Jackson Cantwell of
Nixa (Mo.) is regarded by some media outlets as the No. 1 high school football prospect in the Class of 2026. His status in track and field is less subjective, where he is one of the best to ever throw a shot put and a state champion in the discus as well.
Cantwell's exploits are part of a growing legend in the southwest corner of Missouri. As a 6-foot-8, 320-pound offensive tackle, he hasn't allowed a sack for the past two seasons.
When he switches gears in the spring and picks up the throwing implements, Cantwell is nearly unmatched. He won the shot put state title at last weekend's MSHSAA meet with a mark of 76-11 1/4, good for the third-longest throw in high school history and over 16 feet beyond the second-place finisher. He threw 210-5 in the discus, out-distancing second place by over 15 feet.
Cantwell's excellence in multiple sports has led him to be named the 2024-25 MaxPreps Male National Athlete of the Year.
Jackson Cantwell is the 2024-25 MaxPreps Male National Athlete of the Year for his excellence in football and track and field. (PHOTO: Claudia Rozell)
"It means a lot," Cantwell said of the honor. "It takes not only a special athlete,
but a special work ethic to get to that point so I'm just happy that I
have been able to see the benefits of that lately."
Committed to play football at Miami, his academic record is nearly as impressive. He scored a 33 on the ACT the summer prior to his freshman year.
"I've always been a guy that likes school and been concerned about my
grades," Cantwell said. "I am going to come in with about 23 to 26 credits at the
University of Miami. I don't think people really understand it is
something that not only factored into my college decision, but is also
something that I prioritize a lot."
Cantwell comes from strong athletic genes as his father Christian won the silver medal in the shot put in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was a seven-time world champion. His mother, Teri (Steer), was also a decorated thrower as she earned bronze medals in the 1999 Indoor Championships and Pan American Games in the shot put before competing in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Despite receiving 32 FBS offers for football and being widely regarded as the top prospect in the junior class, Cantwell has remained grounded and handled the spotlight well according to his parents.
"My heart is most proud that he is a humble kid that is 16-years old
still," Teri Cantwell said. "He's very young for his grade and he's dealt with all the things
you maybe shouldn't have to deal with at this kind of level. And that is
social media and the adults on social media, but he has really been a
trooper and he's really a good kid. It's in his heart is to be kind to
people."
Jackson Cantwell with parents Christian and Teri, both highly-accomplished athletes in their own right. (PHOTO: Claudia Rozell)
While Cantwell opts to let his game do the talking for him, his dominance on the football field speaks volumes with 158 pancake blocks in 14 games last season. He helped Nixa reach the Class 6 state championship game and paved the way for an offense that piled up 3,710 rushing yards, 1,899 passing yards and 83 total touchdowns.
Cantwell wants to play in the NFL and even hinted at a future in coaching.
"I would love to play the game for about
10 years and get a nice second contract, then go run the Wing-T to
the Missouri state championships with a 3A football team," Jackson joked about his retirement plan.
Although his future is likely in football and not track and field, his
proud father is quick to explain how far along he is as a thrower.
"I finished second in the state my senior year
and I threw 60-0 1/2," Christian Cantwell said. "His very first throw in high school
beat my record. In the district final (as a freshman), he's throwing almost 75 feet."
Cantwell stands with his head football coach John Perry and shot put/offensive lineman coach Kenzie Medley. (PHOTO: Claudia Rozell)
The support of the Nixa community also is a key element of his success according to the two-sport phenom.
"It is really cool to have the city behind me," Cantwell said. "It means a lot coming
from a tight-knit community like this that really likes to support
athletics and has supported me really, really well throughout my high
school career."
Cantwell earned 2024-25 MaxPreps Male National Athlete of the Year honors over an impressive field of finalists. Read more about the other candidates below and check out our full list of past winners at the bottom of the page.
OTHER CANDIDATES
Arguably the most decorated high school basketball player of all-time, Boozer capped his career with four consecutive state championships, the Chipotle Nationals championship, two USA gold medals and the MVP of both the McDonald's All-American Game and Nike Hoop Summit. Boozer became the first two-time MaxPreps National Player of the Year for boys basketball this season after averaging 22.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest to guide the Explorers to the top spot in the national rankings.
Despite being listed at 5-foot-9, his height doesn't deter his dominance on the basketball court or the football field as Neal produced a dominant season in both sports. He earned second team MaxPreps Junior All-America honors in basketball after averaging 22.9 points, 9.3 assists, 7.1 steals and 4.8 rebounds per contest to lead Reidsville to its second straight unbeaten state championship run. On the gridiron, the star quarterback completed 170 of his 228 passes for 2,495 yards and 29 touchdowns against just four interceptions. Neal also carried 64 times for 583 yards and eight additional scores.
Earned MaxPreps Ohio Football Player of the Year honors after passing for 4,187 yards and 57 touchdowns to lead the Fighting Crusaders to their first state championship game appearance in 11 years. Ponatoski is also in the midst of a dominant baseball season. Through 25 games, he had two home runs, 28 RBI and nine stolen bases with a batting average of .436 and on-base percentage of .545.
Three-sport standout saw success in basketball, football and baseball as a junior. Prothro hauled in 56 receptions for 1,203 yards and 22 touchdowns to help the Red Devils capture the Class A Division II state championship on the gridiron in the fall. The 6-6 post was also dominant on the hardwood where he averaged 20.7 points and 16.5 rebounds to help Bowdon qualify for the Class A Division II state tournament. In baseball, he batted .413 with two home runs, 24 RBI and 28 runs.
Arizona State signee was one of the greatest 6-man football players in Texas history before transitioning to 11-man football this season. He rushed for 1,952 yards on 164 carries with 35 touchdowns and also caught 23 passes for 251 yards and three scores. Rigdon also starred in basketball as he guided the Cardinals to the Conference 3A Division 1 state championship game with averages of 35.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.7 steals and 4.2 assists per outing.
PAST WINNERS
2007-08 — Terrelle Pryor,
Jeannette (Pa.)2008-09 — Garrett Gilbert,
Lake Travis (Austin, Texas)2009-10 — Dorial Green-Beckham,
Hillcrest (Springfield, Mo.)2010-11 — Kasen Williams,
Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.)2011-12 — Anthony Alford,
Petal (Miss.)2012-13 — Derrick Henry,
Yulee (Fla.)2013-14 — Patrick Mahomes,
Whitehouse (Texas)2014-15 — Kyler Murray,
Allen (Texas)2015-16 — Lonzo Ball,
Chino Hills (Calif.)2016-17 — Tim Tawa,
West Linn (Ore.)2017-18 — Jordyn Adams,
Green Hope (Cary, N.C.)2018-19 — Joe Girard III,
Glens Falls (N.Y.)2019-20 — Jalen Suggs,
Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.)2020-21 — Lebbeus Overton,
Milton (Ga.)2021-22 — Aaron Graves,
Southeast Valley (Gowrie, Iowa)
