Huskies Gain Commit From an OL Gladiator in Maximus McCree

The big tackle played briefly for Maryland in 2022.

Maximus McCree played at Maryland in 2022

Maximus McCree's name sounds a lot like something out of the movie Gladiator, but you won't find much or any film on this offensive tackle originally from Kansas City, by way of Iowa Central Community College and the University of Maryland, and now a Washington Husky commit.

Fighting lions or anybody in a helmet and pads.

While enrolled at Iowa Central a second time, there is no record of him playing football for anyone last season. In 2022, he appeared in just two games for the Terrapins, drawing a handful of snaps before transferring out. It appears he hasn't played in a meaningful way since he was in the JC ranks three years ago.

At least when he gets to Seattle, the 6-foot-6, 290-pound McCree should be well rested if not completely healthy.

On Friday, Jedd Fisch's new staff continued its mad scramble to replace the entire UW starting offensive from last season's CFP championship game by drawing a commitment from McCree -- the fourth offensive lineman to pledge to the Huskies since the end of April, though one of them may yet play defense.

Whereas all of these guys could turn out to be capable players, they're currently looking more like a collection of ragtag talent scrapped together to block for someone such as Burt Reynolds or Adam Sandler in a fictional prison yard.

Maximus McCree blocks for Iowa Central CC. | JC Nation

McCree played for Grandview High School, south of Kansas City, and spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons with Iowa Central, sharing in teams that finished a collective 17-5 and twice earning NJCAA All-America honors.

Looking to move up, he chose Maryland over Syracuse, Temple, Missouri and South Florida. He appeared in the Terps' first two games of the 2022 season, but didn't get on the field again, for reasons unexplained.

McCree joins a UW group of incoming offensive linemen that includes 6-foot-2, 320-pound center/offensive guard D'Angalo Titialii, a 28-game starter from FCS Portland State; 6-foot-4, 310-pound offensive guard Enokk Vimahi, a one-game starter at Ohio State; and 6-foot-2, 340-pound offensive guard Logan Sagapolu, a one-game starter from Miami who may shift to defense.

It should be interesting to see how many, if any, end up as UW starters for the coming season.

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