Clemson started dishing out offers to the class of 2026 last weekend, and among the first wave of prospects to score an offer from Dabo Swinney’s program was this elite offensive lineman from the Buckeye State.

Avon Lake (Ohio) four-star Maxwell Riley was stoked after receiving an offer from the Tigers, via offensive line coach Matt Luke.

Riley, a top-35 national prospect per multiple recruiting services, reported the offer on Sunday and spoke with The Clemson Insider about it afterward.

“Just really blessed and grateful to receive an offer from Clemson,” he said. “I was pretty fired up after my conversation with Coach Luke.”

Riley is ranked as high as the No. 9 overall prospect in the country for the 2026 class by Rivals, which touts him as the No. 4 offensive tackle nationally, while 247Sports ranks him as the No. 6 offensive tackle and No. 35 overall prospect for his class. Both services consider him the No. 1 prospect in the state of Ohio regardless of position.

What did the 6-foot-5, 280-pound rising junior hear from Luke when he extended the Clemson offer?

“We chatted for a bit and he said I fit what a kid who goes to Clemson is supposed to be,” Riley said.

Clemson has played host to Riley a few times, most recently for the program’s March 9 junior day. He also visited Clemson for the North Carolina game last November after making his way to campus last June as well.

It won’t be long before Riley is back in Tiger Town again, as he’s set to return next week.

“June 11th,” he said of when he’ll be visiting Clemson again.

Riley has compiled an impressive list of more than two dozen offers. Along with Clemson, his list includes schools such as Alabama, Texas A&M, Kentucky, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Tennessee, Stanford, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, to name some.

Riley commented on where Clemson stands in his recruitment after pulling the trigger on an offer, saying the Tigers are a lock to make the cut for his top schools list this summer.

“I’m pretty high on them right now and have been for a while,” he said. “I’ll trim my list at some point this summer to six to eight schools and they’ll definitely be on it.”

Riley was a first-team all-conference and first-team all-district honoree as a sophomore for Avon Lake last season, when he posted more than 80 pancake blocks and allowed only one sack in 12 games.

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