Maxwell Hiller, No. 2 OT in class of 2027, commits to Florida
Five-star offensive sort out Maxwell Hillerthe No. 7 general recruit in the SC Next Junior 300, advised ESPN on Wednesday that he has dedicated to Florida.
The 6-foot-5, 305-pound lineman from Coatesville, Pennsylvania, gave the Gators his verbal pledge on Wednesday following a late-March go to with this system. He is the highest-ranked recruit to commit to Florida underneath first-year coach Jon Sumrall.
Hiller, ESPN’s No. 2 general offensive sort out in 2027, joins in-state athlete Tramond Collins (No. 147 general) because the second high 300 pledge in this system’s incoming class. Upon his dedication, Hiller advised ESPN he not expects to take journeys to Alabama, Ohio State, (*2*) and Tennessee.
Hiller’s pledge marks Florida’s most vital recruiting victory since Sumrall changed Billy Napier late final 12 months.
Sumrall and his employees initially supplied Hiller on Dec. 12, 2025, the identical day ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Florida’s hiring of formerPenn State Offensive line coach Phil Trautwein. A two-time nationwide champion with the Gators from 2004-08, Trautwein started recruiting Hiller to the Nittany Lions whereas Hiller was in center college. Trautwein later handed Hiller his first FBS provide with Penn State in May 2023 and was on the forefront of the Gators’ efforts to land him this spring.
“I took so many visits to Penn State while he was there,” Hiller advised ESPN. “I’ve trained with him. I’ve watched him work with players. He’s more than a coach for me. He’s my guy. That relationship right there is a huge part of why we got interested in Florida.”
Hiller made his first go to to Florida in late-January and “clicked right away” with Sumrall, he advised ESPN. A return journey to the Gators in late March, following latest visits to Ohio State and Tennessee, finally sealed Hiller’s resolution.
“Once you get that feeling that that’s the place that you want to be, you know it’s time,” Hiller stated. “I got that feeling down there. I don’t think there’s another school that is going to give me that level of comfortability.”
Hiller’s dedication represents a key early win for Sumrall and Co. at a place the place the Gators have struggled to recruit elite expertise in latest cycles.
Across the 5 courses since Napier’s debut cycle in 2022, Florida has landed simply three offensive tackles ranked contained in the SC Next 300. If Hiller finally indicators with Florida, he’ll signify this system’s highest-ranked offensive sort out signee since Martez Ivey joined because the nation’s No. 5 general recruit in 2015.
Beyond Hiller, the Gators stay in rivalry for some of the nation’s high offensive line prospects this spring, together with five-stars Kennedy Brown (No. 2 general) and Mark Matthews (No. 10) and four-star lineman Layton Von Brandt (No. 41), a former Penn State commit. ESPN sources additionally view Florida as front-runners for four-star quarterback Davin Davidson (No. 175), who introduced his dedication Thursday night time.
A multi-year starter on the offensive line at Pennsylvania’s Coatesville High School, Hiller can be a standout basketball participant alongside his brother Colton Hillera five-star small ahead in the 2028 recruiting class. Colton Hiller, ESPN’s No. 3 general prospect in the 2028 cycle, holds Alabama, Indiana, and UConn, amongst others.
