Tye Hylton was never an average athlete. At 15, he stood at a massive 6 ‘3 and 250 pounds while starting on Oviedo’s basketball and football teams. Now as a junior, Hylton continues to grow standing at 6’5 and weighing 270 pounds.

“The first thing that really jumped out at me was his massive body stature,” said head football coach Greg Odinero. “His size set him apart from the rest.” 

Hylton first got the call up to the varsity team his freshman year and never looked back. He then secured the starting right tackle spot his sophomore year and would block for star running back DJ Scott.

Hylton’s great performance his sophomore season led to his first offer from hometown school UCF. UCF was the first of three offers that spring, which included the University of South Florida and Marshall University. 

“Tye has really separated himself from other linemen around the state,” Odinero said. “His film speaks for itself, he’s tremendous with his reach step, kick out block, and vertical step and that translates to what colleges are looking for.”

Hylton had a tremendous junior season, leading Oviedo to a 10-2 record, beating rival Hagerty, and making a miraculous comeback against the Wharton Wildcats in the playoffs. His immense third year led to his recruitment to take off.

His first offer after his junior season was from the Big Ten program, Rutgers University. His recruitment really blew up when he received his biggest offer from coach Mike Norvell at Florida State University. Coach Norvell came all the way from Tallahassee to Oviedo High School to meet and officially offer Tye.

After recently receiving an offer from the University of Florida, Tye now holds an offer from every major school in Florida making him one of the most sought out after recruits in the state. 

Now holding 14 Division-1 offers, Hylton is enjoying the process.

“It’s really fun to share the recruitment process with my family and everyone who cares about me,” Hylton said. “It really shows that hard work pays off.”

The improvement in his junior season hasn’t gone unnoticed throughout the country, with offers from massive out-of-state schools such as the University of Pittsburgh, Cincinnati University, and the University of Georgia Tech. 

One of his biggest areas of improvement since he got to Oviedo has been in the weight room and in the film room.

“I’ve definitely gotten a lot stronger over the last couple of years and that has led to a lot of my success, but I’ve also gotten smarter which has really helped me understand the position,” Hylton  said.

Colleges have been attracted to Hylton’s massive frame and athleticism. Odinero compared him to former star offensive tackle Leyton Nelson who held 33 division one offers and eventually went to play in the SEC for the Vanderbilt University Commodores.

“Tye and Leytons junior film were eerily similar and they both played the same position,” Odierno said. “Tye’s at 10 offers now, and when it’s all said and done, he’ll be at 30 just like Leyton.”

Tye has received 4 more offers since the interview was conducted from Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Coastal Carolina, and The University of Florida. Now preparing for his senior season, Hylton has one goal in mind: building off the success of last season to lead the Lions to the playoffs.