Tennessee has shifted all its energy to adding to an already successful 2027 class now that we are in the thick of the new year. Tennessee has four commits right now, and many of their top targets have been trimming down their list of top schools.
Five-star interior offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller has announced his top four schools, and Tennessee made the cut along with Alabama, Florida, and Ohio State. Linemen from the state of Pennsylvania have been a big target for Heupel, as Tennessee also made the top list for Lansdale Catholic offensive lineman Terrance Smith.
🚨NEWS🚨 5-star IOL Maxwell Hiller is down to Alabama, Florida, Ohio State and Tennessee, @Hayesfawcett3 reports‼️
— Rivals (@Rivals) February 7, 2026
Hiller is the No. 1 IOL in the 2027 class.
Read: https://t.co/XizMaOQDYy pic.twitter.com/pWSoD9o84s
When talking about the Vols, Hiller told Rivals, “Everything I experienced last time was so good that I had to come back. The coaching staff, environment, everything, checks all of the boxes here.” Hiller clearly loves the town and the environment Neyland brings. Now Heupel has to sell him on a good development plan and on how Tennessee can compete for a national title with Hiller's help.
Maxwell Hiller would be a phenomenal add
Making the top list for an elite player like Hiller is no small feat. He is rated a five-star prospect by the Rivals industry ranking, the No. 11 player in the nation, and the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the class of 2027. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound lineman has offers from pretty much every top school in the nation.
If Heupel is able to pull this off, it would be back-to-back years of the Vols getting a five-star offensive lineman. Building in the trenches has been a priority for Heupel, as Tennessee has been pushing hard to attract top talent in the trenches.
Replicating the success of the 2026 class is unlikely, but it's not impossible. If Tennessee can land a few players of Hiller's caliber, they will be right around where they were in the rankings for the 2026 class. Tennessee is in good standing with five-star David Gabriel Georges, too. Quarterback might be hard to get an elite option after getting Faizon Brandon in 2026, but overall, Tennessee is in a good spot, especially when it comes to recruiting on offense in the 2027 class.