Jackson Cantwell
| Nixa Eagles | |
|---|---|
| Position | Offensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 27, 2008 |
| Height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Weight | 316 lb (143 kg) |
| Career history | |
| High school | Nixa (Nixa, Missouri) |
Jackson Daniel Cantwell (born May 27, 2008) is an American football offensive tackle at Nixa High School in Nixa, Missouri. He is one of the top college recruits for the class of 2026. He is also a top track and field athlete and a high school national champion in shot put.
Early life
[edit]Cantwell was born on May 27, 2008, to Olympic shot puters Christian Cantwell and Teri Steer.[1] He began training three days a week in track and field at age six for a club in Columbia, Missouri.[2] At age 12, he broke the AAU national shot put record for his age group, and he later set world records in the 12-year-old and 13-year-old groups in both shot put and discus throw.[3][4] In eighth grade, Cantwell was able to bench press 315 pounds (143 kg).[4]
Cantwell enrolled at Nixa Public High School, where he played football as an offensive tackle, basketball and continued competing in track and field.[4] He became the starter on the football team as a freshman and was named a MaxPreps first-team freshman All-American.[5] He also won the Missouri state shot put championship as a freshman with a toss of over 64 feet (20 m).[6] He had received over a dozen offers to play college football for top programs by the end of his freshman season.[7]
In 2024, Cantwell broke the national sophomore record in shot put with a toss of 74.975 feet (22.852 m) and later won the high school national championship, beating out second place by over 5 feet (1.5 m).[8][9] He was named the Gatorade Missouri boys track and field player of the year.[10] As a junior in football, Cantwell recorded 158 pancake blocks and helped Nixa finish second in the Missouri Class 6, being named the Springfield News-Leader player of the year, the Gatorade Missouri player of the year, and one of three finalists for the national Gatorade player of the year award.[11][12] Cantwell is a five-star prospect and a top player in the class of 2026, being ranked number one nationally by 247Sports Composite,[13] Rivals.com,[14] and On3.com,[15] while ESPN ranked him second.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ Poindexter, Bill (May 11, 2008). "Cantwell throws big -- his baby's a load, too". The Modesto Bee.
- ^ Shrubshell, Don (July 12, 2016). "Young track athlete follows in parents' footsteps". Columbia Daily Tribune.
- ^ Grossman, Hillard (August 10, 2020). "The family business". Florida Today. p. A10, A12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Wheeler, Wyatt D. (July 18, 2022). "Freshman with athletic drive, scholarly mind". Springfield News-Leader. p. A1, A7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Davenport, Richard (March 7, 2023). "O-line target Cantwell on a mission to succeed". WholeHogSports.com.
- ^ Trieu, Allen (February 9, 2024). "Michigan football in early mix for 5-star 2026 offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell". The Detroit News.
- ^ Wheeler, Wyatt D. (July 23, 2023). "'The Freak Show'". Springfield News-Leader. p. B1, B4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hahn, Trevor (May 26, 2024). "Jefferson City extends shot put arena for Nixa phenom Cantwell". News Tribune.
- ^ Wheeler, Wyatt D. (August 7, 2024). "What a gold medalist said about Nixa's Cantwell". Springfield News-Leader. p. B3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Grundy, William (June 27, 2024). "Jackson Cantwell Awarded Missouri Boys T&F POY By Gatorade". MileSplit.
- ^ Wheeler, Wyatt D. (February 2, 2025). "Nixa football phenom Jackson Cantwell names his final six schools. Here they are". Springfield News-Leader.
- ^ Wheeler, Wyatt D. (December 18, 2024). "Nixa's Jackson Cantwell named News-Leader 2024 High School Football Player of the Year". Springfield News-Leader – via archive.today.
- ^ Kassim, Ehsan (February 7, 2025). "Who are top college football recruits in 2026? Top 100 prospects, team rankings, more". USA Today.
- ^ Wheeler, Wyatt D. (October 7, 2024). "Nixa's Cantwell named No. 1 player in nation". Springfield News-Leader. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Pope, Keegan (February 2, 2025). "Nation's No. 1 recruit Jackson Cantwell down to six schools". On3.com.
- ^ Lederman, Eli (February 7, 2025). "What to know about five-stars and top QBs in the class of 2026". ESPN – via archive.today.
