristobal, Cantwell gave him the good news on Tuesday afternoon, and oh, how happy the Canes' head man was.
#Miami HC Mario Cristobal’s reaction to landing the nation’s No. 1 prospect in Nixa (Mo.) 5-star OT Jackson Cantwell:
— Geo Milian (@GeoMilian) May 13, 2025
“Let’s go!”
Credit to: @AslanHodges pic.twitter.com/vBBZABACl8
Cristobal's elated reaction to landing the Miami Hurricanes' biggest recruit perhaps ever was very different than one that has drawn a lot of attention lately from Cristobal's former stop. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning drew a lot of backlash and ridicule on social media after a video went viral with him jumping into a swimming pool with 2026 5-star edge Richard Wesley to announce the latter's commitment to the Ducks.
Elite 2026 EDGE Richard Wesley and Oregon HC Dan Lanning celebrate the big commitmenthttps://t.co/Bpa7430zkW pic.twitter.com/qi2pcBu4hC
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 11, 2025
Personally, I don't have a problem with either celebration. Lanning was having fun and showing a side of him that some recruits and players will watch and perhaps connect with on a personal level.
But Cristobal's reaction speaks volumes without any bells or whistles. It captures the thrill of the payoff from over a year of continuous work trying to land one of the most impactful players in the country. It shows these men are people with raw emotions the same as the rest of us. And for someone like Cristobal, who's normally a very reserved individual when it comes to showing his emotions - particularly positive or happy ones - that reaction indeed reflects strongly how much wins - on and off the field - mean to him.
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