Sumrall Lands Florida’s Top 2027 Recruit
The Florida Gators football program earned a commitment Wednesday night from 5-star interior offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller, the composite No. 5 overall recruit and No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the 2027 class.
Hiller announced his commitment in an Instagram post, and chose the Gators over Tennessee, Alabama and Ohio State.
247 Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks notes that Hiller is an elite guard, but could also end up as an offensive tackle, underscoring his versatility. Brooks even notes he could “probably go pro as an interior defensive lineman as well.”
ESPN, who lists Hiller as an offensive tackle, points out that should he sign next winter, Hiller would be the program’s highest-ranked tackle signee since Martez Ivey in 2015, and 247 S ports lists him as Florida’s fifth-highest ranked recruit of all time.
Hiller is Florida’s top recruit of the 2027 cycle, joining four-star cornerback Amare Nugent, four-star wide receiver Tramond Collins and three-star tight end Jackson Ballinger. The Gators’ early commitments give them the No. 24 overall class and No. 8 SEC class in 2027 so far according to 247 Sports.
Hiller’s commitment comes after the hiring of former Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein to join Jon Sumrall’s new staff in January. Trautwein won two national championships with the Gators in 2006 and 2008 as a player and now says he intends to make the university “O-Line U.”
ESPN notes that Trautwein’s relationship with Hiller was instrumental in landing the five-star. Trautwein began recruiting Hiller in middle school, eventually giving him his best FBS offer in 2023. Hiller says he “clicked right away” with Jon Sumrall in his first visit in January, and a following visit in late March made his decision.
The offensive line continues to be a point of emphasis for Sumrall at Florida. While the Gators added veteran linemen TJ Shanahan Jr. and Eagan Boyer from Penn State, alongside Harrison Moore from Georgia Tech and Emek Ugorji from Stanford in the transfer portal over the offseason, none of them were top-20 lineman additions. Florida’s 2026 recruiting class featured a series of three-star linemen, but the Gators failed to land an elite recruit.
Construction of a top offensive line is still a work in progress, but according to ESPN, Florida remains in contention for composite No. 1 offensive tackle Mark Matthews, composite No. 2 offensive tackle Kennedy Brown and composite No. 6 offensive tackle Layton von Brandt. For now, Hiller’s commitment marks Jon Sumrall’s biggest recruiting win in his time with the Gators.
Florida is also viewed as the front runner for composite four-star quarterback Davin Davidson, receiving four crystal ball predictions from 247 insiders to commit to the Gators. Davidson will announce his commitment Thursday night at 7:30 and could join Hiller as an early cornerstone of Florida’s 2027 recruiting class.
Category: College Football, Gators Football
