'26 OH OL - Maxwell Riley (Verbal Offer)

Buckeye O-line offer looking forward to getting back to #OhioState. VIP https://t.co/02PKe97SSW

— Bill Kurelic (@Bill_Kurelic) July 2, 2023

 

Unlike a year ago when Ohio State hosted Notre Dame, the home opener for the 2023 season isn’t expected to be a massive recruiting event for the Buckeyes considering the opponent is Youngstown State.

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be at least a few marquee players in attendance. One of Ohio State’s top targets in the 2026 class, offensive tackle Maxwell Riley, has confirmed to Eleven Warriors he’ll be at the Buckeyes' season opener on Sept. 9.

The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Riley is considered the 14th-best prospect nationally and the third-ranked offensive tackle by 247Sports’ top-100 rankings for the 2026 class. The Buckeyes offered him in March and visited campus in April for Ohio State's spring game.

“That was a surreal experience," Riley said after receiving his offer. "I grew up an Ohio State fan and always watched them on Saturdays with my dad and grandpa. Finally getting to meet them in person and experience that was pretty cool. (Coach Ryan Day and Justin Frye) wanted to offer me because of my potential.”

Riley has 12 Division I offers including Florida State, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Toledo, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

 

Weeks 1-3 Highlights
C/O 2026
6’5 270 OT@coachkostelnik @DaleRodick @CoachLowe212 @AllenTrieu @Rivals_Clint @ChadSimmons_ https://t.co/liIKrKuHXZ

— Maxwell Riley✝️ (@bigmax2026) September 3, 2023

 

Had a great time back at The Ohio State University today. Congrats on the win and thank you for your hospitality @CoachJFrye @CoachSollenne @etwill21 @markpantoni. #GoBucks🌰 @coachkostelnik @DaleRodick @CoachLowe212 pic.twitter.com/oESerY6CoE

— Maxwell Riley✝️ (@bigmax2026) September 10, 2023

 

Ohio State setting pace for 2026 offensive tackle Max Rileyhttps://t.co/xVyWtcPaAy

— Lettermen Row (@LettermenRow) September 11, 2023

 

One of Ohio State’s top targets in the 2026 class was back at OSU on Saturday.

Four-star offensive tackle Maxwell Riley attended his first-ever OSU game during the Buckeyes’ home opener, which the Avon Lake resident relished having grown up in Ohio.

“I thought it was a pretty fun experience overall,” Riley told Eleven Warriors. “I got to share it with my mother and grandmother. It was fun to experience that with them. Obviously Ohio State got the win, but there’s always room for improvement, which is what coach Day was saying in the locker room. I thought the offensive line overall played pretty well. It was pretty cool (to be there), I decided when I was in seventh or eighth grade that if I was going to go to an Ohio State game, I wanted my first game to be on a recruiting visit.”

While on the visit, Riley spoke with both Justin Frye and Ryan Day, with both Ohio State coaches telling him they are impressed with what he’s put on film so far this year.

“They told me they’ve been watching my film and told me they saw a lot of improvement from last year,” Riley said. “That was pretty cool to hear from them.”

OSU was Riley’s third Division I offer, and since the Buckeyes gave him the offer in the spring, the team has been open about how they see him as a priority in the 2026 class.

“I would say staying close to home and that the program has been built in the last 50 to 60 years, there’s a lot of Big Ten championships and national championships there,” Riley said of the most appealing thing about potentially playing for OSU.

Riley, who holds 13 Division I offers, says he doesn’t have any more visits set in stone as of yet, but hopes to take trips to Penn State, Florida State, Clemson and another Ohio State game this fall. The 6-foot-5, 263-pound Riley says the next OSU game he attends will likely be against Penn State in October or against Michigan State in November.

Riley, considered the 14th-best player and third-ranked offensive tackle in the 2026 class, has anchored Avon Lake’s offensive line this season and has helped his team to a 3-1 start so far.

“As a team we just want to be the best we can be. I think we have a lot of potential this year,” Riley said. “Obviously we want to win out and win the conference, the region, then state, in that order. As for goals for myself, I just want to keep getting better every week as an individual, that’s all you can ask for.”

Once Riley’s sophomore year concludes, he says he’ll focus on trimming his school list down and be more selective with schools he’s considering by the spring or summer, though he doesn’t have a concrete decision timeline as of yet.

 

Had a great time @UMichFootball, thank you again for your hospitality @Coach_SMoore @coachclink @AKarsch_UM. @coachkostelnik @CoachLowe212 @DaleRodick pic.twitter.com/Q1VQqLscq0

— Maxwell Riley✝️ (@bigmax2026) October 14, 2023

 

Max Riley is one of the top OLs in the 2026 class and he took in his first game at Michigan Saturday. The Wolverines didn't disappoint: https://t.co/ll4aFfQLss (On3+) pic.twitter.com/9iWEq73Prb

— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) October 15, 2023

 

Had a great time at THE Ohio State University, thank you again for an amazing visit and congratulations on the win @CoachJFrye @CoachSollenne @etwill21. @coachkostelnik @CoachLowe212 pic.twitter.com/K1Tv77ajSM

— Maxwell Riley✝️ (@bigmax2026) October 22, 2023

 

Max Riley is one of the most sought-after recruits in the 2026 class and FSU jumped on him early. He took in his first game in Tallahassee over the weekend and he liked what he saw: https://t.co/hPpmLUpifi (On3+) pic.twitter.com/ydXRGMPP4J

— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) November 14, 2023

 

#Clemson visit a great one for Avon Lake (Ohio) Top247 2026 OT Maxwell Riley. Story here: https://t.co/yQr8FUcUeK

— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong247) November 19, 2023