Miami 5-Star Commit Jackson Cantwell Turns Heads With Jaw-Dropping Weight Room Feat

Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 offensive tackle for 2026, stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 320 pounds. He is 16 years old. And he is a beast in the weight room as well. 

In a recent workout session, and using a close grip technique, the high school senior and Miami Hurricanes commitment bench pressed 475 pounds. Cantwell was benching over 300 pounds as a middle schooler.

That feat shows the power and strength that 5-star Cantwell will bring to the Hurricanes next season. He is not far off from another elusive feat in the weight room. The 500-pound club.

A 500-pound bench press is so rare, less than one percent of the population can do or have done it. To put that in perspective, former Dallas Cowboys offensive linemen Larry Allen benched 700 pounds. The world record for the bench press is half a ton.

Pedigree and genetics make Cantwell a phenom.

Cantwell dominates in track and field as well, and throws the shot put. He follows in his parents’ Olympic footsteps. Jackson’s father, Christian, won a silver medal in the shot put at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. 

His mom, Teri, also threw the shotput in college at SMU and was an NCAA champion in that event. She represented the United States at the Sydney games.

Earlier this year, young Cantwell set a national mark with a shotput throw well over 73 feet.

But Cantwell does not just get by on brawn. He has what it takes to succeed between his ears as well. At 13, he sat for the ACT Test. When the test was over, his score was a 33. 36 is a perfect score. Cantwell also failed to complete the math section of the test.

On the gridiron, Cantwell is a road grader. He posted 158 pancake blocks and allowed no sacks in 2024 and helped his offense rush for over 3,700 yards. 

A teenager barely of driving age, Cantwell already has pro football measurables that stack up pretty good to those that came before him, like standout linemen Trent Williams and Penei Sewell.

The 2026 college football season cannot get here fast enough for Coach Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes.

Related: X-Factor in Jackson Cantwell's Miami Hurricanes Pledge Revealed by College Football Analyst