During the portal, it was Ryan Day and Ohio State who took off with multiple key Alabama players. Well it turns out Kalen DeBoer might be returning the favor. What’s even more surprising is that the man at the head of this recruiting charge is none other than Bama’s own quarterback commit, Trent Seaborn.   

“Alabama QB commit Trent Seaborn has three 5🌟 recruits he is recruiting hard to come to Alabama. 🐘👀” reported Touchdown Alabama.

In October 2025, Alabama landed the commitment from the four-star 2027 passer Seaborn. Four months later, the move is paying off as the quarterback is now working on a list of targeted players to speed up DeBoer’s recruiting process. One of those names includes offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller. A recruit that the Buckeyes desperately need on their squad. 

“A big guy I really been going after is Bama Sales, Monshun, but his nickname is Bama, and I think that’s a good sign as well,” Seaborn said. “Another big guy is Maxwell Hiller and some other O-Linemen like Kennedy Brown.”

This aggressive peer-recruiting from a rival powerhouse, targeting a key position of need for the Buckeyes, directly intensifies the pressure on Ryan Day to secure top talent.

According to 247Sports, Hiller is considered as the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the country and the No. 10 overall player regardless of position. He is also the top-ranked prospect in the state of Pennsylvania.

Day and the Buckeyes must have seen some silver lining as Maxwell Hiller shortlisted his top four schools. The 6-foot-5.5, 305-pounder from Coatesville narrowed his list to Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, and Tennessee. Going by Rivals’ crystal ball, the Crimson Tide stands at the top with a 77.2% chance to land Hiller. 

“Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong has logged an expert prediction for Alabama to land 2027 5-star IOL Maxwell Hiller,” Rivals posted last November.

However, Wiltfong has now leaned more towards Florida to land Hiller. But Alabama’s quarterback is ignoring the noise and just remains focused on his job. On February 6, Hiller posted a poster featuring himself and the logos of the top four schools. 

“Yk where home is 🐘🐘,” wrote Seaborn, quickly commenting on the post.

Since the interior offensive lineman is a Pennsylvania product, while Seaborn hails from Alabama, there are no local ties. That’s what made the quarterback had to use social media to build a connection with the recruit. As for the Bucks, this could be a positive as Ohio represents the closest-to-home option among Hiller’s finalists.

This might already be giving the Buckeyes a déjà vu feeling. Back in 2022, Independence four-star tight end Ty Lockwood flipped his commitment from Day’s program to the Crimson Tide. Four years later, the Buckeyes are standing at the same crossroads, but this time for the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the nation. 

Securing Hiller’s commitment is critical for Day because Ohio State has been in the back seat when it comes to adding five-star offensive linemen in the 2020s. 

Hiller’s Opinion of the Buckeyes 

Seaborn’s ongoing social media recruiting accelerates the competition for Hiller. It prompted Ohio State and others to intensify their efforts. Amidst all of this, Hiller wrapped up his second trip to Columbus over the February 14th weekend. 

“Just seeing the staff again and really diving into the details and how everything goes down there coaching wise,” he said to Lettermen Row. “I left with a very positive mindset. It was a great visit.”

According to reports, since Day recruited offensive line coach Tyler Bowen, he has been working to bring Hiller on campus. In addition, Day also made a strong impression on the recruit’s family. 

“It was great. I met with him [Day] for a little in person and then also did a Zoom with him,” Hiller said. “My mom liked him. It was her first time meeting him.”

After wrapping up his spring visit, the top-ranked interior offensive lineman in the 2027 cycle is now looking forward to his official visits in the summer. He’s set to hit Alabama on May 29. It will be followed by trips to Tennessee on June 12 and to Florida on June 19. What about the Ohio State official visit? That date is still to be decided. 

With Hiller’s official visit to Columbus still unscheduled while trips to his other finalists are locked in, Ryan Day faces a critical stretch to avoid losing another top target to a conference rival.

But it’s not all bad news for the Buckeye fans. Ohio State grabbed a significant victory on the recruiting trail last December when Day successfully landed the commitment of four-star linebacker Quinton Cypher, out of Raleigh, who once held more than 30 offers.

“GO BUCKEYES!” wrote Cypher, resharing On3’s Hayes Fawcett’s tweet in which Hiller listed Day’s program among his top four schools.

Ryan Day might not have his QB commits go out and do recruitment on the program’s behalf, but the allure of playing for Ohio State is still a big enough draw for most commits to still consider Columbus as a strong option.