How five-star prospect Jackson Cantwell thinks throwing helps him on the football field

With the shot held at his neck as he stood at the edge of the ring, Jackson Cantwell began his violent spin to create the momentum to push the ball away. His Olympian father stood outside the landing area, knowing his son would throw it further than the Nixa High School practice pit.

Standing to the side was Mizzou offensive coordinator Kirby Moore, one of many major college football coaches who have made their way through southwest Missouri in recent weeks. Coaches from across the nation have either driven or flown in to watch the prized recruit practice the sport that has been in his blood since birth, not the one that currently has him as the second-ranked player in the nation's sophomore class.

Cantwell took mental notes on every intricate detail on his form pushing himself to make each throw travel further than the last. "Last throw, best throw," he told his father. The five-star football recruit knew that the coordination in his feet and the speed he moved in the ring would help him continue to break records and then translate to helping him push around defenders in the trenches.

"There's just so much and it's definitely very beneficial if you're an offensive lineman," Cantwell said. "It's just a good way to train and it's one of the reasons I was good enough at football whenever I first stepped into the varsity scene, I didn't really have a crazy hard time adjusting. I was already a little bit faster, stronger and more athletic and then I just had to come in and learn all the other stuff."

Previously: Nixa's 6-foot-8 freshman Jackson Cantwell has Olympian parents, world records and a 33 ACT score

Cantwell is in the midst of a track season that has already seen him break national records while grabbing headlines after every event he competes in. It's a space the almost 16-year-old is used to after setting several world throwing records growing up as a genetic marvel with two Olympian parents.

Listed at 6-foot-7.5, 300 pounds, Cantwell continues to get used to the added attention that being one of the most sought-after football recruits in the country brings. Georgia and Auburn had been through Nixa in recent weeks with coaches from Ohio State and Clemson expected in the coming days. More will follow.

His phone has been blowing up and it sounds normal out of the mouth when he name-drops phone calls with the biggest name coaches in college football. Somehow, he remains the same humble kid he was before he collected a single offer from every name-brand college in the country.

"I talked to (Alabama head coach) Kalen DeBoer and he talked about how throwers cross-train with football," Cantwell said. "We talked about how it's really good training because he said it's a good way for me to be able to develop that explosive-like power and foot speed and stuff that you need to play offensive line."

More: Inside 'the freak show' workout with sophomore Nixa football phenom Jackson Cantwell

Cantwell admits that it's "really weird" that it's almost commonplace to get on the phone with head coaches weekly but it hasn't changed his ability to focus on the task at hand. He wants to be the best thrower he can be while also using it to prepare himself for the fall.

Work in the weight room is among the most beneficial elements throwing brings, Cantwell believes. During the track season, Cantwell dies different variations of bench presses to encourage being more explosive with the arms. He often does reverse band squats which promote getting out of the hole, the lowest point of the squat, as quickly as possible.

"That translates to football really well because you're moving a heavy person on the offensive line," Cantwell said. "Being able to have that speed and having that acceleration and having that strength, it just carries over endlessly. And the technique does as well with track, being able to move faster up the ring, being coordinated with your feet and being able to be powerful at the end."

Christian Cantwell, Jackson's father, has had a front-row seat for everything his son has experienced over the last two years. He also sat in Nick Saban's office in Tuscaloosa and has been on the sideline for numerous college visits. He's there when his son goes to school in the morning and he makes it out to Nixa High's track and field practice about three times a week to push him to make sure each throw is as good as it can be.

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Christian Cantwell, who had college football aspirations in high school before a knee injury, has seen the benefits as well. The silver medalist in shot put at the 2008 Beijing Olympics for Team USA has seen a shift in weight training across different sports to go from one meant for bodybuilding to styles that promote explosiveness.

"You can see it when he's able to control a kid," Christian Cantwell said. "He's not the strongest kid in the world. He's pretty strong, but I see how fast he is and how he can overcome the initial hit on the guy and then power through stuff like that. That's kind of where weight lifting kind of comes from now. Could he do it without lifting? Maybe, but it definitely helps."

As Jackson Cantwell has gone through his recruiting process, he often asks what a future in track and field might look like if he doubled up along with his football duties.

Among his accolades are world records in shot put and discus throws, including for the 12- and 13-year-old age groups. He won the state title as a freshman in the shot put with a record throw previously owned by 2023 NFL Draft fourth-round selection Adetomiwa Adebawore.

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This season, he set a new personal record with a shot put throw of 22.04 meters, five feet beyond his previous high mark and three feet further than anyone else in the nation has thrown this year. He also broke the national sophomore record with a discus throw of 62.5 meters.

Throwing is important to him. His dad and his mom, Olympian Teri Cantwell, had him throwing a four-pound shot when he was five. For as good of a football prospect as Jackson Cantwell is, he may be an even better track-and-field prospect. He said he'll keep his track future in mind when deciding where to attend college.

"I think there's so many good opportunities out there," Jackson Cantwell said. "I think right now, the main thing I've been doing is asking what my track career could look like if I went there. I've been big on track. It's going to be kind of trying to figure out what my track schedule might look like and trying to see if I get some time off of spring ball to train and really get better to try and win an NCAA championship. Then it's also trying to see what the best fit for me in football season as well. I feel like there are some places that might fit slightly better in order for being close to home or just success."

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or X at @WyattWheeler_NL.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Jackson Cantwell five-star football prospect excels in track