4-star OL Maxwell Riley down to two schools in his recruitment

With more than 30 offers in hand, four-star Avon Lake (Ohio) offensive lineman Max Riley is ready to take the next step in his recruitment.

On Tuesday, he announced that will make his decision between Ohio State and Clemson when the time comes.

“Thank you to all the schools that have dedicated their time and resources toward recruiting me,” he wrote on Twitter. “With that being said I’ll be making my college decision between The Ohio State University and Clemson University.”

Thank you to all the schools that have dedicated their time and resources towards recruiting me. With that being said I’ll be making my college decision between The Ohio State University and Clemson University.

Proverbs 3:5-6 pic.twitter.com/j1IAfx9geq

— Maxwell Riley (@bigmax2026) January 21, 2025

The 6-foot-3, 265-pounder is the No. 128 overall prospect in the 2026 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks as the nation’s No. 9 interior offensive lineman and No. 4 recruit in Ohio.

In November, Riley told On3’s Chad Simmons that he planned to take his decision into January or February before making an early commitment. That came after visits to Michigan State and Ohio State early in the fall, as well as a trip to Death Valley in November.

“Some things that I’ll be considering heavily in my recruitment are academics, the culture of the program, coaching staff, life after football and the faith base of the program,” Riley said.

The in-state Buckeyes are currently the heavy favorites, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). Coming off a national championship and a top-5 class in 2025, OSU already has a top-10 class in 2026 led by Five-Star Plus+ receiver Chris Henry Jr. and in-state four-star athlete Jakob Weatherspoon.