The crown jewel of Florida football's 2027 recruiting class, offensive tackle Maxwell Hiller, is arguably the best prep prospect in the cycle. He is ranked No. 2 overall and No. 1 at his position nationally according to both the 247Sports composite and Rivals industry ratings.
The 6-foot-5-inch, 300-pound recruit out of Coatesville (Pennsylvania) committed to the Gators back on April 8 and has been the cornerstone of Jon Sumrall's efforts to restore glory to the Orange and Blue in his first season with the program. While Hiller's relationship with Sumrall and offensive line coach Phil Trautwein appears to be rock solid, that has not stopped other schools in their pursuit of the coveted interior lineman.
According to Gators Online's Corey Bender,
the LSU Tigers and Tennessee Volunteers have been pressing hard to flip the Keystone State product. Fortunately for the Gator Nation, Hiller seems mostly uninterested in their advances.
“Those are definitely the schools I hear from the most other than Florida, but I don’t see myself doing anything with it,” he told Bender.
When asked what still stands out about Florida to him, he simply stated, "Everything."
"The culture they’re building down there, the family aspect and how I know all the guys down there and how the puzzle pieces fit together. The people around me that are going to push me every day. I feel like I fit in and bond with those people nicely and can work with them.”
However, the door appears to still be open for one of those suitors.
According to 247Sports' Tom Loy, Hiller is considering catching a game with LSU this fall. While no opponent has been mentioned as of yet, the Tigers have home games scheduled against the Clemson Tigers, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Texas A&M Aggies, McNeese State Cowboys, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide and Texas Longhorns.
"LSU fans should be thrilled that Lane Kiffin and his staff are continuing to swing for the fences with all of the top prospects across the country, including Hiller," Loy notes.
"All that said, I still believe it is going to be very difficult to flip Hiller from Florida. That connection with Trautwein is something that matters a great deal to Hiller and his family. Again, just to be clear, while I do believe he'll take a visit elsewhere to see a game or two this fall, nothing has changed about why he fell in love with Florida, so Gators fans should feel good about their chances with the elite lineman."
Hiller is expected to be in attendance when Florida opens up the 2026 campaign against the FAU Owls on Sept. 5 and the South Carolina Gamecocks on Oct. 10 — both inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Maxwell Hiller's scouting report
Hiller is an "elite offensive line prospect who could probably go pro as an interior defensive lineman as well," 247Sports national analyst Gabe Brooks begins.
He is "big-framed but finds leverage consistently, (initiating) POA engagement as if working the one-man sled pancake machine, (displaying) impressive sudden agility that shines on both sides of the ball" and "possesses physical and athletic traits to become an early-round NFL draft candidate."
Hiller is "one of the top prospects in the 2027 class, regardless of position," who could "ultimately wind up an elite guard, but don't be surprised by a tackle role, at least in college, if not beyond."
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida's 5-star commit considers watching game with other SEC school
