5-star Florida target gives awesome quote right after his Gators visit

It can't be overstated how big these first 90 days will be in Jon Sumrall's tenure with the Gators. The spring evaluation period can make or break a recruiting class, so these first meetings with top prospects will set the tone for what happens during this cycle and the top prospects in future classes.

And if the response from blue-chip offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller is any indication of what the future will hold, it looks like Sumrall is hitting the ground running.

5-star Maxwell Hiller beams about the Gators after weekend visit

Hiller is ranked as the top interior offensive lineman in the Class of 2027. The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder from Coatsville, Pennsylvania already had a pre-existing relationship with offensive line coach Phil Trautwein, who began recruiting Hiller when he was coaching at Penn State. 

Trautwein was the primary reason Hiller decided to give Florida a chance, and now it can be said that the Gators are going to be a player in his recruitment. Hiller told 247Sports that Trautwein is clearly excited to be coaching back at his alma mater.

"I could tell he was real happy and passionate about that place being his alma mater," Hiller said. "He was real juiced up and so was all the other coaches and coaching staff. Everybody was so juiced up."

Hiller will be one of the most coveted offensive line prospects during this cycle and Florida will be battling some heavy hitters for his time, including Penn State and Ohio State. The goal for this visit was to see if they could get Hiller to return later in the spring and then work on trying to get him to take an official visit over the summer. 

Florida extended Hiller an offer in mid-December, two weeks after Sumrall was hired. Hiller has recently received offers from other SEC programs like Kentucky and South Carolina. He also took in a game at Alabama on an unofficial visit last fall.