‘Join the crew’ — New Florida Gators five-star commit Maxwell Hiller immediately started recruiting for Jon Sumrall

Wednesday night was a massive one for the Florida Gators with the commitment of five-star offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller. WIthin hours of his commitment, Hiller was already trying to recruit other recruits to Gainesville.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Cape Henlopen's Jameson Tingle is sacked on consecutive plays in the first quarter by Appoquinimink defenders including Harold Seamon (bottom) and Layton von Brandt in the Jaguars' 48-14 win at Appoquinimink High School, Oct 3, 2025.
Cape Henlopen’s Jameson Tingle is sacked on consecutive plays in the first quarter by Appoquinimink defenders including Harold Seamon (bottom) and Layton von Brandt in the Jaguars’ 48-14 win at Appoquinimink High School, Oct 3, 2025. William Bretzger/Delaware News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Florida Gators got a massive win on Wednesday night when five-star offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller announced his commitment. It was a massive win for head coach Jon Sumrall, as the Gators haven’t secured a five-star offensive lineman since Martez Ivey committed in 2015.

The biggest reason was the presence of offensive line coach Phil Trautwein, who has built a great relationship with Hiller, and it could snowball to land more recruits. Now that Hiller is officially committed, he’s working to make an impact on recruiting himself.

Maxwell Hiller is working to recruit other players to the Florida Gators

Every so often, a single player can create a snowball effect when it comes to recruiting. Hiller looks to be that guy to help out Sumrall, and he didn’t wait long to start talking to other recruits.

The offensive line is a fascinating one, and it all links back to Trautwein. He brought with him multiple players from the Penn State Nittany Lions, including potential starters Eagan Boyer and T.J. Shanahan Jr. The next one could be four-star offensive tackle Layton von Brandt.

He was originally committed to the Nittany Lions before decommitting. von Brandt is the 70th-ranked overall recruit and the sixth offensive tackle in the country. AT 6-5.5 and 280 pounds, von Brandt has the profile of a future star on the outside. He is currently projected to commit to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with an 89% prediction on the Rivals’ Recruiting Prediction Machine.

If Hiller can convince von Brandt to come to Gainesville, it would be a huge win for the Gators. He did have an unofficial visit on March 24th, and that could lead to an official one this summer. This is a situation worth keeping an eye on.

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