Buy Stock in Max Hurleman
by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published August 17, 2025, 9:44 AM
PITTSBURGH, Pa – In the NFL, undrafted players don’t get second chances often. One mistake can linger on film and tilt a decision in the wrong direction. Max Hurleman knows that reality, and he’s been living in it every snap of this preseason.
The Colgate standout, who took a detour to Notre Dame before arriving in Pittsburgh, isn’t easy to label. Notre Dame listed him as a defensive back. The Steelers have him under running back. Truth is, he’s a wide receiver who survives on versatility.
Hurleman himself puts it bluntly.
“I’m a football player.” That’s the type of attitude Mike Tomlin flagged at Notre Dame’s Pro Day, and it’s the same one that has quietly kept him in the conversation this August.
Week 1 against Jacksonville looked like the type of game that puts an unknown player on the radar. Hurleman snagged two receptions for 29 yards, including a 26-yard seam route where he absorbed a shot and stayed upright, followed by a short touchdown grab. His backflip celebration made the highlight reels, but the bigger story was how he handled contact and finished plays. On special teams, he chipped in with blocking and coverage that don’t show up on stat sheets but matter in roster meetings.
Then came Week 2 against Tampa Bay. Hurleman found himself wide open in the back of the end zone a play designed for him. The ball hit the turf instead of his hands. For a fringe player, that’s not just a missed opportunity; it’s the type of mistake that can define a summer.
He admitted as much.
“Definitely left some plays out there that I want to have back. You know, it’s never good when you drop a ball, especially in the end zone. That’s when you just… you got to move on. I was really fortunate to have the support from my teammates and coaches, just keep going out there and keep making plays. And I was lucky to make that play on special teams, which was a huge momentum swing for our team. The ability to bounce back was great, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that without them.”
He explained that veteran safety Deshon Elliott, receiver Calvin Austin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith were in his ear immediately after the dropped catch providing support for a rookie who knows mistakes cannot be made.
“I think Deshon Elliott came up to me. He was very supportive. Calvin was like, ‘Hey, I’ve been there last preseason.’ And even coach Arthur Smith was in my head, like, ‘I’m coming back to you. Keep your head up. Let’s go. I trust you.’ Just having that support means the world. It was great to go back out there and look to make plays,” Hurleman explained.
The play he’s talking about was a recovery of a muffed punt by Tez Johnson. It set up the Steelers’ tying touchdown, a momentum-shifter that salvaged his night. For Hurleman, it was proof of what’s keeping him alive in camp the willingness to erase mistakes with the next snap.
Still, he doesn’t sugarcoat the pursuit.
“We’re always, as athletes, chasing that perfect game, or that perfect evening, that perfect day,” Hurleman said. “And when that’s not achieved which it’s almost never achieved there’s always that little something in the back of your mind, ‘Man, I wish you could add that or this.’ But at the end of the day, you go back and watch it, learn, and get better.”
That mindset is necessary because the stakes are unforgiving.
Dropping a touchdown as an undrafted rookie isn’t just a bad moment, it can be the difference between a locker and a pink slip. Hurleman knows this. He also knows the only way through is by proving he has more value than the mistake.
Special teams. Crisp routes. Relentless effort. That’s his case file. It’s not flashy, but it’s real. And if he keeps stacking nights where the bounce-back outweighs the error, Pittsburgh or another team watching closely might decide he’s worth the investment.
I’m buying stock in Hurleman.
Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com
