Early top Ohio offensive lineman Maxwell Riley checks out Clemson

Big 2026 lineman Maxwell Riley was recently in town for a visit.

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Wed Jun 21 13:44:07 GMT-04:00 2023

As a rising sophomore, Maxwell Riley has a ton of time before choosing where he'll play college football, but the Avon Lakes (OH) offensive lineman is already checking out potential suitors.

The 6-5 265-pound offensive lineman already owns offers from Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Pitt, Toledo, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, but offensive line coach Thomas Austin convinced Riley to take a trip to Clemson to check out the Tigers.

Austin made a swing through Ohio during the recent recruiting period and afterward talked to Riley about a potential visit.

"Coach Austin came to my high school about two months ago and said I should come down for a visit, so my parents and I have been planning it," Riley told TigerNet Tuesday evening. "We just thought we should get down and check it out. We were there from about 8:30-1:00-ish."

Riley and his parents liked everything they saw during their brief visit to Tigertown.

"He (Austin) was actually on vacation, so I was mostly with (offensive player development) Coach (Carson) Cramer," Riley said. I was on a call with Coach Austin about three times throughout the day because he wanted to check in and see how it was going. I think overall, when you go visit a school, you look for the pros and cons. To me, there were no cons. It was all pros. I love everything about it, honestly. I really like the location. The facilities are nice. I agree with how they coach, what they coach, and the off-the-field priorities."

Being a 2026 prospect, Riley intends to take his time with the recruiting process.

"Honestly, it just depends on how visits go and stuff," he said. "I was thinking about around my junior year or probably after my junior football season to make a decision. I'll probably cut down the list before that. I would think Clemson would make a list."

However, he already knows what he's looking for in a school.

"First off, I want to focus on getting a great education which Clemson is big on. It's very important to me. Then, also having a sustained football program," he said.

Had an amazing time at Clemson University today, thank you again for a great visit @Coach__TA @carson_cramer @s__valentine. @coachkostelnik @DaleRodick @CoachLowe212 pic.twitter.com/irz4r6dUYk
— Maxwell Riley (@bigmax2026) June 19, 2023