Hurleman Has Tools To Stick
by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published August 8, 2025, 12:52 PM
LATROBE, Pa, – Max Hurleman isn’t the kind of name you’ll find at the top of a depth chart. Not yet, anyway. But for those watching closely at Saint Vincent College, his number keeps popping up and so does his versatility.
Officially, the Steelers list Hurleman as a running back. But if you’ve seen him work in Latrobe, you’ve likely caught him lined up at receiver. And if you dig back into his 2024 season at Notre Dame, you’ll find him listed as a defensive back. That alone should tell you the kind of player
Hurleman fits the cliché of a Swiss Army athlete, a guy who just finds ways to help a football team.
The Wyomissing, PA. native embraces that confusion like a badge of honor. “I’d like to say I’m just a football player, fair enough,” he said after one of the more impressive practices of camp. “Right now I’ve been doing most of my work with receivers. Yeah, I think that’s a really great spot for me.”
And it shows.
On Day 12 of Steelers training camp, in the always-heated two-minute drill, Hurleman rose above the crowd of hopefuls and made plays when they mattered most. “When it’s crunch time, it’s super important to be able to show up in those moments,” he said. “That’s why we drill two minutes. Just got to trust your quarterback to make the right decisions. And whoever’s out there has to be ready to make the play.”
He was.
Hurleman’s journey to this point hasn’t been paved with hype. It’s been built on production. At Colgate, where he spent four seasons, he racked up 814 rushing yards, caught 80 passes for 841 more, scored four total touchdowns, and returned kicks and punts with steady impact. He even ranked second in the Patriot League in punt return yards and average in 2023.
Then, in his lone season at Notre Dame, he played all 16 games, chipped in on special teams with 13 tackles and 23 punt returns, and did the kind of work most guys shy away from. Just another day for a guy who’s always done a little bit of everything.
“I started at quarterback in second grade,” Hurleman said, smiling. “A lot of QB keepers back then. But quickly moved to that running back-slash-receiver role kind of just a ball carrier, slash playmaker.”
Ask him about his favorite memory from high school and he might bring up the time he scored four touchdowns on just seven touches. “The numbers might be a little off,” he admitted, “but I know it was pretty close to that.” That knack for doing more with less is showing up again in camp, as he quietly puts together one of the more intriguing résumés among Steelers long shots.
There’s no guarantee, of course. There never is for guys buried deep on the depth chart. But Hurleman knows that. He wakes up each day with a simple plan: show up, give everything, and do it again tomorrow. “Just going day by day, just trying to be the best I can each and every day,” he said. “Today’s the only day that matters to me. Wake up tomorrow and repeat the same thing.”
It’s working. With every catch, every special team’s rep, every two-minute stand, Hurleman inches closer to earning a shot. And he’s not taking a second of it for granted. “It’s a super amazing moment,” he said. “Super grateful to be part of this organization. Can’t thank the Steelers enough for allowing me to put this helmet on.”
He may not be a household name yet, the people from the hills surround Chuck Noll Stadium likely aren’t wearing No. 34 jerseys, but one this is for damn sure. Hurleman is making
He may not be a household name yet, but Hurleman is proving something every day in Latrobe there is more than meets the eye.
Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com
