Top five-star recruit Jackson Cantwell recently announced his college football commitment to the Miami Hurricanes, and his reported NIL deal is under the spotlight.

Cantwell chose the Hurricanes over the Georgia Bulldogs, and one of the reasons was said to be a landmark NIL package for the high school offensive tackle, reportedly upwards of $2 million per year.

It led to Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart sharing his recruiting philosophy while licking the wounds of losing out on Cantwell, declaring that he doesn’t want to be in a landscape where a freshman recruit comes on campus making more than a senior.

Although Cantwell has stated that the name, image, and likeness deal was not the primary reason for his commitment to Miami football, as reported by the Springfield News-Leader, the value of his deal remains a central topic of debate among college football personnel.

Is a High School Offensive Tackle Worth 10% of a Team’s NIL Salary Cap?

Chris Hummer of 247Sports (subscription required) sought the opinions of Power Four personnel and coaching staff on the Hurricane’s NIL strategy of spending top dollars on star targets, including quarterbacks Cam Ward and Carson Beck.

Those moves were made in an unrestricted NIL era that is set to change upon approval of the House settlement.

The revenue-sharing structure will have a cap, and that’s what’s causing pause among personnel in the sport regarding Cantwell’s NIL deal.

“If it’s coming out of the rev share, there’s no [expletive] way,” the same SEC director of player personnel said. “That’s a quarterback or a starting left tackle. Cantwell is going to start his career and be at best a quality starter. Not a great one. Not an elite one.”

Cantwell’s NIL lawyer, Darren Heitner, told 247Sports that it’s fair to assume that payment won’t come until he enrolls, which would seem to be in the revenue-sharing era.

The details are not public, and some wonder if the deal could be under the “old rules” of NIL if signed before the settlement’s July 1 effective date.

Regardless of whether it falls under cap compliance or not, the deal is sparking more debates around positional value and the fact that much of the salary cap is being spent on a high school offensive lineman who has yet to take a college snap.

The majority answered no, with an ACC director of player personnel giving a bit more open-minded perspective.

“Yeah, but you can only have one of them,” they said. “You have to invest up front, and that’s what the market is around.”

Of course schools want premier left tackles, but the cap will require more thoughtful divvying of resources.

Despite acknowledging the positional value, the majority of those surveyed contend that they would be better off allocating their resources elsewhere, particularly at the quarterback position.

Some, ultimately, shared Smart’s philosophy on not wanting to pay that much to an incoming freshman. In Cantwell’s case, he’d stand to make more than 95% of the roster.

The position is intricately linked with the starting quarterback. In going all out to land Beck in the transfer portal, the move might be of value if Cantwell can make the jump to starter.

If he hits, no one will be looking back on this move with much criticism at all.

Just 1:42 into the contest, Tage Thompson (Orange, Conn./Buffalo Sabres/University of Connecticut) opened the scoring to give the U.S. an early lead, capitalizing with a wrister from the left circle off a feed from Zach Werenski (Grosse Pointe, Mich./Columbus Blue Jackets/University of Michigan) on the power play.

Frank Nazar (Mount Clemens, Mich./Chicago Blackhawks/University of Michigan) doubled the advantage at the 9:44 mark when a feed from Cutter Gauthier (Scottsdale, Ariz./Anaheim Ducks/Boston College) deflected off Nazar’s skate at the top of the crease and into the back of the goal. 

With 5:43 remaining in the opening frame, Thompson carried the puck into the offensive zone, weaved through the German defense and fired a shot on goal that rebounded to the left circle where Drew O’Connor(Chatham, N.J./Vancouver Canucks/Dartmouth College) put it into an empty net to make it 3-0.

At the 8:43 mark of the middle stanza, Germany’s Eric Mik picked up a power play tally with a short-side shot from the left circle to cut the lead to 3-1. 

Jonas Muller brought Germany within one goal with 5:17 to play in the second period, with his wrist shot finding the top corner of the net from the slot.

Just 48 seconds later, Germany’s Wojciech Stachowiak scored on the power play to even the game, redirecting a shot from the point on the back door past netminder Joey Daccord (North Andover, Mass./Seattle Kraken/Arizona State University).  

Garland buried what proved to the game-winning goal on the power play 4:50 into third period with a one-timer from the slot off a feed from Clayton Keller (St. Louis, Mo./Utah Mammoth/Boston University). 

Logan Cooley (Pittsburgh, Pa./Utah Mammoth/University of Minnesota) scored an important insurance marker at 16:31 after Keller intercepted a pass behind the net, fed Garland in the left circle who found a wide-open Cooley on a cross-ice feed. Keller accounted for the 6-3 final with an empty-net goal at 18:07.

Daccord picked up the win in the U.S. goal with 18 saves.

Team USA is back in action tomorrow (May 18) against Kazakhstan. Puck drop is set for 10:20 a.m. ET, live on NHL Network. 

NOTES: The U.S. outshot Germany 44-21 … Team USA was 2-5 on the power play, while Germany was 1-2 … Conor Garland, with a goal and three assists, was named the U.S. Player of the Game.

This story first appeared in PA Local, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA taking a fresh, positive look at the incredible people, beautiful places, and delicious food of Pennsylvania. Sign up for free here.

Summer is the season for day trips and exploring new places. But when you’re planning excursions, the costs can quickly add up.

Good news for your wallet: PA Local is here to help! This guide includes 29 museums and historic sites across Pennsylvania that you can visit at no cost — plus an iconic one that charges just $1.

They range in size — some can be toured in half an hour, while others can fill half a day — but they’re all a bargain. So when you make plans for your next trip around the commonwealth, be sure to add some of these spots to your itinerary.

For a science-themed outing

When you think of Philadelphia museums, its massive art galleries and history collections likely come to mind. But there’s also a solid handful of free science-oriented options to round off a day in the City of Brotherly Love. The Wagner Free Institute of Science houses thousands of fossils and minerals; the Science History Institute offers an hour’s worth of exhibits on 500 years of scientific practices and discoveries; and the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center offers a quick look at the region’s watershed.

At Penn State University in State College, there’s multiple science offerings: the Frost Entomological Museum, a small collection focused on Pennsylvania arthropods, and the EMS Museum & Art Gallery, where you can view materials related to earth and mineral science.

In Erie, you can enjoy some time outdoors at Presque Isle State Park before stopping by the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, which boasts interactive exhibits.

And if you find yourself with a free evening in Pittsburgh, the Allegheny Observatory seasonally offers two-hour tours geared toward adults. (Reservations are required, and you have to stay with your guide the whole time.)

To learn about history

Pennsylvania is old, so there’s history to be found in nearly every corner.

In Philadelphia, you can visit the Liberty Bell for free and tour Independence Hall for $1. If you want to see something a little less mainstream, there’s the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, a house where the famous author and poet once lived (currently closed for renovations but scheduled to reopen late summer), or the Temple Shoe Museum, a small collection of footwear-related exhibits you can view by appointment only. The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is another free option, and you can easily spend a few hours there.

Just outside of Philly, there’s Valley Forge, where Washington’s army stayed for a winter during the American Revolution. It has a museum exhibit at the Visitor Center. War history buffs in the Philly suburbs can also stop by the Bucks County Civil War Museum in Doylestown during its small window of public hours on Saturdays.

Fayette County is home to Fort Necessity National Battlefield, the site of the first fight in the French and Indian War. There’s an interpretive and education center on site focused on both the battle and the National Road, America’s first federally funded highway.

In Berks County, the Conrad Weiser Homestead — once home to an 18th century German immigrant who served as a liaison for the Pennsylvania government in its dealings with Native American tribes including the Iroquois and Lenape — sits on 26 acres and has three tourable buildings.

If you’re a train lover, head to Scranton to check out Steamtown, a historic site and museum that focuses on the early days of American railroads and the people who kept them chugging. Or you can check out Harris Tower in Harrisburg, where a group of enthusiasts maintains a seasonal railroad museum. It’s open Saturdays between the last weekend in May and the end of October.

Another seasonal option is the Appalachian Trail Museum in Cumberland County. This volunteer-run museum tells the story of the popular hiking trail since its beginnings a century ago.

And we can’t forget about Gettysburg. You’ll obviously want to see the Civil War battlefield and its museum and visitor center — but did you know you can also tour the nearby farm of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower?

If you like art

Art lovers who find themselves in the Lehigh Valley are in luck, because the Allentown Art Museum started offering everyday free admission in 2022. Exhibits range from Renaissance and Baroque art to Tiffany glass.

In Pittsburgh, you can see the Frick Art Museum’s permanent collection, with its Chinese porcelain and Flemish tapestries, for free. (If you want to see any special exhibitions, you’ll have to pay.) Thirty miles southeast in Greensburg, the Westmoreland Museum of American Art features paintings, sculptures, and gardens, and it offers free guided tours most Saturdays.

For the modern-day renaissance person, a tour of the state capitol in Harrisburg is a great option. You’ll learn about history and government, and your guide will also show you the building’s breathtaking art while briefing you on the Pennsylvania artists who made it.

And if you happen to be spending some time on or near a college campus, you may very well be able to see some art for no charge. To name a few options, you’ll find the Berman Museum at Ursinus College; the Phillips Museum of Art on Franklin & Marshall’s campus; the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania; the Palmer Museum of Art on Penn State’s main campus; and the University Museum and Kipp Gallery at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. (Note: Some of these museums are only open while their home colleges are in session, meaning they might not be the best summer pick. Make sure you check operating hours and dates when planning your visit.)

You might also be able to see art on display right in your own community during a First Friday event. Although these monthly evening events often aim to give artists the opportunity to sell their work, you can usually just look and appreciate it at no cost. Some places also offer free activities or live music. Communities big and small host First Fridays — for example, Lancaster, Meadville, Pittsburgh, Scranton, Wellsboro, and many more.

Did we miss your favorite free museum in Pennsylvania? If so, let us know what it is and why it’s awesome.

BEFORE YOU GO… If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.