David Pollack Calls Jackson Cantwell’s $2M Miami Commitment A “Business Decision”

Top prospect in the 2026 college football recruiting class, offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell, recently spurned multiple other big-name schools and decided to commit to the Miami Hurricanes. The Hurricanes offered him a $2 million NIL package and a chance to learn under a National Championship-winning offensive lineman turned head coach, Mario Cristobal. One of the teams he said thanks but no thanks to was the Georgia Bulldogs. Because of this, surely unbiased college football analyst David Pollack had a lot to say about his choice to go to Miami and it wasn't very positive. The same David Pollack who just so happened to play linebacker at Georgia. 

Pollack isn't "knocking" Cantwell's decision, but described it a business decision contrary to what Cantwell has said himself both during and after the recruiting process:

“I wasn’t surprised when I heard the number,” Pollack said. “I think when the number came out, I wasn’t surprised. Here’s the thing, if you want to talk about this in any way, shape, or form outside of this being a business decision — and I’m not knocking Cantwell. That is his absolute right to maximize what he’s got and his family’s right. So, don’t take this as I’m knocking the kid, but when the kid says it’s about development and it’s about working with so and so, and so and so. No, it’s not. It’s about $2 million.”

Pollack went on to say that if Cantwell really wants to be a first-round pick that he should go somewhere with a track record like Georgia and not Miami who just produced the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and currently have a lineman projected to go in the top 10 next year. 

“What we don’t talk about and what we don’t understand, unless you play the game or you’re intimately involved in it, he makes this decision, I hope he gets his money. I hope he gets all of it and the contract is done correctly, which is not always a guarantee by any stretch at this level, but the problem is where he wants to get to is a first round pick, and you go make that life-changing money. He didn’t pick the best spot for that. That’s what I would argue. Here’s the combination that I want to make. I want to make money, yes... I want to go to primetime atmospheres. I want the best of the best. I want to get the most bang for my buck. If I’m a college athlete, I want to play in the top environments in the country. I want to play in big-time Playoff games. I want to play against other dudes. I want to get developed and groomed from somebody that has a track record.”

To be fair, Pollack does know from experience being a first-round pick out of Georgia coming off an All-American season. In the 2005 NFL Draft, he was the top Georgia player selected at 17th overall. Hurricanes cornerback Antrelle Rolle was selected at No. 8 in that same draft.