Ryan Day, Ohio State Lose Out on Nation’s No. 1 IOL to SEC Powerhouse

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Ohio State lost out on one of the top recruits in the 2027 recruiting class on Wednesday.

According to On3/Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett, five-star interior offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller has committed to Florida. He chose Florida over Alabama, Ohio State, and Tennessee.

Hiller is the top recruit in Pennsylvania and the top interior offensive lineman recruit in the nation, per 247Sports Composite rankings. He’s also the fifth overall recruit in the nation, regardless of position.

That’s a huge win for Florida head coach Jon Sumrall. He’s only been on the job for a few months and has already landed one of the best recruits in the nation.

Meanwhile, it’s a tough loss for the Buckeyes, who were trying to land Hiller in order to boost their already strong 2027 class. Per 247Sports, the Buckeyes have the third overall class in the country.

Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day has done a great job recruiting and has the team set up to make more noise again in 2026. Even though the Buckeyes didn’t win the national title this past year, they have a lot of talent returning and coming in from different schools.

The 2026 season will be Day’s eighth full season as head coach. He coached three games in the 2018 season before becoming the full-time head coach ahead of the 2019 season.

Day has compiled an 82-12 overall record and led the program to a national title in 2024. Ohio State will open the 2026 season against Ball State on Sept. 5.

Related: Ohio State, Ryan Day Get Positive Message from Former No. 1 QB Recruit

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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