"They did everything right:" Florida in a good spot for the No. 1 IOL in the nation

Florida got huge news from Pennsylvania on Saturday and a big opportunity to make an impact in a final decision. Maxwell (Max) Hiller, the No. 1 inside offensive lineman in the nation for the class of 2027 told Hayes Fawcett with On3 on Saturday that he has narrowed his recruitment down to just four schools. In a battle of SEC schools, Hiller will be deciding between Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio State, and the University of Florida.

Along with Florida finding out they are in Hiller’s top-four, he also locked in an official visit to The Swamp this summer, and by then, Jon Sumrall will know what he thought of the other schools the Gators’ will be battling with as Hiller will visit Alabama May 29 – 31, Tennessee from June 12 – 14, and then visiting Florida in the third week from June 19 -21. Hiller has yet to announce an official visit to Ohio State, but Florida is at an advantage so far in that they’ll get to impress Hiller after knowing how things go for him at Tennessee and Alabama.

Hiller visited the University of Florida on June 24 for Junior Day and per On3 Rivals, “They (Florida) did everything right,” leaving him with a very strong first impression of the Gator nation.

Along with being ranked as the nation’s No. 1 IOL in the 2027 recruiting class, he also ranked as the No. 11 player overall in the 2027 class by On3 and the No. 2 recruit out of Pennsylvania. 

ESPN.com has Hiller ranked as the No. 7 recruit in their Jr. 300 with a five-star scout grade of 90 and 247 Sports has the 6’5”, 300lb lineman ranked as their No. 1 inside offensive lineman, the No. 1 recruit out of Pennsylvania, and the No. 4 player in the nation overall.

When we first previewed Hiller back in December, we said:

"If you want the definition of what the tape for a five-star prospect looks like compared to a three-star, just go watch Hiller’s film. He is the type of player who would make you want to quit football if you were matched up against him on a Friday night. His natural power is evident, and there are moments where he won’t just pancake one dude, he’ll find a way to pancake two dudes at once."

Along with the four schools Hiller narrowed his search down to, he also has additional offers from Cincinnati, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, South Carolina, Syracuse, Texas A&M, USC, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, UConn, Sacramento State, and Kent State as well.

But as was revealed on Saturday, the junior has narrowed his search down to four SEC schools, with the Gators making into the final four for his recruitment.