On Wednesday evening, Nixa (MO) 5-star Offensive Tackle Jackson Cantwell was named the 2025-26 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year.
Following the tradition of the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award, Cantwell was surprised with the award by former Wisconsin Badgers and Cleveland Browns star OT Joe Thomas.
A 6’7.5” 325lb tackle from Nixa, Missouri, Cantwell is the two-time Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year, and joins an elite collection of prospects to win this prestigious
award. Previous winners include Jeff George, Emmitt Smith, Peyton Manning, Ronald Curry (who won both the basketball and football versions of this award), Kyler Murray, and Jaxson Dart.
Cantwell is the first lineman to win the award since Chesapeake (VA) Oscar Smith 2-way lineman Andrew Brown in 2013. Brown would go on to star at DT for Virginia before being a 5th round NFL Draft Pick. Cantwell is the first pure offensive lineman, and only the second pure offensive lineman to ever win this award, joining 2003 winner Loveland (CO) Center Jeff Loveland on this list. Loveland went on to play at USC before heading to the NFL.
Cantwell is the second Miami signee to win Gatorade National Player of the Year. He joins Danville (CA) Monte Vista QB Kyle Wright who won the award in 2003 before his career at Miami.
On top of Wright, two other Gatorade National Players of the Year played for Miami, though they signed elsewhere out of high school before transferring to Miami. Those players? 1999 Gatorade POY QB Brock Berlin (Shreveport (LA) Evangel Christian) and 2016 Gatorade POY QB Tate Martell (Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman). They signed with and played at Florida and Ohio State, respectively, before eventually transferring to Miami.
Here is the press release for this award:
JACKSON CANTWELL NAMED 2025-26 GATORADE NATIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Nixa, Missouri (December 10, 2025) – In its 41st year celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their excellence in sport, academics and community, Gatorade today announced Jackson Cantwell of Nixa High School in Nixa, Missouri as the 2025-26 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year. Cantwell was selected from more than one million other student-athletes who play high school football nationwide, joining an elite legacy of former Gatorade National Football Player of the Year athletes who have combinedfor more than six NFL MVPs awards, 31 Pro Bowl appearances, seven NFL first round draft picks and two became Hall of Famers.
This morning, former Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas surprised Cantwell with the award at school surrounded by his teammates, family and friends. Following the surprise, Cantwell got a taste of the pro athlete experience with a styling session, photoshoot, media interviews and more.
“There is such incredible talent among the nearly one million student-athletes across the country who compete in high school football, paired with the criteria of being outstanding on and off the field,” said Jennifer Schmit, Senior Director, Gatorade Brand Marketing. “It’s a testament to Jackson’s hard work and achievements that he has stood out amongst the competition across the whole nation.”
Championing The Next Generation
Receiving the honor of Gatorade Player of the Year is more than a trophy. It’s a celebration of the whole athlete and opportunity to propel their future career through support and opportunities only Gatorade can provide because of its legacy in sport culture, product superiority and expertise in sports science.
Starting this year, Gatorade will provide the National Player of the Year athletes with ongoing support from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) so they can perform and recover at their best. The athletes will work with a team of GSSI scientists and have the opportunity to undergo testing at a GSSI Lab, equipping them with personalized hydration and fuel plans – built to unlock their full potential and fuel success for years to come.
The brand will also elevate these athletes by including them in brand moments, events and community initiatives throughout the year – amplifying their journey, celebrating their achievements and providing ongoing opportunities to inspire others.
All-Around Excellence
Gatorade Player of the Year athletes are not only the best of the best in their respective sports, but they also serve as role models for the next generation of greats.
- Community: A regular at Nixa’s weekly Leadership Academy, a meeting that explores leadership skills, Cantwell has volunteered locally at the Least of These Food Pantry, the only full-service pantry serving Christian County. He has also donated his time as a peer tutor and a youth track coach.
- Academics: Cantwell has maintained a 4.0 GPA in the classroom. At the time of his selection, he had made a verbal commitment to receive athletic aid to play football at the University of Miami next fall.
“Jackson is the top offensive line prospect to come out of the last several recruiting cycles,” said Steven Wilfong, VP of Recruiting for 247Sports. “He brings a terrific blend of size, power and athleticism along with a high football IQ – it’s easy to see why he was so heavily coveted by the nation’s top programs, and he should be an immediate difference-maker for Miami. Jackson’s an explosive player on the line of scrimmage who the Hurricanes are going to be able to run behind for years to come.”
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $6.4 million in grants to winners across more than 2,200 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
This amazing award, the High School Heisman, is validation of Cantwell’s elite performance, and should hopefully portend great things for him in the future.
