I could have gone anywhere in the country, and I was blessed to be able to visit lots of great programs. I met a lot of great people. But at the end of the day, the genuineness, the emphasis on my position, and the campus and academic prestige only helped me make my decision.
Anyone can compare football stats from various schools. Almost nobody can compare how the people there treat the players and how much they truly love playing at a university. And even though there’s always someone that’s going to be unhappy about their situation on the field, nobody I’ve talked to truly wants out of Miami.
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The coaches are fantastic people and fantastic at what they do. And I’ve had the blessing of being recruited by a lot of fantastic schools. Oregon coach Dan Lanning and Georgia coach Kirby Smart are two who come to mind who did a fantastic job, and I commend those programs for being genuine. And I wish them success in the future; the people in those programs are fantastic.
And that’s the hard part of this process for anyone — finding the one school.
But I feel great about my choice, and I have a lot of reasons why. The amount of effort and objectiveness with which offensive line coach Alex Mirabal coaches is unmatched. It meant the world to me and my family how hard they recruited us and how much time they poured into us going into my decision, not just to get me to the school but to show me that they had a plan and thought highly of me to where I would have a lot of great opportunities on and off the field at the university.
It was truly the best situation.
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Wheeler: Miami football-bound Jackson Cantwell never let recruiting spotlight change him
(Sports agent) Drew Rosenhaus ensured that I would be compensated regardless of where I went, but at the end of the day, compensation won’t matter if you’re unhappy with where you’re at. But I knew I would be happy with my situation at Miami.
They also have a chip on their shoulder and the mentality that they’re going to prove any doubters wrong, and there have been a lot of doubters. But I take pride in how many doubters there truly are. Penei Sewell was doubted for committing to Miami coach Mario Cristobal and Mirabal. So was Francis Mauigoa.
People don’t like it when the “U” threatens to come back. And it has only gotten better throughout Cristobal’s tenure.
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So I can safely say that I chose Miami for the people and the great things it has to offer. I’m going to do everything in my power to make it work out regardless, but I can truly see the team and myself being successful. The trust in the coaches there is something that wasn’t built overnight or with a dollar amount, and you can’t put a price on relationships. Miami is the place for me, and I only grew more confident in that fact as I continued to research the program.
But at the end of the day, I’m just excited to get to have a great opportunity to play football and further my education.
It’s All About The U,
JC79
Jackson Cantwell recruiting coverage
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Jackson Cantwell: Recruit pens column on Miami football decision
